Jimmy Rice 20 March 2007 Rafa Benitez wants a total revamp of the reserve league to help bring more talent through the ranks. | |
The Spaniard believes top clubs should be allowed a second string in the lower divisions to give youngsters league experience. Only then, Benitez believes, will you have a regular crop of kids ready to make the Premiership grade. "It is clear that the reserve league doesn't work," he said, echoing comments by Jose Mourinho earlier in the season. "You can see youngsters playing just 18 games a season - that is nothing. It's certainly not enough for the development of these players. "It is something that we can improve in this country. If we do not change we will find other solutions, such as sending youngsters out on loan like I have done recently. "Between 18 and 21-years-old in this country, the players do not know what to do. If they are good enough at 18 they are with the first team but on the bench all the time. "I would like to see reserve teams of the big clubs like ourselves playing in the Football League. Why not if they have enough quality? "That will bridge the gap between the youngsters and the first team. If you do not give young players the chance to play competitive football and to learn things, things become impossible. "I have been here three years and have talked to many people about this, and what I see is players who are 17-years-old and cannot progress. "How can you use a 17-year-old in the first team, unless he is a really top talent like Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney or Michael Owen? "Players of that ability can play in the Premier League, but you have to be special to do that so young. "The rest of the lads need to play at another level, but the reserve league is nothing. "I am not sure about them playing in League Two, either, they need to be playing against good players, then they will learn more." Benitez knows from his experience in Spain how successful his idea can be. "I was the manager of Castille, Real Madrid's reserve side, and I had players who were 18 or 19-years-old playing in the Spanish second division championship," he explained. "They were playing against men. They were winning and we finished sixth and fourth. The question is what improves the quality of the players." |
Wednesday 21 March 2007
RAFA CALLS FOR RESERVE REVAMP
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