good luck for the future klugy, and thanks

I heard Joe Royles comments about Bryan when he 'left', what the offical line on his departure, was he pushed or did he leave to persue another opportunity?
I am sure that he will be a big asset to whoever he joins next. We may regret letting him go, as he brought so many good lads through.

I wish Klug all the best.However like it or not, the reality is Klug unfortunaltely got mixed up with a certain Jim Magilton. Shame, If he hadn't he'd most likely have still been at the club. It was sadly Brian's downfall. Several terrible years. Shame.

Since Dyer, Wright and Bramble (10 years ago), how many players have the academy actually produced who went on to (consistently) play in the Prem or Championship?

Apart from Bent, Ambrose and Supple (at a push), the famed academy has not really delivered for a decade.

Wickham was a windfall (his father moved to Colchester meaning that Connor left the Reading academy for ours), Haynes was picked up when the Charlton academy released him (aged 17/18?), Bowditch, despite his popularity has found his level now, Rhodes moved here from the Barnsley academy and I would argue is not good enough for the Championship anyway, Clarke - the jury is out as he has been injured a lot this season.

Anyone remember when the fab 5 of Mitchell, Nash, Collins, Murray and Bowditch were the season ticket campaign future of our club - support the young guns anyone?

The academy has under-delivered for a decade and before Plug, Titus and Dyer, who were the home grown stars of the previous decade? The Gregory twins and Gavin Johnson...

We have very large rose-tinted glasses when it comes to the academy. We need to move on.

It is only a relatively short while ago that we won the FA Youth Cup. Only Garvan seems to have come through from there. There appears to be another good crop of potential players in there this season. Maybe the problem is how to transition them through to the first team and that might be the reason for some disagreement. We've beaten Arsenal three times this season - we need to see how many of their players make it and how many of ours to measure the academy's effictiveness.
I believe we have to grow our own - our forays into the transfer market are not that successful.

Wright, Dyer, Scowcroft and Bramble were produced before 'the academy' was up and running. But granted, still a product of the original youth system.

Over the past 6-7 years the one trend has been the failure of promising youngsters to make the grade at first team level.

Time for a change.

Wishing you all the best Bryan. You have been a good servant to this club. Was sorry to see you go.

xrayspecs - we've had a lot more players come through over the last 10 years than a lot of other clubs in our position:
Wright
Scowcroft
Naylor
Bent
Bramble
Dyer
Ambrose
Clarke
Garvan
Trotter
Haynes
Smith
Wickham
Supple
Rhodes

I'm sure there's many more, the acadamy can't be expected to produce players like Dyer every year but theres always been a steady stream of talent coming through

Baggins -

Wright - c.1997
Scowcroft - c.1996
Naylor - c.1997
Bent OK
Bramble c.1998
Dyer c.1997
Ambrose OK
Clarke - Released, didnt make the grade
Garvan - OK
Trotter - On loan, as not up to scratch
Haynes - Signed from Charlton
Smith - OK
Wickham - OK
Supple - Bad example! retired from football at 23!
Rhodes - Came along with his dad.

I think your list was a little flawed in showing the 10 year success. The only big success story in 10 years was Bent. Ambrose did OK.

xrayspecs - players have appeared to dry up a bit, but perhaps that is because Klug was 'promoted' to reserve team manager and first team coach. The likes of Tony Hume, who took over the academy from Klug are as much to blame.

And that is the shame, that Bryan has left because of not achievng what was expected in his current post, not because of what he achieved whilst running the academy. It is a pity that he couldn't be put back in the post where he achieved critical acclaim and admiration of other teams in the league.

Our loss will be Sheff U's gain

Hopefully though when the next lads come through we can be in a position as a club where we can watch these players in our own first team for a bit longer than some of those listed above. All depends on us making that step up to the top division, I suppose. At least we're not skint anymore.....

What a suprise, a top Championship side appointing a highly skilled and talented indivdual.... Real sensible to sack eh Marcus??

Kev_b20 -

Did I miss something, has Klug gone to WBA now??

Whether Klug has gone to Sheffield United or WBA, he now seems to have fallen on his feet. Either team has very realistic chances of automatic promotion, failing that a good shout for the play-offs. I guess that it was only the facilities here that kept Klug at a Championship side, he really is Premiership quality.

But the Premiership and the Championship are not the only professional football played in this country and I do not understand why it is deemed a failure if players do not play at the very highest level. Matt Bloomfield may not have made the grade at Portman Road (although in the early noughties youth teams he often appeared a better prospect than either of the Darrens) yet went on to be a sterling midfield lynchpin for Wycombe. Don't write off Bowditch either, he is probably still learning tricks of the trade from Nicky Forster. And it is far too early to pass judgement on Jordan Rhodes.

And yes, I do see the rest of football in terms of ex-Ipswich players. Come on..West Ham, Sunderland, Wigan, Blackpool, Huddersfield, Brighton, err... Histon?

WeWereZombies

It is the job of the academy to produce players who are a success for ITFC, not for other clubs in lower divisions.

Granted it benefits football as a whole, but the academy costs a lot of money to run and is there for our own benefit.

FAO: Wewerezombies

Exactly how is Dean Bowditch of Yeovil learning from Nicky Forster of Brighton?

FriskinPriskin1

Because I forgot where Bowditch had ended up. He was on loan at Brighton (and Marcus Stewart played for Yeovil) ermmm.. perhaps there is a system of strikers leaving messages under stones like the postbox system on Dartmoor.