- Sep 2, 2004
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I said it at the time and I'll say it again. I suspect Poch's approach was likely determined by his experiences in Spain where clubs rarely loan out players to the same degree. They put the players in competitive matches with the B teams in the 3rd or 4th tier. Those players that are in between first and B team level get sold with buy back clauses.
I don't think he adapted his way of thinking of youth development here. For those of you saying we should use buy back clauses in order to bring players back, I'm afraid it wouldn't work. The problem with buy back clauses in the UK is that there is no team in England (not even Liverpool or United) that carries the type of institutional gravitas in a country that Real and and Barcelona have in Spain where even if a player is sold with a buy back they are still itching to make it with their club. In this country a player will happily move elsewhere and carry on their career. At worst you're reducing how much you're selling the player for a chance to sign him back. I'm much more in favour of sell on percentages as you're going to at least generate income when the player decides not to come back
I don't think he adapted his way of thinking of youth development here. For those of you saying we should use buy back clauses in order to bring players back, I'm afraid it wouldn't work. The problem with buy back clauses in the UK is that there is no team in England (not even Liverpool or United) that carries the type of institutional gravitas in a country that Real and and Barcelona have in Spain where even if a player is sold with a buy back they are still itching to make it with their club. In this country a player will happily move elsewhere and carry on their career. At worst you're reducing how much you're selling the player for a chance to sign him back. I'm much more in favour of sell on percentages as you're going to at least generate income when the player decides not to come back