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Wanderers are to make big changes at their academy this summer, including stepping down from category two to category three and axing their Under-23s team – but why?
MARC ILES talks to head of football operations Tobias Phoenix and CEO Emma Beaugeard to find out...
Q – What has triggered the decision to step down from a category two to category three academy?
Tobias Phoenix: “Some of it was the age expectancy of our first team players. If we are a Premier League or a Championship club and stacked with internationals, solid in all the positions, the age expectancy of a player making our first team is going to be higher – i.e. 20, 21, 22, barring the odd exception. The vehicle between 18s and the first team, to a degree, is more important.
“We are about to live in the realms of League Two or League One, so our age expectancy in the first team is going to be lower.
Q – Will there be job losses as a part of the process?
Emma Beaugeard: “There is going to be a restructure and we can’t comment in detail on what the outcome will be because we are still working on what that will look like, mitigating as many losses as we can.
“We will follow through the consultation process and you can’t predict how that is going to go. We want to walk people through this in the best, kindest, professional way available to us because these guys really deserve that.
Q – Is this decision to step down the level of academy tied to the probable relegation to League Two or a more long-term vision?
TP: “It’s a combination of both. The initial conversation started, and it’s fair to say it was well down the road, before I came in with it.
“There is a very good case to say that with our age expectancy being that little bit lower we need a local men’s football experience for these boys as that bridge, as opposed to harbouring them in a 23s system.
“Our view is that we need to get first team football into these boys, be it our own first team or another environment somewhere that can prepare them to come back.
“We’d like to develop that locally, so we have places that we can farm players out with trusted staff and a standard of football that we think is conducive to their development. We think the importance of winning and wanting to win on a Saturday is far better than the 23s. I don’t think many people would say that the level is particularly competitive, some games more than others.
“Equally we have found that through the lack of competitiveness at Under-23s level it has been hard for our pros to step down to get that match sharpness back.
Q – Will players who are returning from injury suffer for there being no Under-23s team?
TP: “We can put bounce games on and there are reserve cup games that still run.
“There will be areas that you can critique and say it is open to debate, i.e. where do those players get minutes? But the knock-on question is about where do you create that competitive football and that has got to come from within, and I think if you are not having to fulfil that fixture on a weekly basis then it is easier to do that.
Q – Several scholars are currently deemed ‘Under-23s’ including some of the youngsters who started the season. What happens to them?
TP: “They are all under the club banner at the moment and in the same way we will make decisions on first team players, the same will be applied to the kids.
“If they are of the right athletic profile with the right playing characteristics and the right desire to play for this football club then they are in with a good shout.
“Ultimately if they are not – be it a first teamer on good money or a kid on apprentice money – then they will be looking elsewhere.
Q – What is your role overall, Tobias, but specifically in regard to the academy changes?
TP: “My role is head of football and all things football.
“We need to get to a position where the football club is aligned. I think that is important.
“The grassroots have to filter nicely into the academy and the academy has to filter nicely into the first team. Some of that is making sure we have the right player traits, although some we obviously polish as we go. We need the right people and characters in our groups and that is identified at the earliest stages and brought through.
“The plan is to go back to basics, redefine what a Bolton Wanderers player looks like, and what a Bolton Wanderers team looks like on a Saturday.
“I am not suggesting we go solely down this road – but for example, if you play against a Burnley side on a Saturday at any age group, you know what it looks like.
“I am not saying we are turning into a Burnley side but I do want people to know that when you play against Bolton Wanderers, win, lose or draw, in any of the academy groups, you know what it looks like.
“I will be overseeing that and implementing some of the changes but ultimately it will be the staff who carry it on. I will be dealing with the first team down, sitting in between the first team management and the board, so I haven’t got all the hours to be doing solely academy stuff.
“I will be involved in the conversations with staff about implementing change and polishing what we already do very well and then overseeing things from there on in.”
Q – Has Peter Kenyon played a role in these changes and can you clarify his position?
TP: “Peter Kenyon is a business and football consultant to the board.
“He is a huge name in football and has a big profile. He is a huge draw to this football club and what he doesn’t know isn’t really worth knowing.”
Q – To what level does stepping down a level in the academy leave you at a disadvantage?
TP: “The categories are semi-irrelevant in terms of what you actually bring through.
“People will bring you pros and cons – the obvious advantage of a category one club are the fixtures.
“But if you are a clever family or a clever player and looking at getting into a first team sooner then I think you are better off coming here.
“Games in a football league is the currency that gets you a career. Games in the Under-23s gets you nothing in the grander scheme of things.
“If you are in Bolton’s first team at 17 or 18 then your currency and stock is much higher – Dennis Politic is a great example. He is going to be worth good money because he is developing in a man’s environment in front of 12,000 people on a Saturday. If he’s at a category one club, arguably he’s the star of the Under-23s.
“Dennis has got a really good platform for himself going forward. He has gone away to Salford and done it, come back here and played in League One. But at 19 he would be one of a group of stars in a category one academy and maybe a Carabao Cup appearance at best. The games are the currency.”
Q – Rob Holding would be a classic example of a ‘late bloomer’ – do you run the risk of missing out on that type of player?
TP: “There are examples, I can’t deny that.
“More often or not if you are physically mature and you are mentally mature enough, the 23s vehicle has got a shorter lifespan. But if you are not physically or mentally mature, a later bloomer, then you might need that extra time in the system.
“If you are going to be brought into men’s football then you don’t want to be introduced to it when you are 22 because then when you get released, where do you go?
Q – Will the amount of coaching time given to players change?
TP: “That is not going to change. The only obvious change is going to be 23s and the fixtures.
“Time on the grass is going to be the same – but we are also looking into a hybrid route that will actually give us more contact time with the Under-15s and 16s.
“We need to go into further detail with the parents and local schools but the emphasis will be on us creating extra time to further accelerate the 15s and 16s with a view to getting them into the 18s and then the first team.”
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MARC ILES talks to head of football operations Tobias Phoenix and CEO Emma Beaugeard to find out...
Q – What has triggered the decision to step down from a category two to category three academy?
Tobias Phoenix: “Some of it was the age expectancy of our first team players. If we are a Premier League or a Championship club and stacked with internationals, solid in all the positions, the age expectancy of a player making our first team is going to be higher – i.e. 20, 21, 22, barring the odd exception. The vehicle between 18s and the first team, to a degree, is more important.
“We are about to live in the realms of League Two or League One, so our age expectancy in the first team is going to be lower.
Q – Will there be job losses as a part of the process?
Emma Beaugeard: “There is going to be a restructure and we can’t comment in detail on what the outcome will be because we are still working on what that will look like, mitigating as many losses as we can.
“We will follow through the consultation process and you can’t predict how that is going to go. We want to walk people through this in the best, kindest, professional way available to us because these guys really deserve that.
Q – Is this decision to step down the level of academy tied to the probable relegation to League Two or a more long-term vision?
TP: “It’s a combination of both. The initial conversation started, and it’s fair to say it was well down the road, before I came in with it.
“There is a very good case to say that with our age expectancy being that little bit lower we need a local men’s football experience for these boys as that bridge, as opposed to harbouring them in a 23s system.
“Our view is that we need to get first team football into these boys, be it our own first team or another environment somewhere that can prepare them to come back.
“We’d like to develop that locally, so we have places that we can farm players out with trusted staff and a standard of football that we think is conducive to their development. We think the importance of winning and wanting to win on a Saturday is far better than the 23s. I don’t think many people would say that the level is particularly competitive, some games more than others.
“Equally we have found that through the lack of competitiveness at Under-23s level it has been hard for our pros to step down to get that match sharpness back.
Q – Will players who are returning from injury suffer for there being no Under-23s team?
TP: “We can put bounce games on and there are reserve cup games that still run.
“There will be areas that you can critique and say it is open to debate, i.e. where do those players get minutes? But the knock-on question is about where do you create that competitive football and that has got to come from within, and I think if you are not having to fulfil that fixture on a weekly basis then it is easier to do that.
Q – Several scholars are currently deemed ‘Under-23s’ including some of the youngsters who started the season. What happens to them?
TP: “They are all under the club banner at the moment and in the same way we will make decisions on first team players, the same will be applied to the kids.
“If they are of the right athletic profile with the right playing characteristics and the right desire to play for this football club then they are in with a good shout.
“Ultimately if they are not – be it a first teamer on good money or a kid on apprentice money – then they will be looking elsewhere.
Q – What is your role overall, Tobias, but specifically in regard to the academy changes?
TP: “My role is head of football and all things football.
“We need to get to a position where the football club is aligned. I think that is important.
“The grassroots have to filter nicely into the academy and the academy has to filter nicely into the first team. Some of that is making sure we have the right player traits, although some we obviously polish as we go. We need the right people and characters in our groups and that is identified at the earliest stages and brought through.
“The plan is to go back to basics, redefine what a Bolton Wanderers player looks like, and what a Bolton Wanderers team looks like on a Saturday.
“I am not suggesting we go solely down this road – but for example, if you play against a Burnley side on a Saturday at any age group, you know what it looks like.
“I am not saying we are turning into a Burnley side but I do want people to know that when you play against Bolton Wanderers, win, lose or draw, in any of the academy groups, you know what it looks like.
“I will be overseeing that and implementing some of the changes but ultimately it will be the staff who carry it on. I will be dealing with the first team down, sitting in between the first team management and the board, so I haven’t got all the hours to be doing solely academy stuff.
“I will be involved in the conversations with staff about implementing change and polishing what we already do very well and then overseeing things from there on in.”
Q – Has Peter Kenyon played a role in these changes and can you clarify his position?
TP: “Peter Kenyon is a business and football consultant to the board.
“He is a huge name in football and has a big profile. He is a huge draw to this football club and what he doesn’t know isn’t really worth knowing.”
Q – To what level does stepping down a level in the academy leave you at a disadvantage?
TP: “The categories are semi-irrelevant in terms of what you actually bring through.
“People will bring you pros and cons – the obvious advantage of a category one club are the fixtures.
“But if you are a clever family or a clever player and looking at getting into a first team sooner then I think you are better off coming here.
“Games in a football league is the currency that gets you a career. Games in the Under-23s gets you nothing in the grander scheme of things.
“If you are in Bolton’s first team at 17 or 18 then your currency and stock is much higher – Dennis Politic is a great example. He is going to be worth good money because he is developing in a man’s environment in front of 12,000 people on a Saturday. If he’s at a category one club, arguably he’s the star of the Under-23s.
“Dennis has got a really good platform for himself going forward. He has gone away to Salford and done it, come back here and played in League One. But at 19 he would be one of a group of stars in a category one academy and maybe a Carabao Cup appearance at best. The games are the currency.”
Q – Rob Holding would be a classic example of a ‘late bloomer’ – do you run the risk of missing out on that type of player?
TP: “There are examples, I can’t deny that.
“More often or not if you are physically mature and you are mentally mature enough, the 23s vehicle has got a shorter lifespan. But if you are not physically or mentally mature, a later bloomer, then you might need that extra time in the system.
“If you are going to be brought into men’s football then you don’t want to be introduced to it when you are 22 because then when you get released, where do you go?
Q – Will the amount of coaching time given to players change?
TP: “That is not going to change. The only obvious change is going to be 23s and the fixtures.
“Time on the grass is going to be the same – but we are also looking into a hybrid route that will actually give us more contact time with the Under-15s and 16s.
“We need to go into further detail with the parents and local schools but the emphasis will be on us creating extra time to further accelerate the 15s and 16s with a view to getting them into the 18s and then the first team.”
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