[/QUOTE]I agree with this. For me this issue (the one ive made bold) is because PDL is getting younger and younger by the year. Clubs want to get the top young players in to their PDL/MPL/Div 1 teams earlier than they did 5-7 years ago.Super youth (what is now the U/18s) once was a decent competition. If clubs stopped skipping kids from 14s/15s straight to mens grades we'd have decent youth leagues, increased youth numbers and probably see bigger numbers in the mens...Better youth league at 16-18 years: Having a stonger super youth comp would be better for the region long term. If even 6 of the 8 MPL teams put in a decent under 16s team against the schools in the 18s it'd be a much better comp. Some of the clubs seem to save it for the kids who arent good enough for mens league at all.Bigger numbers: kids drop off after 14s/15s for some reason; I suspect that this is because their friends players X & Y get selected for MPL/PDL and they don't. The club doesn't really have a home for them and off they go.Because the younger players would stay with the youth ranks longer the mens players might stick around a bit, rather than being shuffled down to div 3 or whatever because a 16 year old has been brought it.
The whole PDL= youth development or a Reserve squad is key but a lot also depends on the club's football philosophy i reckon. Which one is your club most like?
Man City (recent!) - we'll buy a premiership; that's all that matters
Man Utd (season so far) - we'll blood youth who have good credentials and decent top flight experience (via loans), as long as it is balanced by older squad members
Arsenal - we'll develop young players who play pretty tippy tappy - but take our eye off the ball and not keep a solid experienced spine
Sunderland/Wigan - develop as 'feeder' club - give up & comers 1st team experience on loan in hope for discards at the other end of their playing life
Everton - tidy & frugal but ultimately going nowhere really
Liverpool - bring in once-was hero to inject new passion - which will ultimately be short-lived
Blackeye Rovers - new owners with big dreams that have an ice-cubes chance in hell of attracting star players (except they hope to tap into a billion people 'cos the owners are Indian)
Barca - long term player development philosophy that is consistent from 5 year olds thru to champions league
Ajax - football development factory
So, what are the local clubs' football philosophies do you reckon?