I'm not vilifying them but young players today seem to be far more easily turned by Agents promises of immediate stardom and money. As for implying clubs would do down the youths if there weren't any agents that is not correct, all clubs these days are legally bound (by the FA) to look after the young players in their charge ensuring they not only receive a footballing education but also a normal education with life skills in case the individual doesn't make it in the professional game. After all it is in the clubs interest to look after the players of tomorrow. However, an agent isn't in it to look after the welfare of those players he/she has on their books they are in it to get money for themselves pure and simple.
The Manchester United Thread
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ninjaskill
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They seem to get there heads turned more by promises of first team football than stardom, that’s why they’ve been moving to Germany and some other clubs with good records of developing young players. Staying with the massive club instead of moving to the bundesliga or in his case Norway potentially is not the best way to become a star. Given how useless everyone agrees reserve team football is I’d say there being smart leaving to get it instead of staying in the reserves if they don’t think they have a chance of starting occasionally in the next couple years.
Scouseinthehouse
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Life skills? That’s the very LAST thing these lads are taught now and one of the major problems in this Country. It’s just pure football, with every little thing taken care of for them. Then when they get kicked out before their first pro-contract form PL academies (I’m paraphrasing here but the percentage of lads that go right through a PL academy and sign there first deal with the same club is minuscule. Like 1/2 % across the whole division minuscule), SO many are not only sadly lost to the game, but FAR worse, so many either turn to crime to try stay in the lifestyle they’ve gotten used to (the prison system has WAY too many young 18-20 year old ex footballers from PL academy’s in it), or in more than enough sad instances boys have taken their own life’s.
I know a lad that used to take care of kids at Everton. Anything they needed 24/7. They poached a lad from Charlton. Without mentioning any names. Think he was 17 maybe 18 at the time. Set him up in a club apartment in town. Anyway, he’s not been in there but a day and my mate gets a call saying the washing machines not working. Goes round to sort it, and this lad had only put his clothes the dishwasher and couldn’t understand how to work it. And it’s not that he was simple. Just from aged 8, Charton has done EVERYTHING for him.
They aren’t prepared for anything other than football and don’t have a clue about coping in the real World.
lxl Ra lxl
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Got any numbers to back it up?
I feel like there is a lot more attention to their general education as well. Atleast in the Netherlands. Would think with Brands moving from PSV to Everton these things will get adressed.
I feel like there is a lot more attention to their general education as well. Atleast in the Netherlands. Would think with Brands moving from PSV to Everton these things will get adressed.
This. Had the same discussion with Scouse on the lfc thread about Rhian Brewster. Right now any English youngster worth his salt knows that unless they're at a Club with a structured path to the first team then chances of breaking through are minimal. This is just the start I think the number of English youth players playing abroad will increase further.
Look, at the end it's a career like any other. Would you rather be flipping burgers im McDonalds for 5 years and hang all your hopes on a vague promise that some burger flippers eventually make it up the corporate ladder? Or would you take an offer to move into management and run a small kebab joint right away.
It really isn't rocket science. There's more money, more opportunities, if you're a starter in Shithole FC, rather than backup of a backup of a backup in Man United.
And scouse already touched upon this, but teaching players life skills is a ******* joke.
Wasn't it Rio Ferdinand who came out and admitted that he barely knew how to wipe his own **** after he retired and his wife passed away? Club took care of everything at work, wife took care of everything at home, it's a miracle if a guy like that knows how to turn on his Playstation. And it's important that Rio he had the balls to admit that, because us guys are sort of trained to fake how we have everything figured out, because that's what gets you laid.
But Rio's a millionaire so he'll manage. A lot of these kids are suddenly tossed aside after living under the club umbrella for their entire life, and are completely at a loss. Suicide, crime, a lot of nasty **** happens.
Players needs somebody on their side, someone who actually knows the business and stuff.
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ninjaskill
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On the other hand of this I my cousin married a guy who came through Celtic academy and was highly rated and moved to a then PL side but after some bad injuries has been slowly going down the leagues and is now semi pro, him and all his good mates came through academies and are all down to earth guys who are all average people and you wouldn't know had been through an academy and would likely I would say be doing better than most people from the area that they came from despite none of them earning anywhere near enough from football to be full time. The only time you could now they were from academies is if you play football with them at which point you realise just how far off you must have been from making it pro.
Also people I'm at uni with and me have made dumb mistakes with cooking and cleaning stuff as its our first time away from home and you do stuff wrong when your still figuring out how to live away from home. Obviously neither are the be all and end all but it probably depends quite a bit on the people and the academy they are from.
TBH it wouldn't even be the club's record with youth I would want the club to have a plan for me, Chong who looks a great youngster said the main reason he left for United was they had a detailed plan for him and Feynoord didn't so he felt he was better off at United. The structured plan would help but it may still not be your level I mean United have about as good a record of bringing through young players as anyone but if I was Kehinde I would leave given he's 20 and has played no first team football and I would figure in that case he's unlikely to make it at United so why stay. If I was Brewster given his age I would maybe stay but only sign a short deal to in effect force development or leave, which is in effect what Sancho did at Man City and Brahim Diaz has been rumoured to be doing.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44886845
TBH the Danso example in this is likely how to do it and why it has worked for him, team that brings players through and has a plan in place to help you get to the first team. Obviously things may not go to plan but it shows that they have put effort into your future and give you a better chance of getting through.
Being taught and being able to use life skills are two different things Scouse. Unfortunately many of these young lads believe the hype about their football ability and don't listen to the advice they are getting on what could happen until the worst happens and they have to retire.
Scouseinthehouse
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Mate you’re kidding yourself if you think the majority of PL clubs care about setting these kids up for a possible life without football.
No club wants to see these kids fail, ok the owners of the clubs may not give a ****, but any coach or member of staff at the academy level know that many of the kids won't make it and want to help (heck a lot of the coaches at that level never made it big themselves) if that means preparing their charges for a life out of football then they will make the best efforts to drum the info into the individual. Of course in an ideal world every academy player will make it to the professional game sadly it is just not possible and many have their hopes crushed either by injury or by the fact they don't develop as hoped.
wkdsoul
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I know in our complex in addtion to the sixth form college, and East Manchester College, there is a There is also a department solely dedicated to advising players on such matters as tax, mental health, drinking, drugs and social media.
It should be handled by independent organization outside of club umbrella. People at the club have a conflict of interest. They may genuinely want to help the kids but the policies and organization, all of it is designed to protect the club.
wkdsoul
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The 2 colleges are partnership both independent bodies etc. The advice dept. is prob in-house though. Depends how cynical you wanna see it. I know Bytyqi was given a role/wage as a 'scout' while he studies when he was forced to retire at 22 last season.
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Theatre of Dreams83
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Chong and Garner starting 
Theatre of Dreams83
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Been injured a lot played well when he came back last season. Out in Austria with the u23s. That front 3
crucial Shaw keeps playing and progressing!Periera and Garner
Can't say I'm particularly comfortable with that LB spot still, Shaw has all the right intentions and comes out with the same stuff start of every season.
Sounds like our transfer business has hit a bit of a brick wall, hard to see Maguire coming unless we pay heavily now. But tbh we should be offering Smalling or Jones to them, as part of the deal at least.
Sounds like our transfer business has hit a bit of a brick wall, hard to see Maguire coming unless we pay heavily now. But tbh we should be offering Smalling or Jones to them, as part of the deal at least.
Theatre of Dreams83
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Oh Bailly lol hits the bar from 3 yards out )))) Valencia off injured after 7 mins. Darmian on looks life a calf problem 
Sanchez looks razor sharpe!
)))) Valencia off injured after 7 mins. Darmian on looks life a calf problem Sanchez looks razor sharpe!
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