[Albion] The 'Potter promotes youth players' fallacy

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Just putting it out there, but a lot of people on NSC and Twitter seem to think that Potter is a manager who likes to bring youth players into the senior squad and therefore we should expect to see U23s breaking into the squad/1st team next season.

From what I can see, in his previous clubs, he has had little choice other than to rely on motivating youth players. He may be an advocate for taking a risk and blooding young players for all I know, but to this point, it feels like he hasn't had a choice.

Brighton is the first club where he has had a fully developed first team squad that doesn't necessarily need youth players to fill the gaps. And he has a recruitment budget too. Not what he has had in the past.

So is he really a manager who loves bringing on youngsters, or has he previously been forced to (and of course has then publicly said that this is his preference)? I'm not convinced it is the former. And if you think he is, what makes you think that?

 

[Easy 10]

Ideally, now that he has a budget to work with, he will now have the best of both worlds. Make no mistake, Potter has been brought in to utilise and harvest the mammoth investment TB has ploughed into the U23 academy. That doesn't mean the 1st team will suddenly be FLOODED with U23's, a balance obviously has to be struck. But part of Potter's remit will undoubtedly be to begin integrating some of them towards involvement in the 1st team squad.

 

[Grombleton]

Ideally, now that he has a budget to work with, he will now have the best of both worlds. Make no mistake, Potter has been brought in to utilise and harvest the mammoth investment TB has ploughed into the U23 academy. That doesn't mean the 1st team will suddenly be FLOODED with U23's, a balance obviously has to be struck. But part of Potter's remit will undoubtedly be to begin integrating some of them towards involvement in the 1st team squad.

This. I expect he will utilise the U23's if he feels they're good enough to employ the style of play he wants, but if not then has has money to spend. He'll have a good idea and if he is unsure I'd expect one or two more signings to bridge those gaps. We might not see much til January when he has a better idea of his squad.

 

[Stat Brother]

Ideally, now that he has a budget to work with, he will now have the best of both worlds. Make no mistake, Potter has been brought in to utilise and harvest the mammoth investment TB has ploughed into the U23 academy. That doesn't mean the 1st team will suddenly be FLOODED with U23's, a balance obviously has to be struck. But part of Potter's remit will undoubtedly be to begin integrating some of them towards involvement in the 1st team squad.

Oh well, not exactly the longest thread, but certainly the most concise.

 

[beorhthelm]

just because he hasnt had choice, doesnt make it a fallacy.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It's one thing to bring 'youth players' through in the Swedish third division or whatever, quite another thing to try that out in the results-based cauldron of the PL. It's a crash-and-burn policy that would see him either hailed as a genius or out of work by the end of Autumn.

 

[Napper]

At the end of the day if your bringing in youth you are governed how good that youth is .

Swansea had a good crop and it got them mid table .

How good ours are .... no one knows . It’s a massive leap but you would hope GP knows what is required when assessing

 

[LamieRobertson]

Be easier to gradually integrate these ‘starlets’ into a side that is performing and not see them as an answer to staving off relegation

 

[Foul Play Rocks]

Ideally, now that he has a budget to work with, he will now have the best of both worlds. Make no mistake, Potter has been brought in to utilise and harvest the mammoth investment TB has ploughed into the U23 academy. That doesn't mean the 1st team will suddenly be FLOODED with U23's, a balance obviously has to be struck. But part of Potter's remit will undoubtedly be to begin integrating some of them towards involvement in the 1st team squad.

At a recent Seagulls over Burwash meeting we had Paul Barber as a guest who effectively said what you’ve written. He said that when he interviewed GP for the job he asked him if playing the youngsters was what he was all about to which he replied that Swansea had sold everyone else so he had no choice.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Ideally, now that he has a budget to work with, he will now have the best of both worlds. Make no mistake, Potter has been brought in to utilise and harvest the mammoth investment TB has ploughed into the U23 academy. That doesn't mean the 1st team will suddenly be FLOODED with U23's, a balance obviously has to be struck. But part of Potter's remit will undoubtedly be to begin integrating some of them towards involvement in the 1st team squad.

Brilliant summary.

 

[Barham's tash]

I hear what you’re saying and it’s backed up by the statistics however how do you know he hasn’t sold himself in this way in all three interviews for his professional clubs to date?

I’d wager he has and that’s what attracted the owners to appoint him in the first place.

I’m excited by seeing him have both tools at his disposal. In an ideal world I’d like to see c2-3 u23s per match day 18 and maybe give 1 or 2 of them significant minutes.

He talks about allowing players to take responsibility for in game decision making and for them to be not afraid of making mistakes. How else do you learn right?

I think in contrast the rigidity of Hughton’s philosophy was all about the fear of making mistakes and how being well drilled and knowing exactly what to do when led to us being so inherently cautious and also didn’t allow him to blood youngsters.

I’m going to find this season fascinating all round.

 

[Gritt23]

He may not have much choice here. Do we know how much he's got to spend?

My guess is that we are not going to see much transfer activity, he has the squad that he's inherited, plus a couple of signings, but he'll be expected to be bringing some talent through from the U23. Evolution not revolution, but the evolution of the 1st Squad will be as much about developing youngsters as bringing in new signings. Anyone coming through is "promoting youth" more than we have been seeing.

 

[the right footed denilson]

OP missing the point a little here.
We've hired more than Potter and his staff recently. It's the signing of Ashworth that ABSOLUTELY points towards a focus on youth development.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Be easier to gradually integrate these ‘starlets’ into a side that is performing and not see them as an answer to staving off relegation

This. When the the Albion didn't have a pot to piss in at Withdean, the club had little option but to throw 'youth players' in at the deep end and hope for the best. No excuse for resorting to that at this level. Would be an admission of failure by the recruitment team and/or a sign that the club had run out of cash.

 

[BrickTamland]

This. When the the Albion didn't have a pot to piss in at Withdean, the club had little option but to throw 'youth players' in at the deep end and hope for the best. No excuse for resorting to that at this level. Would be an admission of failure by the recruitment team and/or a sign that the club had run out of cash.

Or that the youth philosophy is working. Really odd comment

 

[the right footed denilson]

Or that the youth philosophy is working. Really odd comment

Agreed.
NEWSFLASH: Other teams pick players under the age of 23.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

OP missing the point a little here.
We've hired more than Potter and his staff recently. It's the signing of Ashworth that ABSOLUTELY points towards a focus on youth development.

Which is why we've seen the Manchester City kiddy signed. Which is all well and good, as long as Ashworth and Potter agree on which youngsters to recruit and expectations of their progress.
The fun starts when the recruitment doesn't suit the manager/head coach.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Or that the youth philosophy is working. Really odd comment

Not an odd comment at all. Where's the evidence of any single one of the current Albion youth crop being within a country mile of being 'Premier League Ready'?

 

[the right footed denilson]

Which is why we've seen the Manchester City kiddy signed. Which is all well and good, as long as Ashworth and Potter agree on which youngsters to recruit and expectations of their progress.
The fun starts when the recruitment doesn't suit the manager/head coach.

I don't think there'll be much conflict between these two. Unless Bloom et al have really mismatched them- they've been signed as a pair, to work together.

 

[GT49er]

I'm sure that somewhere in his job description there will be something about bringing young players through. Not floods of them, just like that of course, but as and when ready.

Whether it was fair or not, there was always a feeling that CH was reluctant to trust youngsters (or new players!) and it may well be that the appointment of Potter was partly to change that policy.