[relichtie]

Let me start by saying this is not a dig at the old firm. August is not finished, and we as a nation have no representation in Europe. I suggest that the blame lies at the feet of the SPL. The league is far too tight and doesn't allow the clubs to develop young talent. Too many clubs are scared, old firm included, to give young players the chance to stake a place in their team. This is impacting on the national team as well, as can be seen when we are in pot 4 for the World Cup qualifiers. A bigger league would give clubs a breathing space to build their team. Perhaps it would allow some of the other clubs outwith the old firm to try to win the league, instead of playing for third place at the start of the season. But it wont happen as GREED is the only thing which seems to matter in the top league. Time for the top clubs in Scotland to stop thinking of their own selfishness and get together to build a league system which will encourage youth to play the game properly, learn to pass, control the ball, be comfortable on the ball. You are the big players in Scotland, Act responsibly, and lets get some self respect back in Europe for Scotland.

[buddie06smfc]

relichtie, on 25 August 2011 - 21:02, said:

Too many clubs are scared, old firm included, to give young players the chance to stake a place in their team.

This may just be my view but I think recently a lot more younger players have been playing. I'm sure you could go through every SPL team and find a young player who has been given a chance to prove they are good enough and in some cases they don't. Even the OF have taken young players on loan and given them a chance. Forster, Bartley, Weiss etc. At Saints we've had McLean, McShane, McGinn just to name a few. Hibs have been giving youngsters a chance for many years. I can think of at least 1 or 2 players to have come through in the past couple of seasons for Hibs(Booth), Aberdeen(Fyvie, Pawlett), Motherwell(Saunders, Hutchinson), Celtic(Forrest), Hearts(Templeton), St Mirren(mentioned above), St Johnstone(May), Inverness(Shinnie), Dundee Utd(Russell, Goodwillie), Killie(Kelly), Rangers(quite a few coming through now: Wylde etc). Haven't seen enough of Dunfermline to know. There will undoubtedly some I've missed out but I fail to see the point of youngsters not getting a chance when now more so than ever they are getting more of a chance.

[craigkillie]

It's not just your view. "Not enough young players playing" is just a lazy cliche folk throw out there which has no grounding in fact.

[HibeeJibee]

I stopped reading at the "clubs don't develop young talent" bit.

We have been producing loads of decent players in the SPL recently.

To suggest otherwise is simply misleading.

[relichtie]

buddie06smfc, on 25 August 2011 - 21:12, said:

This may just be my view but I think recently a lot more younger players have been playing. I'm sure you could go through every SPL team and find a young player who has been given a chance to prove they are good enough and in some cases they don't. Even the OF have taken young players on loan and given them a chance. Forster, Bartley, Weiss etc. At Saints we've had McLean, McShane, McGinn just to name a few. Hibs have been giving youngsters a chance for many years. I can think of at least 1 or 2 players to have come through in the past couple of seasons for Hibs(Booth), Aberdeen(Fyvie, Pawlett), Motherwell(Saunders, Hutchinson), Celtic(Forrest), Hearts(Templeton), St Mirren(mentioned above), St Johnstone(May), Inverness(Shinnie), Dundee Utd(Russell, Goodwillie), Killie(Kelly), Rangers(quite a few coming through now: Wylde etc). Haven't seen enough of Dunfermline to know. There will undoubtedly some I've missed out but I fail to see the point of youngsters not getting a chance when now more so than ever they are getting more of a chance.

Looked at tonights teams, Rangers had 2 home produced players as far as I can see, Celtic had 1 on the bench, and Hearts maybe 3. Would be interesting to see how many Sion and Maribor players were brought through their youth systems.

[Neiljb]

Maybe the OP is referring to the lack of young players getting a chance at the OF?

It is a bit unjust for him to blame the other SPL clubs for that.

Our days of competing in Europe past Christmas are over and we just have to accept the economic truth of it.

[Neiljb]

relichtie, on 25 August 2011 - 21:35, said:

Looked at tonights teams, Rangers had 2 home produced players as far as I can see, Celtic had 1 on the bench, and Hearts maybe 3. Would be interesting to see how many Sion and Maribor players were brought through their youth systems.

Hearts had Webster, McGowan, Templeton, Novikovas, Gordon Smith, MacDonald, Jonsson and Scott Robinson.

That's 8 home grown in the starting 11.

[buddie06smfc]

relichtie, on 25 August 2011 - 21:35, said:

Looked at tonights teams, Rangers had 2 home produced players as far as I can see, Celtic had 1 on the bench, and Hearts maybe 3. Would be interesting to see how many Sion and Maribor players were brought through their youth systems.

What about the rest of the SPL clubs? I thought it was about all clubs. Rangers had McGregor, Perry, Wylde, Fleck, Bendiksen, Hutton in the team. Wallace came through at Hearts. Celtic had Mulgrew and Forrest. Brown came through at Hibs and Mark Wilson who came through at Dundee Utd. Hearts had MacDonald, Webster, McGowan, Templeton, Smith, Robinson and Driver who all came through Scottish youth teams. Admittedly McGowan is Australian. I think that's enough Scottish home-grown talent aside from McGowan and Bendiksen.

Edit Neiljb covered Hearts better.

This post has been edited by buddie06smfc: 25 August 2011 - 21:49