Why is Coventrys academy so good? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Banana897
- Start date
Brylowes
Well-Known Member
Why do you think ours is so good, it's more a reflection of where our club is that it has
Little choice but to fast track graduates through too the first team.
Were we a financially stable well run club, the likes of Ben Stevenson would likely still
be progressing their development away from the first team.
It can (and still could) be the ruin of some promising young careers, but unfortunately
who ever the manager is at the time has little choice but to utilise the academy.
Little choice but to fast track graduates through too the first team.
Were we a financially stable well run club, the likes of Ben Stevenson would likely still
be progressing their development away from the first team.
It can (and still could) be the ruin of some promising young careers, but unfortunately
who ever the manager is at the time has little choice but to utilise the academy.
SlowerThanPlatt
Well-Known Member
I get the gist of what you're saying but I don't agree the situation would be different if we had more money. Even towards the end of the Premier League days when we were splashing a lot of cash there were still academy players around the team (Kirkland, Eustace and Hall).
In the early Championship days when we had a little bit more money McSheffrey, Davenport and Eustace were all regulars and eventually sold on.
Then we went through a dry spell (2005-2007) where the academy was in a terrible state and I think I remember Dowie commenting on it. In came Gregor Rioch from Man City, he did a fantastic job with his assistant Richard Stevens and really established Coventry as a strong academy again.
The last time a youth product wasn't involved in a match day squad was against Barnsley all the way back in January 2010, nearly 7 years ago.
4waspsting
Active Member
Yet it never seems to show on the pitch ..............................!
Brylowes
Well-Known Member
Of course all clubs have academy players that step up and make the grade, but the OP
is Saying (I think) that we have so many and therefore the academy is very good.
I'm just pointing out we have so many through necessity, as opposed to having a golden
Generation of fledgling superstars.
How many products of the academy do we have in the first team squad? Must be at least 10
Colin Steins Smile
Well-Known Member
In higher divisions managers do not provide the level of opportunities for player development, as they are short term and need instant results. At CCFC the manager has to use the academy products, due to the paucity of resources and that is to our young players benefit. I know from other clubs that success of an academy is measured by producing 1 or 2 players over a 2 year period who would make the match day squad for 12 - 15 games a season.
yeh, wilson and maddison are really struggling
rupert_bear
Well-Known Member
Let's see if it continues these latest ones to break through will be more or less the last of the Gregor Rioch youngsters he was strangely sacked by woeful Waggott, there's been a lot of change the last couple of years so I suppose time will tell if we are still as productive as we have been.
skybluebeduff
Well-Known Member
Think he meant our pitch.
1966skyblue
Well-Known Member
Watch the under 18s regularly. Current under 18's and 23's are very good technically but what we can't rely on to many at a time playing in the first team. Need a good blend of young talent and experience so they can manage game situations better. Just look at the u23 and u18 leagues and you can see that we punch way above our weight.
SlowerThanPlatt
Well-Known Member
Gregor wasn't sacked, he chose to move on to Wigan. He was here for six years so perhaps he wanted a new challenge.
tisza
Well-Known Member
The youngsters need time to develop.
Everyone was calling for Wilson to start when he had a few goals in the U18s. Dowie said he was 18 months from being ready to start which proved to be about right. had the one cup game, maybe a couple of appearances then went out on loan to non-league for much of the next season.
Other thing is just go across the leagues hardly anyone else is playing U21s in the 1st team.
A while ago there was that piece about the FL paying a bonus for England qualified U21s playing 1st team games.
- across the leagues only about 75 players qualified and we have about 10/11 of them
Everyone was calling for Wilson to start when he had a few goals in the U18s. Dowie said he was 18 months from being ready to start which proved to be about right. had the one cup game, maybe a couple of appearances then went out on loan to non-league for much of the next season.
Other thing is just go across the leagues hardly anyone else is playing U21s in the 1st team.
A while ago there was that piece about the FL paying a bonus for England qualified U21s playing 1st team games.
- across the leagues only about 75 players qualified and we have about 10/11 of them
SlowerThanPlatt
Well-Known Member
I would advise anyone who still wants to watch a Coventry City team play this weekend (no first team game) to watch our U18s against Ipswich on Saturday, it's a noon kick-off at the Alan Higgs Centre and they have won 9 of their 15 games this season. We are currently second in our league but have played one or two less games than others
SlowerThanPlatt
Well-Known Member
Posted this in another thread but interview with Academy manager Richard Stevens in Saturday's programme which might reveal a bit more about the success:
Wyken Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
Great stat.
Be interesting to see other clubs' stats mind but I think that's pretty impressive.
rupert_bear
Well-Known Member
Sorry pal I am right you are wrong could go into detail but not on here, put it this way he wasn't part of Waggott's plans so moved on
SlowerThanPlatt
Well-Known Member
I'm only going of what was said after his departure but you seem to know more about it than me so I trust what you said
Covstu
Well-Known Member
would agree with this to a certain extent, we have had to give earlier exposure by necessity rather than choice. Similar to Crewe in some ways although they used other methods of persuasion.......:cigar:
4waspsting
Active Member
My explanation meant they never helped the sky blue cause
4waspsting
Active Member
Thank you thats what i meant
SlowerThanPlatt
Well-Known Member
Callum Wilson scored 22 goals in one season for us? Would probably have got 25+ if he didn't get injured
4waspsting
Active Member
Yes but the side never flourished, he's probably the only one thats really progressed
SlowerThanPlatt
Well-Known Member
Good recruitment too, especially picking up late developers from
other local academies. Willis let go by Birmingham aged 16, same as Maycock. Harries let go by Villa at 14. Ponticelli at 17 too, never played for an academy before now scoring frequently.
other local academies. Willis let go by Birmingham aged 16, same as Maycock. Harries let go by Villa at 14. Ponticelli at 17 too, never played for an academy before now scoring frequently.