I have a lack of creative juices at the moment so Anon3 kindly has sent a piece in, please contribute if you wish to, no view is edited.

Is the Academy a waste of time?

Ok, so the Villa Academy is apparently very good. But what do we actually get from it? Or more accurately, what have we got from it. The reason I’m asking is quite simple.

Mr Lerner has obviously wound his neck in when it comes to spending and it seems we’re going to look at bringing the youth through combined with er, shall we say, not exactly brilliant signings that are going to set the Prem alight (ok, read very average). So, having opened myself up to accepting that policy, I’ve asked myself where our academy has actually helped us.

And I’m not sure it has

Ok, so Gabby has come through. He’s one of most Villa fan’s favourite players, indeed, mine too because he’s a Villa fan. What’s his value. I’d suggest around £10 mill, but who would want him and be able to pay the price? A Villan for the rest of his career, I’d guess and that’s fair enough.

Marc Albrighton

I love this kid, but I’m shocked at how his crossing is now pretty poor on the whole when I raved for a couple of years that he was by far the best crosser when actually running at pace, having skinned a FB (why is it all our wingers seem to constantly over-hit the ball).

Value

God knows, but he’s still young and it could go up or down. My point here is he seems to have got worse since he made the first team proper.

Gary Cahill

Money-spinner for the club, who left cheaply, because he couldn’t get a start (I actually think MON was right and did him a favour at the time, but that’s by the by). I’ve probably forgotten quite a few and that’s fair enough, I’m just raising it for debate

And now we have the current crop.

I see two kids in particular that I think will make the grade at the very top level. But what will happen if they do come really good. When we obviously (imo) aren’t going to be competing at top 6 level?

They’ll be sold, for a profit, imo, to pay for the very average players that we’ll bring in. And obviously because we won’t be able to keep them. So what exactly will the team gain

I’d suggest nothing overall. But the books will look ok.

I keep harping back to West Ham, who have been renowned for years as having had one of the best academies going.
Where’s it got them. And now that many other clubs are improving their academies, we’ll have lost that supposed edge we had in a few years, hence any advantage will be totally gone.

So basically, I’m asking what’s the point apart from the fact that we might bring a fan through?

No doubt you’ll enlighten me