Youth players

[Sorted]

I think it is a disgrace that Butcher and Sherear have releaced so many youth players. Fair enough they all couldnt take them all on but my best mate has been with caley for 8 or 9 years and was recomended by all the coaches as the one with the most potential and they releaced him anyway so that he can bring in English boys on these trial days. I dont understand what he is expecting of these trialists but what is the point if they are probably going to be offered a 1 year contract like he always does? My loyaltys are to my mate and all the coaches are helpping him find a new club but if he had no talant i doubt that 3 coaches would help him to get into a new club if he didnt. But delighted for Calum Ferguson, great to see at least one mate get in.

The decision as to who stayed and went made solely by TB and MM. Recommendations were made. Considered or ignored, depending on your opinion, and decisions made. Perhaps more worrying should be the apparent lack of talent in the Highland these days? Or am I just another one seeking to justify bizarre decisions?

Inverness Croydon Thistle has a nice ring to it....

[Bridge_Ender]

A tiny percentage of kids make it through the youth system of clubs and we're no exception.

As it is, our u-19's finished bottom of their league which would suggest that the vast majority of the players involved in the squad are not up to the standard required and that the correct decision has been made surely...? Don't really see what all the fuss is about, it's not as if we're releasing youth internationals or guys who've been in the first team squad. It's how football works, literally hundreds of talented kids all over the UK are being released this month.

[Sorted]

Absolutely. It's not like should have any interest in investing in our youth, developing our own players and going about our business properly. Potential means nothing, use them and if they don't deliver success immediately, dump them and get in some more. We have more than enough money to keep frittering it away in pursuit of success and can carry on buying who we like or signing other people's cast offs in the hope they are better than ours.

And while we're at it, forget all this 'community' *****, we have no need to engage or obligation to play any part in our locality. All we do is take.

Remind me which one of the OF you aspire us to be?

I would rather watch pub league football that I had some connection with than the Harlem Globe Trotter international Superstar English Non League Cast Off XI. Enough for me thanks.

[Bridge_Ender]

Ok... I seem to have touched a nerve there... Of course you're right. If the guys aren't up to the standard required then we should continue to invest in them just because they are local. God forbid we use more talented players from different areas to try and raise the standard of player at the club! It might even encourage the local lads to be more competitive and emulate them? Or should 'Raigmore Hospital' as your place of birth be the prime selection criteria for a position at ICT?

In all seriousness though, is it not better the players who are not up to standard with the rest of the players at their level across the country are released for their own benefit as well as the club? They're either going to get the opportunity to prove themselves somewhere else, if they really are good enough, or they can change career and take advantage of other training opportunities/further education - opportunities that can begin to close as they get older. If they aren't going to make it then surely that is better for all concerned? I do agree that there should be a local heart to the club and until this season we have been lucky in that we have had an exceptional group with us for a long time who had/developed that. Hopefully it will return but at the moment I see nobody out there (Munro and Mackay Stevens arguments aside) that are good enough to be playing SPL for us that is not already with here and has ties to the area. As far as Butchers signing policy goes, I'd like to see many more permanent signings, rather than 6 month loans, and guys who are hungry to prove themselves after being released from a bigger club join us, much the same as Hayes and Cox.

As for the community aspect, no idea how you got that from my post but for what it is worth I don't think ICT get into the schools and work with the local kids enough and this is one area of the club that definitely be vastly improved. Maybe there is a rough diamond out there we're missing, I'd like to think so.That is a debate for another time though.

Finally, I don't aspire for ICT to be like any part of the Old Firm. What a truly ridiculous suggestion from someone who has evidently never met me.

[Alex MacLeod]

So we dont invest in youth?? Hundreds of kids come through our system at a cost the I believe to be close on a million a year. Look at the investment and look at the end products. The most recent of those being Morrison, Sutherland, Ross and Shinnie. Prior to those I can only think of Munro and Ike Fraser and even going back to HL days of both clubs there are only a handful who have come through Inverness on their way to success. The highlands dont have the ability to produce a conveyor belt of talent but the odd one will come through. We do, however, make investment in the hope that something good will appear.

[caleyboy]

So we dont invest in youth?? Hundreds of kids come through our system at a cost the I believe to be close on a million a year. Look at the investment and look at the end products. The most recent of those being Morrison, Sutherland, Ross and Shinnie. Prior to those I can only think of Munro and Ike Fraser and even going back to HL days of both clubs there are only a handful who have come through Inverness on their way to success. The highlands dont have the ability to produce a conveyor belt of talent but the odd one will come through. We do, however, make investment in the hope that something good will appear.

Exactly why we shopuld trim the whole operation down and invest in QUALITY not quantity. £1m investment a year - you are having a laugh - more spin - this club has NEVER invested anywhere near this amount but would like us to think so. The whole thing is financed by grants and sponsorship. The club's return on investment is EXCEPTIONAL!

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

A very good read about the Highland Clearances.

[Alex MacLeod]

So we dont invest in youth?? Hundreds of kids come through our system at a cost the I believe to be close on a million a year. Look at the investment and look at the end products. The most recent of those being Morrison, Sutherland, Ross and Shinnie. Prior to those I can only think of Munro and Ike Fraser and even going back to HL days of both clubs there are only a handful who have come through Inverness on their way to success. The highlands dont have the ability to produce a conveyor belt of talent but the odd one will come through. We do, however, make investment in the hope that something good will appear.

Exactly why we shopuld trim the whole operation down and invest in QUALITY not quantity. £1m investment a year - you are having a laugh - more spin - this club has NEVER invested anywhere near this amount but would like us to think so. The whole thing is financed by grants and sponsorship. The club's return on investment is EXCEPTIONAL!

Seems to me its you doing the spin. I never said the club invested that amount. I said thats what it costs. The football club does however invest in youth. The club takes on a number of apprentices every year. That means wages and insurances have to be paid for players and coaches. Off course the club invests. The bottom line in all this though is that perhaps the product at the end just isnt good enough for top flight. Anyone can see a bit of talent at someones feet but it takes a deal more than that to be a professional footballer. We dont see the attitude off the pitch. We dont see the effort put into training. I'm sure all those things are considered when choosing who to give contracts to and who to let go.

Many of the contributers on this thread can only see, and be affected by, those youths that are being let go.They fail to see that the club are also keeping some.

[caleyboy]

So we dont invest in youth?? Hundreds of kids come through our system at a cost the I believe to be close on a million a year. Look at the investment and look at the end products. The most recent of those being Morrison, Sutherland, Ross and Shinnie. Prior to those I can only think of Munro and Ike Fraser and even going back to HL days of both clubs there are only a handful who have come through Inverness on their way to success. The highlands dont have the ability to produce a conveyor belt of talent but the odd one will come through. We do, however, make investment in the hope that something good will appear.

Exactly why we shopuld trim the whole operation down and invest in QUALITY not quantity. £1m investment a year - you are having a laugh - more spin - this club has NEVER invested anywhere near this amount but would like us to think so. The whole thing is financed by grants and sponsorship. The club's return on investment is EXCEPTIONAL!

Seems to me its you doing the spin. I never said the club invested that amount. I said thats what it costs. The football club does however invest in youth. The club takes on a number of apprentices every year. That means wages and insurances have to be paid for players and coaches. Off course the club invests. The bottom line in all this though is that perhaps the product at the end just isnt good enough for top flight. Anyone can see a bit of talent at someones feet but it takes a deal more than that to be a professional footballer. We dont see the attitude off the pitch. We dont see the effort put into training. I'm sure all those things are considered when choosing who to give contracts to and who to let go.

Many of the contributers on this thread can only see, and be affected by, those youths that are being let go.They fail to see that the club are also keeping some.

IAnd who told you that's what it costs? I do wonder at times if you are actually employed by this penny pinching club's spin department. The whole bluddy thing needs a shake man - QUALITY NOT QUANTITY!!!!!

Edited May 17, 2012 by caleyboy