After closing the academy in May 2016, the club withdrew from the Elite Player Performance Plan and Professional Development League and launched a new Brentford B team. Following the first team’s promotion to the Premier League in 2021, the club reopened its academy in time for the start of the 2022–23 season, under the Elite Player Performance Plan, while retaining the B team.
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He was in the Arsenal acadamy as a youngster but let go and went away from footy. He tried tennis too but went back to footy.
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Strange.
Who do they actually play? Because I don’t know if there is a league structure.
Brentford have a B team, they don’t have an academy. They were actually forced to apply for a license to play U21 football this year as it is a requirement of being in the PL, so they are a Category 4 academy now technically. (The lowest level).
The long and the short of it is that before thisbseason they were not members of any leagues and would play in tournaments and friendlies. They also don’t have any players under the age of 16.
Edit: D’oh didn’t see Prolix’s post.
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My point is what the hell does the B team do? If they’ve reopened and restarted their U21 side? And what is the point of Romeo joining their B team as the lad is 20 so surely he can play with their U21 side?
Unless by being in the B side he gets to avoid making what is probably a loan official (though I doubt this knowing how amateur clubs work with registration).
Apologies if I sound argumentative I just don’t see much of the point bar it being a bit PR.
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They found an academy was not financially viable under the requirements of the EPPP. It placed them in too low a grade, which limited the kids they could go for and even the fees they could get if they struck gold. They felt that meant the prospect of them developing a player good enough to play in the championship for them was too low and the ability to fund the operation with sales of other kids unlikely. The B team is just a way to make use of fringe players akin to the old poorly structured reserve sides. It’s not a great solution, but not being able to comply with the EPPP requirements didnt leave them with great solutions.
Not sure what it means for Beckham, but he is still young enough to drop into their now resuming PDL sides.
This is a pretty good read on the challenges the tighter requirements for academies under the EPPP imposed
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My issue is the fact it still exists and what competitive challenges does such a team face.
I remember when they scrapped the Reserve leagues and didn’t really replace it for 2 years with anything remotely challenging only when the U21s became a bit more open did it fill a gap.
Competitive football at that age is vital I feel. Though not sure how the B sides work in America.
Almost zero. Your point is a valid one about how little it is likely to do for Romeo’s career. But it will be better than MLS B league level.
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Fair enough.
I wish the lad well anyhow.
Alessandro Zanoli from Napoli to Sampdoria on loan.
Javier Pastore from Elche to Qatar SC on a free.
Ruslan Malinovskyi from Atalanta to Marseille on loan, obligation to buy for €10m + €3m.
Carlos Alcaraz from Racing to Southampton for €13.6m.
Dan N’Lundulu from Southampton to Bolton on loan.
James Hill from Bournemouth to Heats on loan.
Mathew Ryan from Copenhagen to AZ for €500k.
Wigan have signed defender Steven Caulker on a short-term deal.
He’s only 31!!!
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Hasn’t he had several mental health issues through the years?
I’m more fascinated by Pastore, wasn’t he supposed to be a next big thing once?
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Yes, he has.
He’s another Pablo Aimar or Javier Saviola. But he’s had some big clubs/pay days, and suspect the move to Qatar isn’t doing his finances any harm at all.
Aimar and Saviola are great comparisons. Players who were universally lauded for their talent but never were able to establish themselves at really top sides. I think is a reflection of just how good you need to be if your main role is to create and you don’t offer much else. You either have to go up a level to be Neymar, or add something to your game like David Silva did. If that is who you are, there will be teams who will make room for you, but the ceiling will be teams who win weak a domestic league, or teams who have a shot at a CL spot from a strong league with little hope winning the league - team who might think an occasional CL QF as being a success, is about the limit in today’s football. Pastore was one of the players who kick started the PSG revolution and while he wouldnt be good enough for their current aspirations (was largely moved on because of the Neymar acquisition), he did exactly what he was supposed to do there.
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Thats it we’re screwed.
We’ll have to settle for Bellingham.
I do hope he has a decent twilight of his career.
Paulinho from Leverkusen to Atletico Mineiro on loan.
Fabio from Nantes to Gremio on a permanent, 1-year deal.
Reda Khadra from Brighton to Birmingham on loan.
Josh Wilson-Esbrand from City to Coventry on loan.
Jose Angel Carmona from Sevilla to Elche on loan.
Alex Moreno from Betis to Villa for €13.5m.
Did Villa just pay a total of €43.5m on two 29-year old LB’s in the last year, bringing also another one on loan last summer, aged 28?
Felix to Chelsea…