What Next For Birmingham City’s Academy?

One of England’s finest development schools is seeking to make a radical shake up of their Academy. But for the club and Academy which recruited and nurtured Jude Bellingham, will they ever produce another one like him again if they close their 9-16's program?

On Wednesday night Jude Bellingham was lighting up the Champions League once again with a goal and assist in a win for Dortmund. It’s been a meteoric rise for this young man these past 12 months since joining the German club. He is recognised as one of the best player in world football and after turning 18 in June, it seems incredible to think how good he is for a player so young. He has already played over 100 professional games, has debuted for the senior national team and let's be honest, looks set to be one of the best players of the coming decade. 

But this is not a surprise if you’ve been around Academy football this past decade. Especially around the Midlands. Jude Bellingham has been the lighting up youth football for many years, has been terrorising defenders week in week out. 

What we are seeing now is a result of a young man with a huge drive and ambition, backed up with a great work ethic and strong character. A young man with a very a strong support structure around him in terms of his parents and the Academy and club where he began his journey as an Under 9. His dad is a legend of non-league football, scoring over 700 goals! Not a bad pedigree to learn from. His talent has always been evident and he has always impressed and wowed people with his skills, finishing and intelligence. 

Now he was fortunate to be physically mature and ready for the demands of the game at that level, a mix of genetics but also dedication and drive to be ready to compete. And he was mentally mature, this is a young man, not a boy. For all the pressure and expectation on him he continues to overcome all his challenges and obstacles, to be able to step up at the next level. That's what's always impressed me with this lad - he never seems fazed. 

Blues Academy and then the wider club knew what a special talent they had on their hands. And to their credit, they gave him the greatest chance to succeed with his talent. Extra support, sessions, individualised S&C sessions and the pathway to achieve his ambitions; youngest debutant and scorer for Birmingham City. He committed to the club knowing that he could he achieve what he wanted, short and long term, by doing so. And he's proven it to be a great decision. How many precocious talents leave a 'smaller' club too early, and get lost in the system of the U23's. Bellingham went straight to senior football, and excelled. 

A changing landscape at Birmingham

This article isn’t so much about Bellingham, but to highlight the past decade at Birmingham City Academy and to showcase what a superb job the staff have done in producing not just this world class talent, but many players who are in the professional game now. Make no mistake, Birmingham City Academy has been one of the leaders in terms of producing quality young players in recent years.

Let’s go back to 2014 when I went into Birminghams’s Academy and interviewed the two phase lead coaches at that time; Karl Hooper of the Foundation Phase and Mike Dodds, of the Youth Development phase. These two coaches drove the culture and program, instilled the mentality and skills in the players. But the concern with Blues Academy right now is that these key coaches have now departed. Hooper is at rivals Villa and Dodds recently departed soon after being made Academy Director. Added in with the departures of Kristjaan Speakman and Stuart English who moved to Sunderland last season, and the core people who drove the culture this past decade, have departed. 

Linked with these departures was the announced last season of an apparent Academy shake up to move away from the 9-16’s model and move towards something more like Brentford’s B team approach. Was this about creative financing? Or not seeing value in long term player development? Instead seeking to recruit and develop players between 16-21 and therefore get players into the first team over a shorter period. 

I could understand if you’re Brentford - as I wrote before. In that region you are competing with over a dozen clubs, many of who are bigger, richer and more appealing for young players. So recruiting at young ages may not yield a great quality of player. Brentford’s model has worked for them and made them profit as well as get into the Premier League. But Blues are different – and while Aston Villa’s Academy are proving to be one of the best Academies in the country right now – WBA, Wolves and Coventry aren’t really so far ahead of Blues to make them think they can’t compete with these clubs. 

Yes Blues have moved towards Category 1 but there is a sense that their plan of moving towards the B team was shelved over the short term after receiving so much criticism. But that this is their ultimate aim. They would be wrong to pursue this vision. The criticism they received was justified. They had just sold Bellingham for £25m! And he was not a fluke, or a one off, although you won’t get many of that exceptional level. Blues have shown a consistent trend of producing top players. Nathan Redmond has been a consistent Premier League player for the past decade. Demarai Gray is back in the Premier League after leaving Leicester and moving to Leverkusen. And he is looking excellent as he starts his new chapter with Everton. He left for a pultry £7m when Blues could have well demanded double that if they weren’t in such bad financial straits at the time. 

They managed to maximis their money for Bellingham, with the club and the player resisting offers when he was younger of moving for £1 million+. Both parties saw the long term value of staying; he left a legend and made Blues £25m. His next move could see him surpass another Midland talent and become the most expensive English player. So surely Blues should see value in keeping their Academy full open?

An environment which developed a high number of quality players

This wasn’t just about one player, but a group of very talented players who had been recruited at a young age and developed into highly skilful and creative players.

As Hooper said when I interviewed him back in 2014;

 

“It’s important we understand what each phase is there to do. We (Foundation phase) are seeking to create the archetypal street player. To produce a player with the mental skills; creative, resilient, craft in order to produce a talented individual player.

 

When asked as to what type of player he looks for when spotting players for his 9-11’s he responds that he seeks to see in players “the love for the game, a genuine enthusiasm to get on the ball, to make mistakes, to better themselves. I look for a boy who has that care free attitude, who loves just playing football.”

 

This elements of psychology ring out from the beliefs and approach of Hooper and the Birmingham Academy. In what is seen as one of the hardest professions to succeed in the Academy at Blues understand the importance of mindset and key attributes such as resilience and perseverance in pushing players to the top level. 

Innovation has led to success

 

When I go back to 2014 and see the players who have come through and who Blues have helped nurture and develop, just listen to some of the topics Dodds touches on and how you can see this in a player like Bellingham. 

 

As Mike Dodds explained back in 2014, “We have got to develop decision makers. We want top, top footballers. But more importantly we want top decision makers.” He admits that although psychology is an important area of the Academy, it is “something which is still an evolving process here, but I think nationally also” 

 

With decision making a key area of focus for Dodds and his age groups 12-16, what were his thoughts on what players required to make the step from expressive young players at 12’s to accomplished players at 16’s who can move up to youth team and senior level. He believes that “the biggest issue for me is not the coaching but the scenarios we put our players in. The games programme is the issue, at 12-14’s the players turn up, they play, win/lose or draw, same situation. Then at 15-16’s coaches questioning the shortcomings of the players.” 

 

The problem for Dodds is that the players “haven’t been put in these situations. There is a failure to ‘deal with varied game demands’. The games programme is one of the major’s issue we have in the country. We don’t provide them different scenarios.” By this he points to the generic nature of the Academy system where the same happens each week. Players are put in to the same environment, 11v11 from 13’s upwards and play the same way, often through the thirds in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. 

 

However Dodds is of the opinion that the way the game is moving there is a real need for varied play, a need to be flexible and adaptable in a game which is now more fluid and changeable.  Dodds has therefore sought to instil a more varied games programme, alternating different formats(9v9/11v11) and changing the space of pitches to offer  different tempo’s and force different decisions. By offering different challenges to the players Dodds hopes that the players learn differences in approach which can prepare them for the future game. 

 

Dodds stated that Academies role is to develop every individual to their potential. For him it “comes down to the individual. Identifying their needs. And providing individual work/sessions.”

 

Blues syallbus allows them to focus on all areas of the game working in three week cycles. And it is perhaps their scope to improve all areas of a players game which is helping them produce such a talented crop of young players. 

 

Hooper talks of the tactical fluidity which Blues give their players in order to help the player’s skill-set and understanding of the game. 

So much talent developed, but many lost too soon?

Since relegation from the Premier League in 2011 it’s been a bleak time for the club at first team level. But the Academy has continued top young players, the culture and development program has bared fruit each year. From 2010- 2021 nearly 40 academy players have made their competitive debut.

When you look at the list of players who been part of Blues Academy this past decade it's clear that the work that these two guys, plus the wider staff, created an environment which helped recruit and nurture players capable of excelling in the modern game. Now unfortunately for Blues they weren’t able to retain all of their talent these past few years, bigger clubs have come in and got them early. Clubs like Everton, Liverpool and Man Utd appeal to many players and parents.  

This list is incredible;

From Bellingham's group Amari Miller has just moved to Leeds after breaking through in Blues 1^st team. Alfie Chang and Marcel Oakley made debuts and Chem Campbell made his debut for Wolves after joining them. Amarie Brown joined Wolves for large amount as an U15 also. Ramello Mitchell was signed by Southampton. And Aiden Finnegan is now a professional at Coventry. 

 

And it wasn’t just that age group which has exceled and thrived at Blues. 

Callum Scanlon (moved to Liverpool), Ty Barnett (now at Wolves), Bobby Clark (moved to Newcastle) and Jobe Bellingham all represented England at school boys. Bellingham is showing to be following in his brother’s footsteps and as an U16 is already playing U23’s football – and excelling. It’s pretty impressive. 

The only shame has been retaining these players long enough to break through into the Blues first team. As an example Connor Stanley was sold to Manchester united in 2018. Troy Smikle was brought by Everton. The top Premier Leauge clubs, the Category 1’s, have preyed on Blues and their impressive development. And perhaps that is the concern. But when players see a pathway, they are often swayed to stay at a club where they know they can progress and not get clogged up in the system. 

 

Now in terms of players breaking through into the 1s team, Wes Harding, Josh Cogley and Charlie Lakin have made a fair amount of appearances for the first team. Lakin was at Blues throughout his youth career but Harding and Cogley were recruited at 16 work of Richard Beale and Steve Spooner. 

And it’s only really Spooner who is left at the club now. Beale is U23’s coach at WBA and the others as mentioned have departed. That strong team, the staff which got to the semi finals of the FA Youth Cup back in 2018 - many have now departed. It was a mark of the quality of the Academy to get that far, a Category 2, Championship club, competing with the big boys. And that’s what Birmingham have done this past decade. 

 

An existential crisis

Ask anyone who has seen Jude Bellingham these past 10 years and it's not surprise as what he's doing. But perhaps they see him and are filled with pride and respect. Midlands clubs can sometimes be in the shadow of London and North West clubs. Even South Yorkshire has seemingly developed England's defence. But, the Midlands has always felt that it should be given more respect. With the emergence of Jack Grealish in recent years, and now Bellingham, Midlands football has shown that it can develop world class players. And when you add this in to Aston Villa winning the FA Youth Cup this last season, playing some fantastic football, along with having some exceptional individuals, and Midlands football looks to be in a very bright place. 

When I went to visit Blues Academy in 2014 It was clear then that they were one of the leading Academies in the country in developing top quality players. At that time Jude Bellingham was a name which excited but could he make the step up as he grew? They helped and supported him to get to where he is now. However the clubs is now in a existential crisis. And this is a real shame for young talent in the Midlands. 

If Blues shut their doors to 9-16's then they won't have the opportunity to find the next Bellingham at 8/9. He will be at Villa or West Brom instead! Yes perhaps a Walsall or Burton may decide that a 9-16's doesn't develop the level of player they desire, and would be better suited being a Cat 4 academy, focused solely on recruiting scholars at 16 years from local Cat 1 and 2's. But Blues should not be thinking like this! Not when you see players who have come through their Academy thriving on the top stage. 

The question for Blues now is what culture do they want to create? Do they think they can't compete with other local clubs? Personally I think they’d be foolish to close their 9-16s – a young Blues fan dreaming of being the next Bellingham, Nathan Redmond or Demari Gray – should not have to wait till they are 16 and have develop at another club first. 

Blues have a big recruitment pull, but the huge turnover and loss of so many key staff, the culture drivers, puts a lot of pressure on new Academy Director Paul Williams to deliver the same this next decade. A new era for Blues Academy awaits, they need to prove that this new era has similar beliefs, personalities and culture. It won't be easy to replicate. But one things for sure, they should not close their 9-16's - they develop too many young talented players to make that decision. They will regret it in the long term. 

 

 

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