Adam Hammill

[BFG]

Take a look at this and tell me how many academy players are there?

http://www.liverweb.org.uk/resapps.asp?season=200809

Could this not be a symptom of a failing academy system, hence the overhaul instigated by Rafa this summer?

[DannyMan2006]

I can see your point but all you can say is that there is no evidence of players really going on to prove Rafa wrong to get rid of them. Anything else is speculation that can never be proven.

Well in the main yes. But I would fancy Stepthen Warnock to be pushing very strongly for the fitst team if he was still here. And he is clearly better than our record £7m signing for a left back, Andreas Dossena.

[Mattshark]

Wasn't it Rafa who gave Neil Mellor his chances as well?

Yes it was. It seems to me that John Doe wants local players to have an advantage regardless of ability.

[JohnDoe]

So why can't you accept that they might not be good enough?

Because there is no way you could make that assumption.

What you can confidently say, is that the amount of **** that was brought in to get those reserve games instead is incredible.

[DannyMan2006]

Could this not be a symptom of a failing academy system, hence the overhaul instigated by Rafa this summer?

I actually think the biggest problem is the Academy system in England. And the standard of the reserves is terrible. Added to the fact our squad is about 60 players who can play in the reserves, whislt we only play about 25 games a year.

[dww]

What, like Spearing, Darby, Kelly etc?

I actually think it is going to be a big season for those players - we don't have the strength in depth for them not to be used or at least to regularly feature on the bench. To some extent if we don't bring any new players in then it is a big vote of confidence in them from Rafa contrary to the widely held belief that he holds something against local players.

[Mattshark]

Because there is no way you could make that assumption.

What you can confidently say, is that the amount of **** that was brought in to get those reserve games instead is incredible.

Have these players made it anywhere else?

[JohnDoe]

Could this not be a symptom of a failing academy system, hence the overhaul instigated by Rafa this summer?

Could it not be that Rafa was pushing hard to get control over the academy for years now and when he couldn't, he built his own academy in the reserves, which kinda choked the academy?

If you were a top 15-year old talent and sane, would you really join the academy when there are about 50 players in the reserves?

[Reece]

Because there is no way you could make that assumption.

Yet you seem to be making the assumption that they are good enough but horrible Rafa refuses to give them a chance.

[Exiled_red]

I'd love to see more academy players coming through, I know alot of people will argue with this but I believe that Rafa has been bringing in these foreign players because the academy standards haven't been up to it. A few years back people were raving about the best players in the reserves like John Welsh and Neil Mellor as players who would make a big impact. Mellor is struggling to get a game at Preston, while Welsh has recently been loaned out to the likes of Chester, Carlisle and Bury, before recently signing for Tranmere. These were our most promising hopes when Rafa came in. He had to do something. Call me naive if you like but I honestl believe if the academy players had been up to it we wouldn't have signed as many of these foreign youngsters

[Neil Young]

I'd love to see more academy players coming through, I know alot of people will argue with this but I believe that Rafa has been bringing in these foreign players because the academy standards haven't been up to it. A few years back people were raving about the best players in the reserves like John Welsh and Neil Mellor as players who would make a big impact. Mellor is struggling to get a game at Preston, while Welsh has recently been loaned out to the likes of Chester, Carlisle and Bury, before recently signing for Tranmere. These were our most promising hopes when Rafa came in. He had to do something. Call me naive if you like but I honestl believe if the academy players had been up to it we wouldn't have signed as many of these foreign youngsters

It's certainly the simplest explanation and the simplest explanation is always the most likely.

[Chrono]

Take a look at this and tell me how many academy players are there?

http://www.liverweb.org.uk/resapps.asp?season=200809

I've got high hopes for Own Goal. He looks like a local lad that might make it.

[Exiled_red]

Well in the main yes. But I would fancy Stepthen Warnock to be pushing very strongly for the fitst team if he was still here. And he is clearly better than our record £7m signing for a left back, Andreas Dossena.

Warnock would perhaps have been pushing for a place now, the problem with him was due to his injuries it was late when he came through (he's 27 now, 24 or 25 when he left)and he wasn't getting first team football as Riise at the time was ahead of him, and as I understand that was part of the reason why he left.

[JohnDoe]

Yet you seem to be making the assumption that they are good enough but horrible Rafa refuses to give them a chance.

He's never given them a chance when he signed 40 players for the reserves. That's a facht.

Anyway, he has control over the academy, he's wanted that for years now, let's see what he can do.

[BFG]

Could it not be that Rafa was pushing hard to get control over the academy for years now and when he couldn't, he built his own academy in the reserves, which kinda choked the academy?

I can see that point but considering the fact that it's 11 years since Gerrard came through perhaps Rafa was right to be pushing for control of something which was failing so spectacularly?