An embarrassment for Cardiff City

[Harry Monk]

Nothing new though is it? In the 70's all the best young talent in South Wales was snapped up by teams outside Wales (Bristol City and Rovers to name but two). If we're not developing our younger players, is it because we're taking on the least talented? It seems, as usual, that if we do have any good young players, they're still being snapped up by the bigger clubs, and who can blame them in this money merry go round.

Young Welsh player is approached by a scout from Liverpool/ Man U/ Man City / Cardiff City - who will he sign for?

[the other bob wilson]

Nothing new though is it? In the 70's all the best young talent in South Wales was snapped up by teams outside Wales (Bristol City and Rovers to name but two). If we're not developing our younger players, is it because we're taking on the least talented? It seems, as usual, that if we do have any good young players, they're still being snapped up by the bigger clubs, and who can blame them in this money merry go round.

Young Welsh player is approached by a scout from Liverpool/ Man U/ Man City / Cardiff City - who will he sign for?

There is no comparison whatsoever between the current situation and the 70s. In fact, there is no comparison between the current situation and any period in our history apart from the last few years because, up until then, there was always a nucleus of Welsh/locally produced players in our senior starting eleven.

Are we really to believe that Cardiff and district either stopped producing players of the required standard shortly after Aaron Ramsey emerged from our Academy or that we as a club just stopped signing players of the required standard from this area around that time?

Far more likely to me is that;-
1. The senior staff at our Academy have botched the handling of the transition of promising sixteen to eighteen year olds to first team debutantes.
2. A succession of Cardiff managers have, possibly with backing from the club's Board and owners, ignored youth development as a means of improving both the club's playing strength and financial position.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

There is no comparison whatsoever between the current situation and the 70s. In fact, there is no comparison between the current situation and any period in our history apart from the last few years because, up until then, there was always a nucleus of Welsh/locally produced players in our senior starting eleven.

Are we really to believe that Cardiff and district either stopped producing players of the required standard shortly after Aaron Ramsey emerged from our Academy or that we as a club just stopped signing players of the required standard from this area around that time?

Far more likely to me is that;-
1. The senior staff at our Academy have botched the handling of the transition of promising sixteen to eighteen year olds to first team debutantes.
2. A succession of Cardiff managers have, possibly with backing from the club's Board and owners, ignored youth development as a means of improving both the club's playing strength and financial position.

I sometimes think that football managers and politicians have something in common i.e. they have to primarily concentrate on the short-term rather than the long-term as they may not be in situ a few years hence. A club's owner should think more long-term, of course...