I think this is, kind of, what the club are looking at...
With the stadium costs looming, the finances at the club looking suspect and reinforcements for the first team needed, it would be all-too-easy to simply cut the funding for the youth development programme and reallocate the funds... Which is pretty much what RM had to do when he first arrived here. Instead, the youth programme is flourishing under Duncan, the support from the Trust and RM's acceptance that a youth programme is essential to a club.
Look our recent signings, Paterson and Spencer are both just 20 years old and have their careers in front of them. Had he not been a troublesome little ****, we would undoubtedly have signed Lee Sawyer and we've made enquiries about other young players, Sean Morrison included. Obviously experience is needed to mould the squad together, but If we're going to make signings, I'd much rather be making these than signing 28 year old journeymen with absolutely no desire to run their socks off for the squad.
More importantly than this, Tilson's experience as a youth coach will make him aware of how useful this can be and I think we've seen with the likes of Moussa, Herd and Lawson before them that he won't hesitate in throwing them in at the deep end.
I disagree and think Tilson has been hesitant to give all three, plus O'Keefe, Ademeno and Kightly opportunities. I'm reluctant to mention the last two, as I don't want to turn this into a "we should never have released them" type thread, and I think he was justified in releasing them after their lack of impact in their least season at the club. My issue is more that despite showing glimpses the likes of Ademeno, Lawson and now Herd (although I support Tilson on this one, others disagree) have been overlooked and found chances few and far between.
Moussa is the only one who has come through our youth team that has been a first time regular, and that only after a loan spell at Wycombe.
I might be wrong, but there doesn't appear to be anyone coming through the youth team at the moment either.