Following on my piece the other day on the overpriced English player, this got me thinking about the academy and the Southampton strategy and what this could be.
I think we will continue to bring young talent through the academy but only to shift them on to the top 4 clubs. We then scout well and bring in cheaper players from abroad, which seem to strengthen our 1st team and squad further and push the club forward.
If you look at the evidence we have reduced a very strong young English player premier league team into a mostly foreign team, but still have a very strong youth set up and a few players near or in the first team, but still developing.
Could we see the finished article of JWP in a couple of years going on to the likes of Man U or Liverpool for big money. I would not be surprised.