Borrell and McParland Gone

[dizzycat]

Just read about this, bit of a shock given that the academy appears to be producing now.

[RoadEnd]

Frank McParland, Liverpool’s Academy director, has been sacked along with the club’s Head of Academy coaching.
Academy technical director Rodolfo Borrell is also expected to leave in what will be regarded as a shock move, given the perceived success of the academy.
Seven players made their first-team debut for the Anfield club last season having been guided through by McParland.

Both McParland and Borrell have won admirers for their work at the academy in the last four years, with the pair appointed to their positions in 2009, under former manager Rafa Benitez to overhaul the coaching and recruitment.
A number of first-team players have been brought through under their guidance, such as Raheem Sterling, Jon Flanagan and Martin Kelly. Borrell had been recruited from the world-renowned youth academy at Barcelona.
Liverpool declined to comment but it is understood that McParland is in negotiations to leave with Borrell expected to depart with him.

[Chazza]

Does look an odd decision from the outside.

[RedReet]

F*ck sake, we change our youth set up about every 18 months and every time they say it’s to set the foundations for stability at youth level.

[Vermilion]

Can't get a feel for whether this is the right thing to do or not yet, not really sure why suddenly we'd decide to do this.

Maybe when we see who they replace them with ?

Although, it'll need to be an inspired choice imo for people to see it as a plus.

[Alex]

Maybe Rodgers just wants to have his people in the club from top to bottom. Who knows. I guess thats not good for continuity though.

[The Birdman]

If Sterling, Flanagan and Kelly are being held up as reasons not to sack them then it's a very weak argument.
Flanagan is average at best and not good enough for our first team (will probably have a very good lower league career)
Sterling we nicked off QPR 3 years ago so he can't be counted as one of ours and I watched Kelly's full debut vs Lyon in 2009 the same year McParland and Borrell were brought into the roles by Rafa so that hardly counts either.
Kelly has played 30 games in 5 years since turning pro, by comparison Jonny Evans had played approx. 120


More to the point we haven't kicked these 2 out without having A. A very good reason or reasons and B. Replacements lined up to come in.

[Fredo]

Think our academy has been underachieving. They may have been doing well at youth level, but there's hardly been anyone coming through who are a fixture in the first team squad. Sterling and Ibe look promising, but are they good enough to figure in week in week out?

I had high hopes on Sterling when he started out but I think he's regressed.

[RichC]

Think our academy has been underachieving. They may have been doing well at youth level, but there's hardly been anyone coming through who are a fixture in the first team squad. Sterling and Ibe look promising, but are they good enough to figure in week in week out?

I had high hopes on Sterling when he started out but I think he's regressed.

I think if you look at it objectively we've not really brought through much talent in recent years.

We seem to do well at youth level but the step up from youth level to a first team player on the whole seems a step to far for most.

Now I'm not sure where the actually problem itself lies but if the youth set up is not deemed a success at present the first in line for being removed are those at the top i.e. Borrell & McParland.

[Alex]

Trouble is the players they have brought through are still very young. I dont think you can count Kelly, Robinson and that generation. But Sterling, Ibe, Wisdom and players that sort of age are the ones they have had the impact on.

I agree that the youth set up hasnt been producing first team talent. But I think some of the players who have come through in the last 18 months are capable of it. Wisdom for sure and Sterling too from what I have seen.

[RichC]

It's a tough one, clearly either BR wants his own people in or there are some KPI's that aren't being hit by the hierarchy in the academy.

I don't think a change is a bad thing if these aren't being hit and there is a clear and defined plan of what they want to achieve and candidates that they want to achieve the end goal.

FSG so far in their tenure haven't shied away from making difficult decisions with personnel.

[RedReet]

I think if you look at it objectively we've not really brought through much talent in recent years.

We seem to do well at youth level but the step up from youth level to a first team player on the whole seems a step to far for most.

Now I'm not sure where the actually problem itself lies but if the youth set up is not deemed a success at present the first in line for being removed are those at the top i.e. Borrell & McParland.

But who has been good enough that hasn't made it here?

Only one I can think of making a case for is Ince, but personally I still think we were right to get rid.

I guess we did fail Dani though.

[RichC]

I don't think we've had anyone good enough in the past few years which is my point really, why haven't they been good enough? Is it solely down to luck of spotting a real talent and they are just good enough to make it or is it also down the development of the players not being good enough for them to break through into the first team?

Do we have the same ethos in terms of playing style at youth level as we do for the first team?

[RedReet]

I don't think we've had anyone good enough in the past few years which is my point really, why haven't they been good enough? Is it solely down to luck of spotting a real talent and they are just good enough to make it or is it also down the development of the players not being good enough for them to break through into the first team?

Do we have the same ethos in terms of playing style at youth level as we do for the first team?

All our best talent is still very young though and I think a lot of people expect too much too soon. When you compare our current crop of young players to about 6 years ago, I think you'll find a massive improvement in quality and even if most of them don't go on to play regular first team football for us, I'm pretty we'll see a much bigger return in sales than those before them.

We pretty much do play similar in the reserves, but IMO the U-21's played better football until this season.

[Bender]

some rumours that BR wants to put his own mark on the Academy