According to some quarters, youth development in England is in crisis. There are certainly problems regarding investment, coaching and facilities, but it appears that the problems with the youth system might actually be further along the line than the grass-roots level. The transition between academy and senior level seems to be stopping a lot of good talent making the jump to professional football successfully, so how can we bridge this gap?
Young English players don’t seem to be given a fair shot at making it professionally, particularly in comparison to their continental counterparts, who are given first team debuts much earlier. In England young players are stuck with Carling Cup and substitute appearances, and often judged on those fleeting appearances. There is simply too big a gap between the youth set-up and senior teams and players aren’t groomed in the right way for the level of professional football. The transition between the ages of 18-21 is the most important time for a young player and it seems that more often than not we are not getting it right.
Part of the problem is the lack of patience in the English game. Players aren’t given the time to develop, and are expected to make an immediate impression. This season alone we have seen young players like Jordan Henderson and Andy Carroll be written off by the media, for not making an immediate impact. There is now so much pressure on young players shoulders to impress straight away, and they aren’t given enough time to learn and develop in the game.
This lack of patience runs right through English footballing philosophy, as young English players are not given the time to flourish, with the general lack of opportunity available in the Premier League. There is too much money being thrown around these days, and this has led to a culture where it is now the preference of clubs to go out and buy a cheaper foreign import, than to spend time developing an English kid.
These short term solutions are now preferred to long term thinking. There are exceptions, and lately teams like Liverpool and Manchester United have been more than willing to give their young players a chance. However, Kenny Dalglish and Sir Alex Ferguson are in safe positions, with the pressure off their shoulders, so they can afford to give opportunities to the young home-grown talent available, and not be judged for it, unlike many other managers out there.
There have been significant moves to address the problems regarding the transition from youth to senior football. One of the new additions this season is the Next Gen Series, which is billed as the Champions League of youth football. Sixteen of the worlds best clubs including Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Man City and Celtic are taking part in the exciting knock-out competition. The players are able to pit themselves against world class opposition from the best clubs in Europe, which can only be of benefit in terms of improving standards and also helping to bridge the gap between the youth and senior teams.
Players learn vital skills like adapting to an unfamiliar style of play, getting used to travelling, playing two match weeks and playing at a more competitive level than the Regional Premier Leagues, with all their restrictions and constraints. English youngsters don’t really have enough competitive games in order for them to test themselves and develop, so the Next Gen Series is an improvement on this front. Currently youth sides take part in the Regional Premier Leagues, which are split into two northern and two southern leagues, meaning the best sides may only play each other once over the course of a season.
The regional leagues lack a competitive edge, and players don’t really gain much from this standard of play. Reserve football is of an equally poor standard for young players to learn their trade, and they gain little if anything from this level of football.