Benito Carbone in Line to take over LUFC Academy

[Year Zero ITK]

Must be slower than usual, but if we have that many good players in the u 21's and academy is one of best rated in the UK and didn't Naylor's youngsters have a successful season, why do we need an extra coach\consultant in thorp arch.

Good question but if all works out well and higher levels of success are achieved then that's the answer. Here's hoping.

[Mellor]

Must be slower than usual, but if we have that many good players in the u 21's and academy is one of best rated in the UK and didn't Naylor's youngsters have a successful season, why do we need an extra coach\consultant in thorp arch.

Cellino is concerned about the 'unit cost' of producing our future stars.

He may also be concerned about the 'conversion rate' - how many of the talented young stars actually turn their talent into successful first team activity.

As good as the young players are he may think they could be even better for any number of reasons from diet, through fitness to technique.

Alternatively he might just want a trusty on the ground Consultants often tell you what you already know unfortunately. Hopefully Carbone has something to offer. We haven't produced a world beater since Milner.

[isrodger]

He's right to question it, and make it more efficient. It may seem radical but why not close it altogether and buy 4 youngsters for £500k each year? You analyse all the expense that goes in educating all those youngsters 95% who will fail to make the grade at any level. Maybe let other clubs develop them and cherry pick them when they are more advanced. It's sort of what Crewe have done for years albeit they have picked up players realised by bigger clubs.

[Wilfred Martin]

He's right to question it, and make it more efficient. It may seem radical but why not close it altogether and buy 4 youngsters for £500k each year? You analyse all the expense that goes in educating all those youngsters 95% who will fail to make the grade at any level. Maybe let other clubs develop them and cherry pick them when they are more advanced. It's sort of what Crewe have done for years albeit they have picked up players realised by bigger clubs.

In a way, didn't we do just that with Ariyibi and Robbie McDaid, who officially joins us soon. I suspect that Smith falls into the same category, but was developed sooner as a result of Hunt not playing well at the start of the season.
OK, so Ariyibi hasn't worked out and we have released him, but signing young players like this is always going to be a gamble. Look at how many of our youngsters who have been "poached" by the Chelsea's, Spurs and Newcastles of this world have actually been successful with them. Only Danny Rose springs to mind.
With either strategy, you might need to spend a couple of million to find one developing youngster who "makes it".

[SiMamu]

Must be slower than usual, but if we have that many good players in the u 21's and academy is one of best rated in the UK and didn't Naylor's youngsters have a successful season, why do we need an extra coach\consultant in thorp arch.

Cellino is concerned about the 'unit cost' of producing our future stars.

He may also be concerned about the 'conversion rate' - how many of the talented young stars actually turn their talent into successful first team activity.

As good as the young players are he may think they could be even better for any number of reasons from diet, through fitness to technique.

Alternatively he might just want a trusty on the ground Consultants often tell you what you already know unfortunately. Hopefully Carbone has something to offer. We haven't produced a world beater since Milner.

How do you define a 'world beater'?

[Mellor]

Must be slower than usual, but if we have that many good players in the u 21's and academy is one of best rated in the UK and didn't Naylor's youngsters have a successful season, why do we need an extra coach\consultant in thorp arch.

Cellino is concerned about the 'unit cost' of producing our future stars.

He may also be concerned about the 'conversion rate' - how many of the talented young stars actually turn their talent into successful first team activity.

As good as the young players are he may think they could be even better for any number of reasons from diet, through fitness to technique.

Alternatively he might just want a trusty on the ground Consultants often tell you what you already know unfortunately. Hopefully Carbone has something to offer. We haven't produced a world beater since Milner.

How do you define a 'world beater'?

I was thinking a proper international (not like Howson for instance) who plays for a top club with silverware on his shelf.

[Deleted User 2747]

Aaron Lennon?!

[Deleted User 2747]

Must be slower than usual, but if we have that many good players in the u 21's and academy is one of best rated in the UK and didn't Naylor's youngsters have a successful season, why do we need an extra coach\consultant in thorp arch.

Cellino is concerned about the 'unit cost' of producing our future stars.

He may also be concerned about the 'conversion rate' - how many of the talented young stars actually turn their talent into successful first team activity.

As good as the young players are he may think they could be even better for any number of reasons from diet, through fitness to technique.

Alternatively he might just want a trusty on the ground Consultants often tell you what you already know unfortunately. Hopefully Carbone has something to offer. We haven't produced a world beater since Milner.

How do you define a 'world beater'?

I was thinking a proper international (not like Howson for instance) who plays for a top club with silverware on his shelf.

Not so many of those these days that are home grown!

[SiMamu]

Must be slower than usual, but if we have that many good players in the u 21's and academy is one of best rated in the UK and didn't Naylor's youngsters have a successful season, why do we need an extra coach\consultant in thorp arch.

Cellino is concerned about the 'unit cost' of producing our future stars.

He may also be concerned about the 'conversion rate' - how many of the talented young stars actually turn their talent into successful first team activity.

As good as the young players are he may think they could be even better for any number of reasons from diet, through fitness to technique.

Alternatively he might just want a trusty on the ground Consultants often tell you what you already know unfortunately. Hopefully Carbone has something to offer. We haven't produced a world beater since Milner.

How do you define a 'world beater'?

I was thinking a proper international (not like Howson for instance) who plays for a top club with silverware on his shelf.

Ah, fair enough.

[isrodger]

Actually if you look at the last 6 yrs - since we hit the third division - the Grayson yrs and beyond we have only had two players that have come through and sold for money - howson and garbutt. There was a raft of kids poached prior to that and indeed we poached delph in that period. The acadamy in the round has cost us £15m in that time and we have recouped approx £3m in transfer fees along with Tom lees, sam byram and Alex mowatt. Delph may or may not have joined had we not had our 5* set up. this invaluable asset has probably cost us circa £1m per season in the round. Going forward I believe our ability to recover compensation is somewhat more limited. Maybe from a hard business perspective it's not the be all and end all after all.