Youth and Scouting - not using our advantage

[lancaster100]

There is something very wrong with our academy development. By the time players are 16/17 they should be knocking on the door to get in the 1st team squad but very few if any seem to be developing to get such a chance. Although we might not have the money to attract such players our one advantage should be able to provide a quicker/earlier route to the first team squad. No point in trying to develop players 19/20 if they are not getting a chance because they are not good enough. We should be promoting our advantage of providing earlier opportunities than other bigger clubs. It indicates that our scouting process is somewhat poor at younger levels. I am not saying the youth are bad players but clearly they are not good enough to push for a first team squad place.

[Andingle01]

I'm sure the club would welcome you volunteering as an Academy scout to make a big difference in bringing quality youth into the Academy , contact the club.

[lancaster100]

Andingle01 pretty poor dig for a serious issue. Where are our youths making the grade in the first team?

[The Bedlington Terrier]

The Big Six are trawling and sweeping up the top cream of youth talent.

All we can do Sir Lancy is live off the scraps.

We did not do too badly with the likes of Mee, Trippier and McNeil.

[Andingle01]

Blimey Lancaster , you're like Victor Meldrews grumpy grandad.
When you say "quicker earlier route to the first team squad " , do you mean like Liverpool , Everton , Manchester.Utd , Man.City & Bburn do ?
Genuinely, most youth scouts at Burnley will be volunteers and if you think you could improve what they do , get on it.

[sinkov]

I'm sure the club would welcome you volunteering as an Academy scout to make a big difference in bringing quality youth into the Academy , contact the club.

Whether Lancaster could improve our scouting team is irrelevant to the valid point he is making. Our Academy system is not fit for purpose, not only does it fail lamentably to supply first team players for us in the PL, search the lower divisions for our ex Academy players, they're almost as rare as rocking horse sh1te. However, lower your sights to the Northern Premier League and you'll find it awash with young lads who have been sucked into the Gawthorpe Black Hole and spewed out into non-league football. Producing players for that level is not really it's purpose, nevertheless that is what it does best.

[Andingle01]

Yes it is relevant, if you think you may have the capability to improve something , then why not offer your availability , don't be such a grouch.
Quite a few players that have come through Burnleys Academy are plying their trade as Pro Footballers now , many of Academy at all academies will end up in Non League or other roles in Football.
It's tough for Burnley to produce players competing in area with the Merseyside & Manchester clubs as well as Bburn who are all well established Cat 1 clubs with top facilities and been pumping more more cash than Burnley over the last 20 years and more.
It's easy to find top potential but convincing them to choose Burnley over those other clubs is a much tougher task.

[lancaster100]

Bt agreed but Mee and Trippier from Man C and McNeil from Man U.

[lancaster100]

Ok accept what you say and fair comment but I think the sarcasm is unnecessary and by the way I am not being a grouch just offering an opinion and observation I am sure there are people better placed than me to be able to spot talent.

[sinkov]

Yes it is relevant, if you think you may have the capability to improve something , then why not offer your availability

I think you need to re-read Lancaster's post, nowhere does he suggest that he has the capability to improve our scouting team, he merely points out the clear and obvious deficiencies in our Academy System, deficiencies that would be clear and obvious even to Stan's blind man on a galloping horse.