BY the start of the 2007/08 season, Stuart Pearce could be managing a 17-man squad with a current average age of around 20 and costing a mere é6.8m in total.
These would be players of great potential and, just as importantly, with the club in their hearts, having been versed in its ways and traditions from an early age.
Consider for a moment the list of names on the right as a possible squad in 18 months' time. Ten of those players have already played in the Premiership and with Richard Dunne and Darius Vassell still only in their mid-20s, there is plenty to be optimistic about if you are a City fan.
GOALKEEPERS: Joe Hart (current age 19, cost é600,000) or Kasper Schmeichel (19, Academy product).
DEFENCE: Matthew Mills (19, é250,000), Nedum Onuoha (19, Academy), Micah Richards (17, Academy), Stephen Jordan (24, Academy), Shaleum Logan (18, Academy).
MIDFIELD: Lee Croft (20, Academy), Stephen Ireland (19, Academy), Joey Barton (23, Academy), Michael Johnson (18, Academy), Marc Laird (20, Academy).
STRIKERS: Daniel Sturridge (16, Academy), Bradley Wright-Phillips (21, Academy), Georgios Samaras (21, é6m), Ishmael Miller (19, Academy), Kelvin Etuhu (18, Academy)
Do you think this squad would prosper in the Premiership? Have your say.
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I'd put most of them in now instead of D.Mills, Thatcher, Sibierski, Jihai & Reyna.
Would they all be good enough though?
What a pathetic article.
Yeah if we don't buy anyone or of we do get rid of them after 1 year (as well as those whos contratct expire) so inthe whole its not realistic but it could be about right plus (hopefully) around 5 new players this summer plus whoever signs next summer.
ah the future .. silver suits , monorail , food in tablet form .. words fail me !!
17 man squad!!?? Not nearly big enough. There are some promising young players there but we will still need plenty of experienced players. I'd have put Willo Flood on the list too.
Lets just go through that again....
Keepers and defence fine.
Midfield.. Lee Croft, awful will never be good enough as a Premiership Player.
Attack.. BWP again never a Premiership Player and Ishmael Miller looked very cumbersome from what I saw last season.
Stop missing the point City (Wardle) invest in the Midfield and Strikers or leave and bring someone in who will invest!!!
and Joey Barton probably won't be there as well!
It look good on papers but maybe lads all too young? Nice ideas though Mr Bailsley
FINE AND WELL IF WERE GOING TO ENTER AN U-21 LEAGUE ........WERE NOT ......WE ALL KNOW THAT THE SQUAD WOULD GET US RELEGATED.......THE EVENING NEWS SHOULD START DEMANDING SOME SERIOUS INVESTMENT......OTHERWISE WERE ONLY GOING ONE WAY ...
That squad would have been relegated by Christmas!
A squad of players with the "club in their hearts, having been versed in its ways and traditions from an early age"?
Oh dear, another 30 years then. Typical City!
Another poor season next season, and most of that lot will be off. Another poor Men story. Can we please have some decent stories, like who city's next signing will be, and please don't count Dickov in that.
Looks very promising if you ask me and mixed in with some 'quality' seasoned pro's and the future is blue!
this squad lost 9 out of the last 10 Premier League games. What we need is a good balance of youth and experience
CTID
nowt to do wid this but Denilson is avalible on a free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You're assuming we'll still be in the Premiership. If we get relegated, half of these lads will be off quicker than a tart's knickers.
Do you think this squad would prosper in the Premiership? NO .... don't be stupid, if it was as easy as bringing together 11+ talented teens then why spend milliions like Chelsea ? ..... duh
We need experience and depth. Lets be honest our youngsters are good, but not amazing. SWP, Richards, Ned and maybe Sturridge aside. Barton needs to clean up his act, but worth keeping. We need good experience to bring them on, and find more and more gems. We need to buy young as well, eg 3m for Walcott! Other clubs scout Europe for youngsters like Van Persie, Fabragas etc. Need some steel and creation in the middle. We need PACE desperately. We look so slow in attack, need 2 quick wingers, a quick left back, a hard central mid and creative central mid and another striker (not Dickov). 6/7 players as minimum. Our squad is crying out for depth. We got screwed when we lost a few players.
Richard, Ipswich - spot on. I thought the job of a journalist was to inform and enlighten, not regurgitate stuff that we laymen can easily work out for ourselves. Also agree with Mike of Alty, especially re. Croft. Talking of Alty, I can't believe that our local sports paper hasn't seen fit to make any mention whatsoever of yesterday's decision re. the points deduction - another example of shoddy reporting.
(http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/s/213/213996_alty_axed.html?)
I certainly like to see the good young lads coming through.
Do any of them shop in wilmslow?
Can't we just close the club down and stop all the suffering? It's been going on far too long now..
Now THIS is what you call a positive article. Even too positive for me, being one of the happy clappers I guess. I hope Chris Bailey can point to this list in a couple of years time and tell all of us what a brain he is. Fact is, the list looks promising and thats a start.
Yes but at some point when they want higher wages what happens ? or when they become very valuable what happens?
Nedum Onuoha, Richards, Jordan, Barton already made it in my eyes.
Some good keepers there.
Its the wide area's that are a problem , Kris commons of forrest ?
& also instant center midfielders , Steve Sidwell? hes in the transfer window at the momment very good player.
Would like to see a real star in midfield the creative role even if hes a 30+ ( top class ) has been but can still cut it for the likes of ireland to learn off.
Sturridge,Ireland,Etuhu,Michael Johnson,Shaleum Logan will all step up next season IMO.
Lee Croft & BWP wont make the grade but i hope iam wrong.
Jury is still out on Samaras & Matthew Mills as they have not been at the club long.
Unsure about miller big strong pacey but a tad clumsy.
Cameron Jerome looks class at cardiff but i dont see any problems with those strikers.
I HAVE BEEN A CITY FAN FOR FIFTY YEARS AND WHILST WE HAVE HAD PLENTY OF HEARTACHE OVER THE YEARS, THE ACADEMY OF FUTURE [HOPEFULLY] CITY STARS OF THE FUTURE
NOT ONLY STANDS CITY IN GOOD HEART BUT ENGLISH FOOTBALL AS A WHOLE.KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK BLUES.
No probs with the kids but Samaras is the worry. All last years budget spent on a guy who isn't good in the air and not much better with the ball at his feet!!