Yeah he’s superb
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I see a few other people have already responded but I’ll echo them - their scouting network is vast and intricate, their facilities are brand new and world class, their coaches are some of the best in youth football and they have a network of affiliate clubs to send players to or to use as filters into their main academy. Finally they spend a fortune on finding new players. It’s not just foreign/expensive signings though, they have done very well in mopping up the elite talent in Manchester/Huddersfield/Sheffield which is heavily populated area that makes a lot of footballers.
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They also pay high transfer fees and pay high wages, it’s basically Chelsea 2.0 but better! And why City are now able be self sustainable.
So what is already been won, 1-0, 3-1, 5-0?
Elliott and Carvalho had played a lot of first team football before we bought them, or on loan. Fair points re the others
At least 3 Utd players had their kids in the City system rather than Utd’s. Even Fletcher, the man responsible at United for managing the transition from academy to first team, has his kids at City. Their facilities are incredible, and its difficult to express just how grand they are in absolute terms not just in relation to what other clubs have for their kids. There is a lot more to what makes a good environment for kids to learn, but this is the big attention grabbing thing that influences everyone’s perception of every part of the decision.
There is a point at which a player would make a decision on what the path to the first team is, but that is pretty late in development the sort of age at which we got Elliott, Brewster etc. Prior to that, for most of the academy period, its jus a decision about where will make you the best player. City’s facilities and grandeur produce an intensense visual signal to kids that this is the place that will do that.
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Yes I agree, was just saying they also can spend the likes of £9mil on Pablo Moreno and not care if he fails or not, they will still flip him for a profit. The last few years they’ve spent around £15mil on youth players per year.
They’ve recieved £20mil+ from Southampton alone this window for ex-youth players.
Yeah, but all of this is not of a big use if they don’t give all these youngsters a chance in the end. It just prevents other clubs to recruit these talents. But basically, it’s not much more than a waste.
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You have to think bigger.
- These owners, or at least those they hired, were savvy enough to know that City’s support was very local and playing on that would help them counter the negative connotations of them becoming a global brand controlled by foreign dirty money. Much of what they do with their academy is with local kids in a way that not just counteracts that effect, but reinforces the connection with the local community in a way that directly undercuts their main local competition.
- It is revenue generating.
Even if they never produce a kid that plays meaningful league minutes for them, there are still big advantages to this system they have put in place.
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I don’t doubt our firepower but teams don’t bend over like they do for them.
Or maybe we have just lost the ability to win many games with a big lead for 2 years now (tbh not much left of our high press too for two years now).
My point is - we will drop points / they will drop points so our best chances of winning the league are probably to go all in in the two games against City.
That’s my biggest wish for the season - to take more risks in the big games than we did last season.
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Even so, we would have won three more league titles at their expense with equal arbitration.
2013/14
2018/19
2021/22
All lost narrowly. All due to dubious decisions for them and others blatantly against us.
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I feel we and City are happy to both get draws against each other. Even at 2-2 I feel both teams get nervous as expected. Think to win this we need to take the risk more against them.
I don’t mind drawing away against them but we need to get the knack of winning that home game again.
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Bye then
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City don’t allow sunscreen into stadium:
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Not sure what the rationale for it, if any, is?
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Someone who’s offended by sun cream, has probably made a complaint.
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Probably claim it’s projectiles to throw at the players.
Bit dumb on a day like yesterday, really felt for those fans at Brentford yesterday.
Luckily the hottest days are over, otherwise Emptihad would be more empty.