Blues looking for new coach for a key role
CITY are looking for an ambitious coach to inject some fresh ideas into the academy as they look for a new Under-18s manager.
Gareth Taylor was last week announced as the new head coach of the women’s team, having been in charge of the Under-18s for the last three seasons previous.
Taylor is far from the first member of academy staff to move away from the role but stay within the wider reach of the City Football Group. Nick Cushing moved to the women’s team, Patrick Vieira took charge of New York City FC while Rodolfo Borrell is currently serving as Pep Guardiola’s No.2 following Mikel Arteta’s departure. Borrell’s move to the first team when Guardiola arrived in 2016 was seen as a key bridge between the academy and senior side, and the performance of youngsters in training is reported back to the academy from coaches.
The Under-18s is seen as vital at the club, where the most talented teenagers can be brought on.
Taylor leaves with the group having retained the Under-18 Premier League Cup, been top of the league and in the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup.
Tommy Doyle and Taylor Harwood-Bellis have also been pushed into first-team contention having come through the side.
It is not a role that can easily be dismissed, but at the same time if City are intent on recruiting the best they have to accept that the right fit in the short-term may have - or develop - different ambitions in the longer term, with the overarching approach within the academy and club helping to keep continuity across the age groups.
Just as players that impress can be offered opportunities both within and outside of their football club, the same is true of coaches.
“It’s not just a development ground for players, it is for staff,” academy chief Jason Wilcox told M.E.N Sport.
“I want every member of staff that comes in our building to come because they feel we can move them onto the next stage of their career.
“We’ve seen members of staff move within the organisation. We’ve seen Nick Cushing move within the academy to the women’s team to New York, we’ve seen members of the academy go to the loans team and emerging talent, or the first-team environment.
“It’s not just about developing players, it is about developing staff as well.
“You can’t develop anything without great people and I’m really lucky to have been able to recruit some great people and have great people around me who share the same vision, the same goal, the same aspiration and common purpose as myself and that is really important.”