City signing patrick Roberts from Fulham for 11m. Always looked a top prospect when he has played against our youth players, it will be intestine if he gets game time, he is still only 18, but it would be a lot of money to spend on a player to go into their youth team.

City are quite good at integrating youth players in their team so I have no doubt he will play for them, especially considering the amount they paid for him.

Well according to reports if Joan Laporta had won the barca election, pogba would definitely be going there, and pedro wouldnt be allowed to move.

Laporte was lost the election, so I wonder where that now leaves pogba and pedro?

I'm suprized madrid haven't made any major moves yet, perhaps they were waiting for this election outcome to see whether pogba would be available.

It's unlike florentino perez, to not have at least 1 'galactico' li ed up in the summer.

City are quite good at integrating youth players in their team so I have no doubt he will play for them, especially considering the amount they paid for him.

like who?

Well according to reports if Joan Laporta had won the barca election, pogba would definitely be going there, and pedro wouldnt be allowed to move.

Laporte was lost the election, so I wonder where that now leaves pogba and pedro?

I'm suprized madrid haven't made any major moves yet, perhaps they were waiting for this elect

Now that you mention it... been awfully quiet down there.

 

Petr embarrassing himself, already in Gooner mode.

 

Petr Cech ?@PetrCech 19h19 hours ago

First game , first win , first trophy...  thank you everyone! It was a great week here in Singapore . Keep on winning ! #ArsenalSingapore

 

I honestly cant understand why you feel so much anger towards Cech, an awesome goalie that doesn't belong on the bench. Imo he is so far the catch of this window and will be an awesome player for the gooners.

 

But this "first trophy" is quite the joke :P

 

I don't watch that much la liga, but is there any possibility of him playing as a striker? If not I'm totally with you on the ADM-moving saga...

But I want ADM to try at least one more season, even at 75% of his ability he would be awesome... 

EDIT: Would make more sense if you were after him, Cuadrado didn't exactly tickle anyones b*lls... or do you feel he's worth one more season?

If we can't sell him for a reasonable chunk of what we paid for him 6 months ago it makes sense to to at least try, and given that we've given him the #11 shirt it seems that Jose is planning to continue giving him chances.

But he was awful and i'd totally understand if we just got shot of him.

like who?

Off the top of my head, Sturridge, Hart, Richards, SWP, BWP, Michael Johnson, Evans, Boyata, Ireland, Dunne, Barton and Onuoha. 

 

Historically they are one of the main teams that have always been good at intergrating youth, mainly because they had no other option at the time to be fair but still. They still brought through Sturridge, Hart and Ricahrds after they got took over and it seems they haven't forgotten their roots, so to speak, with players like Pozo playing last season and Denayer, Marco Lopez and Iheanacho being promoted to the first team squad this season.

My daughter (who's 11) saw the Liverpool kit yesterday in a shop window and said "They've got a No Balance kit now" - figures doesn't it what with Slippy G and all?    

How pointless to make comparisons to players when City were sh*t. How many young players have broken through into City's first team in the last few seasons?

Of those 12 players you have named only 1 of them actually plays for City, not much integration going on there..?

Off the top of my head, Sturridge, Hart, Richards, SWP, BWP, Michael Johnson, Evans, Boyar's, Ireland, Dunne, Barton and Onuoha.

Historically they are one of the main teams that have always been good at intergrating youth, mainly because they had no other option at the time to be fair but still. They still brought through Sturridge, Hart and Ricahrds after they got took over and it seems they haven't forgotten their roots, so to speak, with players like Pozo playing last season and Denayer, Marco Lopez and Iheanacho being promoted to the first team squad this season.

Very different club nowadays what youth came through since the take over.

As others have pointed out that was when they were a very different club to now. So, which players have they integrated since the take over?

As others have pointed out that was when they were a very different club to now. So, which players have they integrated since the take over?

Sturridge, Hart, Richards and Boyata. I can't remember how old Adam Johnson was when he joined but he was fairly young wasn't he? 

Hart was bought from Shrewsbury.  That's like saying Courtois is a product of our youth system.

Hart was bought from Shrewsbury.  That's like saying Courtois is a product of our youth system.

I said they integrated youth, I didn't say they came from their youth system. I avoided using that word for this very reason.

I said they integrated youth, I didn't say they came from their youth system. I avoided using that word for this very reason.

I realised my mistake just after I hit the post button.  But nevertheless Hart and Courtois remain similar - bought, loaned out and introduced into the team at a young age for a goalie.  I know that's only one but Richards was quite a long time ago now so they haven't done much more than us since they got their money really.

I realised my mistake just after I hit the post button.  But nevertheless Hart and Courtois remain similar - bought, loaned out and introduced into the team at a young age for a goalie.  I know that's only one but Richards was quite a long time ago now so they haven't done much more than us since they got their money really.

I don't think they have done all that much more in recent times either (although producing a player like Sturridge is a great achievement, I would like us to do the same with Solanke. Hopefully he can get some game time in he future) but then again I wasn't drawing comparisons. 

 

History suggests that if you are a promising youth player at City, before and after the takeover, then you will get played. Especially if they are willing to spend that much money on you. Boyata was awful but he still racked up something like 20-30 apps for City. 

 

This might change in the future (I doubt it as the whole project is based on youth) but as of right now it's true. 

And he basically found his way at Birmingham.

 

I remember the defence in front of him - Stephen "retired" Carr, a young Scott Dann, Roger "tall and not cup-tied" Johnson and Liam Ridgewell at left back, plus Lee Bowyer's last stand in midfield, and Barry Ferguson somewhere, I think they still had Seb Larsson as well, and possibly Obafemi Martins (haha f**k off Arsenal) next to Nikola "I made a career out of being really tall" Zigic.

 

 

 

 

N.B. I miss Danny Murphy

 

Now that you mention it... been awfully quiet down there.

 

 

I honestly cant understand why you feel so much anger towards Cech, an awesome goalie that doesn't belong on the bench. Imo he is so far the catch of this window and will be an awesome player for the gooners.

 

But this "first trophy" is quite the joke :P

 

 

Sorry did I convey anger? Cech has joined a team with a manager that counts 4th place as a trophy and clearly now Petr sadly is joined the Gooners mindset and counting some training match in Singapore as part of a trophy haul. Just surprised there isn't an instagram posted of it.

 

Off the top of my head, Sturridge, Hart, Richards, SWP, BWP, Michael Johnson, Evans, Boyata, Ireland, Dunne, Barton and Onuoha. 

 

Historically they are one of the main teams that have always been good at intergrating youth, mainly because they had no other option at the time to be fair but still. They still brought through Sturridge, Hart and Ricahrds after they got took over and it seems they haven't forgotten their roots, so to speak, with players like Pozo playing last season and Denayer, Marco Lopez and Iheanacho being promoted to the first team squad this season.

 

 

I'm surprised you haven't added Colin Bell, Paul Lake and Kenny Clements to the list amongst others. City have traditionally used young players, mainly though out of necessity , bar a brief time when they laughably tried to outdo United in the transfer market and as such won zilch from the mid seventies onwards . Since their significant investment though only Boyata of those named has made the transition, though that has been very limited http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=53095. 

The truth is that bringing players through at any club who are expecting to win silverware is incredibly hard, be interesting to see how many of the latter three  you have named actually make the grade and start more than 10 games a season... I suspect they will be confined to league cup games and fa cup games against minnows.

Just saw these stats posted on the Guardian (in the readers' comments section, so probably more believable than the drivel the Guardian football staff come up with):

 

 

Top 5 net spend since Mourinho's return to Chelsea:
Man U: 224m
Man City: 128m
Arsenal: 98m
Liverpool: 49m
Chelsea: 19m

City signing patrick Roberts from Fulham for 11m. Always looked a top prospect when he has played against our youth players, it will be intestine if he gets game time, he is still only 18, but it would be a lot of money to spend on a player to go into their youth team.

 

Gutted about this. He looked a real star and the best player on the pitch when we beat Fulham in the FA Youth Cup previous season and he was only 16 then. Thought we would have been tracking him and being a Kingston lad sure he would have jumped at the chance of moving across London rather than heading up North.

 

Of course he could follow the path of Scott Sinclair and not get a look-in, but he looks a real prospect and I think it's an astute singing by City.

I said they integrated youth, I didn't say they came from their youth system. I avoided using that word for this very reason.

So can we claim hazard, courtois, zouma etc as our club being good at integrating youth?

I'm surprised you haven't added Colin Bell, Paul Lake and Kenny Clements to the list amongst others. City have traditionally used young players, mainly though out of necessity , bar a brief time when they laughably tried to outdo United in the transfer market and as such won zilch from the mid seventies onwards . Since their significant investment though only Boyata of those named has made the transition, though that has been very limited http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=53095. 

The truth is that bringing players through at any club who are expecting to win silverware is incredibly hard, be interesting to see how many of the latter three  you have named actually make the grade and start more than 10 games a season... I suspect they will be confined to league cup games and fa cup games against minnows.

I'm not that old mate. 

 

It will be interesting, I think City's plan is a bit ambitious and they will probably have to face reality soon enough if they think they can keep churning out first team youngsters but it will be good to see them have a good go at it.

 

That's how it should be anyway really, cup appearances and then league games if they impress. Deneyer probably has the best chance of getting quite a few games as their defence isn't great and he's impressed at international level and in europe. 

So can we claim hazard, courtois, zouma etc as our club being good at integrating youth?

I mean, you can if you really wanted to but my original comment was in reference to Patrick Roberts and players of that irk, i.e. unproven youngsters.

Sturridge, Hart, Richards and Boyata. I can't remember how old Adam Johnson was when he joined but he was fairly young wasn't he?

I think it's fair to say Sturridge, and possibly boyata, but when mansour took over in 2008, richards was already pushing on to 100 appearances, so he had already been interegrated. Hart had already started to establish himself as the number 1.

Adam johnson cost 11m, and had played nearly 100 games for sunderland.

I don't think they are any better than us at integrating young players, mceachran and bertrand have made around the same appearances as boyata, and both of us saw enough in Sturridge to play him.

I'm not sure whether Roberts will get much of a chance there, Sinclair, rodwell, and johnson all struggled so history is against him, although there does seem to be more of a focus on them playing English players at the moment.

We are better than Arsenal   :0)

 

http://www.101greatgoals.com/gvideos/chelsea-finish-above-arsenal-in-top-5-most-popular-sports-teams-on-social-media-video/

To be fair, didn't Sturbridge also leave MCFC due to a lack of first team opportunities?