I am of a slightly different opinion to some of those in this post.

If we are going to give academy players a chance, then they need to playing in and around a team with a decent players who are playing well. It's no good throwing them in for a cup final game where we are virtualling playing our reserve team. There is too much onus on them.

It also depends on the position. I would say it's easier to bring in a winger than a central midfielder, and slightly easier to bring in a fullback than a central defender. Those central areas are key to controlling game and bringing in a academy player is a massive gamble.

So that being said there could be an opportunity for someone like Danny Imray (?) to get game time at some point (as long as we strengthen in January).

The Centre Forward position is an interesting one. If we can create chances for the centre forward, then the opportunity is there for a academy player to make a name for themselves if they can finish. The issue is that we don't create alot of chances and often our centre forward has to plough a lone furrow. That is too much for an academy player.

You can't always judge a youth player straightaway on whether they make it. I remember Hayden Mullins when he first come into the 1st team on the left wing, and he wasn't great at all. Yet, a couple of seasons later he was exceptional when playing sweeper. Granted, some make a debut and they look distinctly out of their depth.

We had games where Roy had every opportunity to play at least one young player, especially toward the end of the season when we safe, and has failed to do so. Vieira was similarly as guilty.

There is naivety amongst football fans in general about the level(s) involved in the game. Currently the vast majority of players in the premier league are proven international performers so we are looking at the best players in the world playing in the Premier League. It is great having a well resourced academy, that will help improve the players that come through it, but there is no guarantee it is going to be a steady conveyor belt of premier league ready players. It will need world wide recruiting of the best young players coupled with the best coaches. Some of the players will still need to gain experience by going out on loan. Chelsea attempted something like this but then had problems blooding these players in their first team and people like Guehi end up at Palace.
At least we do produce a top player but this seems to be about once in a 3-4 year period.
People may forget that the acadamy did help produce Jake O'Brien who whilst not featuring in the first team was still sold in the summer to Lyon for 1 million pounds. This will at least help justify the role of the acadamy has in producing players that can make a living from the game and make money for the club.

The O'Brien move has 'Textor' written all over it - possibly a sop to get him off Parish's back

There is a lot of truths there. On the issue of O’Brian, he was and still is a real improver, he could come through, and it could have been here. Then again maybe he didn’t want to stay , if other options appeared to move him on quicker..
My issue is what we ended up getting for him, because if you put that fee against what we are known to have paid to bring some lads , into our academy, it’s a bit of a joke in my MHO, the two from Derby, cost £1 million each , O’Brian 1 million Euros , a number of others came here for six figure fees.

I read that Lyon were going to sell him in January, mainly to help balance the books.

This operation, will make the 'Charge Of The Light Brigade' seem like a simple military exercise.

I am not sure if any of you heard the report on the Today Program the other day on the lack of correlation between money in and success out.

The order in the division tends to reflect wages paid, but not the expense of recruitment e.g. Brentford/Brighton v Manure/Chelsea.

The former are very selective, employ "Moneyballs" tactics on recruitment but prefer to work with settled sides. That produces better results. Note Hodgson understands this and does not seek to chop and change a team.

Man City employed two astrophysicists to do their Moneyballs work and it reaps huge rewards, They spend an absolute bomb on players, but don't buy many. They also get a settled team albeit one that costs the GDP of a middling country.

We seem to be trying a different approach. Buy few and keep the team stable; but seek to create a conveyer belt of players who will have enjoyed success against their premier league B-team counterparts and who will eventually enjoy recognition at international level meaning we don't just have superb academy players who play the other best academy players, but who also play for England U21 etc.

Well, at least that appears the plan. The new coach will need to be on board with this which is why our Welsh friend at Forest may be a rumour with legs given his success with the England academy. Until then, the academy is growing but not yet there. Hodgson provides the safe hands until we are ready, but he will not field academy players to blood them as they are not ready; and staying up is the objective until they are.