[Albion] How Brighton became the Premier League’s leading talent factory (TheAthletic)

Change at Barnham · Mar 30, 2021

A wonderful piece about Brighton's academy from Andy Naylor in The Athletic.
It's behind a paywall, so you'll only be able to read it with a subscription.

In my opinion The Athletic is blossoming into a very good read with some excellent articles.
Andy Naylor's writing about the Albion is certainly improving and becoming more in-depth and less main stream.

https://theathletic.com/2480715/?source=ukdfb

Brighton & Hove Albion have become one of the most effective talent factories in the Premier League.
They are outperforming every other club at bringing through their own players, even though they are 16th in the real table and have a fight on their hands over the coming weeks to stay up.
This season so far, Brighton have given 30.8 per cent of minutes played to players employed by the club for at least three seasons from the ages of 15 to 21. According to data from the CIES Football Observatory, that is more than next-best Manchester United (25.6%), Chelsea (24.4%) and Arsenal (21.2%).

Stat Brother · Mar 30, 2021

employed by the club for at least three seasons from the ages of 15 to 21

Have I read that right, is Naylor saying thanks to Dunk and Solly the Albion are a talent factory?

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 30, 2021

Stat Brother said:
employed by the club for at least three seasons from the ages of 15 to 21

Have I read that right, is Naylor saying thanks to Dunk and Solly the Albion are a talent factory?

Them and Sanchez, White, Alzate, Connolly. I have probably overlooked someone(s) as well.

Swansman · Mar 30, 2021

Stat Brother said:
employed by the club for at least three seasons from the ages of 15 to 21

Have I read that right, is Naylor saying thanks to Dunk and Solly the Albion are a talent factory?

Solly and Dunk... and Sanchez, White, Alzate, Connolly.

Tom Bombadil · Mar 30, 2021

Stat Brother said:
employed by the club for at least three seasons from the ages of 15 to 21

Have I read that right, is Naylor saying thanks to Dunk and Solly the Albion are a talent factory?

Sanchez, Alzate, White, Connolly.

Edit : I'm not the first to put you back in your box I see

Stat Brother · Mar 30, 2021

Voroshilov said:
Sanchez, Alzate, White, Connolly.

Edit : I'm not the first to put you back in your box I see

Oh I wasn't climbing out of my box.

I read it as 'look at all these kids', but the actual meat on the bones was 'the Albion has 2 stalwarts (and White) which account for much of that 30%'.

Naylor has form for the headline having no relevance to the story.

Gwylan · Mar 30, 2021

Stat Brother said:
Naylor has form for the headline having no relevance to the story.

Writers are not responsible for headlines to their stories

dazzer6666 · Mar 30, 2021

Stat Brother said:
Oh I wasn't climbing out of my box.

I read it as 'look at all these kids', but the actual meat on the bones was 'the Albion has 2 stalwarts (and White) which account for much of that 30%'.

Naylor has form for the headline having no relevance to the story.

It’s not even Naylor’s data, it’s independent. We’ve given more gametime to academy products this season than any other PL club, fact.

BTW anyone can get 3 free Athletic articles a month without paying. Would recommend this as one of the three this month.

Stat Brother · Mar 30, 2021

dazzer6666 said:
It’s not even Naylor’s data, it’s independent. We’ve given more gametime to academy products this season than any other PL club, fact.

BTW anyone can get 3 free Athletic articles a month without paying. Would recommend this as one of the three this month.

Amazingly Fulham haven't played a single under 21.

Terry Butcher Tribute Act · Mar 30, 2021

Trying to work out if the OP is on a windup about Naylor and his Athletic articles. It's just more lip service to the club isn't it?

What it doesn't say is that Connolly has had an awful season, Alzate hasn't kicked on from his debut season and has fallen down the pecking order, Dunk (who has been part of the side for the last decade) and March came through before Lancing opened.

The real story is the wonderful scouting of White and Sanchez and others, combined with the successful use of the loan market to give them experience. And Potter’s willingness to put them in the team which is commendable too.

There's some great stuff on the Athletic but Naylor's writing, nearly 2 years later, is still more suited to the local paper imho
Or even the club website as let's face it, most of what he writes reads as if he's on Barber's payroll.

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Swansman · Mar 30, 2021

Stat Brother said:
Oh I wasn't climbing out of my box.

I read it as 'look at all these kids', but the actual meat on the bones was 'the Albion has 2 stalwarts (and White) which account for much of that 30%'.

Naylor has form for the headline having no relevance to the story.

Its still true though. Brighton got one of the youngest squads in the league and is the one to give most minutes to players raised at the club. Your attempts to find negative angles is more irrelevant than that headline.

bhafc99 · Mar 30, 2021

Change at Barnham said:
This season so far, Brighton have given 30.8 per cent of minutes played to players employed by the club for at least three seasons from the ages of 15 to 21. According to data from the CIES Football Observatory, that is more than next-best Manchester United (25.6%), Chelsea (24.4%) and Arsenal (21.2%).

“...The only club without available data is Crystal Palace. This is probably due to the fact people were still using the abacus and parchment rolls to compile statistics the last time they played someone under the age of 30.”

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Stat Brother · Mar 30, 2021

Terry Butcher Tribute Act said:
What it doesn't say is that Connolly has had an awful season, Alzate hasn't kicked on from his debut season and has fallen down the pecking order, Dunk (who has been part of the side for the last decade) and March came through before Lancing opened.

The real story is the wonderful scouting of White and Sanchez and others, combined with the successful use of the loan market to give them experience. And Potter’s willingness to put them in the team which is commendable too.

This is what I meant to write.

Terry Butcher Tribute Act · Mar 30, 2021

Swansman said:
Its still true though. Brighton got one of the youngest squads in the league and is the one to give most minutes to players raised at the club. Your attempts to find negative angles is more irrelevant than that headline.

But that is the story isn't it. Potter is not afraid to play youngsters. We know that, that's his remit, he's done a great job at putting them in and some of them have shown real potential. Sanchez and White are class. Connolly the jury is out.

To talk the academy up as a talent factory at this early stage though is laughable spin

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Swansman · Mar 30, 2021

Terry Butcher Tribute Act said:
Trying to work out if the OP is on a windup about Naylor and his Athletic articles. It's just more lip service to the club isn't it?

What it doesn't say is that Connolly has had an awful season, Alzate hasn't kicked on from his debut season and has fallen down the pecking order, Dunk (who has been part of the side for the last decade) and March came through before Lancing opened.

The real story is the wonderful scouting of White and Sanchez and others, combined with the successful use of the loan market to give them experience. And Potter’s willingness to put them in the team which is commendable too.

There's some great stuff on the Athletic but Naylor's writing, nearly 2 years later, is still more suited to the local paper imho
Or even the club website as let's face it, most of what he writes reads as if he's on Barber's payroll.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Connolly only got an awful season if you have bizarre expectations. Despite struggles with injuries he's played more than pretty much every U21 striker in the league and got a better goals to minutes ratio than other U21 strikers, like England international Mason Greenwood and Wolves £35m signing Fabio Silva.

Steven Alzate has performed quite well when playing in his optimal position and is just a bit unlucky to be competing with (mainly) Bissouma & Gross who are two of the most consistent performers in the squad.

Stat Brother · Mar 30, 2021

Terry Butcher Tribute Act said:
But that is the story isn't it. Potter is not afraid to play youngsters. We know that, that's his remit, he's done a great job at putting them in and some of them have shown real potential. Sanchez and White are class. Connolly the jury is out.

To talk the academy up as a talent factory at this early stage though is laughable spin

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It's still a talent nursery, as it should be.

The criteria set down as in 3 seasons encapsulating ages 15 to 21 doesn't reflect on the youth in the match day squad.

It's fantastic that GPott has the stones to play Lamptey, Webster, (old man) Biss, McAllister, White and Sanchez and bodes very well for the current academy players.

But doesnt quite reflect in the starting XI - which it shouldn't do yet, for a EPL side.

Bry Nylon · Mar 30, 2021

Yes, it makes PL survival more difficult, but I do like GPott's willingness to give academy players a chance, compared to a few years ago when being part of the Development Squad was akin to being placed in a Witness Protection Programme.

dazzer6666 · Mar 30, 2021

Terry Butcher Tribute Act said:
But that is the story isn't it. Potter is not afraid to play youngsters. We know that, that's his remit, he's done a great job at putting them in and some of them have shown real potential. Sanchez and White are class. Connolly the jury is out.

To talk the academy up as a talent factory at this early stage though is laughable spin

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Not relative to the rest of the division, which was the genesis of the article :shrug:

vagabond · Mar 30, 2021

Terry Butcher Tribute Act said:
To talk the academy up as a talent factory at this early stage though is laughable spin

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God forbid anyone here post anything positive about the club and what we’re trying to do.

vagabond · Mar 30, 2021

Bry Nylon said:
Yes, it makes PL survival more difficult, but I do like GPott's willingness to give academy players a chance, compared to a few years ago when being part of the Development Squad was akin to being placed in a Witness Protection Programme.

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[Albion] How Brighton became the Premier League’s leading talent factory (TheAthletic)

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