wta load of shite tha is, theres not many brits in there cos they havnt really gota fukin dream of a chance at any of the big clubs, wev just won the youth cup two years in a row and id have a fair bet that the side(s) would have beat any other team in europe in competative games, yet beitez finds he has to go out into europe n bringin shite over such as paletta an baragan. why does ithurt him so much to give local talent a chance at maybe not playing but at least training wth the first team. gerrard wasnt a world beater when he first started trainin with the first team but through determinaton and desire he learnt form those he was playin with. would gerrard, owen and certainly caragher come through the ranks now if they were 18, id have to say no meself
A bit of a bizarre rant that. And, alas, full of loads of inaccuracies.
Barragan shite? He remains one of the best young full-backs around, and has played plenty of times for Depor in the Spanish top division since going there. Ditto Insua - top class for 18.
We won the FA Youth Cup based on good teamwork and organisation. The idea is to find the best players, not to build good teams, although that's a bonus.
Clearly there's some decent talent in the local ranks, but also don't forget that those cups were won with some of the best players being Hobbs, Antwi, Roque, Anderson, Ajdarevic and Hansen, who were all bought by Benítez.
Gerrard and Owen would DEFINITELY come through now if they were 18/19. Gerrard was marked out as a massive talent at the age of 14, when he went on an U19 tour with the club. Same for Owen, who was in the national papers aged 14. Where are the current equivalents? Nowhere. And that's why the Academy system needed overhauling and for the club to look further afield at the same time.
The fact is, we've been producing a string of decent players for a decade, but no great ones since 1998. The only top-class Scouser to emerge in that time is Wayne Rooney. So it's not like we're missing them; and even Rooney would never have joined us as a kid.
And Benítez would LOVE more Carraghers and Gerrards, he's said so countless times. But they aren't there, just as the next Gascoignes, Waddles and Beardsleys aren't at Newcastle right now, or the next Beckhams, Scholes(es) and Giggs(eseses) at United. You cannot promote local lads out of sentimentality if they are not good enough. United aren't doing so, so why should we?
Adam Hammill, the best of the crop, can't currently get in the Southampton side, so why should he be in ours? He may one day, as he continues his education, but he's clearly not ready yet. And when he is ready, he has to prove it.
Benítez wants the best players he can get his hands on, no matter where they are from. Because he wants the best team. It's typical of the myopic vision of some fans that he can be accused of overlooking local lads because a) he's Spanish and b) he's looking for the best players no matter what their nationality, when the real top-class quality from Liverpool clearly, clearly, clearly isn't there.
