" CARDIFF DO HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM/ I AGREE "

I can't believe I'm agreeing with Blake again.
I've been saying for the last couple of years, NO Youngsters coming through, No one bothered and City not planning for the future??



Lack of Cardiff City stars playing for Wales shows the academy system needs looking at - Nathan Blake

Monday 19 OCT 2015

BY NATHAN BLAKE

Our columnist says seeing ex-youngsters like James Collins, Joe Ledley, Chris Gunter and Aaron Ramsey as part of the historic Wales team shows it can be done

The Wales team celebrate their qualification for Euro 2016 after the home game with Andorra
Wales finally did it and, like everyone else, the smile on my face has hardly moved since we booked that place in Euro 2016.

I’ll be honest, though, as amazing an achievement as it is, watching the team do it in 2015 doesn’t make up for missing out as a player.

Even now I still have nightmares about that home play-off game with Russia in 2003 because that moment was my only opportunity to play in a major championships and it went out the door.

I’m happy the lads now won’t have to experience that because it still hurts me to have gone from where we had to being so close to a tournament. We’d done so much in a short space of time when we went from Bobby Gould to Mark Hughes. Sparky and the added professionalism he brought showed us all how things should be done and showed what could be done when you were able to prepare and approach games in the right way.




We had the right hotels, the right backroom people, nutritionists, sports science – Mark Hughes took the excuses away and it’s good to hear similar things about the FAW set up now.



It was also good for me to hear how Gareth Bale told WalesOnline about how lads not involved in the squad through injury were still texting wanting to be part of things, showing how much they are enjoying it. That’s what we felt under Sparky and it great to know they have that buzz and the right environment to make it happen.



It’s taken a long time and a lot of hard work. Chris Coleman came in in difficult circumstances and the team had to come together through some tough times after the death of Gary Speed.

The way, under John Toshack, the FAW put in place a strategy to give young players good experience has proven to be a really progressive plan and the philosophy put in place is not the work of one person but many. It’s something for a lot of people to be proud of.

When it came to fruition, I wouldn’t say I felt elation, just satisfaction. I could sit back and start smiling.

What would make that smile a little broader is seeing some Cardiff City players in the Wales team again. It’s easier said than done but seeing the likes of James Collins, Joe Ledley, Chris Gunter and Aaron Ramsey – all lads who have come through the ranks at the club – as part of that historic Wales team shows you it can be done.

Give it time.

You won't win nothing with kids

Give it time.

Tans been virtually in control off our club for nearly 5 years and from what I hear on a daily basics,we have gone backwards drastically in our youth set ups etc etc

You won't win nothing with kids

You would be surprised what a couple of quality kids coming through our system could do for our club

Give it time.

Tans been virtually in control off our club for nearly 5 years and from what I hear on a daily basics,we have gone backwards drastically in our youth set ups etc etc

But I think by next year we will have o Sullivan involved in the squad because Slade said he wants to bring youth players in and I believe he will.

Give it time.

Tans been virtually in control off our club for nearly 5 years and from what I hear on a daily basics,we have gone backwards drastically in our youth set ups etc etc

But I think by next year we will have o Sullivan involved in the squad because Slade said he wants to bring youth players in and I believe he will.

Ryan, Hmmmmm? We will see,I would love it to be true, I dont blame Slade for all this,hes only been here 1 year.

Give it time.

Tans been virtually in control off our club for nearly 5 years and from what I hear on a daily basics,we have gone backwards drastically in our youth set ups etc etc

But I think by next year we will have o Sullivan involved in the squad because Slade said he wants to bring youth players in and I believe he will.

Ryan, Hmmmmm? We will see,I would love it to be true, I dont blame Slade for all this,hes only been here 1 year.

I think him sending them out on loan could be a sign.

Give it time.

Tans been virtually in control off our club for nearly 5 years and from what I hear on a daily basics,we have gone backwards drastically in our youth set ups etc etc

Fair play you love the negativity that people tell you , fact is that our academy in the last 5 years is light years ahead of anytime before tan came along, at all ages the team's are competing well it takes time for players to come through this years under 8s are 10 years away from first team,our facilities are better than the Dave Jones and Sam hamman days and this will see in the long term players coming through ,I think patients is needed when it comes to academy s it's a marathon and not a sprint Annis

Give it time.

Tans been virtually in control off our club for nearly 5 years and from what I hear on a daily basics,we have gone backwards drastically in our youth set ups etc etc

Fair play you love the negativity that people tell you , fact is that our academy in the last 5 years is light years ahead of anytime before tan came along, at all ages the team's are competing well it takes time for players to come through this years under 8s are 10 years away from first team,our facilities are better than the Dave Jones and Sam hamman days and this will see in the long term players coming through ,I think patients is needed when it comes to academy s it's a marathon and not a sprint Annis

Wez, Don't love it at all, Sadly it's all true.
Guess what I was positive after draw on Sat, yet u went in my thread and was opposite Hmmm?

Give it time.

Tans been virtually in control off our club for nearly 5 years and from what I hear on a daily basics,we have gone backwards drastically in our youth set ups etc etc

Fair play you love the negativity that people tell you , fact is that our academy in the last 5 years is light years ahead of anytime before tan came along, at all ages the team's are competing well it takes time for players to come through this years under 8s are 10 years away from first team,our facilities are better than the Dave Jones and Sam hamman days and this will see in the long term players coming through ,I think patients is needed when it comes to academy s it's a marathon and not a sprint Annis

Wez, Don't love it at all, Sadly it's all true.
Guess what I was positive after draw on Sat, yet u went in my thread and was opposite Hmmm?

I will write it in my postive Annis thread diary I 've had for the last 5 years I'm still on the first page tho lol an away draw is good in the championship but we are lacking a striker ,if we get a striker or Saudi comes good it could be the difference between play offs or automatic promotion

If the talent is not there then it doesn't matter how good the academy or who the manager is. There is so much money in the top two divisions that the academy system is letting down the youngsters. Clubs would rather buy a "name" than let one of their kids develop.

I don't think the manager has a problem with youth, but

if you have Fabio would you play Declan ?
If you have Whitts , Dikachoi Gunnar or Ralls are you going to play O'Sullivan ?
If you have Manga, Connolly, Turner or Morrison are young going to risk Oshilaja
If you have Marshall are you going to play Moore.


I reckon if a decent offer came in for any of our "names" they would be gone and one of our kids a step closer.

The Jacks with their "great system" have one local lad in their squad tonight......

At this particular time the club's masters seem to be bending over backwards to involve fan opinion. So next time Mr's Choo and Dalman turn up in the away end or if they request a meeting with fan organisations (supporters club/Trust) why not suggest it would be a brilliant idea to invest in the academy?

If instead of wasting money on transfer fees for players such as Adam Le Fonde his fee alone could have funded the academy for at least a couple of seasons.

The benefit of an academy cannot be overstated. There is profit to be made from transfer fees, savings made in paying no transfer fees, a direct connection with the fan base, low initial wages and the satisfaction of bringing players through.

Hopefully Tommy O'Sullivan will be the next to break through but the academy needs a regular safe line of funding and should be one of the first priorities when planning the clubs budget.