SPOTLIGHT ON THE ACADEMY
Echo spotlight on dramatic talent drain on Madrox’s watch
One of the major issues Sunderland face is the weakness of their U18 and U23 side.
Clearly, the first team’s declinehas not helped in this and when it comes to budgets, the Black Cats are being blown out the water by other big Category One academies.
The issue is that the consistent sales of key players risk creating an immensely damaging cycle. Players and parents fear that development will be badly affected by playing in a struggling side that is unable to compete.
In this brutal and unforgiving industry, one or two years of stagnation can be the difference between success and failure. A source close to one of the players who opted to leave cited that as a major reason behind their decision.
So for every player that leaves, more then ponder how they can have a successful future moving through the U18 and U23 sides.
One former player neatly captured the issue, saying: "I remember at my old club when we were playing the U18 and U23s, they were one of the tough est teams to play against.
“When you were going up there on the long coach journey you were dreading playing them, and bringing back that sort of fear factor - if they can bring that back then they can compete in the academy leagues like they did before."
It has been a challenging time for players, some of whom have been left feeling that their progression is in danger as a result.
The process has left academy staff frustrated and feeling that the club’s hierarchy have not done enough to utilise the experience of staff in creating development plans that have a track record of success.
For the long-term health of the academy, it is far more beneficial to invest at the age of 15/16 and grow the value of the player.
If the situation of the club means academy players have to be sold, then why not work together, with a cohesive plan so that when it happens, all parties benefit?
What’s happening now has little upside for the club, other than a short-term revenue boost.
Some of these players may not command a major fee in the future, but it only takes one to do so and the club has lost out significantly.
The sale of Joel As oro is perhaps an instructive one in this regard.
Some senior footballing staff noted that the £2million sale of Asoro to Swansea City was up there with some of the best business they would do. Not because he was a player without promise, which he undoubtedly is. He impressed on occasions in the Championshipand brings raw pace that is always valued and raises eyebrows in the game.
But he had one year left on his deal, had shown few signs of wanting to commit and after the early stages of pre-season, the assessment from staff was that he would not be as key in the following campaign as the likes of Lyn den Gooc hand Josh Maja.
So it was a decent fee at the right time, with his progress since then mixed. It made sense, from both a footballing and business perspective. Many of these other sales in the subsequent period, not so much.
It is a combination of these concerns that have created the concern that the club’s hierarchy may not be committed to the long-term future of the academy.
They have steadfastly insisted that is not the case, but the persistent failure to preventthese departures will have long-term consequences.
For example, one player who recently left was left surprised when after a relatively encouraging campaign in difficult circumstances, they were offered a deal not on professional terms, but as a scholar.
Given what was on offer elsewhere, and after a challenging time in a struggling side, there was no prospect of him opting to stay.
In that case, it’s hard to make any kind of case that Sunderland genuinely believed they could get them to stay.
Part of the issue with the U 18 and U 23 sides has been that investment into them has been minimal.
One issue discussed with multiple figures who have experience of Sunderland’s academy is that, yes, it can be difficult to prevent players taking big opportunities elsewhere.
Yet why notre invest at least some of that money back into those sides?
Sunderland maybe struggling,but it remains a Category One Academy.
This remains, or at least it should, a major draw for playersin Category Two, Three and Four operations.
For players from those clubs, moving to Wearside means more coaching hours, better facilities, and an opportunity to play at a higher level and enjoy the platform that this games programme brings.
Recruitment into the academy, though, has been severely limited and almost entirely based on fielding an U23 side.
In this regard, there are obvious similarities with the wider structure of the football club, where there has not been a clear enough plan to handle the departure of key players.
As recently as last week, Sunderland’ s hierarchy insisted at a meeting with fan groups that the policy was not to‘ hawk young players to aid cash flow’.
Yet if there is a genuine will to retain talent, it is clear that there needs to be a major rethink and a greater utilisation of academy staff to convince players to stay.
As one source put it to The Echo, Sunderland understandably cannot compete financially right now.
So what is their USP to players?
A clear pathway to the first team? A comprehensive development plan?
Too many feel it is not there, and that as such, the willingness to keep them at the club is not as strong as suggested.
Competing with the big clubs would be hard enough, even in ordinary circumstances.
The events of the last two years raise major questions around just how strong the commitment from above is.