Ok if we haven't snobbed the local leagues who is a player we have taken from the asb premiership who's name isn't sigmund, kosta (who got such little game time he went somewhere else), or Rojas (who was like picked up on a yellow fever scholarship.
You will say Boyd and Fenton, and I'll say where were players like this in previous years. Can't tell me players like this weren't around before.
Greg Draper and Jacob Spoonley
Well done you named 2 players. Those are 2 young kiwis who have come along way since herberts tutelage.How long did he keep them for after they were to old for the youth spot?
So basically if the Phoenix don't need to fill a youth spot there is very little room for any kiwi talent unless they have already proved themselves at another club overseas.
That is fantastic and a real motivator for anyone playing in the ASB premiership.
How many of them are actually good enough for the A-League? Only names people keep citing as ones that got away are Marco and Kosta. Marco left because we low-balled his contract (and better training facilities in Melbourne). Kosta joined the Roar because he could play NYL, if he wasn't in the first team.
But this is the problem, because so few have been given an opportunity there are very few that become good enough. Other clubs don't seem to have an issue with youth players on the park. Until this year it was very rare for a youth player to get much game time. Unless you were a freak like Rojas.
All the other clubs have youth teams. And even then, only CCM has any sort of track record with developing them into quality players.
Ricki can be blamed for a lot of things, but you can't lump the lack of youth coming thru onto him. Until this season we had no youth program, and even the FSE is now being criticised on here as being set up wrong.
Should some of the other Kiwi youth players have had more of a chance? Yes probably, but it is hard to force yourself into the first team by only running around Newtown Park. The youth players need games to force themselves into the first team picture and that just can't happen atm. That is why he will favour established players, they are a known quantity.
This season is different with Boyd & Fenton. Not because they are better than other youth players we have had, just that we have 2 imports who can't even make the game day squad. If we recruited better, they would be running around Newtown Park like the previous players did.