Like Henry, Pires, Fabregas, Arshavin and Van Persie etc? 

veggieeeeeeeeeee xxx

much as i lubs you matey i gotta disagree .........ALL the top clubs buy for success now........us,utd,liverpool,arsenal,city,spurs.........there just isn't the 'time' to wait anymore....it's all a business now....there just isn't the time or patience of the top bods to bed in 5,6,7 youngsters into a top side anymore

I'm not saying all your  team should come through your academy but some of them should. The last academy player Chelsea brought through to their first team was John Terry - about 13 years ago.

Plus we have brought loads of players through that may have only spent a while in and out of the first team but have gone on to play for other PL and Championship teams
Oh and Fabregas - he was an academy boy. Been at Arsenal since he was about 16

Spooonnnggeeyyyy xxx
That reply was to Prom, not you hun

we've had a few......some have gone on to join other clubs either on long term loan or permanent deals.......maceachran has already featured this season...only 17 and will be a top player imo....

ohh i'm just waffling veggieeeeeeeeee.......... xxx

Veggie I'd put that shovel away if I was you matey. That hole's getting bigger by the second

It just really grates on me Spongey, the way a lot of clubs conduct their business and I can't see UEFA/FIFA really getting to grips with it.
Clubs are way more important than one rich barsteward, who got their money by raping the natural resources of their country, being able to buy a club, buy short term success and then potentially leave the club facing a wind up order when they get fed up of their new toy and bugger off with their money.
And I classify the Ukranian who is battling with Kronke to get control of Arsenal as one of those bar stewards in case anyone thinks this is a partisan rant

you go gurlfriend!!.......*wobbles head*...........

Well perhaps Prom you can provide a list of kids that have come through your academy to your first team or regular places in PL teams and I'll be happy to stand corrected.
Then you e mail the list to every footie journalist out there who regularly quote the JT last player stat

*sketches S in air with 3 inch long nails*

It doesn't matter very much. I can 't imagine me wanting Chelsea to beat any other team, even a Lancashire one, even Hartlepool. Maybe Bavaria Munich then. Whether or not they bought all their players in an inflationary manner from Europe, England, or ASDA.

JT is the only recognisable player to have become a first team player through the years. It's one more than most successful teams in the PL. Our kids are out on loan (Sturridge to Bolton and Kakuta to Fulham) and Roman invested in the academy so we can bring young players through and it's only just showing signs of paying off.

Josh McEachran is homegrown and will be massive for us. We have a few others showing potential, Connor is Lampardesque but more emphasis on skill than straight workhorse. Borini might have what it takes. It's taken four years to bring our young players through and the chances of any of them making it the way JT did are very slim because that's how football works now. When things aren't going well, owners buy, they don't promote. Who have you got? Jack Wilshere? And where did you get Walcott from?

Things don't work that way any more young players don't 'break through' and the only reason you're not spending money like the rest of the top 4 is a) you don't have any money to spend because b) Cashburden Grove.

You're coming across as very naive Veggie and slightly jealous because we've splashed out on Torres. If Fabregas wasn't on his way back home next season someone (probably City) would have him too, because that's just how it is, rightly or wrongly.

mancienne at wolves........cork at burnley.(not prem).bruma.......made appearances for us now on loan......was signed at 15 though.....carlton cole now at west ham....can't think of anymore off the top of me bonce.....

You're classing Sturridge as one of your kids Prom? He was 20 when you brought him wasn't he and had already played in Man City's first team.
I

I'm pointing out to you that Wenger's 'kids' aren't Arsenal kids any more than ours are Chelsea's. The name's spongey's giving you are ours but I doubt any of them will make it. Bruma's in with a shot purely because of the position he plays in. We've got Luiz but both JT and Alex will need to be replaced.

Get off your high horse is what I'm saying. Arsenal are in no more position to take the moral high ground on bringing homegrown kids into the game than anybody else.

i just think it's the way it works veggie tbh..........is sturridge gonna make it with chelsea?..i doubt it.......look whose ahead of him.....even harder for a youth team striker if he does come on and he's got torres and sturridge ahead of him...

will a man city youth team home grown striker get in ahead of tevez and dzecko ?.no.......will a utd player get in ahead of rooney and berbatov?.no.......an arsenal lad ahead of fabregas or arshavin?.....no.......a spurs youngster ahead of defoe,crouch or van der vaart?.no.....a liverpool lad ahead of carroll and saurez?.no

unless they're exceptional.they'll be farmed out on loan or drift into lower league......just the way it is unfortunately

Inter Milan 3rd in Serie A now, phew just glad they got rid of Benitez at the right time.

It was hot topic the other day on Bluemoon regarding youth players coming through to the first team, there are a dozen or so people who go to every City reserves game and they made it all clear as to why we never see young players come through. They said the problem is the young players seem to think their "invincible" already... argueing over who gets to take a penalty. Gai Assulin wanted to take a pen but wasnt given it... can see now why Barcelona let him go. Recently Guidetti has come through and been on the subs bench lately, not played a minute though... hes banging in goals for the reserves every game but Mancini won't play him unless an injury occurs to Tevez or Dzeko. I think there is alot of pressure on managers now when it comes to making changes/subs... we been in alot of tight games recently, why would we take off Tevez or Dzeko for a player who has no first team experience? Sometimes it pays off... but most of the time it can lose you the game. Its already happened to us once this season... Boyata against Arsenal. 3 mins into the game and he got himself sent off with a stupid tackle... a tackle that even "lead boots" Lescott wouldn't of made. It completely bollocked up our tactics and lost us the game. Those 3 points we lost may prove costly at the end of the season. And its alright saying "Thats one mistake the lad made, give him more games and he will soon fit in" but how many points may we of dropped then? It could take up to two years for the player to finally get to grips with first team football. Owners want quick results and so do the fans... which is why its easier to simply go out and buy a player who will fit into the side within a few games than to play a youngster who may take over a year to finally fit in.

Mind you... its also risky business playing an old woman with a zimmer frame, it could cost you the game. *cough* Vieira *cough*

What happened to Michael Johnson, Meaty? I thought he had potential..

Currently playing in the reserves, only got back to full fitness few weeks ago... everyone wants him on the bench at least though. After the Birmingham game everyone was screaming for Johnson to be brought back in.

Think theres a case that the club will get on Mancini's back if he goes and drops a player from the bench... who all carry quite a big price tag. The club will start asking why did we sign him if your not gonna use him? There is currently players in the first team who shouldn't be there... Mancini makes out that he has faith in them, but everyone knows its simply because it won't look good splashing out on players and then dropping them. At the moment players are being chosen based on their price tag, if we really chose players on form then Adam Johnson would of been starting every game this season... yet he was sat on the bench every game (He's now injured)

He should be given another chance. I signed that young Irish LB Cunningham (don't know his first name) from City on FIFA 11 while i'm playing as Nottingham Forest, whats he like in RL and will he be given a chance to shine?


Adam Johnson should be in the team based on form definetly, although Mancini is fond of using the defense midfielders LOL.

Doesn't play much, last time I had seen him play a full game was against Scunthorpe last season... he's currently on loan at Leicester and has played few games for them I think. Nothing special when I had seen him, that was only one game though... Leicester fans would know as he's played few for them recently.

Oh right. I do agree with you though that City need to get some of their own talent through the ranks..


Can see SWP leaving you guys in the summer, maybe both Manchester clubs are having a summer clear out. Santa Cruz will deffo be sold to Lazio or Blackburn too and maybe Jo/Vieira will be allowed to leave?

I watched City recently with Toure (Y), de Jong and Barry across the middle and the performance was less than inspiring. At least compared with the team that used to feature the creativity of Berkovic and Benarbia! 

We do have an extremely slow tempo... simply don't shift the ball across midfield quick enough, by the time we get it out onto the wing the defense is set. We usually fall apart without de Jong, easily one of the best defensive midfielders in the league... Toure is great running forward and Barry... well, has been a liability most of the time.

With regard to previous posts about buying and producing players, my team put out a complete side of local lads a couple of years ago. They are now spread throughout the top leagues and we continue to produce them. It hasn't done anything for our national standing.

The Boro - like West Ham - is one to be applauded Joe for their unceasing work with young players bringing them through particularly English lads.
The point I was trying to make - which maybe got lost - is that the so called top sides have a duty imo to bring through players whether that is getting them at 8 years old like we did with Jack Wilshere, a bit older for Kieran Gibbs or at 16 as with Cesc or 17 like with Theo. Quite a lot of our players have come through our academy that might surprise some people. Almunia is classed as home grown under the rules now in place as he spent 2 years in our Academy.
It goes against my views politically and footballistically when teams buy success, although I do accept that Roman is finally investing in the Chelsea kids when he has ignored them for years.

You can steal our banners, you can have our striker.

Shame, you can't have our 5 European cups and 18 Leagues titles.

I wouldn't dispute the fact that Arsenal have an excellent record for bringing young players through. However, they have always had the means to buy in top players - for instance; only Manchester United and Sunderland have broken the British transfer fee record more times than Arsenal.

I cannot think of a scenario in which footballing success can be achieved without being bought... unless of course an academy with top coaches and the ability to source the best young talent from across Europe can be gained through free endeavour...

YAY... another local lad makes the Arsenal first team!

Thank goodness for these new rules that make everything seem politically, aesthetically and morally nicer.

Good luck to Cheltenham today (and good luck to the mighty Forest Green Rovers, too)

Oh, and good luck to Arsenal and Liverpool!

Would you consider swapping a European cup for a Full Members Cup?

Stoke 3 Sunderland 2

 Stoke were 1-2 with not too much time remaining - a brace from Robert Huth swung it - including the 93rd minute winner.

He's still a player from our Academy who made it to our first team CS.
Anyway we are going round in circles re the kids debate, we'll have to agree to differ and leave it there.

My point is that by the time these kids have graduated from the Arsenal academy a big financial investment has already been made in them. Whatever your views; political or footballistic; success still has to be bought.

Anyway, enough already!

Newcastle 0 - 3 at home to Arsenal after 10 minutes!

It's just as well because the way you're going you're never going to win anything ever again. So yeah, enjoy living in the last century. I don't begrudge you it, it's all you've got Chelsea= now. Liverpool:=history. Works just fine for me 

Four now. I'm  not sure Newcastle can blame that on Andy Caroll