Should Celtic follow Barcelona to bridge the development gap

Last week, I submitted an article and finished by posing the question, ‘How long can Celtic’s profile survive being in the SPL?’ In a 180 degree turnaround, this week, I’m asking ‘Should we be looking to enter a B team in the SFL?’

It is quite a swing but in the aftermath of Barcelona’s Champions League destruction of Manchester United the merits of a B team seem obvious. Valdes, Puyol, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, and Pedro all played for the youth teams then Barcelona B in either the Spanish 2nd or 3rd division before moving into the first team.

Guardiola, Pepe Reina, Ivan de la Pena, Luis Garcia, Jordi Cruyff, Giovani dos Santos, Thiago Motta, Bojan Krkic, and Jeffren Suarez, a player we are continually linked with, have also played for Barcelona B.

Without this set up, how many of these Champions League winners would have left Barcelona much earlier in their careers and failed to realise their potential? Of course, there is the argument that class will always prove itself but the point is, a B team allows for the extra time that is needed with some players.

Now I’m not suggesting that having a B team will turn us into champions of Europe and lead to a conveyor belt of world beaters at Lennoxtown. However, the loss of the reserve league has made it extremely difficult for young players at Celtic to breakthrough into the first team and has us scrambling all over the world looking for players.

This B team would be the bridge between the under 19’s and the first team and allow the development of players outside the cut-throat, must-win environment of Celtic Park.

Currently bridging that gap is extremely difficult. Aiden McGeady and James Forrest are the most obvious exceptions but take a look at Matty Hughes. He captained our under 19s to a double in May but now finds himself at Fleetwood Town in the Conference.

No doubt Fleetwood Town are just as big, if not bigger, than some SPL clubs but surely a B team would give the likes of Hughes a greater chance to succeed at Celtic and also give Celtic a greater chance of recouping some of the money, time and effort afforded these players.

These days we rely on the loan system but how many players have come back from a loan spell and flourished at Celtic Park? Does anyone really hold out much hope for Darren O’Dea, Paul McGowan, Morten Rasmussen, Ben Hutchison, Josh Thompson, Graham Carey, Richie Towell and the like.

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There’s obviously no guarantee they’d make the grade by playing for Celtic B but having them train day in, day out with Celtic coaches would surely leave the club in a better position to assess their strengths and weaknesses than by having them play for the likes of Lincoln City and Rochdale.

I would suggest any such set up would be available only to players who have come through the youth ranks. Young players could receive better coaching for longer and have a greater opportunity to fulfil the potential that saw Celtic sign them in the first place. In Spain Barcelona B cannot gain entry to La Liga, and that should be the case here as well.

The logistics of entering a second team may be difficult to overcome but given the financial state of the Scottish game, I’m sure opportunities will arise in the near future and given incidents such as Gretna’s replacement of Airdrie and Airdrie United’s subsequent takeover of Clydebank, precedents have been set.

Another option may be to set up a link with a small club either in Scotland or Ireland. Many of these clubs start from scratch each season regarding their playing squad. Could Celtic offer their players and coaches and start a genuine feeder club system as has been mooted with other clubs?

Now, I realise some fans reading this will claim it’s Celtic arrogance and we think we can do whatever we want so I’ll re-iterate, I’m not suggesting hostile takeovers, I’m merely acknowledging the state of our game and suggesting Celtic could help themselves, and most likely other clubs who would see more fans through their gates.

A counter-argument here, may be the possiblity of dividing the support and cutting the away attendances in SPL games. But maybe that would force your Killies and Motherwell’s to get their own house in order and stop ripping off Celtic fans.

Neil Lennon has done reasonably well in the transfer market securing Izzy and Kayal from Honduras and Israel respectively. To be honest however, these were gambles that paid off and that’s not always the case.

The Efrain Juarez situation being a prime example. As we struggle to compete with some Championship, never mind EPL, teams for transfer fees and wages, surely we need to pursue all avenues towards securing our assets and giving them the space and opportunity to flourish. I believe most fans would much rather see young lads who have come through the ranks given a chance over many of the foreigners we’ve had to endure.

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Do you have a passion for football, writing and Celtic? VideoCelts is looking to expand over the coming months. This article from Joe Quinn, a Celtic fan in South Korea, is one of a number where supporters can articulate their feelings and gain a great platform to join the expanding online Celtic community. Drop an email to videocelts@snack-media.com