Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has re-iterated his
belief in the long-term value of young players to the
club.
It could be convincingly argued that the pressure on Premier League
managers to achieve instant results is hampering the progress of
young players at certain clubs.
But this is definitely not the case at Boro - partly down to the
fact that the Teessiders can not compete in the transfer market
with the Premier League's big spenders.
But it also stems from Southgate's belief that this is the most
sustainable way forward for the club.
In sticking to this belief, Southgate is fortunate to enjoy both
the patience of his chairman Steve Gibson, and the benefits of a
renowned academy.
Long-term
Speaking of the situation, Southgate, 37, said: "You have got to
try to make decisions for the long-term benefit of the club and the
players.
"Whether you survive as a manager by doing that is up to individual
boards or chairmen.
"That is the route we have decided to go here. I understand I am in
a fortunate position in terms of the chairman thinking that way
but, also, I am prepared to take that chance.
"It's the way I believe is right and you should stick to your
beliefs.
"We have done that because we have had talented players in the
academy, but also because of necessity.
"Financially, we cannot always compete with some of the other
Premier League clubs, so we either take a second tier of players
transfer-wise, or you try to grow your own.
"We feel we have, in certain positions, players who are good enough
to go into our first team."
Fantastic
He added: "(Academy manager) Dave Parnaby has done a fantastic job
here and we have had more players come through than we could have
possibly dreamt of.
"But that flow will not always be there, there might be years when
we do not get anybody through.
"You have to plan long-term and hope you can buy from elsewhere to
fit in around the players you are bringing through."
Southgate is convinced his belief in young players is the correct
one for his club - as was shown when he was a young player at
Crystal Palace.
He said: "I made loads of mistakes when I was a young player and I
was fortunate that Steve Coppell stuck with me.
"We actually got relegated at Crystal Palace, but he obviously felt
it was the right thing at the time to go with the younger players,
and five or six of us went on to play international football
"He did not reap the benefit of that at the time, but the club
ultimately did and the players did."