The Future Path for Everton Academy

There needs to be a lot more emphasis on running, clapping of hands, and defending corners with everything available.

Many academy coaches don't have that experience and knowledge. Many supporters have commented about how few make it from academy to first team although I think that rule applies at most Prem clubs, also the higher up in the league the club is means the level of player coming through needs to be very high.

Yeah those coaches should have stopped Messi and Maradonna being so left footed.

Also, when was the last player to come from west hams youth team...Joe Cole???????He's 32 or so now

Only McAleny looks like he could make the step up at this moment imo

What irvine is asaying is the opposite of what we are calling for, and seems to explain a little or is simply a propaganda piece to justify the tactic. He's saying that too many fans are calling for the lads to be thrown in, get a game while he is saying that it is important to develop the technical side of their game first, work on the training pitch a develop and not just focus on the pragmatic side of top-flight football. This would explain Barkley's, McAleny's and co time spent on the bench.

No idea if what he's saying is bollocks or not, I aint a football coach and my knowledge is limited to tv screans and occasional trips to G.P.

This is his second spell at Everton... I wonder if his eyes have only recently been opened to the demands of the modern game? An academy lad has the opportunity of a phenomenally lucrative lifestyle and should be prepared to put in the hard yakka.

The trouble is the fans — unless a change brings instant success, à la Wenger at Arsenal and Martinez at Swansea, we all demand up and at 'em kick their bollocks till they squeal stuff.

I am elitist regarding football, skill is everything to me but I can only watch the clever triangles of European teams for about 5 mins.

I like Irvine's words but let's not get too Brendan Rodgers about it: good football is and always will be skill mixed with endeavour — see present day Barca.

Although football circa 1970 (you know I'm right) was the zenith both domestically and globally.

The category 1 level just means that we can go to lower category clubs and get their youth players for peanuts. Everton buy players from abroad at U13 and above, where is the development? When are we going to see a local lad break into the team when the likes of Naismith gets a shirt ahead of Barkley! It's all about results.

Just to get this straight, what he's saying is that we need to practice technical football more and that after 10 years we hadn't progressed much in that department. Players need to be put in to position to think quickly and that matches should be the direct result of good practices in which to refine their technical ability...

OK. First off, however much he's being paid, I promise I could do a better job on half his salary. For him to be around football for however long he has and to speak so simply about the game is frankly a little frightening. Equally frightening and more of an indictment of him and Moyes being incompetent, is the fact that, for however long they've been here, you'd think we'd have an identity and be teaching our youth in the School of Science model. Hopefully that's the case now.

One last thing: why is it also that he's talking about what he "will" do...? It's so obvious – why wasn't this implemented 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 years ago?

How is this new? Why are we still surprised and talking like amateurs about how the game is played? Isn't he a coach? Isn't it his job to understand the game and see what direction the game is going?

Styles change all the time. That's how innovation occurs. It's as if no-one at the team has watched a match on TV until this year?

I know Everton are a magnificent team and we all bleed blue, but there are a lot of even better teams out there. Maybe we should hook that cable back up and check out some other teams. Heaven forbid we see how the game is supposed to be played and maybe learn a thing or two?

Irvine, talk is cheap — get on and change it.

The young lad Junior had a bad 45 minutes against Leeds in the League Cup, and that was the last we've seen of him, even though he's been excellent for the youth team and pre-season for us.

Shane Duffy was also excellent for us in the 3 games he played last season, he didn't put a foot wrong and for some reason he has never been given as much as sniff since.

Here in Oz referees have the power to caution junior coaches that do it but sadly it still continues. The outcome from grass roots to professional levels has been stronger, faster fearless robots whose every move is predictable.

Oh for a few more like De Canio, Best, Puskas, Alex Young, Pele, Maradonna and the like. Players like that could raise our sport into a true art form.

The first main point to make here is that this (youth development/technical skills etc) is an English issue and not just an Everton one. It has been identified by the FA and you can read about it on http://www.thefa.com/st-georges-park/discover/coaching/the-future-game.

The second thing to say, is that Irvine makes a very clear distinction above between youth development and playing in the Premier League. The philosophy will be different as the Premier League is all about results. I know that many people may be frustrated with Moyes not giving younger players a go. However, he has to balance the needs of the player and the team. It seems to me that he is trying develop them (eg, Barkley, Duffy etc) as much as possible (eg, playing U21, loans to Championship sides, the odd 1st team appearance) so that, when they do become regulars, they are better players.

Reading recently about Michael Owen retiring at 33, one article noted that as a youngster he was lightening fast and had a fantastic shooting ability. However, he had limited technical skills and in fact Liverpool (Houllier etc) never bothered to develop them. As Owen got older (and slower) defenders could handle him easier and he had no other skills to fall back on. Compare him to Allesandro Del Piero (38) plying his trade here in Sydney – now that is a guy with technical skills.

Bayern Munich, Man U and Barça do, Real Madrid, Chelsea and City don't. Which model do you prefer? The FA should also be organisng the grassroots of the game along those lines as last night against the might of Montenegro showed once again.