Superb article about our academy and the yoof coming thru'

[Singaspursofsixspence]

http://outside90.com/tottenham-hotspurs-academy-fast-gaining-the-recognition-it-deserves-910/?

Tottenham Hotspur’s academy quickly gaining the recognition it deserves

In a footballing landscape dominated by the transfer market, the importance of a strong youth academy at a club is often overlooked.

Why spend years developing young players when you can simply buy the finished product from somewhere else, right? It seems a far quicker and more efficient way of building a side ready to challenge for a title. But what happens when the players brought in fail to make an impact? Tottenham Hotspur Football Club seems to have found an answer.

Since the departure of superstar duo Gareth Bale and Luka Modric to Real Madrid, Tottenham has had largely mixed fortunes dealing in the transfer market. Whilst the Spurs have made some shrewd purchases, with Christian Eriksen and Hugo Lloris being the two most heralded, it has largely been criticised for their expensive mistakes. The £26 million Roberto Soldado has scored just 16 goals in 70 appearances for the club, the £25 million Erik Lamela has failed to fulfil his potential and the £17 million Paulinho often looks lost on the Premier League stage. Despite their transfer worries, however, Tottenham sits only three points from fourth position. This success can largely be attributed to the club’s academy.

While big names like Soldado struggle to leave an impression on the league, many Spurs academy graduates are establishing themselves as key components of Mauricio Pochettino’s starting 11. No graduate or player has been more impressive this term than Harry Kane. Sitting third on the league goalscoring charts behind only Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa, Kane has breathed fresh life into a Tottenham side that has struggled for consistency. In fact, the 20-year-old’s 16 league goals this term have already surpassed the side’s leading scorer of the 2013-14 season, Emmanuel Adebayor. His 26 goals in all competitions this season is more than double the tally of Soldado, Paulinho and Lamela together. Not bad considering Kane cost roughly £68 million less than the trio. Such is the benefit of a strong academy.


One successful player does not make an academy a success, however.

Four current first team contributors, on the other hand, and the word ‘success’ becomes a formality. This is the position Tottenham find itself in. While the standout performances of the Chingford born striker may earn him the media spotlight, he is not the only academy graduate at the club contributing to its push for European Football in 2016.

Appearing in 27 games across all competitions this season, Ryan Mason’s consistent performances have gone underappreciated. These performances have allowed the likes of Kane, Eriksen and Nacer Chadli to perform effectively in the forward third, making the outfit as a whole more potent. The Enfield-born midfielder, who is fresh from scoring his first league goal for the club, has been partnered in midfield with fellow academy graduate Nabil Bentaleb.

A 20-year-old Algerian international, Bentaleb already has a World Cup start to his name. His increasing importance to the Tottenham side is best highlighted through his start in the Cup final against Chelsea. The same could be said of Andros Townsend, who rounded out the quartet of academy graduates starting in that final. Whilst the Spurs did go on to lose the final, it speaks volumes of the club’s academy that these four were preferred by Pochettino to household names such as Soldado, Adebayor and Moussa Dembele in the highest pressure scenario.

When the term ‘football academy’ is mentioned, Barcelona’s La Masia will always be the first thought in the mind of avid football fans. In England, however, Tottenham is fast making claims for the best youth system in the country. With the continued success of Kane, Bentaleb, Mason and Townsend, it is a claim that is getting hard to ignore.

 

[Sir Henry]

Keep em coming is all I can say.

 

[WestBelfast Spurs]

not gonna lie that made my balls tingle

 

[PT]

For a guy wh purports to be studying sports journalism as an intended profession, he has barely scratched the surface of his subject.

It's a given that Kane is the halo from which light burns brightly on Mason, Bentaleb and Townsend and all four of theses homegrowns, pus to a lesser extent, Danny Rose, have been carrying the Academy flag fro most of the season.

What this blogger might have explored is the next generation coming through and being introduced in occasional cup games to the first team.
He might also look at our coach who has offered a platform for the kids to climb up to with realistic aspirations - hope breeds determination.

I clicked on the link hoping that he might have at least researched in depth, our U-21 squad for the gems coming through and then of course there's even more real potential in the U-18s.

 

[Sir Henry]

I still scratch my head, some of these guys playing for us and some coming through practically demolish these u-16, u18, u19's tournaments and beat teams like Barca with their famous La Masia academy, but I do think certain 1st team managers wont take a chance on them, they are either pressured in their jobs that they need to keep winning so cant take the chance or they will just point blank refuse to look at academy players. Whatever the reason, you sometimes only find one will break through, but we are fortunate to have Poch in charge who is sticking with these lads and they are establishing themselves all at the same time, Kane, Bentaleb and Mason. We have to remember though, they are still inexperienced and will have to give them time if they have the odd shit game as that is how you learn.

 

[fatpiranha]

I think Pritchard will be next seasons break through from the academy. He is arguably the most technically talented of the lot and has plenty of aggression.

 

[mpickard2087]

Yep its a bit of a nothing article, tells us very little beyond basic facts. We know all this already and have done for some time.

 

[Bobbins]

I'll be honest - I think it's quite a poorly written article that not only says nothing new, it also completely misses the entire generation of promising talent we have coming through the academy right now. It looks like something written by a student from the US who probably thinks he's providing real insight.

 

[Mouse!]

I think Pritchard will be next seasons break through from the academy. He is arguably the most technically talented of the lot and has plenty of aggression.

I'm not even considering him not making it at Spurs, such is my confidence in both Pritchard's ability, and Pochettino's modus operandi.

 

[philip]

Next year we could be playing the following team

Lloris
Walker, Dier, Vertonghen, Rose
Bentaleb, Mason
Townsend, Pritchard, Eriksen
Kane.

That's 6 academy graduates, + another 2 English bought, one bought at 19 & one at 20.

 

[have_it]

I stopped reading after "the Spurs" . Amateur!

 

[chinaman]

I think Pritchard will be next seasons break through from the academy. He is arguably the most technically talented of the lot and has plenty of aggression.

We can surely do with another creative player and dead-ball artist.

 

[Tucker]

Click bait article, but the sentiment behind it is right. Our academy is looking pretty good at the moment. This isn't a recent development though, we made big changes to it around a decade ago when Arnesen and Jol came in, bringing Ricardo Moniz in with them. I think a lot of what was implemented then is coming to fruition now. Imagine the improvements we are going to see in the next few years as the advantage of the training complex starts to bear fruit.

 

[Monkey boy]

Complimentary article = hailed as superb. Disparaging article = shit journalism.

 

[SlickMongoose]

Complimentary article = hailed as superb. Disparaging article = shit journalism.

You broke the code!!!!

 

[Mouse!]

You broke the code!!!!

Some Mercury Rising shit going down over here.

 

[Always Offside]

Some Mercury Rising shit going down over here.

First rule of fight club ....

 

[tonyc]

Next year we could be playing the following team

Lloris
Walker, Dier, Vertonghen, Rose
Bentaleb, Mason
Townsend, Pritchard, Eriksen
Kane.

That's 6 academy graduates, + another 2 English bought, one bought at 19 & one at 20.

maybe also Fredericks for Walker,
Alli for Townsend,

and Eriksen in the middle with Pritch to the left