Marching On Together

What a brilliant you player this boy is. Why can't we bring a striker through the ranks?

Because the big clubs poach them through the Academies when they are young.

That is the trouble, the best young prospects are poached away many years before they reach the first team and even when teams are found guilty of illegally poaching young players the punishments are simply token slaps on the wrist.

Can't ever rememeber Leeds producing a prolific young striker, certainly not in my lifetime. Alan Smith and Noel Whelan being the only strikers to have made any impression at Premier League level and neither were prolific.

whiteswan wrote:What a brilliant you player this boy is. Why can't we bring a striker through the ranks?

Fantastic player, we've never produced a striker as good as him, the lad has got everything in his locker !

To be fair - how often does any club unearth a Rashford.

I think our youth system has produced quality players over the years. Maybe not elite players but certainly good ones.

weasel wrote:That is the trouble, the best young prospects are poached away many years before they reach the first team and even when teams are found guilty of illegally poaching young players the punishments are simply token slaps on the wrist.

Can't ever rememeber Leeds producing a prolific young striker, certainly not in my lifetime. Alan Smith and Noel Whelan being the only strikers to have made any impression at Premier League level and neither were prolific.

Our academy produced an international level striker...... Warren Feeney!

Shields53 wrote:Our academy produced an international level striker...... Warren Feeney!

weasel wrote:That is the trouble, the best young prospects are poached away many years before they reach the first team and even when teams are found guilty of illegally poaching young players the punishments are simply token slaps on the wrist.

Can't ever rememeber Leeds producing a prolific young striker, certainly not in my lifetime. Alan Smith and Noel Whelan being the only strikers to have made any impression at Premier League level and neither were prolific.

Both my boys were at the Reading Academy for a few years. There was a boy above my eldest sons age group (Josh Barratt) who was scoring lots. The money and 'lures' Chelsea were offering were staggering. Reading only hung onto him because they got Category 'A' Academy rating which prevented their best players getting poached.

Josh made his debut for Reading first team last year (now a converted midfielder).