Tottenham academy struggles explained as source reveals Mauricio Pochettino ‘big blow’
Tottenham’s struggles to bring through new players from the academy stem from a change made under Mauricio Pochettino, it has been revealed.
Dane Scarlett was called up to train with the England first team last month, with the young striker representing one of the two academy graduates in Thomas Frank‘s squad.
The other, Brandon Austin, is yet to feature in goal this season and has made just three Tottenham appearances in his career so far.
Mikey Moore is on loan at Rangers, and perhaps presents the closest Tottenham academy player to make a serious impact in the first team.
After a slow start to his time at Ibrox, Moore has started to perform under Danny Rohl at Rangers, although the youngster has been struck down by a recent injury.
Source reveals communication issues at the Tottenham academy level
Tottenham’s decision to sell Troy Parrott has been branded a mistake, after the striker scored a hat-trick on international duty for Ireland this week.
The 23-year-old was sold in the summer of 2024 for a nominal fee, after several loans had failed to earn the forward a place in the first team.
But Parrott is only one example of the lack of communication at Tottenham when it comes to academy players.
| Troy Parrott – Career moves | Season |
| AZ Alkmaar (Permanent – £6.7m) | 2024-25 |
| Excelsior (Loan) | 2023-24 |
| Preston North End (Loan) | 2022-23 |
| MK Dons (Loan) | 2021-22 |
| Ipswich Town (Loan) | 2020-21 |
| Millwall (Loan) | 2020-21 |
The Telegraph reported on Sunday that a lack of joined-up thinking has been evident since Mauricio Pochettino was in charge.
A source told the newspaper that Pochettino would involve former academy manager John McDermott in everything. “John would be in every meeting,” the source explained.
“So Mauricio would know exactly who was coming through the academy and John could suggest pathways for players.
“Daniel (Levy) would find out about a young player if he happened to be in one of the meetings and Mauricio and John were talking about him.
“That dynamic changed after Mauricio was sacked and then John left to join the FA, which was a big blow for the academy and took them a long time to start recovering from.”
- Read more: Luca Williams-Barnett to leave Tottenham on loan in January amid latest Premier League announcement
Tottenham at risk of losing latest academy starlet
As Chelsea have learned in the case of Rio Ngumoha, signing young talents to bolster your ranks is all well and good, until it costs the opportunities of your own.
Tottenham have taken a similar strategy with the signings of Luka Vuskovic, Lucas Bergvall, and Mason Melia, while a player making waves in the academy awaits his first opportunities.
Luca Williams-Barnett has enjoyed a stunning start to the campaign, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists in just 12 appearances across all competitions.
Despite playing four years above his age level, the 17-year-old has scored six goals and provided four assists in just seven Premier League 2 outings.
Yet Frank has handed Williams-Barnett just three minutes for the senior team this season, against Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup.
For context, Max Dowman, who is thought of in a similar light, has already made five appearances for the Arsenal first team this season, despite being two years younger.
Such is the demand for young talent in the current game, Williams-Barnett will not wait forever. It is up to Frank and Tottenham to show the England youth international that the opportunities are there.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Tottenham Hotspur news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @tottenhamnews247