Cardiff City set to lose another youngster to Man City

[2b2bdoo]

Maybe those who know more than me can say but I read these things and think why not just close the academy. It just cost a few million a year to run? Spent 2m on a decent young up and coming player every year, we would probably end up with more.

[Citizen's Nephew]

Maybe those who know more than me can say but I read these things and think why not just close the academy. It just cost a few million a year to run? Spent 2m on a decent young up and coming player every year, we would probably end up with more.

It's a really good question. I'd like to know the answer to that too. I don't understand the system well enough. On the face of it, what you suggest makes sense. I hope people can shed more light on this.

[J R Hartley]

Maybe those who know more than me can say but I read these things and think why not just close the academy. It just cost a few million a year to run? Spent 2m on a decent young up and coming player every year, we would probably end up with more.

There is that school of thought, but your recruitment needs to be a lot better than ours has been to make it viable. Brentford got rid of their academy and concentrated on recruitment but they had some of the best of recruitment and statisticians working for them with their rise up the leagues.

Also, our location probably doesnt help us in that respect. Brentford could cherry pick some of the best talent from those released by the bigger London clubs. Chris Mepham was with Chelsea as a youngster, got released and Brentford picked him up.

Eze got released by acadmeys of several clubs around the London area - Arsenal, Fulham, Reading, Milwall - before QPR signed him at 18 and sold to Palace for 17m 4 years later.

Im sure if it was that simple most club owners would be doing it rather than running an expensive academy.

[the other bob wilson]

There is that school of thought, but your recruitment needs to be a lot better than ours has been to make it viable. Brentford got rid of their academy and concentrated on recruitment but they had some of the best of recruitment and statisticians working for them with their rise up the leagues.

Also, our location probably doesnt help us in that respect. Brentford could cherry pick some of the best talent from those released by the bigger London clubs. Chris Mepham was with Chelsea as a youngster, got released and Brentford picked him up.

Eze got released by acadmeys of several clubs around the London area - Arsenal, Fulham, Reading, Milwall - before QPR signed him at 18 and sold to Palace for 17m 4 years later.

Im sure if it was that simple most club owners would be doing it rather than running an expensive academy.

Seems Brentford would have been breaking Premier League rules by continting not to have an Academy.

https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/...o-open-academy

Huddersfield closed their Academy a few years back and have restructured in a similar way to Brentford - I like the idea of using the calendar year, rather than the academic one, for categorising their age group teams.

https://www.htafc.com/academy/