Madejski comments on club ownership

[lewesroyal]

Using Academy products wuld be win win if they're up to the task. Able to build the team with consistency and a common ethos, as well as income generated from those who are surplus/too good!

This has to be the best model moving forward with FFP coming into play.

[Royal Lady]

McDermott manages Leeds, though.

HTH.

My point being that if we'd allowed him longer, we could well be doing better than we are now and even if we weren't, McD knew the academy players well and would have had long-term planning which would have included bringing them on and into the first team.

Now, we have to hope that Adkins sees the value of the academy and some of its players and utilises them for the future, because we certainly won't be buying Gylfi or the like anytime soon.

[Pepe the Horseman]

I have it on good authority that Brian actually wanted the academy closed down.

[Wimb]

I have it on good authority that Brian actually wanted the academy closed down.

Artists impression of Brian's new academy venture

[winchester_royal]

RR was detailing the type of manager RFC should have - and I was just saying that we had that in McDermott - he knew the academy set up inside out for a start and I believe he had a long-term strategy for the club, plus he didn't spend millions of pounds. And we got shot, probably on AZ's say so - yet AZ didn't even hang around long enough to see what happened this season, for whatever reason. Had we still got McD, we could quite feasibly be in an even better position now.

Right...but given we now have a manager who has an excellent record of bringing through younger players we could quite feasibly be in a worse position too.

Still don't understand the point you're trying to make tbh. Brian was a good manager, he's gone, and in his place we have another good manager.

[Ian Royal]

McDermott manages Leeds, though.

HTH.

My point being that if we'd allowed him longer, we could well be doing better than we are now and even if we weren't, McD knew the academy players well and would have had long-term planning which would have included bringing them on and into the first team.

Now, we have to hope that Adkins sees the value of the academy and some of its players and utilises them for the future, because we certainly won't be buying Gylfi or the like anytime soon.

We could well be doing worse too. As usual you isolate one part of a longer point and end up missing the main point. Which is about bringing through youth as oppossed to transfers. McDermott does not have the same record in bringing through youth as adkins.

[maffff]

We could well be doing worse too. As usual you isolate one part of a longer point and end up missing the main point. Which is about bringing through youth as oppossed to transfers. McDermott does not have the same record in bringing through youth as adkins.

I doubt we'd even be having the debate on whether Hector would play this weekend if McDermott were in charge. We'd be querying whether Baird is fit enough to sign a contract before the game, or whether it'll be Gunter, McAnuff or Kelly in the middle.

[maffff]

Nevermind. Pearce is available. Shit.

[Esteban]

RR was detailing the type of manager RFC should have - and I was just saying that we had that in McDermott - he knew the academy set up inside out for a start and I believe he had a long-term strategy for the club, plus he didn't spend millions of pounds. And we got shot, probably on AZ's say so - yet AZ didn't even hang around long enough to see what happened this season, for whatever reason. Had we still got McD, we could quite feasibly be in an even better position now.

You are twisting the truth to benefit your argument. McDermott didn't spend millions, because we didn't have it, not because it was part of his ethos to spend wisely. He often bemoaned the fact he had very little cash to spend and said he spent every last penny of what he was given.

And as for bringing through youth, the only academy players he really brought through were Karacan and Gylfi. Playing Gylfi was a no brainer and Karacan was given his first opportunity by BR. McDermott later dropped Pearce when he brought in Khizinashvilli and HRK and Church were in and out of the side.

Adkins already has a good record of giving youth a chance - although it's noted that the academy players are a year or two older than they were when BM was in charge.

I'm about as big a fan of McDermott as you're likely to find and I think he should have had until at least Christmas 2013 to see what he could achieve. I think he earned that right. But you have to consider that he spent money on Blackman and Akpan in January last year, neither of whom were ever likely to be enough to keep us up. He could have been braver and blooded a couple of youngsters instead, then used the Akpan and Blackman transfer money elsewhere. If he were really one for giving academy players a chance, then maybe he would have done.

[Extended-Phenotype]

McDermott manages Leeds, though.

HTH.

My point being that if we'd allowed him longer, we could well be doing better than we are now and even if we weren't, McD knew the academy players well and would have had long-term planning which would have included bringing them on and into the first team.

Now, we have to hope that Adkins sees the value of the academy and some of its players and utilises them for the future, because we certainly won't be buying Gylfi or the like anytime soon.

Brian didn't seem that arsed about our academy players. Adkins seems to have blooded a few. Am I missing something?

[SCIAG]

We finished the game against Bolton with 5 academy produced players on the pitch, and, like him or loathe him, given all that's been going on at the club, Adkins still seems bought into the long term vision from the way he speaks...

I'm sure there were occasions under McDermott where Pearce, Karacan, Church, HRK and McCarthy were all on the pitch, but I agree with your general point. Whilst I was often frustrated by McDermott's lack of willingness to play Obita, Taylor and D'Ath as the season wore on, he proved me wrong twice, securing us a playoff spot and promotion when I thought the season was all but over.

And as for bringing through youth, the only academy players he really brought through were Karacan and Gylfi. Playing Gylfi was a no brainer and Karacan was given his first opportunity by BR. McDermott later dropped Pearce when he brought in Khizinashvilli and HRK and Church were in and out of the side.

Hmm. Karacan was given his first opportunity by Coppell, making 15 league appearances in that season (more than Tabb made last year, for example). It is a similar story with Pearce.

Church, HRK and Gylfi were given their first real opportunities by Rodgers (though Coppell gave Church and Gylfi their debuts). Gylfi was an established part of the first team under Rodgers.

McDermott might have dropped Pearce, but he also made him an ever-present player when we got promoted. Church, likewise, got a long run in the side between Long leaving and Roberts joining. HRK made 27 and 35 league appearances in McDermott's full seasons, though many were from the bench.

[Ian Royal]

Nevermind. Pearce is available. Shit.

for Hector.

[Esteban]

And as for bringing through youth, the only academy players he really brought through were Karacan and Gylfi. Playing Gylfi was a no brainer and Karacan was given his first opportunity by BR. McDermott later dropped Pearce when he brought in Khizinashvilli and HRK and Church were in and out of the side.

Hmm. Karacan was given his first opportunity by Coppell, making 15 league appearances in that season (more than Tabb made last year, for example). It is a similar story with Pearce.

Church, HRK and Gylfi were given their first real opportunities by Rodgers (though Coppell gave Church and Gylfi their debuts). Gylfi was an established part of the first team under Rodgers.

McDermott might have dropped Pearce, but he also made him an ever-present player when we got promoted. Church, likewise, got a long run in the side between Long leaving and Roberts joining. HRK made 27 and 35 league appearances in McDermott's full seasons, though many were from the bench.

Thanks for correcting, I was guessing a fair bit. Still not sure McDermott was any better than any other manager at bringing through youth!

[Royal Biscuitman]

I'm about as big a fan of McDermott as you're likely to find and I think he should have had until at least Christmas 2013 to see what he could achieve. I think he earned that right. But you have to consider that he spent money on Blackman and Akpan in January last year, neither of whom were ever likely to be enough to keep us up. He could have been braver and blooded a couple of youngsters instead, then used the Akpan and Blackman transfer money elsewhere. If he were really one for giving academy players a chance, then maybe he would have done.

Perhaps McDermott would have got longer if Nigel Adkins wasn't available on a free and likely to be snapped up the next time a position became vacant.

Akpan looks to be a good signing, but maybe not the right signing to have made an immediate impact in the Premier League, which is what we needed. Blackman doesn't look too bad, but I'm not convinced it was the best way to spend the money, not the fault of the player. A central defender would have made more sense, particularly as he was no longer playing Gorks.

McDermot also signed Guthrie and then couldn't manage him to get the best out of him and/or didn't do his homework on the player.

[Extended-Phenotype]

And as for bringing through youth, the only academy players he really brought through were Karacan and Gylfi. Playing Gylfi was a no brainer and Karacan was given his first opportunity by BR. McDermott later dropped Pearce when he brought in Khizinashvilli and HRK and Church were in and out of the side.

Hmm. Karacan was given his first opportunity by Coppell, making 15 league appearances in that season (more than Tabb made last year, for example). It is a similar story with Pearce.

Church, HRK and Gylfi were given their first real opportunities by Rodgers (though Coppell gave Church and Gylfi their debuts). Gylfi was an established part of the first team under Rodgers.

McDermott might have dropped Pearce, but he also made him an ever-present player when we got promoted. Church, likewise, got a long run in the side between Long leaving and Roberts joining. HRK made 27 and 35 league appearances in McDermott's full seasons, though many were from the bench.

Thanks for correcting, I was guessing a fair bit. Still not sure McDermott was any better than any other manager at bringing through youth!

He wasn't. He was worse.

[melonhead]

a managers ability to bring through youth is determined by the quality of the youth at his disposal.

[Royal Lady]

:roll:

a managers ability to bring through youth is determined by the quality of the youth at his disposal.

Precisely Brenders.

[Extended-Phenotype]

:roll:

a managers ability to bring through youth is determined by the quality of the youth at his disposal.

Sure. Just sayin. Loved McD but academy-blooding, youth-empowering mastermind he wasn't. He probably gave less chance to youth than any of our recent managers. Not knocking him for it, plenty of reasons as to why, just think it's a silly thing to hail him for.

[winchester_royal]

:roll:

a managers ability to bring through youth is determined by the quality of the youth at his disposal.

Sure. Just sayin. Loved McD but academy-blooding, youth-empowering mastermind he wasn't. He probably gave less chance to youth than any of our recent managers. Not knocking him for it, plenty of reasons as to why, just think it's a silly thing to hail him for.

'Greed, especially if trying to use it as a stick with which to beat Adkins.

[The Quiet Man]

Difficult job blooding players and there's a good link here about Fulham's Academy set up http://gu.com/p/3mtyf. No doubt for me that the five sub rule when McD was in charge did hamper our efforts but then again I'm not sure how many youth players Adkins has given debuts to in the year he has been here, so much depends on stuff that no supporter sees that goes into the judgement as to first team readiness and there doesn't appear to be many hard & fast rules.