The Youth Academy

[Redspin]

About as much success as us.

Don't forget we've had McManaman, Fowler, Carragher, Owen and Gerrard who have made the grade at the very heighest levels.

Then there was the likes of Harkness, Matteo and Warnock who were in the first team at some point, then you could add sme of the younger players who we bought and moulded into the first team such as Redknapp.

Since those days of great success we have struggled like every other top team (bar Arsenal) to bring through a steady stream of top class players. The biggest reason for this is the sudden increase in quality needed to make the top teams. At the moment the English league is the best in the world, we regularly make it to the last 16 in Europe, so I find it difficult to see locally developed kids regularly making the team.

This will of course mean that anyone with the ability of Matteo or Harkness will not make it at LFC. No doubt they would make the Boro or Everton squad. A player like Carra will struggle as he was a late bloomer, but I would say that someone who works hard and can fill many positions will always make it with Rafa in charge.

Can anyone enlighten me as to who this stream of top class youngsters that Arsenal have produced? I can recall numerous players they've bought from abroad like Fabregas, Denilson and from another English club, like Walcott etc and remember players like Stokes who were shipped out - to Sunderland in his case - but I'm struggling to recall anyone they've produced from their youth set-up that's actually made it at the highest level in their first team.

[Rashid]

Can anyone enlighten me as to who this stream of top class youngsters that Arsenal have produced? I can recall numerous players they've bought from abroad like Fabregas, Denilson and from another English club, like Walcott etc and remember players like Stokes who were shipped out - to Sunderland in his case - but I'm struggling to recall anyone they've produced from their youth set-up that's actually made it at the highest level in their first team.

Ashley Cole? David Bentley?

[Exiled_red]

Can anyone enlighten me as to who this stream of top class youngsters that Arsenal have produced? I can recall numerous players they've bought from abroad like Fabregas, Denilson and from another English club, like Walcott etc and remember players like Stokes who were shipped out - to Sunderland in his case - but I'm struggling to recall anyone they've produced from their youth set-up that's actually made it at the highest level in their first team.

Ashley Cole, David Bentley and Justin Hoyte, beyond that I'm struggling, and the later two who weren't deemed good enough and were shipped out.

Aside from that all Wenger's youngsters are signed from elsewhere aged 16-18ish given a couple of years or so in the reserves, it's just like what we're doing with Plessis, Insua, Nemeth, Pacheco etc. Difference is Wenger has been doing it longer and is now starting to reap the benefits

[Rafa Shankly]

Ashley Cole? David Bentley?

2

[blacky]

You know where I am coming from MrM. This used to be a place where we could debate.

Nowadays, I swing by here and EVERY thread has been hijacked to some anti-rafa BS. I surf here and get depressed. FFS I could be looking at my pay check If I wanted to get pissed off.

Agree with El Jef. The last month or so has gone beyond a joke. Too may people on here with an agenda for my liking. No longer are there discussions backed up with fact just anti Rafa slander.

[Rashid]

Difference is Wenger has been doing it longer and is now starting to reap the benefits

How long was Wenger doing it for when Anelka came through? A player he made into a £23m Madrid signing.

[Exiled_red]

How long was Wenger doing it for when Anelka came through? A player he made into a £23m Madrid signing.

Yes Anelka came through very quickly from Wenger signing him to "bursting on the scene" but you don't know how much work Wenger did with Anelka, he could have already been at that level (or very close to it) when Wenger signed him but the system or something was holding him back. Or it could have been a lucky one (I'm not trying to run down Wenger as someone who develops players) but things like that sometimes just happen. For example Houllier wasn't great at bringing players through, but Gerrard came through under him. My initial point though was that (baring the odd exception) nurturing young players and bringing them through takes time. Wenger doesn't just buy some 17 year old kid and after a couple of months of training they're ready for first team, he usually has them for a year or two

[donpisci]

Agree with El Jef. The last month or so has gone beyond a joke. Too may people on here with an agenda for my liking. No longer are there discussions backed up with fact just anti Rafa slander.

I have to agree too.

Every thread is turning into an anti- Rafa thread, so much so that it's gone beyond reasonable debate and is just an agenda.

I understand people may not have much confidence in him, but surely they have something else to say!