That may have been an attitude problem rather then an ability one, Banfield was absolutely furious with some arrogant attitudes on display. As for the 9, only three started against the Blades, of two others involved in the squad against the Blades, they were out of position against Villa.
Is the press overboard? Yes. However the press, and the academy system, is only ever going to be judged on what it produces. You have Plessis coming in certainly but till you have 1 or 2 more, then have one in the first team, your system isn't going to get hyped by the press.
I think it shows the different attitudes of the managers.
If Plessis was at Arsenal he would have been in the side from the end of last season.
He isn't ready for the premier league but there are hopes that he could come good.
Wenger is willing to risk playing inexperienced players in the hope that they'll make the step up.
Rafa won't put them in until he knows they are better than anything he can bring in with the means he has.
This hasn't yielded any results because:
1. Rafa's seeds that he laid when he first come are only now starting to flourish (they've gone from 2 youth cups, then the reserves, and are still there) it will hopefully be next season when we have young players who are good enough to at least feature on the bench (Nemeth, Insua, Derby).
2. Nobody has cut the mustard yet. The likes of Guthrie has not shown any reason as to why he should have been kept on by us.
I wouldn't condemn our youth setup on the amount of players that have been integrated into the first team because it's at the managers discretion.
Obviously Rafa reckons you won't win anything with a gang of kids in your side and Wenger reckons that you can but it will take time.
It goes beyond the simple realm of "well none of your kids have got into your team" and is more to do with the philosophy of the managers.
I still think Rafa sill gets his ideas about youth development from his time at:
1986-1989 Real Madrid Castilla Youth B (Madrid "B" team in lower division)
1989-1991 Real Madrid Youth B
1991-1993 Real Madrid U-19s
1993-1995 Real Madrid B
Where youngsters progress through the different levels of youth setup and then prove themselves in the lower leagues before coming back to Madrid.
At the minute nobody is reaching the standard to displace a first teamer. And to put them in would only be to do so base don potential.
Rafa doesn't go for that, he takes each game as it comes and if you're good enough you'll get in the side.
The times he has tried the kids he's had his hands burnt (Leto).
But I expect to see more integration next season after this current batch of 2X Cup winners and 1X reserve league winners have had another season under their belt.