Femi Orenuga

[amsemp]

Now playing for AFC United in the Swedish Division 3, which I believe is semi-pro.

My oh my, what on earth went so wrong for the boy?

I do hope that stories of Medi Abalimba and Femi Orenuga will encourage more of our promising youngsters to take a leaf out of Moussa and Ferdinand's book and make the first team here first before they set their sights on the big time. Southend at League 2 level gives any young player a good grouding to take into the future. Joining a Premiership club's academy and becoming a small fish in a huge pond means a lot of these players rarely fulfill their full potential!

A real shame really.

 

[chapperzUK]

I know it was talked about that Medi had a poor attitude, but don't know if Orenuga did either. I know he had a bad injury when at Everton (knee I think) and that must have hurt his progress.

For me, the Premiership academies don't care about the personal approach that might be taken at a lower level due to the numbers. As they have the funding and facilities to take on a load of youngsters, especially when they can take them from lower leagues for next to nothing meaning low risk, if just a small percentage of players come through it would help the first team a lot.

 

[Silencer]

Sadly with this new rule, all decent prospects will be cherry picked by the top clubs for peanuts and they players will be amongst similar talents in the top Academies.

Really, a player would be best advised to gain league experience but the lure of the money and joining a top club always turns their heads.

 

[Chelmer Shrimper]

Sadly with this new rule, all decent prospects will be cherry picked by the top clubs for peanuts and they players will be amongst similar talents in the top Academies.

Whilst the EPPP favours the Premier League, there'll no longer be big payments made to lower league clubs for talented young players. The decision to move to that club still remains with the player, they can't be forced to make the change. I agree as said above players heads get easily turned by the allure of the big club. Its not one way ticket to the promised land by any means, sticking with a club in the lower leagues and breaking through into the first team might generate a better sustainable career. But in your teenage years are you able to see that far ahead? I don't think so.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Sadly with this new rule, all decent prospects will be cherry picked by the top clubs for peanuts and they players will be amongst similar talents in the top Academies.

Really, a player would be best advised to gain league experience but the lure of the money and joining a top club always turns their heads.

Not necessarily. Under EPPP, Category One/Two clubs must have specific facilities with coaches providing a set number of coaching hours in order to qualify. If a young player is receiving, for example, eight hours of coaching per week from a UEFA B-licensed coach at a Category Three Centre of Excellence, then their development would be far better served by joining a Category One academy that can guarantee them 20 hours of coaching per week from a UEFA A/Pro Licensed coach, even if the ground's frozen. Also, clubs in Category One and Two must participate in U18 and U21 leagues, so they're afforded more regular (and far more appropriate) competitive football now than they were prior to EPPP. The NextGen tournament, whilst still in its infancy, is also a great initiative.

I'd agree that EPPP shafted clubs who've invested in their youth development programmes, but players, as individuals, will benefit greatly.

 

[Blue_Shrimper1959]

Sadly with this new rule, all decent prospects will be cherry picked by the top clubs for peanuts and they players will be amongst similar talents in the top Academies.

Really, a player would be best advised to gain league experience but the lure of the money and joining a top club always turns their heads.

But does a young player not better their opportunities to become a pro by joining a Cat 1 academy, who work with players for so many more hours per week than cat 3 academies (ie us) with new schemes such as day release from schools as they will become a technically better player (in theory).

This isn't my personal view....but it's the big clubs and The FA's argument that more gifted players, working with academies with best resources and facilities will produce better players for the country as a whole...it ****s it up for all smaller clubs but will probably see more top English players in the prem and maybe even England genuinely challenging for some silverware in ten years time...

 

[DTS]

Glad we got some money for this cart horse....

 

[Fiftyone]

But does a young player not better their opportunities to become a pro by joining a Cat 1 academy, who work with players for so many more hours per week than cat 3 academies (ie us) with new schemes such as day release from schools as they will become a technically better player (in theory).

This isn't my personal view....but it's the big clubs and The FA's argument that more gifted players, working with academies with best resources and facilities will produce better players for the country as a whole...it ****s it up for all smaller clubs but will probably see more top English players in the prem and maybe even England genuinely challenging for some silverware in ten years time...

If you genuinely believe that load of nonsense from the FA/Premier League then you must also believe in fairies.:smile:

 

[Blue_Shrimper1959]

If you genuinely believe that load of nonsense from the FA/Premier League then you must also believe in fairies.:smile:

To be fair the youth set up in this country from grassroots upwards until the recent changes was so poor that anything the FA implemented would have been an improvement.