Robson has been criticising Keegan this weekend for his abandonment of the reserve side. I have read that when Alex Ferguson joined Manure from Aberdeen they had only 5 scouts in the Greater Manchester area, Fergis increased that to around 17 and placed a similar responsibility on the scouts shoulders as Bobby did at Ipswich.

Hopefully, we will see some talent coming through the ranks at a quicker rate than in previous years. This is football club management.

"Any kid who was alive in the area was never going to play for Newcastle with that set-up so we lost an excellent player in Carrick through that." Robson is trying to develop the system at the Tyneside club and believes that youth development is key to success. He said: "When I was at Ipswich I drew a 60-mile radius around the town and said to my staff; 'If we lose any player in this area you might lose your job,' and we got every player in the area playing for their local club.

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001

Answers

Looks like they are all gona get the sack for letting Micheal Carricks 15 year old brother join West Ham at the end of this season.

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001

Keegan didn't dismantle the youth team, just the reserves. If you look at our reserves, for most you'd say whats the point of keeping them? & for those who may make the grade, do a Wham & send them to a nice sleepy seaside town (hang on Bournmouth is kicking). I was listening to the Torquay chairman saying that Wes Saunders went to every Prem & First div team to borrow players but the lads themselves don't want to go. If I were Bobby I'd like to send a fw of the promising players to the likes of Torquay as a "finishing school".

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001