Once were Loiners wrote:
On our juniors, its so nice to be talking about a bunch f them having real potential. It firstly means there's far more chance of a couple making it big, but it also thankfully reduces the hype we used to get around the one or two promising juniors we'd had previously.
For those that know, is this because Leeds started focusing on signing and developing the best kids again, or how much is just luck that a group of talented kids the same age are coming through? The reason I ask is that while we haven't produced that many good juniors recently, I can't see that there are a great set of homegrown players in their early-mid 20s across the rest of the league that Leeds might have missed out on.
Far more ITK folk on here who go to academy games etc but from what I hear / have had told to me - to put it politely Leeds completely took their eye off the academy and it was in no certain terms "a mess". I was told one parent had to sit down with his son and tell him he wasnt staying at Leeds because it was going to hamper his progress and so he moved onto another academy.
To be fair to Leeds with all the off field issues / losing Rob and the first team being a basket case for years I cant deep down really blame them, bigger fish to fry etc.
They also realised the problem and have taken steps to address them which are now paying off in spades. IIRC they got a very good crop of players from Siddal (was it??) who looked the business and they've gone back to competing for the best youth players in the country again and also have completely changed the attitude towards and pathways for newer academy players which in these days of negativity is to be applauded. Even the lad who left Leeds was asked to come back and from what I understand he is once he's able, his dad has said it was "night and day" difference so "big up" Leeds for that. Still plenty of work to do but.... Hats off.
