The Wookiee
Back From The Dead
I touched on this briefly in another thread, but is Simon Rusk doing a good job ? Team seems to be struggling this season, is it now time to look at other options ?
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Coaching set up of development squad
- Thread starter The Wookiee
- Start date
KZNSeagull
Well-known member
Isn't this their first season playing against the other Cat A academies? Bit of a step up in class if so. Simon Rusk has not been doing the job very long has he? I have not been paying too much attention but I thought that part of the problem is that the coaches keep changing.
The Wookiee
Back From The Dead
- Thread starter
- #3
This is the reason I asked the question as I don't know much about the set up, I know they have only won once in their league.
- Apr 13, 2015
- 3,868
I also mentioed elsewhere that maybe the time has come for us to break the bank a bit on a tried and tested academy coaching team. Someone, or some people who have done it at the highest level, someone who have been proven to be able to bring through talent. Its just a thought after our collective angst throughout the last few weeks of the window, together with this strange legend that seems to be developing,... The Developments squads are turning into the Bermuda triangle of the football world..... abandon hope all ye who enter here.
The Wookiee
Back From The Dead
- Thread starter
- #5
With a multi million pound top class training facility I would of thought we would have top class coaches to compliment it, maybe we have ? Only time will tell.
tigertim68
Well-known member
- Sep 3, 2012
- 2,626
With a first class training facility you really need first class coaches , I am afraid Simon Rusk dose not fall in to that catagory , none of the youngsters seem to be making progress . So perhaps time to get a really first class coach in to look after the Acadamy
Papa Lazarou
Living in a De Zerbi wonderland
Wasn't the David Burke's role at Southampton - could do a job?
Blue Valkyrie
Not seen such Bravery!
He's at Derby and they are in meltdown. Perhaps he could move to Middlesbrough in a couple of weeks.
JCL666
absurdism
- Sep 23, 2011
- 2,190
Here's some perspective....
If you look at the other teams in both the u21 and the u18 leagues, they have all been established for a while.
Most of them are Premier League clubs.
Any decent youth coach is going to try and progress in their own career. So getting a first class coach in will be difficult as they'll be trying to get jobs as first team coaches.
If you look at the other teams in both the u21 and the u18 leagues, they have all been established for a while.
Most of them are Premier League clubs.
Any decent youth coach is going to try and progress in their own career. So getting a first class coach in will be difficult as they'll be trying to get jobs as first team coaches.
Its not the coaches, its the level of players we currently have, You can't just build a training academy and expect that the first batch of players out of the under 18s will be good enough to step up into the DS Premier league.
The youth team will have been used to player much smaller teams all on their level until very recently, now the gulf in class is fairly clear which should be no surprise which is why we are investing in players to boost our chances of in the next few seasons.
The easiest way to look at it is, Moving a league 2 team into the Prem and expecting success straight away. however blaming the coaches for failing to get league 2 players playing at a Premier league standard.
In addition to this the overall aim for the DS is not to win the league. yes that would be great it would be a benchmark that we are doing something right, but more to develop and bring players into the first team. this is what we should be judging things on and currently they have done pretty well with that, March, Ince and JFC stepping up in recent years. If they continue to push players forward and into the first team they are doing well in my opinion. Even moving players on such as Charlie Harris, Glenn Rea show we are developing players. However this will take time.
The youth team will have been used to player much smaller teams all on their level until very recently, now the gulf in class is fairly clear which should be no surprise which is why we are investing in players to boost our chances of in the next few seasons.
The easiest way to look at it is, Moving a league 2 team into the Prem and expecting success straight away. however blaming the coaches for failing to get league 2 players playing at a Premier league standard.
In addition to this the overall aim for the DS is not to win the league. yes that would be great it would be a benchmark that we are doing something right, but more to develop and bring players into the first team. this is what we should be judging things on and currently they have done pretty well with that, March, Ince and JFC stepping up in recent years. If they continue to push players forward and into the first team they are doing well in my opinion. Even moving players on such as Charlie Harris, Glenn Rea show we are developing players. However this will take time.
The Wookiee
Back From The Dead
- Thread starter
- #11
Thanks, this answers my question !
Out of interest, how many of those commenting on the U21s actually watch them play regularly. Good results are nice but surely the important thing is how the team are playing and whether there is improvement there.
Return of the Rev
Well-known member
I think he is doing ok now,didn't think that much of him at crawley tbh!
JCL666
absurdism
- Sep 23, 2011
- 2,190
Totally this.
severnside gull
Well-known member
Understand and accept all the comments about giving it time but can't help thinking the process would benefit from having a Liam Brady type overseeing the operation 
Dick Swiveller
Well-known member
- Sep 9, 2011
- 9,537
Not regularly but watched them before Christmas. They line up and play in the same way as the first team. Probably at the cost of results but ultimately they are a feeder team so need schooling in the way the first team play. The fluid 4-4-2 we play needs a certain type of player to know when to go forward and when to cover. Or when to make a run to offer a quick pass. The players we bring in from other teams will unlikely be used to this style and will take some learning. In the game I watched, the right back had a bad game because he was trying to play like Bruno but was caught out. At other teams, he would have launched it but was sticking to the club ethos and playing it across the back or back to the keeper.
There are no prizes of value to winning the U21 league - I'm sure we would all rather come bottom and get a first team player than win the league playing a different style which leads to no first team advancements.
On the few occasions I have seen them, the opposition teams all seem to be bigger, stronger and fitter than us. That maybe something to do with the transitional arrangements involved in creating a good development squad, the recruitment policy or the coaching approach, or a bit of all three. Either way, we have seldom looked competitive and hence our position in the table. Tellingly, few if any of the players ever look ready for the first team.
AZ Gull
@SeagullsAcademy @seagullsacademy.bsky.social
No, it is the second season.
Previously U-18 coach (appointed to that position March 6 2012), he took interim charge of the U-21s in February 2015 (first match being Feb 9 v WBA) after Simon Ireland's departure to QPR. He was confirmed in the role on March 12 2015.
BensGrandad
New member
Could they not approach Liam Brady to take charge now he has left Arsenal and get him to bring in the coaches but then saying that Arsenals U21s are good but not many have come through the ranks
Not through to the Arsenal first team ranks perhaps, but they have brought through decent Championship standard players, like Afobe and Akpom (though presumably the Arsenal equivalent of NSC will be decrying those as failures).