Diafra Sakho shoulder injury worry

Don't forget that the be all and end all is staying in the premiership. So that probably has a lot to do with the youngsters not getting a look in.  Maybe if we can have a good run in the FA cup?

JulianDicksLeftKnee wrote:Probably Leon Britton, via lower leagues now with Swansea.

Jack joins a long list of those just not good enough. Simple fact, the romance of the taloved youngsterp coming through is just that. If they're good enough they get played - Cottee, Carrick, Rio, Fat Frank etc. Danny Williamson springs to mind too, not sure how his demise came about but seemed to be doing so well when he first broke through.

Danny Williamson went to Everton but had to retire young due to a bad knee injury

Jiggs wrote:

Tony P wrote:

alfiehammer wrote:I never get excited about youngsters like some people do on here -that's not meant as a criticism by the way- 

I just assume that the players coming up aren't good enough/ won't be given the chance. Few years ago having watched them live I was mildly excited about zavon hines and the other one whose name now escapes me but they ended up being flogged to burnley (?). 

Even when we sign promising youngsters such as Sam baldock or that foreign chap for 9 million it goes Pete tong. 



Noble is just about our only successful youngster in a decade. 


IMHO

James Tomkins? I also think Jack Collison could have been a success if it weren't for that knee injury

and Dylan Tombides 

 To be fair we will never know about young Dylan as he never made the first team really did he?

Campo wrote:
who was the last player from the academy we released that went on to become a premiership player with another club?

Did we not have a certain John Terry on the books?

Blakey wrote:

Campo wrote:
who was the last player from the academy we released that went on to become a premiership player with another club?

Did we not have a certain John Terry on the books?

Ray Houghton, Jimmy Bullard, Kieran Richardson & Liam Ridgewell too I believe

So it has been a while since we have let go anyone of worth

Blakey wrote:

Campo wrote:
who was the last player from the academy we released that went on to become a premiership player with another club?

Did we not have a certain John Terry on the books?

I'd rather not be reminded, it's nothing to be proud of.

Tony P wrote:

Blakey wrote:

Campo wrote:
who was the last player from the academy we released that went on to become a premiership player with another club?

Did we not have a certain John Terry on the books?

Ray Houghton, Jimmy Bullard, Kieran Richardson & Liam Ridgewell too I believe

Didn't we sign bullard, round about the time we signed Defoe? 

I stand corrected about tomkins then, but think the basic point coming through this thread is its a rarity a youngster comes through and really establishes himself in the first team.

I often find, and its really contradictory, that fans love the idea and concept of players coming through, and then seem to be extra harsh on the players once they do get into the team. Anton springs to mind, but you do see, on certain forums, tomkins and noble getting stick. Not so much noble these days. 

IMHO

interesting thread though. 


I do remember Hines I think terrorising liverpool in a game we lost 3-2 at home and Torres was magical for them (otherwise we'd have won that game). My friend Helen was with me