Oliver

[MikeSB]

OK. So he's not an academy produce of OURS but he did spend 8 years in Sheff Wed youth squad and yet? Not ONE, read that again, not ONE time did he get to play for the First team. ie according to the link below.

I would class that the same as ours..

A complete waste of money for SW and maybe he has found his level in L2 but again that is the same weakness as I keep referring and would be interested in all the stats of how many academy graduates from all the leagues and especially the PL and CC get to play in their first teams regularly that is? Ours don't count as we want to play eleven every week if we could. Now THAT is the real purpose of CAFC ie a training college youth team. - view external link

[alexmick]

The last 15 months have proved that Oliver is not the answer !

Fair enough. If that is the case, then he will probably be on his way out at the end of this season.

[DGFG]

comfortably better than Haynes based on the evidence of my own eyes and eligible to play in two games that Haynes was n't when our striker options are/were limited.

Let's have it right, an absolutely shocking decision irrespective of his performances for Mansfield.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Oliver just wasn't doing it, hence allowed to go out on loan and effectively be replaced by Haynes.
I bet I wasn't the only one who thought this was a useful signing, he has a higher pedigree - but as is often the risk with any new signing, loans especially, they don't always come off.
Add Haynes to that list.

Oliver is not the answer, we can all see that, so yes, by all means criticise SD for not getting a striker in but don't criticise him for trying.
And please don't use Oliver as a stick to beat him with! He was worth a shot I guess but we can all see 2 years on that he's a L2 striker

[TwiceInABlueMoon]

OK. So he's not an academy produce of OURS but he did spend 8 years in Sheff Wed youth squad and yet? Not ONE, read that again, not ONE time did he get to play for the First team. ie according to the link below.

I would class that the same as ours..

A complete waste of money for SW and maybe he has found his level in L2 but again that is the same weakness as I keep referring and would be interested in all the stats of how many academy graduates from all the leagues and especially the PL and CC get to play in their first teams regularly that is? Ours don't count as we want to play eleven every week if we could. Now THAT is the real purpose of CAFC ie a training college youth team.

What planet do you live on, Mike?! Clearly one sandwich short of a picnic, any road.

[MikeSB]

OK. So he's not an academy produce of OURS but he did spend 8 years in Sheff Wed youth squad and yet? Not ONE, read that again, not ONE time did he get to play for the First team. ie according to the link below.

I would class that the same as ours..

A complete waste of money for SW and maybe he has found his level in L2 but again that is the same weakness as I keep referring and would be interested in all the stats of how many academy graduates from all the leagues and especially the PL and CC get to play in their first teams regularly that is? Ours don't count as we want to play eleven every week if we could. Now THAT is the real purpose of CAFC ie a training college youth team.

What planet do you live on, Mike?! Clearly one sandwich short of a picnic, any road.[/quote]

Well you may say that BM but look at the FACTS please?

How much does SW spend on their academy? Mo

[AstonAlex]

So let's get this straight. The fact that Oliver isn't quite good enough as a footballer for League 1 (at least at present) proves that having a Category 2 Academy is as big a waste of time for them as it is for the Alex? Generally I can follow your arguments, Mike, even if I fundamentally disagree with them at each and every level. This time I found your rather rambling exposition completely incomprehensible.

Following your argument to it's logical conclusion, the fact that there are hardly any PL Academy graduates playing for their own clubs, then those clubs should close their Academies forthwith! Southampton, Everton and others may disagree. A recent survey in the Guardian showed that, in the first few months of the current season, 36% of the total time on the pitch was by British qualified players, the majority of which will have been trained at Category 1 and 2 Academies.

Despite this, the number of qualified coaches in England remains much lower per head of population