Football today is all about results and it is quite apparent that most clubs would rather go with the tried and tested method of recruiting established players to fill their team as they set their sights on trophies. Only a handful of youth talents gets a look-in, especially when you look at teams near the top of the table.
However, a few clubs have managers who are willing to take a gamble on the potential and skills of youngsters to form a team. We’ve seen it before with the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger investing their faith in inexperienced youth who eventually came good to varying degrees of success.
We look at five such teams who have had youngsters make up the core of the team and deliver in the 2016/17 season.
5) Borussia Dortmund: 3rd in Bundesliga
After winning two consecutive Bundesliga titles prior to Bayern Munich’s dominance, Borussia Dortmund have failed to establish themselves as a force to reckon with in both Germany and Europe. Three consecutive losses in the DFB-Pokal have not helped their cause either.
Bayern Munich have also repeatedly thrust a dagger between their ribs time and again by signing their best players and last summer was also no different. While it’s impossible to blame Mats Hummels for moving back home, Die Borussen also saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan move to Manchester United following his finest season in a Dortmund shirt with 11 goals and 15 assists in the league.
But Thomas Tuchel has kept the ship from sinking and last summer saw Dortmund quietly sign a number of so-called squad players to create a team capable of competing at the highest level. While a disillusioned Mario Gotze returned, Ousmane Dembele (19) and Raphael Guerreiro (23) were signed from Ligue 1. The signings of Marc Bartra (26) in defence and Andre Schurrle (26) in attack also added some experience to the squad.
Dembele is one of the most exciting teenagers in Europe this season and already has 11 assists this season – the second-highest in Bundesliga. He is capably supported by Julian Weigl (21) in central midfield, whose pass accuracy is nearly 90%, and American prodigy Christian Pulisic (18), who has three goals and six assists in the league. And let’s not forget young Emre Mor (19) on the wing.
Matthias Ginter (23) and Guerreiro have also impressed in defence and midfield respectively. And the future looks good at Westfalenstadion with Mahmoud Dahoud (21) arriving at the club and Alexander Isak (17) set to play more first-team football under Tuchel next season.
4) OGC Nice: 3rd in Ligue 1
It has been decades since Ligue 1 club OGC Nice were ever considered a relevant threat to the established order. Their last league title in the top flight was way back in 1959 – their fourth title in eight years in what was their last period of dominance in France.
In 2014/15, Nice had finished in the bottom half of the table (11th). Last season saw a resurgence where they finished fourth and qualified for the Europa League. This season, they are assured of a top three finish, confirming their place in the Champions League next season – either in the group stages or the qualifiers.
Mario Balotelli (26) may have stolen all the headlines this season thanks to his 13 league goals but manager Lucien Favre deserves a lot of credit for putting his faith in youngsters who have shone in the league. While most teams prefer to go with experience at the back, Nice’s defence has plenty of youngsters who have stood toe-to-toe with the rest of France.
Goalkeeper Yoan Cardinale (23) has played all but two league games while the versatility of Ricardo Pereira (23) and Dalbert (23) have allowed Favre to deploy them either as full-backs or wing-backs.
Wylan Cyprien (22) was signed from Ligue 2 side Lens to slot into a central midfield role while his partner Vincent Koziello (21) has a passing accuracy of 92% that makes him one of the finest passers in Europe this season.
When Claude Puel moved to Southampton to start his own project last summer, not many gave Nice a fighting chance. But the kids have done alright under Favre and they have given French giants PSG and Moncao a run for their money this season.
3) RB Leipzig: 2nd in Bundesliga
In 2013/14, RB Leipzig celebrated promotion from the third tier to the second tier of German football. Last season saw them finish second and gain promotion to the Bundesliga. This year, they topped the Bundesliga table for three weeks.
Playing like Leicester City sure has become quite fashionable these days but the club have not been welcome in most Bundesliga grounds thanks to their sponsors – a stark contrast to the way other community-run clubs in the country.
Ralph Hasenhuttl came in last summer and he has run a tight ship. The team were unbeaten in the first 13 games that saw them top the table before losses to FC Ingolstadt and Bayern Munich brought them back down to earth.
A lot of their success has been down to Timo Werner (21) who has led the line and scored 17 goals so far in the league. He is yet to grab a hat-trick this season but he has consistently found the net. He is also the youngest among the top 10 goalscorers in Bundesliga this season, sitting behind only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Robert Lewandowski and Anthony Modeste – all of whom have scored more than 20 goals.
Naby Keita (22) in central midfield and Marcel Sabitzer (23) – who has played in the front three and in midfield – have also impressed even though Hasenhuttl has deployed different formations, including the outrageous 4-2-2-2 formation that has been standard formation this season. Bernardo (21) at right-back has also been integral to the formation while Werner’s occasional strike partner Yussuf Poulsen (22) can also not be ignored.
Having qualified for the Champions League in their first attempt and pushing Bayern in the title race that is usually wrapped up in April by the Bavarian giants, Leipzig are a breath of fresh air in the league even if the other teams take their time to adapt to the ever-changing economy of football club ownership.
2) Tottenham Hotspur: 2nd in Premier League
Prior to Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival at White Hart Lane, Tottenham Hotspur were the eternal bridesmaids when it came to qualifying for the Champions League. They were always pushed out of the way in one way or another but have now found some consistency in their performances to make the top four.
Playing in Europe has pretty much been Arsenal’s birthright in the last two decades but Spurs could be the lone north London team to compete in the Champions League next season. The Lilywhites are currently second in the Premier League and could even reel in Chelsea if results go their way.
An FA Cup semi-final loss to the Blues ensured one trophy would not be heading to the Lane but Pochettino can now focus on the league with the squad he has shaped and nurtured over the past two seasons.
Leading the line is Harry Kane (23) who has now scored at least 20 goals in three consecutive Premier League seasons to put him in the same league as Alan shearer, Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy. After initially benching stars such as Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor two seasons ago, Kane is now top dog at Spurs.
His partner-in-crime Dele Alli (21) recently picked up the PFA Young Player of the Year award for the second year running and many were of the firm opinion that he deserved to be nominated for the Player of the Year award too for his 16 goals and five assists this season.
Eric Dier (23) is also Pochettino’s trump card and he plays him either in defence or midfield depending on whether the Argentine manager plays a three-man defence or the standard four at the back.
With Christian Eriksen (25) and Son Heung-Min (24) also yet to really hit their peak and defenders in their mid-to-late 20s, this Spurs squad has a core of players that can accomplish great things if they stick together for the foreseeable future. The oldest player in their best XI is goalkeeper Hugo Lloris who is only 30 years old.
The only complaint one can have is their performances in Europe. In spite of working so hard to qualify for Europe, they have failed in the Champions League and Europa League as they re-prioritise qualifying for Europe rather than competing in Europe in the second half of the season.
1) AS Monaco: 1st in Ligue 1
Most of France rejoiced as one as the hegemony in Ligue 1 was put to an end following the rise of two clubs to challenge Paris Saint-Germain. Nice was on, AS Monaco were the other.
No longer funded by a cash-rich owner, Monaco had to change tack to fall in line with their curtailed spending and Leonardo Jardim was the chosen one to enforce the new philosophy at the club. He needed to build a team without loosening the purse strings and he succeeded – and then some. While Radamel Falcao has regained his goalscoring touch following two nightmarish seasons in the Premier League, it is the supporting cast that requires special attention.
At the back is summer signing Benjamin Mendy (22) who was bought from Marseille. His crossing and dribbling have been instrumental while Tiemoue Bakayoko (22) in a central position has given the team some steel in midfield where he averaged over three interceptions a game in the Champions League this season.
His role has been key to liberating Fabinho (23) in attack and the Brazilian has nine goals and four assists in the league and Europe this season as a result. Thomas Lemar (21) and Bernardo Silva (22) have also been exciting to watch on either flank supporting the two midfielders and the forwards up front with their pace and attacking instincts. Silva has also occasionally played in Joao Moutinho’s role behind the striker.
Finally, up front is the toast of Europe at the moment – Kylian Mbappe (18). The teenager has the world at his feet with 23 goals in all competitions so far. While every other French forward with pace has been compared to Thierry Henry in the past, Mbappe could be the real deal and even resembles the Arsenal and France legend who tore defences apart with his electric pace.
Monaco have been in top spot ever since Ligue 1 resumed after the winter break. PSG are tied with the side from the principality on 80 points but Jardim’s side still has a game in hand. What’s more, they are in the semi-finals of the Champions League and Coupe de France. Is a treble on the cards?
