Brooks Gone to Gateshead

[Glad2BeAPie]

Out reality is that we are picking up youth players bigger clubs in our area don't want. Then picking up the ****agers they go on to release. The likelihood of one of those being good enough in the end is very very slim.

Even when we have players who look like they will make it they will get poached. Etete and Bearne recent examples.

Add Donga He

[PedroTheFisherman66]

Probably the reason why we sacked our goalkeeper coach considered all the positive reviews he was getting.!

[Newish Pie]

Out reality is that we are picking up youth players bigger clubs in our area don't want. Then picking up the ****agers they go on to release. The likelihood of one of those being good enough in the end is very very slim.

Even when we have players who look like they will make it they will get poached. Etete and Bearne recent examples.

Think this is the harsh truth of it. It's also incredibly difficult to (a) provide a clear pathway to the first team for youth players; and (b) be upwardly mobile through the divisions at the same time. By the time a youth player is approaching the standard required for the first team squad, the standard required for the first team squad has risen further. Senior players who were more than good enough for us the season before last (and will rightly be remembered very fondly for a very long time) are no longer good enough, or are now back-up at best. So it's tougher still for young players coming through.

Think we'll be an attractive destination for young players if we develop them, take their careers seriously, give then opportunities (cups and/or loans), and help them carve out a professional career somewhere in the pyramid. Very few youth academies develop very many players for the level that their first team are at.

[M0ufMk3]

They would be mad to give that up (if there is one).

Yes, but worth taking them down the pub and testing if they can hold their beer as well as they claim. Would be worth a few quid.

[Woodypie]

Clearly he wasn't up to first team job yet. Hopefully things work out for him.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

Very disappointed with this one but not surprised. Notts haven't cared about our juniors since the Warnock days. They never give them any game time yet over those years have recruited hundreds of journeymen. Shame on you Notts! Another wasted opportunity !!

I can understand your frustration and unfortunately the reality is that the club are still dealing with the aftermath of dropping out of the football league and the impact this had on the youth setup. Also the fact is we have moved up a level in the past year and if we have a good season could quite possibly be two levels higher in 2025 than we were in 2023. That is a considerable raising of the bar in a short time that youth players and the club have to think about.

I just don’t think Brooks is ready at this point in time for a club who are aspiring to go to the third tier and hold its own at that level. That is not to say he is a bad goalkeeper. Had we still been in the national league then naturally he would have stood more of a chance with us. He needs to cement himself as a first team regular and we have helped him in that respect by sending him out on loan to gain experience. It’s only a level below as well and is not a bad level for a 21 year old to begin to forge a career out in the game.

In terms of the youth set up generally it’s difficult at Notts. We have Forest, Leicester and Derby on our doorstep and not so far away Sheff Utd and Sheff Wed. These clubs are going to hoover up any good talent. What we find is that when we do come across an exceptional talent they never make it to the first team and this goes as far back to the late 90’s with Pennant being a good example. One appearance. We’ve had our own McGoldrick, Etete, Donga He, the one who went to Liverpool in Hardys reign whose name escapes me the most recent one.

I think this is where the club has had to think outside the box and picking up players like Macari who have had a good education in a premier league or championship academy who needs to establish themselves a couple of levels lower is a good route. It also means they will be able to play the style of football we do as well.

Now whether the club opt to try this method in the younger age categories say when Forest, Leicester and Derby release players at U16, U17 and U18 and see if they can grow them to be first team regulars is something that would need a lot of consideration.

One thing is for sure there cannot be any sentiment in football, but I believe in future years “one of our own” will be sang around the terraces as someone will break through because the club won’t need to sell them for £100k or £1 million as a short term fix like in the past. These owners are sensible to look long term and understand the value of a player.

[McCullochisGod]

Add Donga He

Dong Da He £350k, Etete £250k, Bearne £170k . That's more than we will get for Langstaff.

[caj85]

Now whether the club opt to try this method in the younger age categories say when Forest, Leicester and Derby release players at U16, U17 and U18 and see if they can grow them to be first team regulars is something that would need a lot of consideration.

.

Basically what we have done with Mahovo when he was released at 16(?). Now sold on hopefully for a nice figure and potential addons.

This is the way lower league teams can make youth pay off. You might even get a gem that can play half a season before being sold.

The frustration is when we release young players only for them to make their way higher up the pyramid then we are.

[McCullochisGod]

Basically what we have done with Mahovo when he was released at 16(?). Now sold on hopefully for a nice figure and potential addons.

This is the way lower league teams can make youth pay off. You might even get a gem that can play half a season before being sold.

The frustration is when we release young players only for them to make their way higher up the pyramid then we are.

Colby Bishop, Luther Wildin, Curtis Thompson.

[Elite_Pie]

Colby Bishop, Luther Wildin, Curtis Thompson.

No mention of Fabien Spiess?

I seem to remember you saying it was a huge mistake to let him go.