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Thanks, this is a really intriguing piece - thanks for posting it.

I think there are a lot of things clubs could be doing. For instance, clubs in Holland are made to make sure that any player released has to linked up with an amateur club. This means they stay within the game, and furthermore, are more likely to become coaches at a lower level or even refereeing.

Add to that, I think that football scholarships in the US for players released at 17/18 would add so much to their lives.

RCM



And some thoughts on youth development:

I wouldn't get a rid of a player because he wasn't ready for first team football (unless you really could not afford it). If the player had the attributes to make it I'd give them time and be patient for a few years anyway and hope I got something out of it.

Sometimes throwing a player into the game when he's 18 does stand him in a good position though because they learn to cope with professionals.

My one problem with Stephen is that he was a bit lightweight and could go missing against physical teams, maybe exposure to the first team might have made him improve his strength even more.

While not comparing to your experience or David Weir's, but similar to Stephens, I would also like to mention Darren Fletcher as a late bloomer. Tell the truth, I used to criticise him in the United team, but he has worked hard, improved every aspect of his game and is becoming the complete midfield player. The road has not been easy for Darren, living up to the expectations that United fans expect from their players but he has proved a lot of people wrong, myself included and become one of our most influential players.

I think because of stars like Rooney, Messi, Fabregas etc, people expect players to be world class at 18. This is obviously a false impression because most players in my opinion reach their peak years in their mid twenties. Impatient fans should take note of stories like this when judging a players potential.

Great article very impressed. Not often i manage to read through a full article on the bbc without falling asleep.

Sometimes for one reason or another it doesnt happen for certain players at certain clubs under certain managers regardless of age. As you say in your article, one mans opinion of you is not the be all and end all, and the players you have mentioned above are examples of this.
These individuals should be an inspiration to some of the youngsters who have been told they are surplus to requirements at their club.
Never give up there is always hope!
Better to be a late developer in football terms than a young 18 year old guy who seems to have the world at his feet for a season, then the following seasons vanish and we never hear of them again.
Im sure there will be a good few examples of this in the football world.

Jack, do you have any interest in going into coaching once you've finished taking Saints into Europe? You couldn't do any worse than the negative man we have right now!!

Seriously tho, is coaching in your thoughts? I've started coaching at kids level but would love to get involved in the highest level possible in the future.

Again an interesting blog but the question of managers ability continues to trouble me especially in the light of this years spl results even last nights cup tie. Walter Smith and his sidekick
are rated as top scottish management material. Mowbrey is certainly rated also but their teams of players earning probably ten times as much as Falkirk and Hamilton struggle to beat them. Who is resposible players or their bosses?.
how can an objective conclusion be drawn. how does a potential manager learn to judge players? I hope you can explore these topics in your future blogs

Blelloch,

That's a fascinating question. In a one-off game, any decent team (like Falkirk) can beat a very strong team (Rangers). Over the season, we'll see that the cream rises. That's why two-legged cup ties always favour the big teams.

The fascinating question is: How does a (potential) manager learn to judge players. I really don't know but then you might ask the same question of any organisation - how does the HR manager learn how to judge staff? By observation, by recommendation, by closely working with them. Unlike most jobs, there is a huge amount of published and ''gettable'' information for any player really and managers (with advisors)will sift through that to see if a player will fit into their system.

Sometimes this is easy (buying a world-class player). Sometimes it takes nous... sometimes great managers pick obscure players and they turn into great finds.

Jack, however, would know much more than I - that's me joining dots!

RCM

Thanks, Jack.

Interesting that Arsenal are being heavily linked with the excellent Chris Smaling. He couldn't settle at any youth academies and played at a much lower level... and has found a way to the Premiership. It still is possible.

I know that the SFA is doing more. Is it doing enough? Could it be doing more? Very possibly and, when we look around Europe, we are probably lagging behind. Too many players (in England and Scotland) just drift away from the game.

In terms of technical development, we are miles behind. Croatia is smaller, poorer, further away from the knowledge networks of international coaching in central Europe, has fewer world class coaches and less exposure to the Champions League... yet has produced players like Boban, Prosinecki, Suker, Srna, Eduardo, Modric, Kranjcar etc. Has Scotland produced one player of that quality since 1990? Not many, sadly.

Why? That's a huge question. Keep up the good work, Jack. Love the blog.

RCM

A very interesting blog.

I suppose managers and coaches get to look at players every day and they will have a lot of information on how they are developing and getting on. I suppose working with them every day it would be relatively easy to see which players are showing (enough) potential to break in to the first team or go further and if not then I get the impression it seems fairly easy for clubs to just toss them out.

It must be hard for anyone to judge who will be a late developer but i suppose while playing they will always be improving while showing more signs of further improvement. I mean look at Arshavin, hardly the teenage superstar but look at him now. And in relation to Scottish players 2 that stick out for me are Barry Robson and Paul Hartley, continuously getting better with age.

In relation the previous comment about Croatia. Because they are so poor it means children go out and play football as they don't have much else to do. Over here kids are spoilt rotten with playstations and xboxes and lots of things that aren't even encouraging kids to do excercise let alone play football. The Croatian kids don't have these luxuries and have a lot less to do so play more and get better. Like how most Brazilian kids are amazing because all they can do in the slums they live in is play football. Ronaldinho once said there are kids there all the time that would of been better than him but at a young age had to decide either to work or play football and most would start to work.

More has to be done by the SFA at grass roots level to give more kids a chance of progressing at a young age. We are lightyears behind the major nations like France, Germany and Holland.

Great blog Jack, keep them coming

A lot of our training methods in this country aim to make players athletes first and footballers second.

Something that HAS to change, I think.

Jacko if you need an assistant manager, give me a shout ;)!