What's the point in having a youth system?

We've got a few teams coming up which very good players U14 U15 U16 level. Tbey compete against the bigger teams and also do well. Be interesting to see the break through over the next couple of year's

Problem is a few of our best youth players have gone to Prem teams for tiny fees with no input required from the club.

When my son played for the academy they played the following regualary Southampton,Bristol City, WBA , Wolves , Aston Villa, Coventry , Leicester. Reading Southampton , Birmingham The would also play Man Utd and Chelsea Southampton at the time we’re the top academy in the country with 5 of my sons age group playing in the premier league for them and Cardiff beat them 5-1 and with all games close apart from one. 7 of the boys played for Wales and were in the side that beat England 4-0 in the victory shield So what has happened to that team
Only one really played for city Declan John
Tom Lockyer released and went to Bristol Rovers
Tom O’Sullivan now at Hereford
Declan Dalley went to Man Utd after being released now not playing
Theo Wharton players in Nuneaton I believe
Jaye Bowen last I heard at Merthyr Town
Jack Waters not playing anymore
Jack Britton last I heard playing in Portugal
Josh Yowerth Banned from playing for 4 years
The rest are either not playing or playing in welsh leagues

I know that 3 of the players were invited to Man Utd at age 14 and were entertain by Manchester United and met the first team
By the age the players were 16 Man Utd never came back and two of those players were with Cardiff until age 22 and made not one league apperance
The fact that one player played for the first team sees this group as being a success That is football for you

Not wrong at all. But I'm a firm believer that because we let them rot away in the academy. Not even loaning half of them out to get first team experience, they just didn't develop. A coach down there told me it's criminal that age group didn't become first team regulars, some amazing talent. The club just let them rot and rot until, like you said, they were 21,22 and had NO first team football experience anywhere. Tommy O'Sullivan and Theo Warton were supposed to be nailed on first team players in the Premier League and it's criminal that they're now doing nothing

We've got a few teams coming up which very good players U14 U15 U16 level. Tbey compete against the bigger teams and also do well. Be interesting to see the break through over the next couple of year's

Problem is a few of our best youth players have gone to Prem teams for tiny fees with no input required from the club.

When my son played for the academy they played the following regualary Southampton,Bristol City, WBA , Wolves , Aston Villa, Coventry , Leicester. Reading Southampton , Birmingham The would also play Man Utd and Chelsea Southampton at the time we’re the top academy in the country with 5 of my sons age group playing in the premier league for them and Cardiff beat them 5-1 and with all games close apart from one. 7 of the boys played for Wales and were in the side that beat England 4-0 in the victory shield So what has happened to that team
Only one really played for city Declan John
Tom Lockyer released and went to Bristol Rovers
Tom O’Sullivan now at Hereford
Declan Dalley went to Man Utd after being released now not playing
Theo Wharton players in Nuneaton I believe
Jaye Bowen last I heard at Merthyr Town
Jack Waters not playing anymore
Jack Britton last I heard playing in Portugal
Josh Yowerth Banned from playing for 4 years
The rest are either not playing or playing in welsh leagues

I know that 3 of the players were invited to Man Utd at age 14 and were entertain by Manchester United and met the first team
By the age the players were 16 Man Utd never came back and two of those players were with Cardiff until age 22 and made not one league apperance
The fact that one player played for the first team sees this group as being a success That is football for you

Not wrong at all. But I'm a firm believer that because we let them rot away in the academy. Not even loaning half of them out to get first team experience, they just didn't develop. A coach down there told me it's criminal that age group didn't become first team regulars, some amazing talent. The club just let them rot and rot until, like you said, they were 21,22 and had NO first team football experience anywhere. Tommy O'Sullivan and Theo Warton were supposed to be nailed on first team players in the Premier League and it's criminal that they're now doing nothing

They were calling them the golden generation at the time and let’s face it 7 players in a team that beats England 4-0 The main issue the change in academy management to the guy who went on to manage Wimbledon The good work in the academy was done by Matt Crocker and his team he brought through Ramsey , Gunter, Ledley , Matthews and a few more and for this team up to around 14 Crocker had an input.
I remember my son played upfront once and scored 6 because of injuries against Bristol and never played up front again Such a shame the Southampton team they played against had 4 players who have now had caps for England senior team

But as I say it’s football the most brutal business you can imagine