Heighway gone?

[Rich]

People need to try and see the distinction between what Wenger is doing at Arsenal and the idea behind football Academies. Very different beasts.

A football academy has a greater local responsibility, and life responsibility to the kids that join. It's almost like a college, where sport is the main focus, but not the only focus, so when a kid fails, as most do they have some life skills to fall back on.

Wenger is buying very young footballers, not kids, and then training them solely as footballers in the reserve team.

Totally different kettle of fish.

[Red_Polo]

Having 11 world class players in a team (or potential WC players) is very difficult mate. The key is to groom them into playing into the same style as the first team, which Wenger did.

Wenger just bought young players that were already suited

[Neil Young]

I'm disappointed this thread isn't entitled "Lost Heighway", it's a shame to miss out on a tabloid-style pun headline.

[Pacman]

I know a coach at the Acadamy who said Heighway is a brilliant coach.

Rafa has no control over the acadamy because he wants (like houllier did) it to be a place where all the best youngsters from all over the world come and ply their trade.

Heighway and LFC want it to be a place where the best youngesters from in and around Liverpool come and ply their trade basically giving them a chance and giving something back to the community.

[Biff]

I know a coach at the Acadamy who said Heighway is a brilliant coach.

Rafa has no control over the acadamy because he wants (like houllier did) it to be a place where all the best youngsters from all over the world come and ply their trade.

Heighway and LFC want it to be a place where the best youngesters from in and around Liverpool come and ply their trade basically giving them a chance and giving something back to the community.

I sympatheise with the sentiment of having local players but we're in the business of winning trophies and if there ain't enough local quality then we have to do whats required to compete.

Sad really.

[Pacman]

I sympatheise with the sentiment of having local players but we're in the business of winning trophies and if there ain't enough local quality then we have to do whats required to compete.

Sad really.

But the reason the board invested in the acdamy in the 1st place was to do exactly what they are doing now with it.

I agree we are in a business and Rafa is stuck between a rock and a hard place but it's what the club want and Rafa needs to respect that.

[Red_Polo]

I know a coach at the Acadamy who said Heighway is a brilliant coach.

Rafa has no control over the acadamy because he wants (like houllier did) it to be a place where all the best youngsters from all over the world come and ply their trade.

Heighway and LFC want it to be a place where the best youngesters from in and around Liverpool come and ply their trade basically giving them a chance and giving something back to the community.

We need a blend of the two

The top scouse players are not going to come through anyway if they are playing with substandard players

[southern red]

I remember watching Steve Heighway in 1970/71. That would make him nearly 60 years old. I'm not ageist (actually, I'm not too far off that age myself!) but surely we should be looking for a younger man with more up to date ideas. Steve Heighway is one of Shank's boys, it must be time to move on

[JRC]

Most of the decent local players currently playing, that have come thorough since Stevie, DIDN'T come through our Academy anyway - Rooney (we had a chance, and being a bluenose was never a problem in the past), Barton - poss Nolan, Nugent, a Full Back at Wigan I think(?); there is supposed to be another wunderkid at Everton as well, despite their academy being one step removed from a Municipal Park - I'm not saying they are all world class, but if we aren't even getting the best of the local talent, what chance have we of getting quality through to the First Team?

[Guest]

People need to try and see the distinction between what Wenger is doing at Arsenal and the idea behind football Academies. Very different beasts.

A football academy has a greater local responsibility, and life responsibility to the kids that join. It's almost like a college, where sport is the main focus, but not the only focus, so when a kid fails, as most do they have some life skills to fall back on.

Wenger is buying very young footballers, not kids, and then training them solely as footballers in the reserve team.

Totally different kettle of fish.

Thought that every academy in England had to follow the same blueprint ?

[Red_Polo]

Most of the decent local players currently playing, that have come thorough since Stevie, DIDN'T come through our Academy anyway - Rooney (we had a chance, and being a bluenose was never a problem in the past), Barton - poss Nolan, Nugent, a Full Back at Wigan I think(?); there is supposed to be another wunderkid at Everton as well, despite their academy being one step removed from a Municipal Park - I'm not saying they are all world class, but if we aren't even getting the best of the local talent, what chance have we of getting quality through to the First Team?

They have at least one new sensation every year there. Who can forget the brilliant Danny Cadamarteri for instance?

[Neil Young]

They have at least one new sensation every year there. Who can forget the brilliant Danny Cadamarteri for instance?

I hope Bjorn Tore Kvarme can't.

[dww]

I know a coach at the Acadamy who said Heighway is a brilliant coach.

I guess it goes to show that being a great coach and a great academy director may be very different things. Although it might just show that there is a fundamental flaw in the academy system in terms of bringing through top players. Both Rafa and Mourinho have been critical of the fact that young players are not exposed to competitive enough games and don't play against established players enough. Rafa also made comments about how the amount of general education compared to other youth setups "prepares players for failure".

I suspect that in order to see academies producing top players we will need to have a feeder team or some other arrangement that allows us to get league experience for our young players. I guess that means either buy a Scottish team or to do a deal with Tranmere or another local lower league club for them to take say 5 youngsters each season on loan. The main problem is ensuring that they get played, however with the lack of funds available at that level I suspect we could find an arrangement that would suit all parties.

[calvoboy]

Our academy's done f*ck all since Carragher, Fowler,Mcmanaman,Matteo and Owen came through. Warnock's the only other player I can think of who's made the first team and he's rubbish.

Changes at the academy need to be made and I guess sacking Heighway is the first step.

Gerrard is an obvious ommission from your list...and reading Gerrards book it seems that all the players think that Heighway is a great coach and does a fantastic job of nurturing young players.

There are very few clubs who produce more than one home grown first team player every two seasons or so. Even the Mancs have produced very few decent youngsters since their Youth cup winning side containing Beckham/Neville/Scholes etc. went onto the first team. And haven't we just won that same youth cup?

I think the academy does alright, but we need to be signing more 17-18 year olds to improve the squad as arsenal do. Rafa seems to be following this course with the likes of Antwi, Barragan etc. but I'm presuming the source of the dispute between him and Heighway is that Heighway would feel that these imports are blocking his youngsters from the next stage of development in the reserves?

[Pacman]

I guess it goes to show that being a great coach and a great academy director may be very different things. Although it might just show that there is a fundamental flaw in the academy system in terms of bringing through top players. Both Rafa and Mourinho have been critical of the fact that young players are not exposed to competitive enough games and don't play against established players enough. Rafa also made comments about how the amount of general education compared to other youth setups "prepares players for failure".

I suspect that in order to see academies producing top players we will need to have a feeder team or some other arrangement that allows us to get league experience for our young players. I guess that means either buy a Scottish team or to do a deal with Tranmere or another local lower league club for them to take say 5 youngsters each season on loan. The main problem is ensuring that they get played, however with the lack of funds available at that level I suspect we could find an arrangement that would suit all parties.

Isn't there a cap on how many players a club can take on loan though? My mate was enthralled in everything Heighway had to say. He'd never heard anything like it and thought he was brilliant. Carra came down afterwards for a questions and answer thing. I think it's a case of Liverpool Football Club wanting young talent but not at the expense of the local talent.