Spurs Youth 2018/19

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Jordan Archer has been released by Millwall. Very strange. He's only 26 and was 1st choice this season up until March.

Archer also kept 18 clean sheets last season (not the one just ending), so well above average for Championship goalkeepers.

Seems to be replaced at Milwall by 33 year old Martin who was released at end of last season, but re-signed in the September and played much less than Archer last season.

Strange as you say. As a free agent would think he'll have a choice of Championship/League 1 clubs to go to.
 



Another of the 2nd year academy signing what is almost certainly a pro contract. Looks certain that all 2nd years now have signed pro contracts.


Going to be a massive overhaul of the development squad to be announced shortly given the number of this years 2nd Year academy joining them
 
Is anyone able to give me a bit more insight into the academy setup - the 1st Year/ 2nd Year/ Development Squad etc.

I have absolutely no clue what the "standard" path for a player would look like.
 



Another of the 2nd year academy signing what is almost certainly a pro contract. Looks certain that all 2nd years now have signed pro contracts.


Going to be a massive overhaul of the development squad to be announced shortly given the number of this years 2nd Year academy joining them




Lillywhite Rose agreeing all 16 x 2nd years likely to sign pro contracts at Spurs.

The exception might be the GK Joshua Oluwayemi and that I guess could be because we seem to have an awful lot of GK's (mostly very decent) at present with perhaps 3 (including Oluwayemi's brother) joining next seasons Academy Year 1, so playing time could be in short supply.
 
Is anyone able to give me a bit more insight into the academy setup - the 1st Year/ 2nd Year/ Development Squad etc.

I have absolutely no clue what the "standard" path for a player would look like.

The term 'standard path' really doesn't exist, but to illustrate 2 types of player :

1. The Fast track
Some 15/16 year olds play a fair amount for the u18's as schoolboys and therefore when they progress to joining Academy Year 1 whilst they may play some u18 matches, even whilst they are in the Academy Year 1, they start to play u23 matches.

By the time those players get to be in Academy Year 2, most of these players will play few if any u18 games and almost exclusively play u23 matches.

2. The 'Standard' Player
Many, if not most, youngsters will have appeared for u18 sides a couple of times before they join Academy Year 1. Depending upon competition they might either play a lot of u18 football in Year 1 or might only play a little (possibly due to them being relatively slow to physically develop) and might drop down into u16's to get games.

By the time the players are in Year 2, the majority will be playing mostly u18 football with a handful getting promoted to u23's during the year.

A smallish number may have played a relatively few u18 matches by the end of Academy Year 2, some of which are released at the end of that year whilst others get pro contracts (often due to them being physically less well developed in the expectation they will be 'late developers'

The u23's (Development Squad)
By the end of the Academy Year 2 all players will be on one of 3 categories :
a) Released
b) Offered a 3rd Year Academy (usually due to injury having limited their playing time in the academy), which is analogous to 're-sitting an exam'
c) Offered and accepted a pro contract (some even get a pro contract in Year 1 of the Academy)

Categories (b) and (c) play u23 games.

Thereafter there is no career path (something which most youth watchers think needs to change) other than :
- Some players catch coaches eye and they hope to get on a pre-season tour (usually 6-8 players do) with a view to getting involved in first team squads during the season (eg Oliver Skipp - even though he's just ended his second year Academy so has 'fast tracked' the 'fast track' route explained above), usually after being involved in first team training during the season (but I am not sure Skipp was involved prior to pre-season)
- In the last year or two some players have been on loans to other clubs with a view to developing them away from Spurs. Until recently Poch was very anti this, but his attitudes seem to be mellowing as its just impossible to develop all the youngsters at Spurs. It will be interesting as to how the likes of Sam Sashoua (loan to Spanish tier 3 side) progress next season. Does Poch indicate they have a chance at Spurs or otherwise, are they included in this pre-season ?

As a general comment one year of u23 football helps players development, after that it does not. Probably the most worthwhile games are the Checkatrade matches (minimum 3 a season) against mens sides from League 1 or League 2.

So the million dollar question is - how do Spurs develop their youngsters from the age of 18 to 21 or 22 when Poch wants them to be capable of playing first team football, when the u23's are a 'graveyard' after one year ? (nb and how does Poch develop 18 year old Oliver Skipp from this point onwards)
 
I thought there was ITK Statham was leaving?
Here's the full list of 16 2nd year academy players. Emboldened are those I have seen and think are at least OK.

Bowden, Jamie Patrick
Clarke, Rayan Romario
Lyons-Foster, Brooklyn
Maghoma, Edmond-Paris
Markanday, Dilan Kumar
Mukendi, Jeremie
Okedina, Jubril Adesope
Oluwayemi, Olu Joshua
Patterson, Phoenix MacLaren
Pochettino, Maurizio
Richards, Rodel
Shashoua, Armando
Skipp, Oliver William
Statham, Maxwell ?
Tainio, Maximus
Thorpe, Elliot Morgan
 
I thought there was ITK Statham was leaving?
Here's the full list of 16 2nd year academy players. Emboldened are those I have seen and think are at least OK.

Bowden, Jamie Patrick
Clarke, Rayan Romario
Lyons-Foster, Brooklyn
Maghoma, Edmond-Paris
Markanday, Dilan Kumar
Mukendi, Jeremie
Okedina, Jubril Adesope
Oluwayemi, Olu Joshua
Patterson, Phoenix MacLaren
Pochettino, Maurizio
Richards, Rodel
Shashoua, Armando
Skipp, Oliver William
Statham, Maxwell ?
Tainio, Maximus
Thorpe, Elliot Morgan

I think there has since been a photo of Statham signing his contract circulating - think it was posted in this thread as well.

Probably agree with your assessment overall but I'd probably have included Rayan Clarke. Elliot Thorpe I thought was touted as a potential star but has played very little during his two years possibly due to him starting as physically undeveloped but he's grown a lot although hasn't put on that much muscle and might well be a late developer.

But its not clear cut, Okedina did very little in his first 18 months but then had a decent run being played as a RB (he's a CB) so might yet join your 'at least ok' rating if he kept that standard up.
 
The term 'standard path' really doesn't exist, but to illustrate 2 types of player :

1. The Fast track
Some 15/16 year olds play a fair amount for the u18's as schoolboys and therefore when they progress to joining Academy Year 1 whilst they may play some u18 matches, even whilst they are in the Academy Year 1, they start to play u23 matches.

By the time those players get to be in Academy Year 2, most of these players will play few if any u18 games and almost exclusively play u23 matches.

2. The 'Standard' Player
Many, if not most, youngsters will have appeared for u18 sides a couple of times before they join Academy Year 1. Depending upon competition they might either play a lot of u18 football in Year 1 or might only play a little (possibly due to them being relatively slow to physically develop) and might drop down into u16's to get games.

By the time the players are in Year 2, the majority will be playing mostly u18 football with a handful getting promoted to u23's during the year.

A smallish number may have played a relatively few u18 matches by the end of Academy Year 2, some of which are released at the end of that year whilst others get pro contracts (often due to them being physically less well developed in the expectation they will be 'late developers'

The u23's (Development Squad)
By the end of the Academy Year 2 all players will be on one of 3 categories :
a) Released
b) Offered a 3rd Year Academy (usually due to injury having limited their playing time in the academy), which is analogous to 're-sitting an exam'
c) Offered and accepted a pro contract (some even get a pro contract in Year 1 of the Academy)

Categories (b) and (c) play u23 games.

Thereafter there is no career path (something which most youth watchers think needs to change) other than :
- Some players catch coaches eye and they hope to get on a pre-season tour (usually 6-8 players do) with a view to getting involved in first team squads during the season (eg Oliver Skipp - even though he's just ended his second year Academy so has 'fast tracked' the 'fast track' route explained above), usually after being involved in first team training during the season (but I am not sure Skipp was involved prior to pre-season)
- In the last year or two some players have been on loans to other clubs with a view to developing them away from Spurs. Until recently Poch was very anti this, but his attitudes seem to be mellowing as its just impossible to develop all the youngsters at Spurs. It will be interesting as to how the likes of Sam Sashoua (loan to Spanish tier 3 side) progress next season. Does Poch indicate they have a chance at Spurs or otherwise, are they included in this pre-season ?

As a general comment one year of u23 football helps players development, after that it does not. Probably the most worthwhile games are the Checkatrade matches (minimum 3 a season) against mens sides from League 1 or League 2.

So the million dollar question is - how do Spurs develop their youngsters from the age of 18 to 21 or 22 when Poch wants them to be capable of playing first team football, when the u23's are a 'graveyard' after one year ? (nb and how does Poch develop 18 year old Oliver Skipp from this point onwards)
What do other clubs do? Chelsea loan them out, right, but what about other big clubs?
 
What do other clubs do? Chelsea loan them out, right, but what about other big clubs?

A real mixed bag, Spurs are no better or worse than most of the other top 6 clubs.

Chelsea, until about 2 years ago, had had no youth player come through since John Terry some 15 years ago, but have had an excellent youth recruitment system (possibly set up by Frank Arnesen after he was tapped up from Spurs), but all the youngsters went on loan before leaving for other clubs. In parallel Chelsea were recruiting the best talent in Europe and loaning them out before selling on, few if any ever made it at Chelsea. Its almost an accident that Loftus-Cheek did so well on loan at Crystal Palace that he's got a chance to get a squad place there (but doesn't play that often yet) and Hudson Odoi being picked for England (after good E u21 appearances) might also get him a squad place at Chelsea - if he doesn't force a move away as is rumoured.

Liverpool had to play TAA as they had injuries at RB, and he's now cemented a first team place there. They recruited Joe Gomez from Charlton (who had first team experience there), but generally have limited numbers of youngsters playing for them.

Woolwich are probably the more likely to play youngsters, and as I read it given their deteriorating financial situation (versus other top 6 clubs) is likely to put more emphasis on youth development, probably really coming through when they have injuries.

ManU used under Fergie to bring youngsters through, and Van Gaal when manager there cleared out a number of squad players and gave youth a chance - hence Marcus Rashford - whilst McTominay (surprisingly) came through under Mourhinio, probably due to injuries.

And ManCity…..well Jadon Sancho upped sticks to go to Dortmund as there was no chance of making it there, and has proved at Dortmund that he was perfectly capable of making it at ManCity if given a chance. Phil Foden looks to be coming through as the poster child there. They persuaded Patrick Roberts (then a standout E youngster, as highly rated as Sancho ) to join them from Fulham, but after loans at Celtic (55 appearances, 15 goals) and now in Spain with Girona he seems at 22 to have had his talent wasted. Given the talent at that academy there should be 3 or 4 or more coming through every year ! But Foden will be the only one it seems for the next year or so !

So all the top clubs have a flawed youth policy !

Meanwhile Bournemouth seems to have a policy to buy a couple of top youngsters every year and at least one comes through (Brookes being a standout last year, ex Sheffield United) whilst Everton bought a number but are struggling to bring them all through - the likes of Loookman might be on the market ? Leicester also do well at bringing through youngsters, as do Wolves. So a number of clubs under the top 6 do well at it.
 
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Marcus Edwards relegated with Excelsior this afternoon.

A humbling experience for him. To be fair whenever i managed to catch Excelsior games, he always seemed to be their best player or at least the one who tried to make things happen. Continuously let down by inferior team mates.

Hopefully he comes back to Spurs with a mentality of not wanting to feel the disappointment of relegation or failure again (Though he probably doesn't entirely care about them anyway) - and hopefully after a nice rest, he can go on our pre-season trip, work hard and find some success.
 
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