Ajax Youth Set Up

[jcb 1,167]

One of the first posts i made on here was a New York Times article on the Ajax youth system.

Many years later we are no closer to adopting a similar model.From those who are regulars at the various levels, the style of play varies from the younger teams U12s - u15s playing a modern skilful style to the older age groups reverting to a route one approach. To progress the HOY has to change for the club to progress.imo.

Whilst agreeing with DBBTB, GOAT & The monk, who all make valid points i feel change at the top is the most pressing barrier to us adopting any type of Ajax, Porto, etc set-up.

Anyone who doubts this only has to read the telling comments made by Charlie Telfer (who was deemed good enough to play part of the away premier game at Pittodrie yesterday) with regard to both the HOY & 1st team manager. The news that many of the current set-up, including 2 who i reckon have the ability to play at top team level, are to reject contract extensions also can't be ignored.

Read Elfideldos recent article on Partizan Belgrade and contrast & compare. All very depressing..

[Shortbread 28]

I was always disappointed when the football philosophy paper was floating about and McCoist came out and just dismissed it as rubbish. There was a lot in the report that was pie in the sky kind of stuff but there was a lot of common sense there and stuff that we're crying out for nowadays.

Quite why we never went for youth I'll never know because regardless of age if you're training on a full time basis you should be more than capable of turning over postmen and brickies who train a few nights a week.

Crazy money has been spent just to reach the championship and it looks like no lessons have been learnt.

[jcb 1,167]

I was always disappointed when the football philosophy paper was floating about and McCoist came out and just dismissed it as rubbish. There was a lot in the report that was pie in the sky kind of stuff but there was a lot of common sense there and stuff that we're crying out for nowadays.

Quite why we never went for youth I'll never know because regardless of age if you're training on a full time basis you should be more than capable of turning over postmen and brickies who train a few nights a week.

Crazy money has been spent just to reach the championship and it looks like no lessons have been learnt.

This would be the "electrician" as Ally referred to him at the time.

The vast majority of what he said was what many on here had also been saying.

The dismissive way that AMC rubbished this document says everything about his short-term approach, one in which you buy experience due to your own deficiences rather than encourage and promote the more talented youths in their natural position.

Being out-thought tactically by novices like Stubbs & Neilson, who operate with a fraction of the resources at his disposal, should not go unnoticed at board level.

[legalbeagle 3,734]

Why didn't we set up an under 7s team when we got demoted so that we could now have a team full of 10 year olds who grew up together,

[Reformation Bear 6,453]

Its not a defence. Its certainly not intended to be interpreted as a defence. But I suppose those in charge when we were dumped to Div 3 considered they were between a very substantial and immovable rock - the need for financial recovery, and a hard place - a Support that wanted back to the top flight as fast as possible which meant assembling a team that would get back to the top flight by winning promotion in each successive season. One is inextricably dependent on the other.

Therefore, if an Ajax type model was considered then the 'hard place' sacrifice would have been a sales pitch that tried to convince the Support that in making such a radical restructuring move we may have to wait for a much longer time before being able to challenge for top titles again. With a risk that a fair bit of the Support may not back that sort of strategy. So the dash to get back to the top flight wins out and models such as those operated by Ajax are put on the back burner for a while longer.

This could be a good subject for the new Fans Board to get stuck into when it is formed. Ie a refreshed challenge to the Board to find a way to remodel drawing on the best solutions developed in other clubs whilst remaining sufficiently competitive in Scotland. Of course if Green had been around and had continued to press to see what might have been possible, if we'd moved to play in one of the English leagues or in a European league the pressure to succeed would have been different and less stilted towards toppling Celtic.....and have provided the ideal opportunity to move to an Ajax type of model. But that slender - and perhaps impossible - line has also vanished as the current Board has no such ambition.

[TMB 14,167]

They are also in the process of building a school on site too.

Wit kinda school?

[jcb 1,167]

RB - Agree with much of what you say, although the opportunity to build from a position of zero debt with a clean slate has been wasted imo. Auchenhowie is a great facility for the youths but could be improved. The addition of permanent living quarters for instance is one becoming more common amongst clubs.

Patience is not one of our supports strong points, and in effect becomes one of its weak points as short - term thinking is often chosen rather than a long term strategy.

[KingKirk 25,647]

Were can I watch this?

[KingKirk 25,647]

[KingKirk 25,647]

magical stuff doesnt seem that hard to set up either

[californiadreamin52 339]

Well DBBTB I like your thinking and as Oscar said We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars

[robertkay 39]

The problem is that at the youngest age groups Rsngers players are invariably among the best in the country. We need to overhaul what happens age 14+ and just find something that works for us and stick to it.

I.e. Porto buy to sell, bayern majority of local players etc