THE New Year could mean a host of fresh opportunities for Manchester City's youngsters.
Twelve months ago few outside the most avid and conscientious Blues followers, and those within the inner circle, had heard of Joey Barton.
Now the 21-year-old is one of the first names on the Premiership teamsheet, is an England Under-21 international and is being talked about as a surefire City skipper.
If a week is a long time in politics, then a year is a positive eternity in the life cycle of a football team!
That is why those in their late teens and early 20s, who see their way to Kevin Keegan's first team blockaded by a swarm of senior internationals, should not despair.
Just because they have not done a Michael Owen or a Wayne Rooney there is no need to fret. Not every player is a prodigy and most get better with age.
So who might be hot in the latter stages of the 2003-04 season? Which of the youngsters might spring from the pack and dig a sharp, maturing elbow into the ribs of the manager?
High regard
Keegan, himself, has a high regard for strikers Lee Croft and Stephen Elliott and midfielder Willo Flood.
And then there is Glenn Whelan, currently out on loan at Bury - even David Beckham was once temporarily at Preston North End - and defender Paddy McCarthy.
There is a formidable array of talent ahead of the two embryo goalgetters in the Eastlands pecking order with Nicolas Anelka, Robbie Fowler and Jon Macken all vying for the manager's attention.
But Keegan reckons that Croft and Elliott have a big future, and a chance may come now that Costa Rican World Cup ace Paulo Wanchope is out for 10 weeks, and there might not be enough money for a big name replacement.
Teenager Croft has already grabbed two goals from five appearances in Asa Hartford's reserve team, and his efforts have earned him England recognition, with caps at Under-20 level.
That included the recent World Youth Championships in the United Arab Emirates, where he and his teammates were outshone by the Blues' large Irish contingent.
Life in the fast lane
Among the Republic's success story were Flood, Elliott, Whelan and McCarthy.
Unlike the others, 18-year-old midfielder Flood has already tasted life in the first team.
He was one of the few City players to enhance his reputation in the second leg of the UEFA Cup qualifying tie with TNS at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
He played in all his country's matches in the UAE before they were beaten by Colombia in the last 16. And likely as not, when Ireland scored, Flood had a foot in the build-up somewhere along the line.
Elliott, as is a goal scorer's prerogative, stole the headlines with his three goals in the tournament. He has bagged the same number for City's reserve side in four outings.
He knows, like the others, that at some stage he may be loaned out to gain experience playing competitive football in front of demanding paying customers and an expectant manager.
And he has an extra incentive for he is the last year of his contract and would dearly like another one.
Former youth team skipper Whelan was such an instant hit with Bury when he went there that, as soon as he returned to England, they snapped him up for a second stint at Gigg Lane.
He has been on reserve team duty for Keegan this season and got a second-half outing in the same TNS game as Flood, when he replaced Dutch international Paul Bosvelt in the second half.
Of the talented Irish quartet McCarthy probably has the most catching-up to do, having had his progress halted by injury.
However, he too has been given chances at reserve team level and is keen to make up for lost time - he even managed a goal himself in the group stages in the Middle East.
Keegan, meanwhile, continues to monitor the group's progress in training with the first team, and will not be shy to `do a Barton' should the youngsters make their case strongly enough.
"Lee trains with us here now all the time," said the manager.
"Because the England Under-21s have so many players in the first team they decided to take the Under-20s as the Under-21s, so Lee has been going with England and doing very well with them.
"Lee Croft has a future here, as has Willo Flood. Lee, Willo, and Stephen Elliott, along with Paddy McCarthy and Glenn Whelan, are the next generation."
Should the kids get a chance? Have your say.
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Garbage. Whilst there are 35 year olds available on Bosmans, KK will always put in a one legged slow fat player with a reputation from the past ahead of a promising youngster. The promising youngsters will be systematically sold or released over the next couple of seasons to finance further wages for old mercenaries (KK will say they don't have what it takes in the top flight, forgetting that his oldie brigade recently purchased clearly don't have what it takes for the top flight!!). I predict that by the end of the season, neither Joey or SWP will be in the side, having been 'rested' to allow Bosvelt and Reyna in the middle and Sinclair on the right. As a club we're heading nowhere. Am sick of it.
Give them plenty of chances!
Don`t splash out money on old players!....The best for the club is home grown talents!
Blue
Norway
I believe the youngsters should be eased in so not to damage their confidence, but look at Joey Barton and how well he has performed since being given his chance at the back end of last season. If at some stage the team manage to gain some security this season- which granted doesn't look like being the case at the moment- then give them some games to gain valuable experience. I also believe that if you're good enough then you're old enough. This has been proven by Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney and past City players including Gary Owen, Peter Barnes and more recently Paul Lake and David White. To have such promising young talent on the books bodes well for the future and it's something that has unfortunately been missing from City for a while now.
Come on get real. Kevin Keegan has never liked giving youngsters an opportunity. He even got rid of the reserves at Newcastle. Look at United at the youngsters they blood in. We don't give them a chance and Kevin never will.
SACK KEEGAN now before its too late,he is clueless and just look what he did at Newcastle,NOTHING AND HE WRECKED THE YOUTH POLICY,NO ONE OUT OF JIM CASSELLS TEAM WILL GET A CHANCE SIMPLY BECAUISE THEY ARE UNDER 30!
City fans are a fickle lot arn't they. I've been attending matches for nearly 30 years now & they will never change. SACK KEEGAN! May I ask who ww will get to replace him!
This club is still in transition, the older players had to be brought in because the youth are, frankly too young! Before you come back with lots of verbal, it took Taggart a good few years before he won anything & quite a few years before he started blooding his youngsters, farming a few out on loan first.
Where were we as a club 5 years ago, playing at York City & loosing. When Keegan came in we were on a downward spiral again. One of the many reasons he left Newcastle was because of the short termism from the Newcastle board, it was they who got rid of the reserves, consequently Fazackerly left, then KK!
To intise his backroom set up he promised to bring through the youth. The management have to as part of the long term future of MCFC. Peoples comments are typically City fans kneejerk crass diatribes! Get a grip & support the team instead of whinging!
It makes me laugh every time City hit slump (which is quite often) they talk about what good young players we have.
The whole thing is just a smoke screen to fool the suppourters that we have a great future. I remember attending a meeting ten years ago when the then chief scout Ken Barnes told the meeting that he was happy if they found one player a year who was good enough for the first team. Since that time the club have invested millions into the academy with treble the staff,are we any further? not on your life S.W.P came on a free from Notts Forrest, and only ex everton reject Joey Barton has come through.
The Acadamy and its staff are a joke we have no players coming through and thats a fact!
Well said lad.
Well Guys, you,ve obviously not been to any of the youth or reseve games then.
Tut Tut.
i,m sick and tired of reading all this rubbish from pessimistic blues about how bad the team is, how bad the youth set up is and how we should sack KK asap. For anyone who actually watches the reserves at Hyde they will know how good some of these youngsters are, in particular Lee Croft. oh, and for all the KK haters out there, i suppose you'll all want us to go on another managerial conveyabelt(don't know if thats how you spell it) getting the likes of alan ball and steve coppell .again
I've got to agree with both Ben, Hyde and Mark, Shipley. We DO HAVE A FANTASTIC YOUTH TEAM. Only a couple of years ago we won the same youth competition that the Great ManU youth side won with the likes of Scholes, Giggs, Beckham, Neville and Butt in the team. So that must tell you something! We have got Joey Barton from that team. We have got Lee Croft, Willo Flood and others. How many do you want and expect to come through the youth scheme? When you get one your lucky but when you got more then that you are "quids in". Get a grip and start supporting the team that's out there week in week out and then may be we will start to win games.
There are to many moaners and not enough SUPPORTERS.
Me & my bird(rag & ex professional footballer)have been to Hyde a few times,she reckons our lot is just as good if not better than Giggs etc etc at the same stage of their careers,that,ll do for me thank you very much!
Signs of desperation here boys, maybe one final throw of the dice!! No doubting yous have some good youth players, but that doesn`t necessarily mean they`re ready for the top flight yet! Is KK admitting he has no-other options.... boys time to rid yourself of this failure, before he really damages yous?
Couldn't have put it better myself Ben