[theo_luddite]

The "wealthier" clubs hoover up all the local talent for miles around from a young age regardless.

When my nephew was 5 years old my brother was taking him to sessions in Shipley run by Bolton at the time (Garside was flinging his brass far and wide at the time). When Big Sam eventually spent all that Garside was prepared to spend and the slide began, it was Leeds who organised sessions in Halifax - then they started sliding down the league and that all fell apart. Once the Arabs threw money at The Blue Mancs, they became the dominant club up north though kids still find their way into The Red Mancs, Liverpool, Everton's systems as examples. Leeds are only just starting to make inroads again.

If this lot take the best 25-50 kids out of say Huddersfield or Chesterfield (or even everywhere in between) into their schemes (they aren't all in Manchester), then the chances of the local club (us and you) coaching even one of the next 50 to the point where they are worth a bob or two (and yes kids evolve at different rates) are progressively slimmer, and it's not any cheaper than having the best 50 to yourself. Hence we abandoned that idea and now mostly look for kids falling out of the top clubs youth or B teams systems at an older age - and bringing players in their B sides or close - in on loan, some with a possible view to transfer and trying to cherry pick lads with experience from the leagues below us.

Last season we brought in as examples, Colwill (Chelski), Sinani (from Norwich), Tino (Chelski) in January and Mipo Odubeko from West Ham. I believe potential to purchase clauses were in the Sinani and Mipo deals.

Colwill and Sinani did alright, as did Tino which is why he's back, once he got fit enough to last longer than 15 minutes, but Mipo only ever got a few minutes as a sub. Despite having an impressive goal scoring record, our lot never passed the ball to him, no matter how many runs he made. It eventually became blatantly obvious, especially standing (sorry sitting ) behind the goals at away grounds. Now he clearly isn't useless either, but my suspicion is he came across as a bit billy-big-bollox in a squad that was otherwise as tight as a drum off the pitch let alone on it. It was no surprise when he was sent back. He went back out to Donny Rovers and scored 2 late in the season with 16 appearances.



That bottom line - Squad 7, Subbed on 6, Bench 1 is somewhat telling. Now on loan at Port Vale, in squad 4, subbed on 2, still to play 90 mins, scored 1.

The other thing with some of these big clubs is they often put minimum playing time clauses into the loan contracts, which isn't fair on anyone because at any level you should earn the right to play not have it written in that you're first on the team sheet regardless. I know, some players do it in spades and the coach still won't pick them - Coady at Wolves for example, who Everton will buy for a relative snip and the Wolves coach that decided not to pick him? He is now history!!.

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Aye but there's loads of kids who play for Man City and England youth who never make it when they get to the men's game.

I was the same. Had a phenomenal goal scoring record at junior school. Couldn't hack it when I got to big school. 

Indeed Snoots, you were unlucky against the big kids.

Where are they now?

England U20 World Cup Winning Squad 2017 - household names or legends in the club they now play for's lunch room?

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/...d-profiled

Freddie Woodman (Newcastle)- now at Both Ends
Dean Henderson (Manchester United) - now at Forest on loan from Man U
Jonjoe Kenny (Everton) - now at Hertha BSC
Fikayo Tomori (Chelsea) - now at AC Milan
Callum Connolly (Everton) - now at Blackpool
Jake Clarke-Salter (Chelsea) - now at QPR
Lewis Cook (Bournemouth) - still at Bornmuff
Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal) - on loan at Sarfampton from Arsenal
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton) - still at Everton
Kieran Dowell (Everton) - now at Norwich
Josh Onomah (Tottenham) - now at Fulham (transfer was part of the Ryan Sessegnon deal)
Adam Armstrong (Newcastle) - now at Sarfampton (via Blackburn)
Dominic Solanke (Liverpool) - now at Bornmuff
Ademola Lookman (Everton) - now at Atalanta, Italy via Leipzig and loans at Fulham and Leicester
Sheyi Ojo (Liverpool) - now at Cardiff City
Ovie Ejaria (Liverpool) - now at Reading
Harry Chapman (Middlesbrough) - now at Sadfud City
Kyle Walker-Peters (Tottenham) - now at Sarfampton
Dael Fry (Middlesbrough) - still at Boro
Ezri Konsa (Charlton Atheltic) - now at Villa

So only one of that winning squad playing below Chumpionship level - come on, come on, 'urry up 'arry, come on, we're all at bigger clubs - and not a mention of The Blue Mancs to be seen.

Paul Simpson is now coaching Carlisle