“Young players are a little bit like melons…”
As youth unemployment levels continue to linger at its worst in over two decades and the outlook for young graduates becomes ever more bleak, spare a thought for young millionaire footballers who face an increasingly uncertain future at the highest levels of European football. As recently as 2011, Barcelona were showcasing the merits of youth investment; decisively winning their third Champions League crown in a six-year span. Spearheaded by the likes of Xavi, Don Andres, Busquets, Pique, Pedro and of course Messi, and coupled with a brand of football the likes of which we may never witness again, Barcelona had shown that there was great reward to be had in patience and promotion from within. Fast forward to the present day, and though the presence of La Masia still remains, increasingly, that presence is fading. Fast. Consider that the 11 who started the most recent Champions League Final cost roughly £104m (or £132m, depending on what you believe Barca payed for to Neymar) more than their 2011 counterparts. Or that Deulofeu who was tipped by academy coaches to be a future Ballon d’Or winner, was sold to Everton for a measly cut-price of £4.2m. When the bastion of youth development is no longer trusting its youth, then Olympus truly has fallen.
“You Can’t Win Anything With Kids”
While Alan Hansen may never live down that unadvised quip, it is a sentiment more widely shared in football than is recognised. Do the fans want to see a young lad come through the ranks, proudly don the shirt of the club he’s been at since pre-pubescence and lead them to glory? – the Pope is indeed catholic. However, take a look at the Premier League and with the vast amounts to be earned (or lost) from lucrative broadcasting deals and the pressure to remain in a highly competitive league, that most precious of commodities -time- is something coaches and ultimately young professionals are rarely being afforded. “The cream rises to the top” is the go-to sentiment used to try to alleviate these worries, but does no one consider some creams take longer to rise than others? Or that a particular cream may require more work than others to achieve their potential? There is no environment for mistakes – a crucial part of anyones learning and development. If Diamond Di Maria can find himself in the discount aisle after one ‘okay’ season at United, what chance does an Alex Kiwomya really stand? Employers are so quick to drop the ‘lack of experience’ line when shutting down another would-be applicant, one wonders whether sadomasochism is a requirement in HR. Thankfully we have the loan system in football to act against such. Or not. Young footballers are farmed out to gain ‘experience’ at clubs who have more pressing agenda than ‘improving so and sos decision-making in the final 3rd wide areas’. Ultimately so and so fails to impress on loan, and so what happens? He’s sent out on loan again. Does it work for some footballers? Yes. Cc: HRH Prince Harry Edward Kane. But again we return to the issue of time. Yes some players reach the peak of their potential far earlier than others, and of course we must consider the difficulty in judging that. But watching talented youngsters on the proverbial loan merry-go-round is displeasing at best.
“Kids should be allowed to play. They learn the most from their own mistakes, so give them the space to make mistakes.”
So who is to blame? The clubs? Pushy parents? Vulture-like agents? An increasing over-reliance on statistics? That list is endless. But in this ever-changing football landscape -and not always for the better- one can only hope there will be many more martyrs willing -in the short term- to sacrifice instant success for the progression and development of youth in elite football.
A toast to Arsene *raises glass*.