CountryRoyal tidus_mi2 The thing about Clement not being known for bringing through youth players, he's had two management jobs, it's not exactly a huge sample to go with. Are Derby and Swansea known for producing good youth players?
That’s actually a really good point. Take those two clubs, one has an old expensive squad (with no standout youth players to note ?) the other a premier club club fighting to stay in the league.
Difficult to incorporate youth in those situations.
I hear ya, valid points. None of that really disproves what I said though? He isn’t well known, thus far, for playing kids. Doesn't mean he can't/won't. But not his rep yet. Jury still out.
Mitigating circumstances, yes.Two teams is small sample size, but its all we have to go on. (Didn't stop us hiring him, and not surprising some projections may vary?). Does he have to manage ten teams before one can form an opinion? How does what previous managers did at a club handicap him? He could change a culture. He, or any manager, doesn't have to inherit FA Youth Cup winners. If the incumbent kids aren't good enough, that's part of why you were hired, to make them better? And, quickly. Not too many managers enjoy 5-10 year tenures these days. Clement hasn't.
Swansea/Derby aren’t the biggest/wealthiest clubs in the land. I don't have the numbers, but in answer to your question (assuming it wasn’t rhetorical), if their rate of bringing through kids over the years is somehow a lot less than everyone else, I’d be surprised. Why would it be? Who brings kids thru these days, Man Citeh?
Swansea were battling relegation from PL, and Derby were battling for promotion ‘at all costs’. Yeah, ok. Maybe he was hamstrung. Will he have those difficulties/excuses at Reading? (Cue the 'depends if we are in relegation trouble'
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Anyway, was more directed at some who say we are a family club, we should remember that, we need to get back to it, we'd be better for it, and we'd get 'the fans' back on side if we did. They leveled that at Stam, and I’m wondering if they may be disappointed under Clement, too.
If you project Clement differently with regard to youth, that’s fine. (Maybe I should have asked that?). And, you may be right. Mid-table mediocrity (which I'm hearing is the goal), assuming we achieve that, might help facilitate it. As I said, we shall see in due course...