Futbol Chronicles: Manchester City's Youth To Bring Huge Successes

There are two good reasons for football fans throughout the whole of England to watch out for Manchester City: Ownership and the club's overly talented academy players.

Perhaps there are those of you so-called football purists who laugh at the mention of the name Manchester City. But be warned, for it will only be a matter of time before City can make the case that they, along with Arsenal are promising big things between the two for the next five to 10 years.

Manchester City could be light years ahead thanks in part to their amazing academy, one which boasts some of the most impressive line of young talent ever to be assemble in English football. 

At least several or more of these academy players including academy grads Kieran Trippier, Clayton McDonald, Ben Mee, Ryan McGovern, and Vlad Weiss are capable of holding down a senior squad place.

Notable former academy players Steven Ireland, Shawn Wright Phillips, and Michael Johnson are the best example of homegrown talent who have successfully come up through the ranks at the Eastlands while establishing themselves.

What's even more amazing about the Manchester City development is the lack of media and public recognition of the Manchester's football program.

Most people are not only dismissive of City, but some would go as far as to say that Manchester City just don't have the history.

What many of these people don't realize is that Manchester City have a history of producing players and great teams, but as usual were never mentioned in the same pot as Liverpool or Manchester United.

Well, history has a funny way of revising itself. 

Arsenal are in a similar position, with many of their academy grads or signed young talent suddenly making a play on the senior squad.

Like Man City, Arsene Wenger's Arsenal club have formed perhaps an impressive array of young talent who have made the jump to the Premier League quite early.

Gibbs, Ramsay, Wilshire, and Theo Walcott all make up an impressive core of youth enthused into Arsene Wenger's plans for the future. Arsenal are steaming ahead with the plan to invest in youth of the future, a promising and exciting scenario of which only a handful of English clubs, most notably Manchester City, can truly match.

It is only a matter of time before Manchester City and Arsenal can make the quick transformation from average performers of the last few seasons to perennial contenders for Premier League honors.

Another club that shouldn't be counted out at the expense of both City and Arsenal are Chelsea. Chelsea as well have an impressive live of talent on the come up, but for the sake of this article, I won't talk much about the lads from London.

Liverpool and Manchester United are the dominant players now, but the future prospects of both of these clubs remains to be seen at best. Alex Ferguson is a true admirer of younger talent, but there seems to be a disturbing trend of young academy grads signing to other clubs.

Fraizer Campbell, Eagles, Luke Chadwick, Kieran Richardson, and a host of others who have made impressions at United saw their stock being raised at other clubs.

Foreign youth such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Anderson, and now recent signed from Italy Federico Macheda are more likely to keep a starting place at Old Tradford than the average English academy grad. 

Liverpool are even worse off, with the most notable grad Steven Gerrard already entering his prime and his early 30s.

There hasn't been another homegrown player who reached the ranks in similar fashion like Carragher and Gerrard, and that has to worry Rafael Benitez and Pool supporters alike.

West Ham United, Manchester United and City have set the bar alike when it comes to youth development at the English level.

Bobby Moore, Hurst, Charlton, Ince, Rush, Lampard Jr, Ferdinand, Cole, Best, Beckham, Neville brothers, Scholes, Wright Phillips, Ireland, Johnson, and many others have found their stock rise through these clubs.

Time will only tell if Manchester City and Arsenal can replicate or even duplicate Manchester United's success of bringing high-calibre homegrown players into the system. 

Time will surely tell.