to Bristol Rovers on a 2 year deal, strange one this?
From the BBC
Bristol Rovers have agreed to sign Fulham midfielder Wayne Brown on a free transfer, subject to a medical.
Brown, whose Fulham deal expires next month, arrived at the Memorial Stadium on loan in February and made his debut in the 5-0 defeat at Leyton Orient.
The 21-year-old made three starts and one substitute appearance.
"We have agreed terms on a two-year contract with Wayne, which we are very pleased about," Rovers manager Paul Trollope said.
"Wayne made a good impact in his brief spell with us but, unfortunately, that was halted by injury.
"However he showed, in his appearances and in his training within the group, that he fitted in with how we did things and what we expect from a player in terms of his quality and his attitude."
He has a real desire to get back to playing at a high level and hopefully he can do that with us
Bristol Rovers manager Paul Trollope
A graduate of the Fulham academy, Brown made his first-team debut against Rovers in an FA Cup third round replay in January 2008.
"He's a young player who we feel we can develop and make good progress with," added Trollope. "He has a real desire to get back to playing at a high level and hopefully he can do that with us."
The Rovers boss also confirmed that talks with Paul Heffernan and Daniel Jones are continuing, following their releases by Doncaster and Wolves respectively.
"Negotiations continue and we would like to tie them both up," he said. "We are hoping for further news on both players by the end of the week."
I guess the thought is that by 21 do you want to offer a contract to a good player that maybe not yet a Prem player. Good luck to him if it all goes through.
I was kind of hoping for a dozen first team matches from him this season, including a handful of league starts.
Best of luck to him with Rovers. They seem to be a very ambitious club now.
Well, can't say I saw this coming...
didn't think he was good enough anyway. but best of luck to him.
It looks like a simple case of Trollope wanting the player and Roy thinking it would be wrong to stand in his way. He will do well there and they are a good club. Shame to see him go but I kind of like Fulham's new pragmatism. Keep adding in quality and experience higher up and then strengthen the whole by eliminating the weakest links in the chain. If in any doubt, get rid. Only the best need apply.
Great player, shame that Roy doesn't seem to rate the youth.
According to a person from the forum where I am a mod (www.transfermarkt.de/.co.uk (http://www.transfermarkt.de/.co.uk)), who clames to be a close friend of Christopher Buchtmann, our german lad is also set to depart Fulham after just six months.
Quote from: White Noise on May 25, 2010, 10:11:19 PM
It looks like a simple case of Trollope wanting the player and Roy thinking it would be wrong to stand in his way.
I think you're right about this WN.
Really sad to see him go as I thought he was our best chance of seeing a home grown player make the first team. However, if he's unlikely to get many opportunities, it wouldn't do him or the club any good having him just sit on the bench or in the reserves.
We've seen a few graduates come close to reaching the Premier League with their new clubs (Pratley at Swansea and Hudson at Cardiff, I think Dean Leacock even managed a season with Derby) but no one has gone on to prove we were wrong to let them go.
Here's hoping there're young players coming through who can make the leap.
Quote from: Mr Fulham on May 25, 2010, 10:36:13 PM
Great player, shame that Roy doesn't seem to rate the youth.
According to a person from the forum where I am a mod (www.transfermarkt.de/.co.uk (http://www.transfermarkt.de/.co.uk)), who clames to be a close friend of Christopher Buchtmann, our german lad is also set to depart Fulham after just six months.
I'll be gutted if that happens, he's supposed to be one of the next big things
Why are we even bothering with an academy?
They never get to play for the 1st team, we have spent 10 million + on the academy, and the only return on a young player we've got got was searching the bargain bin and pick up a certain Mr. Smalling for a couple of tracksuits to Maidstone and then selling him for 10 million + to Man Utd.
I think we either call a spade a spade and shut down the whole academy thing or give some of them a chance. Right now we are not doing anyone any good, player or the club
Quote from: Mr Fulham on May 25, 2010, 10:36:13 PM
According to a person from the forum where I am a mod (www.transfermarkt.de/.co.uk (http://www.transfermarkt.de/.co.uk)), who clames to be a close friend of Christopher Buchtmann, our german lad is also set to depart Fulham after just six months.
That's a bummer if true. I was really hoping we would keep him around.
Quote from: Brede Butter Pudding on May 25, 2010, 10:58:20 PM
Quote from: Mr Fulham on May 25, 2010, 10:36:13 PM
Great player, shame that Roy doesn't seem to rate the youth.
According to a person from the forum where I am a mod (www.transfermarkt.de/.co.uk (http://www.transfermarkt.de/.co.uk)), who clames to be a close friend of Christopher Buchtmann, our german lad is also set to depart Fulham after just six months.
I'll be gutted if that happens, he's supposed to be one of the next big things
Same here Brede, when we got him, someone posted a link to a Liverpool Forum and it had more replies than most of the top threads on any Fulham site about how good he could be. Roy has done a great job, but we could end up like Liverpool of old end up with a team of has beens and not be able to replace them all. Surely a proper team should have a mixture of youth and seasoned pros? I'm enjoying the ride, but i fear for the very near future. Roy could move to Inter and the next poor bastard manager inherits a bunch of OAPS. Get some young uns in Roy for Gawds sake.
Must admit not surprised by Brown, if he was the real deal he'd have been playing for the first team by now, i reckon the two in Finland now will go the same way. Shame i'd really love to see some home grown talent in the first team.
I've obtained some information about the Buchtmann-story:
Buchtmann has told that he is due to meet with Jürgen Klopp and Michael Zorc, manager and director of football at Borussia Dortmund, Buchtmann's former club. He is currently in Germany for a after-season-break.
BVB contacted and scouted Buchtmann at some Reserves-matches and manager Jürgen Klopp wants Buchtmann badly. The deal is due to be finished in the next days.
Furthermore, the person met Buchtmann in a disco in Hameln, and Buchtmann confirmed that talks took place between him and Klopp/Zorc.
The 1. FC Cologne is also monitoring the situation.
I'll keep trying!!
Edit: Story confirmed by the mod of our BVB-forum. Buchtmann is on his way back to BVB.
Sad to see another talent leaving.
Edit2: It's done and dusted. It's now between BVB and Cologne.
Well Mr. Fulham, if that really does come off, that's unfortunate. Was really hoping the Butchmann potential I've read about would come to fruition in a Fulham shirt.
Good luck ot him if he does in fact leave.
Here is what I don't understand. Adolph the Bushman was only signed recently. And now he is moving on already?
Again why do we bother with youth? They will never be given a chance to play under Roy, so lets just cut the expenses of running an expensive academy that is totally meaningless.
I suggest we wait until the story is confirmed and the details emerge before we get too upset. With Brown I am disappointed by the free transfer, he had a successful season in Finland and is wanted by Trolls, surely a fee should have been commanded (unless we are doing an old boy a favour), with Butchmann, it was mentioned he had a suspect attitude, possibly this is true, possibly it is not but he simply wants to go home, possibly, with two clubs after him, we are getting a fee which makes his sale worth our while?
A number of Academy lads have gone on to worthwhile careers in the lower leagues and we have received transfer fees for them, all of which helps pay for the Academy.
I think Rupert has a good point, If the Academy is paying for it's self then it is worth running as you never know when you'll get a Haynes through the door. I know that is a once in a thousand years occurrence but who knows.
Quote from: SuffolkWhite on May 26, 2010, 07:54:19 AM
I think Rupert has a good point, If the Academy is paying for it's self then it is worth running as you never know when you'll get a Haynes through the door. I know that is a once in a thousand years occurrence but who knows.
The academy has cost us 10 million+ to date.
Selling the odd player to Plymouth and Bristol Rovers does not cover that, and if we don't let them play and show what they can do on a Prem level, we will never recover the expense. So why bother?
Bad piece of business that is. You can't have it both ways.
The academy wasn't providing the calibre of players that was required so they hired Huw Jennings and Malcolm Elias who to be fair have only been in situ a relatively small time. One of their 1st pieces of business was to sign Smalling and unless I'm missing something, that was good business for all concerned.
The club could see there was a problem so hired 2 of the best in the business in unearthing young talent. At least give them time before saying the academy should be shut down.
I thought it was a requirement that a Premier League club had an academy and that there were minimum standards.
Even so the quality of young players we have is clearly improving but it takes time to break into the first team and the standard we have now set is high.
The Smalling deal alone must have paid for several years of the academy and the likes of Trotta, Marsh-Brown and Briggs clearly have potential.
More than anything though surely as supporters we'd rather have players come through the academy rather than be bought in but if the players we have aren't good enough they have to be let go.
I've never seen Wayne Brown but if he were of Prem standard Hodgson would have kept and used him.
Let's be clear on one thing Smalling was never a part of the academy, so don't give them credit for him.
But I think Mr Tony is probably right about it is a requirement to keep an academy, I think I read that somewhere.
Anyway, we either get it right and use it properly, or we just keep a token shop around to satisfy league rules. That is my point. But you can't do it both ways.
I'm not sure that it matters whether Smalling was technically a member of the Academy.
More important for me is the mindset of seeking out young players and developing them. I'm pleased we're now trying to do that and providing the necessary resources and expert personnel.
Not sure of your point there Finnster, surely the remit for the academy and Elias and Jennings is to scout and recruit young talent. They did this with Smalling so should take the credit for that.
They've recruited other players who are younger so it will take a couple of years for that to bare fruit but Trotta is hopefully one that will make the grade along with Briggs, Hoesen etc.
Unfortunately not all are going to make the grade but I feel with the new talent being recruited some will. Roy obviously thougt Smalling was good enough and wasn't afriad to blood him so as the talent comes though, I'm sure well see them start to make an impact onthe 1st team. Unfortunately it appeas Roy didn't think Wayne Brown was quite good enough and didn't want to see him waste away in the stiffs so let him go.
Quote from: NorthernWhite on May 26, 2010, 09:13:58 AM
Not sure of your point there Finnster, surely the remit for the academy and Elias and Jennings is to scout and recruit young talent. They did this with Smalling so should take the credit for that.
They've recruited other players who are younger so it will take a couple of years for that to bare fruit but Trotta is hopefully one that will make the grade along with Briggs, Hoesen etc.
Unfortunately not all are going to make the grade but I feel with the new talent being recruited some will. Roy obviously thougt Smalling was good enough and wasn't afriad to blood him so as the talent comes though, I'm sure well see them start to make an impact onthe 1st team. Unfortunately it appeas Roy didn't think Wayne Brown was quite good enough and didn't want to see him waste away in the stiffs so let him go.
I'm not being an arse, but how many games have Trotta, Briggsy, and Hoesen got with the first team?
Roy came from Maidstone and I am not so sure Smalling was spotted by our scouts to be honest. I heard it was word of mouth more than anything.
My point still is: We either develop players and give them a chance or do feck all (as we do now). Rooney played Prem football barely at 17. Why don't we give some of our young lads a chance too? Supposedly our academy is doing fantastic but why are they not given a chance to play for the 1st team if they are so great? Someone somewhere is lying.
Hardly fair to judge other players by Rooneys standard, it was obvious he was a huge talent at 16/17 and would make the grade.
My point is that I don't think it's fair to Judge Elias and Jennings at this stage, if nothing comes through shortly then yes, I'd agree but I'm hoping the likes of Trotta etc will come through during this season.
Let's at least give the new regime a chance before throwing the towel in.
Bottom line, we all want to see some home grown talent come through and the academy needs t deliver soon on this.
I think we arer a lot closer to youngsters breaking through than we have been for years and I can really see next season being the one where two or more get and take their chance.
Roy said when he arrived that he was shocked at the state of the youth set up at Fulham - the implication I suppose being that is was a lot worse than what he has seen at places like Blackburn and other clubs of equivalent size. His remarks seemed to suggest a fundamental re-building job was needed on the whole thing.
Huw Jennings has been in place as Academy Director since about November 2008 and Malcolm Elias joined as Head of Talent ID and Recruitment on 6th July last year having been Academy Director at Liverpool. I think they have achieved quite a lot in a relatively short space of time and, in all likelihood, with very little money to play with.
It is difficult to judge but, based on match results and anecdotal evidence, it would seem we have gone from having one of the worst Academy's in the top flight to one that is now in the top 10. The proof of the pudding will be in the first team squad announced in August and how many of the youngsters in it then get to play but the air of financial realism in the game and the new squad changes coming in next season should see the Academy playing an increasingly importnat role at Fulham.
Also, here is an interview with Paul Trollope where he talks about the 'big impact' Wayne Brown made in his short time there -
BBC Sport - Football - Wayne Brown made big impression - Paul Trollope (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bristol_rovers/8705437.stm#id8700000/8705400/8705437-audio)
The problem i see with releasing youngsters and our academy players, is that the 8/25 rule applies as of this coming season, and so reducing the pool of availability, unless Roy is supplementing them with 'outsiders', is quite fraught. The rule announces that at least 8 from a quad of 25, must have been registered in England or Wales FA for a period of not less than 3 years prior to their 21st Birthday.
In respect of having to have an academy (or center of excellence), there isn't much in the PL rules, except the item ..."Subject to the requirements of this Section of these Rules, a Club may operate either a Football Academy or a Centre of Excellence." which tends to indicate they are not mandatory.
Quote from: finnster01 on May 26, 2010, 05:24:32 AM
Here is what I don't understand. Adolph the Bushman was only signed recently. And now he is moving on already?
Again why do we bother with youth? They will never be given a chance to play under Roy, so lets just cut the expenses of running an expensive academy that is totally meaningless.
Look around the league finn -- every club neglects their academy. Even Arsenal, who field a prepubescent XI, purchase all their players. They just purchase them when they are 12.
The academy system, like the reserve leagues, will soon go away for the reasons you have stated.
I've asked this a few times but does anyone know what's happened to the African kids that were on loan in Belgium,LB, Shady and Chez might remember their names, but the fella who brought Rooney through reckons they could be just as good.
It seems a shame that as soon as player looks like he might make it he disappears. Certainly he looked like he might have got a run out with the seconds and why accomodate Smallling in place 'our potential' when the agreement to hand him over to Fergie was signed. Certainly if the pecking order has the likes of Kallio and Stoor ahead of the longterm prospects we have a long way to go. Jennings and Elias will need a bit of time but to have no Academy prospects on the bench is a sad indictment that we will become a buying club and have a first team backed up by a squad of mediocrity. If Butchman is going as well then it might be down to attitude. We know Roy does'nt suffer fools gladly and if he were a prospect why did Liverpool let him go. However with the earlier clear out and now two more prospects gone/going in a week the chin rubbing must a full pace.
The source for Buchtmann's alleged imminent departure to Cologne/Dortmund is just another rumor blog. It's no more accurate than any of the UK based ones. BTW all the blog said was that Cologne/Dortmund had shown an interest in the lad. Yes, sometimes these rumors turn out to be true, but on the whole they're pretty unreliable.
Quote from: cebu on May 27, 2010, 01:00:10 AM
The source for Buchtmann's alleged imminent departure to Cologne/Dortmund is just another rumor blog. It's no more accurate than any of the UK based ones. BTW all the blog said was that Cologne/Dortmund had shown an interest in the lad. Yes, sometimes these rumors turn out to be true, but on the whole they're pretty unreliable.
That's wrong. The Buchtmann rumour wasn't a blogger's rumour.
From smalling, knight, davis and other youngsters we've probably made 18+ million over the last 10 years from the academy. so...
annoyed about buchtmann though. any official source?
Quote from: Lork on May 27, 2010, 01:35:58 AM
From smalling, knight, davis and other youngsters we've probably made 18+ million over the last 10 years from the academy. so...
annoyed about buchtmann though. any official source?
Mr Lork,
the bulk of that is Smalling and he was never a product of our academy so don't count him
Quote from: Lork on May 27, 2010, 01:35:58 AM
annoyed about buchtmann though. any official source?
Not yet. But my source is very close to the BVB academy and it's (former) players.
Quote from: finnster01 on May 27, 2010, 01:58:51 AM
Quote from: Lork on May 27, 2010, 01:35:58 AM
From smalling, knight, davis and other youngsters we've probably made 18+ million over the last 10 years from the academy. so...
annoyed about buchtmann though. any official source?
Mr Lork,
the bulk of that is Smalling and he was never a product of our academy so don't count him
he was discovered by our youth set up though.
Smalling and Knight were both bought in their late teens. They were both playing non league football when we signed them. The academy cannot get credit for them. Davis, i believe, signed for us when he was fifteen. No-one has really come all the way through from age eight but then we haven't had the academy for that long. It is a shame that we don't have a youth player that has come through to be a regular. It's disappointing that another in Brown has left. With his contract running out this summer, therefore a higher wage can be paid to him, and the prospect of regular football at Bristol Rovers i think the decision of him leaving was more his than ours
How can you include Wayne Brown as a part of the academy? Yes he may have played once or twice for the academy and yes he have received coaching and guidance from our academy and yes he may have received a wage for attending our academy and training at our academy. But we didn't sign him the day after his birth, so like Knight, Davis and Smalling, we CAN'T claim any success from Wayne Brown!
(I hop my point is obvious here..)
Taking on player in the way we have with Knight and Smalling is not uncommon and I don't think you have the right idea if you're insisting this shouldn't be viewed as a success by the academy. You're Utopian idea of a boy born next to Craven Cottage being scouted at 5 and becoming Fulham's record scorer and appearance holder is unrealistic and ridiculous.
Most professional players aren't picked up by academy's until the ages of about 12-14 anyway. Most lads taken on early at 8 do happen to fall by the wayside. I think it's unfair to slate the importance of having an academy for not producing players that have shone for the first team. a fair few of these kids have received a good football education and have gone on to carve out reasonably successful careers further down the ladder. Maybe not the success in the Fulham history books, we've done well by these young boys.
....HOWEVER
I don't entirely disagree with you Finnster. All the press coming out of the Fulham about how good the youth ranks are is disproportionate to the amount of successful players to play for Fulham.
(well just players outright really)
And it does seem a shame that more youngsters don't seem to get a chance/make the grade for us. Maybe our expectations are warped by the press coming from Fulham and by that relegation team over in east London putting every young fellow who can successfully work an iPod into their first team (look how well it's done for them this term..)
Quote from: simplyfulham on May 27, 2010, 03:10:38 PM
How can you include Wayne Brown as a part of the academy? Yes he may have played once or twice for the academy and yes he have received coaching and guidance from our academy and yes he may have received a wage for attending our academy and training at our academy. But we didn't sign him the day after his birth, so like Knight, Davis and Smalling, we CAN'T claim any success from Wayne Brown!
(I hop my point is obvious here..)
Taking on player in the way we have with Knight and Smalling is not uncommon and I don't think you have the right idea if you're insisting this shouldn't be viewed as a success by the academy. You're Utopian idea of a boy born next to Craven Cottage being scouted at 5 and becoming Fulham's record scorer and appearance holder is unrealistic and ridiculous.
Most professional players aren't picked up by academy's until the ages of about 12-14 anyway. Most lads taken on early at 8 do happen to fall by the wayside. I think it's unfair to slate the importance of having an academy for not producing players that have shone for the first team. a fair few of these kids have received a good football education and have gone on to carve out reasonably successful careers further down the ladder. Maybe not the success in the Fulham history books, we've done well by these young boys.
I am not sure what your point is or if you actually have one in the first place.
My point is if the West Ham academy can produce Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Glen Johnson, Michael Carrick and Jermain Defoe, why can't we produce a single quality player?
And if that is indeed the case, why spend more money on that rubbish? :032: Makes no business sense whatsoever
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on May 26, 2010, 04:30:16 PM
I've asked this a few times but does anyone know what's happened to the African kids that were on loan in Belgium,LB, Shady and Chez might remember their names, but the fella who brought Rooney through reckons they could be just as good.
Should be back with us next season Freddy -
King Gyan Oseihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Gyan_Osei (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Gyan_Osei)
http://www.tribalfootball.com/fulham-management-pleased-osei-king-progress-235079 (http://www.tribalfootball.com/fulham-management-pleased-osei-king-progress-235079)
http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/arsenal-scout-young-ghanaian-star (http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/arsenal-scout-young-ghanaian-star)
Daniel Owusuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Owusu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Owusu)
http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/daniel-owusu/profil/spieler_59436.html (http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/daniel-owusu/profil/spieler_59436.html)
Interesting to see Roys comments of a couple of years ago -
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1077535/Fulham-boss-Hodgson-keen-youngsters-follow-Osei-Owusu-Beerschot.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1077535/Fulham-boss-Hodgson-keen-youngsters-follow-Osei-Owusu-Beerschot.html)
Quote from: White Noise on May 27, 2010, 03:37:03 PM
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on May 26, 2010, 04:30:16 PM
I've asked this a few times but does anyone know what's happened to the African kids that were on loan in Belgium,LB, Shady and Chez might remember their names, but the fella who brought Rooney through reckons they could be just as good.
Should be back with us next season Freddy -
King Gyan Osei
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Gyan_Osei (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Gyan_Osei)
http://www.tribalfootball.com/fulham-management-pleased-osei-king-progress-235079 (http://www.tribalfootball.com/fulham-management-pleased-osei-king-progress-235079)
http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/arsenal-scout-young-ghanaian-star (http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/arsenal-scout-young-ghanaian-star)
Daniel Owusu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Owusu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Owusu)
http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/daniel-owusu/profil/spieler_59436.html (http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/daniel-owusu/profil/spieler_59436.html)
Interesting to see Roys comments of a couple of years ago -
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1077535/Fulham-boss-Hodgson-keen-youngsters-follow-Osei-Owusu-Beerschot.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1077535/Fulham-boss-Hodgson-keen-youngsters-follow-Osei-Owusu-Beerschot.html)
very very strange about why the club have made love all comment about them. nothing on them on the website at least, despite them being our playerd for 3 seasons now and been rated very highly it seems. they're not even listed on the player profiles. I wonder why that is?
Quote from: finnster01 on May 27, 2010, 03:18:11 PM
Quote from: simplyfulham on May 27, 2010, 03:10:38 PM
How can you include Wayne Brown as a part of the academy? Yes he may have played once or twice for the academy and yes he have received coaching and guidance from our academy and yes he may have received a wage for attending our academy and training at our academy. But we didn't sign him the day after his birth, so like Knight, Davis and Smalling, we CAN'T claim any success from Wayne Brown!
(I hop my point is obvious here..)
Taking on player in the way we have with Knight and Smalling is not uncommon and I don't think you have the right idea if you're insisting this shouldn't be viewed as a success by the academy. You're Utopian idea of a boy born next to Craven Cottage being scouted at 5 and becoming Fulham's record scorer and appearance holder is unrealistic and ridiculous.
Most professional players aren't picked up by academy's until the ages of about 12-14 anyway. Most lads taken on early at 8 do happen to fall by the wayside. I think it's unfair to slate the importance of having an academy for not producing players that have shone for the first team. a fair few of these kids have received a good football education and have gone on to carve out reasonably successful careers further down the ladder. Maybe not the success in the Fulham history books, we've done well by these young boys.
I am not sure what your point is or if you actually have one in the first place.
My point is if the West Ham academy can produce Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Glen Johnson, Michael Carrick and Jermain Defoe, why can't we produce a single quality player?
And if that is indeed the case, why spend more money on that rubbish? :032: Makes no business sense whatsoever
I'm not really sure from what perspective your attacking the academy now to be honest Finn.. Is it just the success of the academy you're upset with or is it the whole ideology behind having an academy?
From a business perspective football clubs are a losing game. Running a club as a business is a sure fire way to disappointment (Glazer, Hicks). But even still surely the sales of Davis, Knight and Smalling have proved from a business stance efficacy. From a business perspective you can't tell me Smalling and they like 'don't count'. We bought him for a minor amount, invested time and money in training him over 2 years in the academy and sold him on for huge profits. My point here is the academy has justified itself.
From a football purist perspective the academy has still proved itself. If you don't count Smalling as an academy graduate from a purist perspective then maybe you have a case. But the academy has still given careers to loads of young boys, lot's of players are plying there trade in the football league thanks to their education at Fulham. We saw one on the losing side of the play-off, Mark Hudson for Cardiff.
If you're argument is we aren't successful because we haven't produced a Rooney or a Gerrard well then maybe you have grounds there too, after all we haven't. But that's a bit like complaining we haven't won the title, and since we're not the best what's the point in buying players to try and win it if we're not going to. Might as well save your money.. Might as well save your money on a season ticket!
I agree with you're sentiment Finn, I want to see some good players come through and play for the club as much as anyone, I'm desperate. I regularly attend reserve games. But this kind of thing doesn't happen overnight and it's made worse by sharing catchment areas with the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal and a whole host of teams. The efforts of the academy aren't wasted, things are improving, so chill!
As i said, the academy is relatively new so to expect players to have come through before now is a bit much. The likes of Hudson, Leacock and Pratley have done well to be regulars in Championship sides and that is fair enough. It should be about now that we see one or two really come through though because we have been a premiership team for nearly ten years. The academy has been top quality, with a lot of funding, for that whole time. I think its fair to expect at least one to break through. I was hoping Brown would be one of them but it appears he won't be now.
If you contrast our last match before the Europa League final where we fielded largely a reserve team to that of Middlesbrough's in 2006 when they were in the same situation i think you can see what we are getting at. They fielded a team where ten of the eleven starters were all born in the area and were part of their youth academy whilst we only had Smalling (who i really don't think we can count as a product of the youth academy. As far as i can tell he never actually played a youth game for us. He was nearly nineteen when we signed him. Also, Knight was eighteen i believe when we signed him).
Okay, Middlesbrough are in the championship now but i think that was largely down to poor management by Southgate. They have brought some fine talent through, with Adam Johnson a possibility for the world cup. In that team in 2006, which they played against us incidentally, they had Wheater, Cattermole and Johnson. Wheater and Johnson have been in England squads and it is just a matter of time before Cattermole is. It would be nice to have that kind situation, whilst remaining a premiership club of course.
Buchtmann to join Cologne according to sources close to the player. He apparently is unhappy at Fulham and wants to get back to Germany as soon as possible. He was in Cologne two days ago to talk to the management. The talks were positive.
I reckon we should invest a lot more in Scandy country Scouts, big tough lot who seem to adapt easily to our football. London is already taken by 13 teams fighting over very few good footballers, were never going to nick a good Northerner and the Africans are away playing crap cup games half the year. Norway, Sweden and Finland are the way forward.
Quote from: Mr Fulham on May 28, 2010, 09:22:00 PM
Buchtmann to join Cologne according to sources close to the player. He apparently is unhappy at Fulham and wants to get back to Germany as soon as possible. He was in Cologne two days ago to talk to the management. The talks were positive.
Why is he unhappy at Fulham? He is a young player, what did he expect to go right into the first team or something? How could anyone be unhappy at Fulham? :dft012:
Quote from: Tom on May 29, 2010, 07:00:13 AM
Quote from: Mr Fulham on May 28, 2010, 09:22:00 PM
Buchtmann to join Cologne according to sources close to the player. He apparently is unhappy at Fulham and wants to get back to Germany as soon as possible. He was in Cologne two days ago to talk to the management. The talks were positive.
Why is he unhappy at Fulham? He is a young player, what did he expect to go right into the first team or something? How could anyone be unhappy at Fulham? :dft012:
Maybe it's the sign at M. Park:
Welcome to Fulham FC.
We can do everything here but poo.
Our asshole is in Hull.
I find it worrying that we are losing Buchtmann.
I know for a fact that a very very good young right winger rejected Fulham because he felt that the place didn't feel right.
He joined Ipswich.
Maybe we should have a look at ourselves and see what we are doing wrong.
