Football

well the two brazillian full backs, nani, cleverley, welbeck, evans, fletcher, scholes, giggs.

All of these it could be argued were developed at Manchester and make up a significant proportion of the current squad.

Plus the other load of young players they've bought in....

That.

The rules on importing young players have changed. Its about importing youth from all over the world.
#notslavery
#honest

Whoever said that Man Utd should be credited for giving Pique the chance in the first team should have a think again. He was there from the age of 17 to 21 and made something like 12 first team appearances. Hardly giving him a chance, is it?

Barca developed the player, only for his head to be turned by the big bucks from the PL.

Fabregas on other hand...

Tenderloin you bring up a good point in terms of when is a youth player, your teams youth product, when he joins the academy at 12/15/17?
I'm probably just harking back to a time when players were spotted in the schools around the ground.

Spurs haven't been much better in this regards so I'm not one to talk, apart from Sol, and Ledley, we haven't had any youth teamers make the grade recently either. We've been buying promising young 'uns in from others, see Bale, Huddlestone, Lennon, Walker, Naughton, Dawson, etc.

And despite his time at West Ham, 'Arry was never one to give youth a chance...

Fairly upbeat about the youth set up now, despite only Caulker, and Rose (on loan to stoke) looking like viable first teamers. Youth set ups should be providing you with squad players, and putting money in the teams pocket if/when they don't prove good enough and can be sold on, for their own good and the teams, or making the grade and carrying that local swagger and spirit through into the team..

Well he played reserve team football for 18 months.
Went out on loan for a season.
played about 10 league games - got injured twice in that season
then went to Barca in May 2008.

This was when Ferdinand and Vidic were at their most formidable - it looks to me like Man Utd were very much ramping up for Pique to play a significant role.

Injuries and the form of Vidic and Ferdiand seem to have been the sticking point, along with the now infamous catalan need to go home

The thing with youth team set ups is that you only need to strike gold once every 3 years or so to make it profitable. When you look at a club like Barca , they ship out a handful of players for a few million euros every year which means that La Masia pays for itself, regardless of the value that can be attributed to the likes of Mess, Xavi, Inietsta, Puyol, Pedro etc. etc. etc.

I think if they have come through the ranks and not been brought in young but hoisted straight into the first team, then they can be considered youth team players.

It's moot really, I support Arsenal who have brought through a whole bunch of youth team players, in my eyes. Others would say they poach young players and take the credit

Re: Pique - fair enough - however he made his mind up that he wanted to play first team football which is normal if you're 21. He was obviously hugely talented as well. United weren't able to give him a fair chance and his old club come by and sign him up. The player progressed and it is obvious that Man Utd's lost out on a great player.

As for Arsenal and Cesc - yes, they poached him at a very young age and made him the player he is today , not quite good enough to displace Xavi or Iniesta in the Barca team.

You are right of course. I heard a guy on Five Live the other week saying he witnessed this exact sort of behaviour from some fans at your up-market neighbours.
He made a good point that it should start with the fans self-regulating one another. If you see someone doing this next to you, it is your duty to report it instantly to the stewards. Though some people may be intimidated and too scared to report it.
Once reported however, it is then the responsibility of the stewards to remove them from the stands and have them immediately arrested. It is then the responsibility of the club to ban them for life.

It has to start with the initial reporting though

Chelsea act very quickly when racist abuse is reported to them. I know because I have reported such abuse. I expect that I will be called a grass by many on here but I believe very strongly that it is the duty of everyone to stamp this behaviour out.

Not a grass Clive.

this ^

Chelsea act very quickly when racist abuse is reported to them.

Except when it's concerning your captain, leader, legend of course....

As for Arsenal and Cesc - yes, they poached him at a very young age and made him the player he is today , not quite good enough to displace Xavi or Iniesta in the Barca team.

There isn't a single player in the world who could right now... Give it a year or two and he'll be filling Xavi's boots.

** I expect that I will be called a grass** by many on here but I believe very strongly that it is the duty of everyone to stamp this behaviour out.

Jesus, why would you think that?

Except when it's concerning your captain, leader, legend of course....

that was dealt with "Internally"

I thought we discussed pique earlier in 2012?

He didn't get the chance because he wouldn't/couldnt have coped with getting beaten up week in week out, and then getting slaughtered by Hansen et al.

Chelsea act very quickly when racist abuse is reported to them. I know because I have reported such abuse. I expect that I will be called a grass by many on here but I believe very strongly that it is the duty of everyone to stamp this behaviour out.

Some clubs have the option to text the seat number to stewards in case of intimidation

At Chelsea there is a phone number, text facility and email. I emailed, having confirmed with those who sit around me that I had heard what I had heard. The offenders were two season ticket holders who sat a few rows back. Others emailed confirming what I reported.

...and Joe hasn't been to a game with his dad since

Joe stopped going after a referee mistook him for Juan Mata and called him a ....

Heresay and rumour Clive.

Chelsea act very quickly when racist abuse is reported to them. I know because I have reported such abuse. I expect that I will be called a grass by many on here but I believe very strongly that it is the duty of everyone to stamp this behaviour out.

This!

At Chelsea there is a phone number, text facility and email. I emailed, having confirmed with those who sit around me that I had heard what I had heard. The offenders were two season ticket holders who sat a few rows back. Others emailed confirming what I reported.

and... give us the happily ever after bit ... did they return ? or are they still there ?

They got promoted to a directors box

ha