ALL Academy coaches sacked?

[Rashid]

Why would Rafa have a say on the WHOLE club? Jesus.

[DT]

Not sure how much of a say he had in the appointment (he shouldn't have any in my opinion) and I seriously doubt he would interfere with what Hamberg does now.

 

What needs to be sorted out ASAP is the working relations between Melwood and the Academy. How can we bring some players directly in to Melwood and then have others go to the academy. Why do we insist on signing players for a 20+ strong reserve squad when we've got an academy anyway?

 

If Benitez or whoever doesn't trust the academy then the club should look to sort that completely instead of letting Eduardo Macia bring in 20 reserve players of which maybe just a couple stand a chance of getting first team football. It's a waste of everyone's time and the club's money.

 

Anyone who has seen more than five minutes of Jordy Brouwer, for instance, knows he is never going to be good enough to play for us. So why did we sign him?

 

If we thought he was going to be good enough then we obviously didn't spend enough time watching him beforehand because Dave and I spotted this after half an hour in his first reserves game last season.

 

The players we sign shouldn't be signed because they are simply marginally better than our academy graduates. They should be brought in only because they have a genuine chance of making it with us. If not, what is the point? Yeah it's nice to win the reserves league, but if the whole squad minus one or two don't ever get a game, then what's the use?

 

True, we may sell them on at a profit. But is it worth it? We didn't get anything for Idrizaj and I can't imagine Roque, Antwi etc will fetch much either.

 

The reserve and academy setups need to work much closer together instead of against each other. We bring in players to the Academy with one hand (Elias) and to Melwood with the other (Macia). There is no cooperation. You really wouldn't think stuff like that would go on at a big club like Liverpool, but it does.

[DT]

So are we to expect more foreign kids in the academy from an even younger age?

 

I can see that happening, yes.

[Liam]

Why would Rafa have a say on the WHOLE club? Jesus.

 

I'm sure Rafa had something to do with Hambuger joining us. I'm also sure he will have some input in to who replaces these outgoing coaches. He is the manager after all.

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

Why would Rafa have a say on the WHOLE club? Jesus.

 

Yes?

[Crazyhorse7778]

I can see that happening, yes.

 

Rebel23 will be happy.

[Maldini]

Not sure how much of a say he had in the appointment (he shouldn't have any in my opinion) and I seriously doubt he would interfere with what Hamberg does now.

 

What needs to be sorted out ASAP is the working relations between Melwood and the Academy. How can we bring some players directly in to Melwood and then have others go to the academy. Why do we insist on signing players for a 20+ strong reserve squad when we've got an academy anyway?

 

If Benitez or whoever doesn't trust the academy then the club should look to sort that completely instead of letting Eduardo Macia bring in 20 reserve players of which maybe just a couple stand a chance of getting first team football. It's a waste of everyone's time and the club's money.

 

Anyone who has seen more than five minutes of Jordy Brouwer, for instance, knows he is never going to be good enough to play for us. So why did we sign him?

 

If we thought he was going to be good enough then we obviously didn't spend enough time watching him beforehand because Dave and I spotted this after half an hour in his first reserves game last season.

 

The players we sign shouldn't be signed because they are simply marginally better than our academy graduates. They should be brought in only because they have a genuine chance of making it with us. If not, what is the point? Yeah it's nice to win the reserves league, but if the whole squad minus one or two don't ever get a game, then what's the use?

 

True, we may sell them on at a profit. But is it worth it? We didn't get anything for Idrizaj and I can't imagine Roque, Antwi etc will fetch much either.

 

The reserve and academy setups need to work much closer together instead of against each other. We bring in players to the Academy with one hand (Elias) and to Melwood with the other (Macia). There is no cooperation. You really wouldn't think stuff like that would go on at a big club like Liverpool, but it does.

 

I can understand why the likes of Brouwer were brought in TBH. It's all well and good having talented players, but you need to set them up so that they can play football in a certain style. Pacheco is obviously WAY more talented than Brouwer but a front two of Pacheco and Nemeth would struggle physically (at least for the moment) and would put the other players under more pressure because the ball would keep coming back. At least I think that's what the theory behind it is, I could be completely wrong.

[Maldini]

Why would Rafa have a say on the WHOLE club? Jesus.

 

Ferguson does

 

So are we to expect more foreign kids in the academy from an even younger age?

 

I'd say it depends on who is available. Elias brought the best British talent around to Southampton when he was there, he also signed a few foreign lads.

[Sinos]

I can understand why the likes of Brouwer were brought in TBH. It's all well and good having talented players, but you need to set them up so that they can play football in a certain style. Pacheco is obviously WAY more talented than Brouwer but a front two of Pacheco and Nemeth would struggle physically (at least for the moment) and would put the other players under more pressure because the ball would keep coming back. At least I think that's what the theory behind it is, I could be completely wrong.

 

Then why not let Craig Lindfield do that job?

[Dougie Do'ins]

One of the conditions in Rafas contract that he insisted on is that he says how the academy is run.

 

I wonder if Rick Parrys son lost his job.

[dave u]

Then why not let Craig Lindfield do that job?

 

Beat me to it.

[dave u]

I know you are clued up on academy football etc,so please don't take this the wrong way.

 

When you mention Elias brought the best young talent to Southampton,apart from Walcott,who else did he bring there?

 

And has Elias done a good job so far at Liverpool? Any ideas of players he has definatly brought to Liverpool himself

 

Southampton had a really good youth team, and there were three or four of them who made it to their first team. I don't know if they are still in the team as I haven't been following them, but when Elias was there they had one of the best youth policies around.

 

As for which players he is responsible for signing, I'd assume all the players who have come into the academy are his, whilst the ones at Melwood (Bruna, Pacheco etc) were brought in by Macia. I could be wrong there though.

[Crazyhorse7778]

Simon could play the Brouwer role too.

[DT]

And has Elias done a good job so far at Liverpool? Any ideas of players he has definatly brought to Liverpool himself

 

Difficult to tell if he's been a success yet. Give it a few years. He's brought in Dalla Valle, Hansen, Bouzanis, Ajdarevic, Kacaniklic, Pourie to name a few.

 

The thing is, we may then have people at Melwood who don't rate these players so they will be caught in a dispute between the two setups when they get to that stage. The club will have wasted money on players it didn't want anyway.

[RSM]

So are we to expect more foreign kids in the academy from an even younger age?

 

I hope so.

[DT]

Oh and decisions at the academy aren't usually made by one person on his own (except when it's by Hamberg). The scouts and coaches do discuss the quality of the players who come for trials. Obviously, one person has to make the decision in the end, but you get my drift.

[Rashid]

Oh and decisions at the academy aren't usually made by one person on his own (except when it's by Hamberg). The scouts and coaches do discuss the quality of the players who come for trials. Obviously, one person has to make the decision in the end, but you get my drift.

 

That's how the whole club should be run.

[Sinos]

Difficult to tell if he's been a success yet. Give it a few years. He's brought in Dalla Valle, Hansen, Bouzanis, Ajdarevic, Kacaniklic, Pourie to name a few.

 

The thing is, we may then have people at Melwood who don't rate these players so they will be caught in a dispute between the two setups when they get to that stage. The club will have wasted money on players it didn't want anyway.

 

So what your saying is nothing has changed from the Houllier years.

 

What exactly is Eduardo Macia's role at Melwood?

[Maldini]

Then why not let Craig Lindfield do that job?

 

I assume because they wanted to send him on loan

 

I know you are clued up on academy football etc,so please don't take this the wrong way.

 

When you mention Elias brought the best young talent to Southampton,apart from Walcott,who else did he bring there?

 

And has Elias done a good job so far at Liverpool? Any ideas of players he has definatly brought to Liverpool himself

 

He brought loads of good young talents in, Martin Cranie, Leon Best, Gareth Bale, David McGoldrick, Nathan Dyer, Oliver Lancashire and Andrew Surman spring to mind. They also had Matthew Mills who left them for City and Joseph Mills his brother who's meant to be good.. I think they're second only to Man City for bringing through young players over the last 5 years.

 

I think his job is more about signing up players before they get to the age of 16. He does sign lads after that age, but the main part of his job is signing up players from within our catchment area. That's been our biggest problem in recent years IMO. Look at all the players Man City have produced, they were all available to us but we didn't sign them up.

 

I'd say it'll be a few years before we see the fruits of his labour.

[Rashid]

So what your saying is nothing has changed from the Houllier years.

 

What exactly is Eduardo Macia's role at Melwood?

 

Chief Scout and Rafa's eyes and ears with regards players.

[DT]

So Pete,what is going to make this system change? If there is still this dispute about Melwood not taking a shine to an Academy player,then were no further down the line from the Houllier/Heighway regime.

 

Seriously, no I don't think we've got any further. Not yet anyway. Maybe we will be when Hamberg and Elias have been in charge of the academy side for a few years. Another numbers game right there.

 

But can you hand on heart say you don't expect us to sign at least another 5-6 reserves players over the summer to go with the 25 or so (haven't counted them) that we already have?

 

The situation with our goalkeepers, for instance, defies belief, really. We are going to have Hansen, Bouzanis, Mihaylov, Gulacsi, Martin and Oldfield competing for two places unless someone is let go. Wouldn't it be better to decide who we believe most in?

[Baps]

Why would Rafa have a say on the WHOLE club? Jesus.

 

Don't see why not.

[ottawa_lfc]

Difficult to tell if he's been a success yet. Give it a few years. He's brought in Dalla Valle, Hansen, Bouzanis, Ajdarevic, Kacaniklic, Pourie to name a few.

 

The thing is, we may then have people at Melwood who don't rate these players so they will be caught in a dispute between the two setups when they get to that stage. The club will have wasted money on players it didn't want anyway.

 

It's tough being a young player. But surely the point is we only need one star to come through for this process to have been a success. If--and obviously it is a huge IF--Pacheco or Bouzanis or Pourie make it through to the first team, then it will have been worth it. Where it all falls down is if Rafa leaves. Any coach will want his own men/players in place...

 

What I don't like is the lack of opportunities given to local lads -- and if they are given, then it is in a no-win situation. I'm a huge believer in Rafa -- but I can't deny that I'd like to see Spearing have a game -- I think he's as good as Plessis -- and Guthrie as well, for that matter. But I'd like them to play in the same situation as Plessis did against Arsenal. With support from experienced players.

 

I think the Academy coaches have done good jobs. The problem is the scouting. And even then, there is hardly a surfeit of Scouse kids making names for themselves in other clubs, so it's hard to see where they have dropped the ball as well. At least it is for me.

[DT]

Don't see why not.

 

I disagree. What if he decided to leave and take all his people with him tomorrow? All that built up knowledge and experience would be gone.

 

The academy should be run by the club regardless of the managers who come and go. Players should get a broad footballing education and should be able to play different styles and systems anyway. No need for the manager to have a say in that if you ask me.

[RedKnight]

Agree with DT. The academy should be in the club's image, not the managers.