City's much-vaunted Academy has been at the nub of the team's revival in recent years, but now it faces a tough new challenge as the club starts splashing the cash.
But Cassell firmly believes that the teenage aces who won the 2008 FA Youth Cup and reached the semi-finals this year have the qualities to mix it with the top stars.
Seven of the Blues' Academy graduates will report for duty with the reserve team squad at Carrington next month.
The boys who have made the move across are England Under-19 right-back Kieran Trippier from Bury, Liberian striker Alex Nimely, England Under-19 midfielder Andrew Tutte, Irish midfielder Greg Cunningham, Belgian defender Dedryk Boyata, Norwegian midfielder Abdi Ibrahim, and pacy Slovakian striker Robbie Mak.
They head down the M60 with the worldly advice of Cassell ringing in their ears, and a quiet reminder that this season's Player of the Year was not a £30m import, but Academy product Stevie Ireland.
Cassell holds Ireland, and other Academy success stories, as proof that talent, hard work and the right mentality can succeed, even as names like Samuel Eto'o and Carlos Tevez are being freely bandied around the club.
"Stephen has been a magnificent individual this year," says Cassell. "His football has been outstanding and he probably came close to being national Player of the Year.
Click here for City's 2009/2010 fixture list
"Stephen is starting to mature. Nedum Onuoha and Micah Richards have also established themselves and we are all waiting for Michael Johnson to return from injury because he is also a fantastic talent.
"And then there is Shaun Wright-Phillips - these are all players who have come through, as well as players on the bench like Ched Evans, Danny Sturridge, Kelvin Etuhu and Shaleum Logan."
But Cassell has already told his 18-year-old charges that they are about to face the toughest test of their lives. He said: "The challenge for those players is to go across to Carrington and keep improving, but they have to realise that you don't win the race on the first lap.
"They have to learn the second phase of their careers now. They have done very well here and competed with the best - last year our under-18s only lost to Arsenal all season which is a terrific achievement.
"They have a great pedigree and what they have to do is become part of the environment at Carrington. They need to accept they are no longer the big fish and have to take on the next phase of their learning process. If they do that, they have a fantastic chance, because they all have ability. The test for them is to deal with the new environment and get used to the fact that in training they will have to play with the likes of Robinho, Petrov and Ireland.
"What will help is that they will actually be meeting up with players they played with in last year's successful youth team, like Vlad Weiss.
Developing
"That will make a good group of 19 and 20-year-olds, and the great test for them is to see whether they can join the Robinhos of this world."
Cassell's job is made easier by the fact that the club's new owners value his work, and recognise that developing a club does not mean simply heading into an inflated transfer market with a lorry-load of cash.
He said: "Projecting the Academy isn't a problem, and we would be fools to think that life hasn't changed.
"But if you look around, as well as the 27 who have played for our first team in the Premier League, we also have 30-odd who are at other clubs but never played in the Premier League.
"I came here 12 years ago and if we carry on along the lines that we have done so far, by the time me and my staff leave we will not have cost the club a penny in 15 years."
Which of City's youngsters do you think can make it? Have your say.
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Does any body know how many of last seasons academy players were released,clubs including City never seem to publish their names!
Another slow news day then?
Outstanding work from Jim and all his staff and it will become even more important when our friend Monsieur Platini starts to impose restrictions on what can be spent and by whom and the 6/5 rule.
Plus its much more satisfying seeing one of your own do well.
An Academy to be really proud of
get the rule in asap for all clubs to have at least 4 academy players in the squad, and at least 2 players under 19 in the squad, i think this will help keep real talent comin through, also put million pound per year for each year in an academy plus the transfer fee for any young player who tries to treat there club the way bambi sturrige has to our club, this will give a fair price to any club who lose players through greed. or bad advice. grego peel hall blue
Big hopes for Mak and Nimely. I'm 64 and off hand I can't remember us ever bringing a great striker through the ranks, unless it was Joe Hayes lol.
This guy should be knighted.
Keep up the great work Mr Cassell.
In Jim We TRUST. CTID
"I came here 12 years ago and if we carry on along the lines that we have done so far, by the time me and my staff leave we will not have cost the club a penny in 15 years."
Does this mean that Jim and his staff are leaving in 3 years time?
"I came here 12 years ago and if we carry on along the lines that we have done so far, by the time me and my staff leave we will not have cost the club a penny in 15 years."
Does this mean that Jim and his staff are leaving in 3 years time?
Tommy's Hutch, Flixton
That's how I read it too Tommy, as much as I don't want this guy to ever retire, we can't deny he' will have earned the right to put his feet up.
Who knows, one of these could be the next Barry Conlan.
I am somewhat disturbed by the last paragraph. It suggests that Jim Cassell and his staff will leave in three years time. Please City, sign Jim up now for the next ten!
Jim, your a legend mate and should be on Queens honours list for services for Football.
Think of the money generated through players sold and the established players in the squad.
Keep it up!
if MH is ever sacked JIM CASSELL has got to be our manager, what a man!!! maybe someone should mention his name to platini when he goes on about clubs bringing players through the ranks
CTID
even madrid could'nt afford our jim
I don't buy your spin Jim,"27 players played for the first team" how many times,once? Fact in 12 years of the Academy just SWP, Barton, Richards, Johnson, Ireland and Onouha have played multi Premiership games, that is a very poor return compared to the likes Arsenal, Everton, West Ham, Boro and even United.Jim you have to deliver 4/5 players of PREMIERSHIP quality over the next 2 seasons.Jim, time to stop talking about achievements at junior level and deluding yourself that the likes of Sturridge and Etuhu will fare any better then Lee Croft,Wilo Flood, Brad Phillips and Ish Miller etc,etc.
Goater's Lovechild, Barry Conlon actually came on a free transfer from QPR - not the academy. Tommybates, baffling comments. Let's take Everton shall we. Their defence bar Tony Hibbert was bought in - that's Howard, Lescott, Baines, Yobo, Jagielka and Jacobson. Their Midfield bar Osman was bought in - that's Cahill, Neville, Pienaar and Fellini. There attack bar James Vaughan and Anchiebe is bouhght in - that's Saha, Jo and Yakubu. They, like us, have academy players on the periphery of their squad that have made little impact on the first team. To even compare Everton's youth policy favourably with City's highlights the fact that you simply have not got a clue what you are talking about. Do you make comments to shock? I rather think you make shocking comments to be honest.
I have to agree with TommyBatess. Looking at the players that have come out of West Ham's youth team over the last decade or so (Terry, Joe Cole, Lampard, Ferdinand, Defoe, Johnson, Carrick etc. ) you have to admit a lot of fans overstate the academy.
I was, I am....etc Germany. I presume by Terry you mean John Terry who came through the Chelsea ranks and has had nothing to do with West Ham. Despite this, I agree that West Ham had a good crop 10 years ago. However, City's products Richards, Onouha, Ireland and Johnson are only 21/22 - whereas some are 19 (Weiss etc). It's a little unfair to compare when those players you mention have had about 7 or 8 years more playing time. Also, name me the current products of West Ham's apparently (accoring to TommyBates) better academy. Noble (better than Ireland?) Freddie Sears (one goal!!!). Just have a think about what your writing next time.
NEIL I TOTALLY AGREE MATE!!!! DONT THINK TOMMY BATES HAS A CLUE ON FOOTBALL AND HE NEVER WILL BECAUSE ALL HE COMES ON HERE 2 DO IS CAUSE MAHEM HE MIGHT ASWELL COMMENT ON BALL ROOM DANCING CAUSE THATS ALL HIS GOOD FOR
ok lets compare current development and if West Hams youth is so good why do they want Sturridge
ok so
Sears or Sturridge= Sturridge
Noble or Ireland= Ireland
Onouha or Tomkins= Onouha
Richards or Collison= Collison
Johnson no one else to match him up with nor Schmeichael
and we have plenty more to come in the next few years (Weiss, Mak etc) 5 years from now Slovakia will have a great RW ST combination in them two so WOO YEH GO CITY CTID
so much for mark hughes hitting the ground runnig with his transfers....yet again another quiet day....just get the feeling we will bring in again average players.
i think you will find john terry was at west ham until he was 14 he left and then he was signed by chelsea
Whats the bets Danny 'I'm worth £60k a week' Sturridge won't like to be included in this group"
[quote]as well as players on the bench like Ched Evans, Danny Sturridge, Kelvin Etuhu and Shaleum Logan."[/quote]
The reference to 15 years is a (what does he mean by that) remark! Possibly Jims contract and some of the other Academy staff contracts expires then also.
We have done well during Jim's time in some instances by acquiring players from other clubs like Barton and Johnson from Everton Richards from Oldham Sturridge from Coventry and the biggest money earner for the club Shaun Wright Phillips from Notts Forrest.
I am not sure how much money changed hands for some of these players under the compensation rules,but what ever the fees involved it was good business by Jim.
Fingers crossed for all of them obviously but think Weiss, Trippier and Nimely have impressed me most.
An interesting last paragraph from our Jim - a penny for his thoughts. Jim and the team have done an excellent job over the last decade. It's not just about footy, it's also about preparing young lads for the wider world in the event they don't make. I have no doubt in my mind the team at the academy are excellent with regards to both.