Cardiff City Football Club post 2020

Recently, there was a really intriguing article on this forum about Brentford’s approach, namely the abolishment of their youth set-up due to the annual financial outlay. It went on to say that the return of players was poor and those that did make it, were then picked off easily and cheaply by clubs able to offer more financially lucrative wages. They have a reserve team that regularly organises and plays friendlies to keep fringe players and those returning from injury fit.

As youth development is a constant source of conversation with our fans, both on here and on match days, it got me thinking if we would be better of following suit. Admittedly we don’t have the luxury of easily picking up the so called “off casts” of some of London’s top teams due to geographical reasons, as this was also mentioned in the article. Although, surely it could still be achieved throughout the entire UK with the correct networking and a growth mindset approach.

Would you get rid of our youth team? Would you spend more on youth development and put us in the top category to make it easier to keep the more talented individuals, if applicable? Would you keep things the same?

What is our financial outlay each year?
How many have progressed through the ranks to first team regular?
Viable pipeline ongoing?

all clubs have gone down this academy route recruiting younger and younger players, employing more and more coaches and collectively spending billions on facilities . end result .. more and more foreign imports... its madness.

i think there is a huge difference here between the two, Brentford were league one for some time and competing with academies across London, if set up and sorted right, we could have the pickings of all wales. with only swansea able to rival us. i like the idea of an academy it means we arent always going to be reliant on buying other players. i agree in recent years ours has been more shambolic and hasnt produced but i think it's because we have actually set up a plan. and we've let swansea have first pickings of whomever they wanted.

we are a club, in a capital city with no other clubs. we have a unique position about cardiff. if you got them regulary in the premier league, you could draw fans from all over wales and this club imo could be bigger than most. but i think as a club we are too busy always thinking of the now, and not the future

i think there is a huge difference here between the two, Brentford were league one for some time and competing with academies across London, if set up and sorted right, we could have the pickings of all wales. with only swansea able to rival us. i like the idea of an academy it means we arent always going to be reliant on buying other players. i agree in recent years ours has been more shambolic and hasnt produced but i think it's because we have actually set up a plan. and we've let swansea have first pickings of whomever they wanted.

we are a club, in a capital city with no other clubs. we have a unique position about cardiff. if you got them regulary in the premier league, you could draw fans from all over wales and this club imo could be bigger than most. but i think as a club we are too busy always thinking of the now, and not the future

people assume its shambolic because we haven't produced players.. but history suggests the area has never produced on a regular basis. so maybe its the talent that people imagine is around just is not.

i think there is a huge difference here between the two, Brentford were league one for some time and competing with academies across London, if set up and sorted right, we could have the pickings of all wales. with only swansea able to rival us. i like the idea of an academy it means we arent always going to be reliant on buying other players. i agree in recent years ours has been more shambolic and hasnt produced but i think it's because we have actually set up a plan. and we've let swansea have first pickings of whomever they wanted.

we are a club, in a capital city with no other clubs. we have a unique position about cardiff. if you got them regulary in the premier league, you could draw fans from all over wales and this club imo could be bigger than most. but i think as a club we are too busy always thinking of the now, and not the future

people assume its shambolic because we haven't produced players.. but history suggests the area has never produced on a regular basis. so maybe its the talent that people imagine is around just is not.

i think you only have to look at the welsh set up from the past few years to show south wales has talent. Allen, bellamy, ramsey, ledley, bale, Darcey blake (when he was around) cotterill, giggs. history only suggests such a thing because for years neither swansea or cardiff could afford a top academy and to produce quality players. and just because maybe in the past there wasnt enough quality, doesnt mean that with the right investment in the future we could be a conveyor belt of quality

i think there is a huge difference here between the two, Brentford were league one for some time and competing with academies across London, if set up and sorted right, we could have the pickings of all wales. with only swansea able to rival us. i like the idea of an academy it means we arent always going to be reliant on buying other players. i agree in recent years ours has been more shambolic and hasnt produced but i think it's because we have actually set up a plan. and we've let swansea have first pickings of whomever they wanted.

we are a club, in a capital city with no other clubs. we have a unique position about cardiff. if you got them regulary in the premier league, you could draw fans from all over wales and this club imo could be bigger than most. but i think as a club we are too busy always thinking of the now, and not the future

people assume its shambolic because we haven't produced players.. but history suggests the area has never produced on a regular basis. so maybe its the talent that people imagine is around just is not.

i think you only have to look at the welsh set up from the past few years to show south wales has talent. Allen, bellamy, ramsey, ledley, bale, Darcey blake (when he was around) cotterill, giggs. history only suggests such a thing because for years neither swansea or cardiff could afford a top academy and to produce quality players. and just because maybe in the past there wasnt enough quality, doesnt mean that with the right investment in the future we could be a conveyor belt of quality

I have looked at it , its a handful , our teams { national } not just from the last 20/25 years have never been made up of top tier players.. yes we produce the odds stars. but it is just the odd one or two...
its not the academy , you have to have the talent in the first place..

i think there is a huge difference here between the two, Brentford were league one for some time and competing with academies across London, if set up and sorted right, we could have the pickings of all wales. with only swansea able to rival us. i like the idea of an academy it means we arent always going to be reliant on buying other players. i agree in recent years ours has been more shambolic and hasnt produced but i think it's because we have actually set up a plan. and we've let swansea have first pickings of whomever they wanted.

we are a club, in a capital city with no other clubs. we have a unique position about cardiff. if you got them regulary in the premier league, you could draw fans from all over wales and this club imo could be bigger than most. but i think as a club we are too busy always thinking of the now, and not the future

people assume its shambolic because we haven't produced players.. but history suggests the area has never produced on a regular basis. so maybe its the talent that people imagine is around just is not.

i think you only have to look at the welsh set up from the past few years to show south wales has talent. Allen, bellamy, ramsey, ledley, bale, Darcey blake (when he was around) cotterill, giggs. history only suggests such a thing because for years neither swansea or cardiff could afford a top academy and to produce quality players. and just because maybe in the past there wasnt enough quality, doesnt mean that with the right investment in the future we could be a conveyor belt of quality

Next time I see Darcy, I’ll be sure to mention he’s been put in the same category as Bale and Giggs.

He’s a friend of the family and a top bloke, whose his cousin Tim Blake was another gifted youngster who resented Wales at every youth level whilst on Coventry City’s books when they were top flight. Unfortunately, his career ended aged 18 through injury.

I agree with the conveyor belt of talent potential and that would be amazing. The Ajax model in Holland seems to have had sustained success, although I don’t know what they do.