Ipswich set a model for us to follow ？

[Stimacked]

Ipswich are investing 2.4 mill into their Academy and aiming to get Catagory 1 status. They have set a target of making their squad 50 percent recruited from their Academy within 4 years.

Obviously we are doing well with recruiting the best local talent. Having the option to also recruit nationwide will give Ipswich access to players in our region as well as their own backyard. Is their squad target possible in such a short time span. Should we do the same. Apparently its being partly funded by local sponsors.

[Srg]

4 years seems very ambitious. That would make the majority of their squad under 21, with little to no experience, within 4 years.

[randombc]

Agree with Srg, unless their planning having all of their bench taken up with that talent with the hope of having 1 or 2 break into the first team, is the only way they'll get anywhere near 50%. Not too bothered about them having Tier 1, meaning they can go wherever they please. If I was a young footballer choosing between clubs to join, Derby would be very much up there below the likes of Southampton, Crewe and Arsenal but certainly would be there above Ipswich with the few players we've bought in over the past couple of years.

 

I doubt Ipswich would have the funding to have scouts in different regions, they'd need about 15-20 scouts to cover the whole of the UK in depth i'd imagine!

[Ambitious]

I think the club made the point that there is little to no advantage to being a catagory 2 academy - in this regard I trust the management and board fully, they've worked wonders in 5 years.

 

Perhaps Ipswich want to follow our model, as opposed to spunking millions on players like Chopra, JET and Martin?

[Bridgford Ram]

4 years seems very ambitious. That would make the majority of their squad under 21, with little to no experience, within 4 years.

Agree unless they have couple around the squad already.

[Boycie]

Alex W can cover a lot of ground on his BMX.

[davenportram]

4 years seems very ambitious. That would make the majority of their squad under 21, with little to no experience, within 4 years.

well we have Bennett, Hendrick, Hughes in our squad that have come through in the past years, in 2 years time they will be under 21 with loads of experience. All it would take is 2 or 3 more a year to join the match day squad and we would have 50% from the Academy.

Add in players that have gone from Academy to U21 squads and then to first team they'd be recruited from the academy so not necessarily 50% of squad under 21

[DcfcNews12]

you cant just get Category 1 by paying for it.The people who choose your category is down the standard of Facilities, Coaching and Players. If they are only choosing now to focus on the academy then the previous recruitment drives wont be very good.

 

Secondly 4 years is ambitious as an average squad is about 25 players.50 % is roughly 12 so that's 3 players every year. We could just throw our u21s in against Blackburn but some of them are not ready yet and that's why the u21s is great for youngsters. I can definitely say that our recruitment drive at every age group is better than theirs and with the pressure of championship football and how tough and unpredictable it can be its deemed a risk to throw an inexperienced 21 year old into a game let alone 16/17 year old.Tbf though to Ipswich they have bought good lower league youngsters e.g. Cresswell but who was their last academy product to make more than 5 appearances for the club or even start a match. I think they need to take a step back and review it.Nigel didn't just think I am doing it the academy way now. He reviewed budgets and the current crop of u18s and u16s you have to have a sort of poster boy for this sort of thing that's why we have pictures of OB,Jeff,Will,Callum and Bennett everywhere at moor farm and the stadium as they show that the academy is working.We are in the top 10 of the best academy's and places for a young footballer to learn his trade yet we are still yet to apply fully for Category 1 because that means we would be playing against the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool regularly which we are 2 years away from having a similar recruitment.

[May Contain Nuts]

I always found the title of this odd, if anything they're copying us. Waste money on Jewell's cockups, get sensible manager (albeit IMO one more likely to deliver first team success) and turn focus onto youth,

[McRamFan]

Yeap sounds like they are copying us, or academy did nothing while Davis and Jewel arsed everything up, and its been 4 years on and we are producing some players that are in and around the first team squad.  50% in 4 years is having a laugh unless you go and buy Madrids academy.

[Subman]

I always found the title of this odd, if anything they're copying us. Waste money on Jewell's cockups, get sensible manager (albeit IMO one more likely to deliver first team success) and turn focus onto youth,

 And Billy's wonder signings.