Knowing that there is a potential for this, is it then possible for the academy management to try to avoid this scenario or better yet create it? That is the million dollar question which might not get a direct answer from Frank Arsenen or Neil Bath.
It will be naive to assume that any club will turn their noses up at the possibility of having quality young players lining up to get through to the first team. However a look at our current academy players especially at under 18s level seems to interestingly reflect that might be the case.
This conclusion might admittedly be far-fetched and opinionated but results and individual player performances at U 18s level this year has been generally disappointing. Most eagle eyed observers would have noticed that our transfer activities in the youth sector this season has been minimal. Amin Affane and Mesca seemed to be the only new players that linked up with the under 18s this year.
However on reflection, it would be unfair to totally write off the efforts of the club. A lack of a physical target man upfront since the injury to Phillip Prosenik has left the team shy of goals. Another interesting factor is that the club can name the team below for any under 18 league fixture should they wish to.
The players named above are all still under 18 years old apart from Ben Sampayo who turned 18 last month and they are all still eligible for under 18s league games. However most of the players above are more likely to be playing reserve level football this season due to either their talent level or the fact that they have become veterans at under 18 level.
Instead of the team above, the regular lineup for recent under 18s games seems to be a combination of players left over from the 92-93 born age group and some younger schoolboys. The 92/93 age group have always been viewed by the club as one of the most talented groups to have come through in recent years and that view can easily be backed up with the fact that 6 players from that group have already moved on to the reserve squad while the group has also produced a first teamer in Josh McEachran.
Players left over from that golden group who have not progressed early to reserve level like Todd Kane, Archange Nkumu, Reece Loudon and George Saville are now regulars at under 18s level and still have time on their hands to make an impact but the jury is still out on whether they have what it takes to get past reserve level. They however have done better than some of the other players from the same age group that didnt survive the cull. Players like George Bowerman, Greg Butler, Alex Lozowski, Unpha Koroma, Sadik Kamara, Harry Isham and Adam Gemill were all part of the same group at a point in time over the years. Most if not all have now moved on from the club and are scattered over the country at different levels.
Knowing that the rapid progression of some of the 92/93 players has left a weakened under 18s squad did not prompt the club into replenishing the squad with fresh buys. The reason for this is difficult to pin point but one theory is that the club might be cost cutting in the continuing effort to break even or with a view that the policy of trying to get the best talents from abroad is not yielding sufficient dividends. The suggestions that we were actively trying to acquire the likes of Bruma (mesca's brother) and Kyle Ebiecilo over the summer suggests that the problem might not be financial but that we are being more shrewd with the way we spend our money.
A far more posibble theory is the clubs belief and confidence in what we already have at our disposal. As already highlighted the 92/93 were always a highly rated bunch and that belief is already being backed up by the progress and potential of some of the players from that age group. Also while it is easy to argue that recent results suggest a very weak under 18s squad, a closer look an individual position might soften that arguement. Sampayo for example is the regular RB at under 18s level, Billy Clifford is ahead of him and the fact that Todd Kane is another accomplished Rb at that level leaves 3 possible candidate for that position on any under 18 match day. Reece Loudon has Aziz Deen Conteh ahead of him at Lb while Nkumu still has the likes of Ince and Pappoe in his way. A possible perspective could be that getting in extra players in the positions mentioned above will simply lead to the clogging up of players or that it might demoralise the players in the name of healthy competition.
A look at the striker's and goalkeeper's positions does not spring up an embarrassment of riches however and the club has had to call up players from the under 16s age group for those positions amongst others.
While the unprecedented high number of under 16 players that have already played under 18s football this season backs up the earlier argument of a weak under 18s squad, it can't be dismissed that the club might rate the current under 16s squad as highly as the 92/93 group and might even believe that any shortcomings of the 92/93 age group could be bridged by them. The current under 16s squad have already achieved one thing over the 92/93 squad by winning the milk cup earlier this year and with 5 call ups for the England u16s already their talent is already recognised beyond Cobham.
The progress of Chalobah is testimony that the club will be happy to see any younger player with enough ability leapfrog their older counterparts. And on that note, the under 16s will be aware of the younger age groups below them especially another highly rated group in the under 13s. The under 13s have steam rolled other teams this year with great aplomb having already won 3 international youth tournament (Bierbeek, Willem II and Kusadasi) before the start of the season. The team boast and undefeated record this season and currently consist of highly rated youngsters like Ruben Sammut, Jeremie Boga, Isaac Christie Davies, Jake Clarke-Salter, Kyle Scott, Domino Solanke and Nais Mfuta.
It will be interesting to see where they are in 3 years time as the team picture of the 92/93 year in an international tournament back in 2007 might give us an idea if the current trend continues.
1. Harry Isham
2. James Ashton
1. Harry Isham
2. James Ashton
3. Ben Sampayo
4. Danny Mills
5. George Saville
6. Rohan Ince
7. Billy Clifford
8. Archangel Nkumu
9. Billy Knott
10. Joshua McEachran
11. Reece Loudon
12. Alex Lozowski
14. Callum Wright
15. Todd Kane
16. Daniel Coveley
17. Adam Gemili
4. Danny Mills
5. George Saville
6. Rohan Ince
7. Billy Clifford
8. Archangel Nkumu
9. Billy Knott
10. Joshua McEachran
11. Reece Loudon
12. Alex Lozowski
14. Callum Wright
15. Todd Kane
16. Daniel Coveley
17. Adam Gemili
