Good interview with Cam McGeechan

[Tetteys Jig 830]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/33023245

I don''t think our constant yoyo status has helped their cause, nor our rubbish cup form.

[Move Klose 303]

Little pop at neil adams there

[mrs miggins 0]

Another player who''s had a dig at Adams as well I couldn''t help but notice.

[ZLF 271]

Interesting interview - it suggests the expectations of the youth team were always too high;   the squad was always stronger and our objectives each season too far beyond allowing members of what was a good youth team to be blooded with the first team.  Nothing suggested that Cam was a better option than the strong midfield options we had - and testing them when we needed points was always going to prove too risky.    As we saw with Josh while there can be flashes of their obvious talent its was boys against men and the inconsistency followed as a result.  Josh was comfortably the best player - if he struggled nothing I have seen since suggests any were good enough to start ahead of the first team squad.

However he is spot on about competetive football;  I have long felt that we need to be sending more of the youngsters out on season long loans and getting real experience.   It shows in the relative progress of the redmond and the murphys.  The U21 league is good for some of the youth team to be coached with fitness recovering injured first teamers - not much else.

 

[Tetteys Jig 830]

Makes me wonder if the B team system might be a good thing. It''d be quite sad for some of the lower league clubs though.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

[quote user="mrs miggins"]Another player who''s had a dig at Adams as well I couldn''t help but notice.[/quote]

That was interesting and so are the comments of you guys picking it up. Did you think Adams should have played him? Did Alex neil need to sign Dorrans with McGeechan still contracted to the club?

 

 

[chicken 0]

I don''t see a dig at Adams in there unless I am being blind. If anything, Adams was the one loaning them out . . . .

I think people are rightly saying that they should be loaned out, but the reality is that the first opportunity for that is going to be around age 17/18 in most cases.

Cameron is 20 - but as we have seen this season, the U21''s has been used a lot to bleed the younger age groups as well. It is a total waste in terms of a testing ground, as was the old reserve league directly before it although at least they were blooded with other pros - not just three of them.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

What we did this season was loan some of the U21s out and replace them with some of the U18s. So our U21 squad for the second half of the season was kind of half and half. There''s a lot to like about our football club at the moment. The U21s going on loan and moving the U18s up is just another example. Jacob Murphy looks to have come on for his loans during the season.

 

Unfortunately most of the players who come through the youth team will end up further down the pyramid. If you are lucky enough to watch them and see what they put in you''d feel a little bit upset as they leave. But a contract with a league team below us is still a good standard and still a feather in the cap of the players and our academy.

 

 

[Norfolk Mustard 94]

His name is Cameron McGeehan by the way!

No dig at Neil Adams there - Cameron is emotionally intelligent and merely pointing out what happened. His move to Luton was hardly a rushed decision either...

[nutty nigel 7,509]

No. Luton wanted him for a long time. He was on loan there in Jan 2014 and went back again after his stint at Cambridge. Really really wanted him to make it with us but, like I said earlier, he will still be at a really good standard and may yet move back up the leagues.

 

You may know Mustard but as a youngster he was at Chelsea who I believe paid a fair bit to get him there?

 

 

[Crafty Canary 495]

It is an issue for mangers under pressure to deliver results. Do you give game time to youngsters and accept the inconsistency of youth or stick with the experienced pros?

City are good at developing young players but not so good at converting them into first team regulars. As Nutty states, many pick up contracts with lower league clubs thereby getting regular football which is good for them but does the club benefit?

Since that golden period under Walker when youngsters such as Sutton, Gordan, Fox and Goss all claimed regular places in the first team we haven''t had many establish themselves with the club.

[Icecream Snow 761]

[quote user="Crafty Canary"]

Since that golden period under Walker when youngsters such as Sutton, Gordan, Fox and Goss all claimed regular places in the first team we haven''t had many establish themselves with the club.[/quote]I''d add Bellamy and Eadie to that list. Maybe even Shackell.The problem is that when you''ve got money, the less likely you are to blood in the youngsters, unless they''re exceptional. The last quality central midfielder we had come through was probably Andy Johnson, and he was prepared to stick it out till he was 23/24 to get a first team place. Aside from that Korey Smith, who got his chance in league one due to our lack of quality.

[Crafty Canary 495]

I feel Korey was a little hard done by and could have done well in the Championship. We will find out next season how he does with newly promoted Bristol City.

[ZLF 271]

I would add that Cam moving on for a fee shows that we are increasingly getting it right with the academy.    Creating pro footballers either for ourselves or to sell on to other clubs is exactly what it is there for.    The higher up the scale we are the better the youngsters need to be to get a first team chance.  

Good progress - plenty more to come.

[Norfolk Mustard 94]

Norwich may have received a six-figure sum for McGeehan, however given the operating costs of the NCFC Academy that is a drop in the ocean.

We need to be churning out far more genuine first team talent or generating significant player sales to validate its existence.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

Why is everybody so concerned with the clubs finances and using money to justify people having the opportunity to play football and be coached by top coaches from a very young age. Even if the lads don''t make it to a profeesional level they still get something from their time in the academy the clubs now also help young players to get the best out of football educatiin as well as the academic side. Being part of EPPP, especially cat 1, is much better than what we''ve had in the past. As this only started a few seasons ago there''s still time for some financial benefit to come. But for me its about youngsters having an opportunity to realise their dreams and us being able to watch them progress harbouring the same hopes for them as they have for themselves.

In the player lists above I didn''t see Robert Green, Chris Martin or Tom Adeyemi. All success stories from our academy.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

Well if we were still in the championship, this wouldn''t look bad:

Green, Shackell, Toffolo, Adeyemi, Smith, Murphy, Murphy, Loza, Martin

Just a couple of defenders short of a team there.

[ZLF 271]

[quote user="nutty nigel"]Being part of EPPP, especially cat 1, is much better than what we''ve had in the past. As this only started a few seasons ago there''s still time for some financial benefit to come. [/quote]Exactly - things will improve.

[SeniorCanary 0]

It must have been hard for him to realise perhaps he wasn''t as good as he thought..

I suppose at luton he''s the big fish in the little pond

[king canary 7,577]

It does seem poor that they were not even training with the main squad under Adams. The thing is if we bring through even one player that either plays regularly or we can sell for £5m+ then that is great. Equally we need to be Cat 1 to reduce the risk of anyone else poaching our youngsters for a tiny fees.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

How many would you have training with the first team squad King?

[king canary 7,577]

I''d try and keep a decent few involved but then I''m not a qualified coach. The way he said it suggests that he was training with them before but then wasn''t under Adams but maybe I''ve read too much into it.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

I''m one for championing youth but the first team squad should be something they aspire to. Can has done really well through the ranks. But a lot of the developement squad have done equally as well this season.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

Cam

[king canary 7,577]

Cam was probably a bit unlucky to play in a position we have a bit of depth at. I think Toffolo could make the step up this year as we only have Olsson really for left back.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

Hope so King. I guess Josh Murphy is still the best prospect. Jake looked better for his games on loan and I thought he was asgood as anyone on the pitch against Chelsea last month. McGrandles is a real terrier in the midfield and Ray Grant has a great eye for a pass and good delivery into the box. In fact most of them have impressed during the season. I haven''t a clue really which ones could make it. But I''ve enjoyed watching them and will follow their progress.

[Syteanric 1]

wouldn''t say a dig at Adams just frustration with the system.. thats the game.. but Hughton, Adams and Neil all deemed Mcgeehan not good enough for championship football and he has dropped down the leagues...thats the game..

[king canary 7,577]

@Jas

Yep I agree- I remember the absolute fit some people threw on here when we sold Joe Lewis for £400k- how good does that look now?

I wish Cam nothing but the best and I don''t doubt he will play at a decent level at some point but sometimes a player needs to move on to kick on to that next level. Chris Martin is a great example of that.