Crewe and Southampton - What do they have in common ?

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

Of long term concern is the Southampton 'formula'  
A tremendous example of perhaps what we should be trying to achieve.
But now what's happening, after one fantastic season.
(Their 3-0 win against us was the best footballing display I saw all season)

Now a systematic dismantlement of the team  
Lambert gone, The Llama wants to leave, Shaw and several others in the binoculars of the 'biggies'

Unless you're up there with the  likes of Manchester City (who now own New York City FC (David Villa) and
Melbourne FC (Duff) or Chelsea who can afford to buy anyone on 2 legs who has ever either
a/. Scored a goal on Hackney Marsh
b/. Has saved a penalty
c/.  Has long curly hair and can sell a poo load of shirts.
d/. Looks good in blue (Margaret Thatcher did)
e/. Absolutely loves being loaned out to a smaller club and the adulation that goes with it
f/.  Fits perfectly into a bench-warming seat. (with 2M pound a year buttocks)
g/, Gets more nookey by chatting up the babes with "I play for Chelsea" in the Kings Road
    "Oh really, my Mum dated Peter Osgood"
Blah blah

And then there is Crewe, long before academies. they were churning out future 1st Division players,
In the long term teams like us could be like Crewe or Southampton.
Fortunatetly for the Saints they have the infrastructure and crowd potential.
Crewe are a tiny club in the middle of  nowhere, who were very lucky to keep Dario Grady for so long.

Which one (or another) formula will we become.

Get your Dosh out El Toplipio and to hell with the Fair Play rules.

[HatterDon]

Dario Grady should always be the first name mentioned whenever discussing the development of young players in England. I'm always stunned at how many young English football supporters know nothing about him and what he gave to English football for almost three generations.

[Macedo]

Dario Grady should always be the first name mentioned whenever discussing the development of young players in England. I'm always stunned at how many young English football supporters know nothing about him and what he gave to English football for almost three generations.

Correct....What he did at Crewe is up there with anything achieved in
football.
If he were at  big club he would have had an OBE or similar given
to him..

[SouthfieldWhite]

I met Dario when I was a young lad when he was manager of Wimbledon, even that far back I can remember what a lovely bloke he was, one of the best coaches around and surprise a big club didn't headhunt him.

As for Southampton, some of the people that got so many talented kids in there, are now working for Fulham, including the scout that found Luke Shaw, we also have Luke shaws coach with us when Luke was a very young kid.

Chelsea turned Shaw down, bet they are kicking themselves now, but that's the thing, you can't always tell if an 8 year old will turn into a 30 mil player

[cmg]

This coaching business was something I was reflecting on the other day while watching Woodrow playing for England u20. Quite a few decent talents on show, some with quite a bit of league experience. But the whole was tactically totally uninspiring; devoid of ideas, lacking originality, slow build-up, conservative and old fashioned. It was like watching a side coached by someone like - well, like Gareth Southgate.

We so often go the 'old pro' route and end up repeating the tired old formula. Clough was an 'old pro', but succeeded because he rejected what he had been subjected to, Hodgson is an old (and not very good) pro but he, like so many English coaches before him, had to go abroad to have his talents recognised. The likes of Gradi are too often overlooked.
We are too unadventurous and too impatient.

[BigbadBillyMcKinley]

But also a lot of it is to do with stability. Dario Grady was at Crewe for only a few months less than Ferguson was at United wasn't he? That sort of stability is always going to benefit the club. Same with United and, to some extent, Everton. They all had the same man in charge for such a long time, they could develop the whole set up for the youth. Its a no brainer that that is what we need to do now.

Sent from my GT-S6810P using Tapatalk

[domprague]

 :plus one:
Plus one for both comments.

Dario Grady should always be the first name mentioned whenever discussing the development of young players in England. I'm always stunned at how many young English football supporters know nothing about him and what he gave to English football for almost three generations.

Correct....What he did at Crewe is up there with anything achieved in
football.
If he were at  big club he would have had an OBE or similar given
to him..

[Craven Mad]

I don't necessarily think it's a flaw in the plan that Southampton are selling.

If they sell just Shaw, Lallana, and Lambert, they'll bring in around £50m. They could buy 4/5 very exciting younger players for that amount and reinvest. Sell again in 2/3 years.. It's a process, they're doing well with.

Long term, I imagine they'd like to reach the level (and consistency) of Everton/Spurs, but right now, I imagine they'll be happy to fluctuate in-and-around the top ten region, investing and reinvesting in young talent.

[BigbadBillyMcKinley]

But its funny when you think of it. All the money that the top four have, apart from Arsenal and Wilshere, what players of note have they produced from scratch? And I mean not pinching them off another team and then bringing them through (like arsenal with Ox and Walcott. Ironically both from Southampton! ).

Sent from my GT-S6810P using Tapatalk

[ToodlesMcToot]

But its funny when you think of it. All the money that the top four have, apart from Arsenal and Wilshere, what players of note have they produced from scratch? And I mean not pinching them off another team and then bringing them through (like arsenal with Ox and Walcott. Ironically both from Southampton! ).

Sent from my GT-S6810P using Tapatalk

Welbeck immediately comes to mind. But, you are right. The biggest clubs seem to have abandoned developing their own players for the most part and opted for the more expensive, less risky option of buying others' talented youngsters.

[Macedo]

Thats what was too blame for Scottish football being in doldrums for
years, they abandoned their home grown talent, the clubs all got into debt throwing
money at second rate imports as the top ones had gone where the money was.
They have now seen sense over the last few years and Aberdeen, DundeeUtd and Celtic
all have excellent youngsters coming through the academies.
Aberdeen have a few in their first team now.
And Scottish football is improving again because of what these clubs
have done..

[bog]

Dario Gradi is a top football coach. A while back I wrote to him about what a player he had unearthed in Danny Murphy and what an influence he had been at Fulham. I recall seeing Danny in a play off final for Crewe just before he joined Liverpool. Also I recall Danny saying that he wanted to stay with Crewe until their promotion had be confirmed before going to Anfield. Mr Gradi took the trouble to reply and say what a talent Danny had been. Also how he, Dario, had been a regular visitor to to Craven Cottage in his youth to see Johnny Haynes play. A very nice man. How many footballers have made it because of his advice? The season before last, in one fixture, every player had come through the youth set up.   

092.gif   

[FPT]

Dario Grady should always be the first name mentioned whenever discussing the development of young players in England. I'm always stunned at how many young English football supporters know nothing about him and what he gave to English football for almost three generations.

Correct....What he did at Crewe is up there with anything achieved in
football.
If he were at  big club he would have had an OBE or similar given
to him..

Well, he must be pretty happy with his MBE...

[Macedo]

Dario Grady should always be the first name mentioned whenever discussing the development of young players in England. I'm always stunned at how many young English football supporters know nothing about him and what he gave to English football for almost three generations.

Correct....What he did at Crewe is up there with anything achieved in
football.
If he were at  big club he would have had an OBE or similar given
to him..

Well, he must be pretty happy with his MBE...

Thats great he was given one then I didnt know.

[HatterDon]

Dario Gradi is a top football coach. A while back I wrote to him about what a player he had unearthed in Danny Murphy and what an influence he had been at Fulham. I recall seeing Danny in a play off final for Crewe just before he joined Liverpool. Also I recall Danny saying that he wanted to stay with Crewe until their promotion had be confirmed before going to Anfield. Mr Gradi took the trouble to reply and say what a talent Danny had been. Also how he, Dario, had been a regular visitor to to Craven Cottage in his youth to see Johnny Haynes play. A very nice man. How many footballers have made it because of his advice? The season before last, in one fixture, every player had come through the youth set up.   

092.gif   

What a brilliant story. Thanks so much for sharing that with us.