Post by Macmoish on Sept 15, 2010 8:35:13 GMT
Interesting how he looks after his players. Not just to sell them. But that they will thrive when he sells them.
Interesting note re QPR's Doyle (who did nothing after signing for QPR: One of the few Crewe players bought back then who did NOT flourish!)
This is Staffordshire -Crewe Alex: Gradi issues 'hands-off' warning to Nick Powell suitors
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PREMIER League managers can forget their pursuit of Crewe's teenage prodigy Nick Powell unless they can offer him first-team football, writes Gwyn Griffiths.
That's the message from Alex boss Dario Gradi after a Sunday newspaper claimed Arsene Wenger was preparing a £2m raid for the promising 16-year-old, who has so far made just two substitute appearances for the Alex.
The Arsenal boss has tracked Powell's progress through England's youth teams and the Alex academy are well aware the interest hasn't gone away.
Yet Gradi insists he will handle the striker's situation in a similar fashion to former Crewe defender Rob Jones, pictured below, who eventually joined Liverpool in 1991.
"It doesn't matter what they offer, the question is always 'is he going to play in the first team'. If the answer is 'no' then the conversation won't go any further," Gradi said.
"That is our policy and it was the same with Rob Jones. The first time Liverpool asked about him they weren't going to put him in the side, so the discussions didn't go any further.
"The next time they asked, Graham Souness told me he would be marking Ryan Giggs in that Sunday's TV game and so the deal was done."
Gradi bitterly regrets letting another of his proteges, Maurice Doyle, slip away prematurely to QPR back in 1989.
Doyle, then 19, went on to make only six appearances for the Londoners, although he did resurrect his career at Millwall.
Sunday's report claimed the Crewe-born Powell has already been the subject of a £1 million bid from Arsenal and that Wenger was determined to double his bid in next January's transfer window.
But Gradi, who agreed a long-term deal with the teenager and his family five months ago, says he has had no contact from Wenger or anyone at Arsenal.
"It wouldn't really matter anyway," he added. "We wouldn't want one of our youngsters moving unless they were going to play in the first team. That's been our policy over the years.
"I don't know whether this is paper talk, but my recruitment officer says the same.
"However, I'm not expecting any phone calls about Nick. He's still got a bit to do to be in our first team.
"The supporters always like to see these kids coming through – and they're not pleased if they then only get to see them once or twice."
Sandbach School pupil Powell made his Crewe debut in their League Two defeat at Cheltenham Town on August 14, coming on as a second half substitute for Clayton Donaldson.
He has represented England at under-16s and under-17s level and scored two goals during a four-team tournament also featuring Portugal, Turkey and Australia last month.
www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/sport/Crewe-Alex-Gradi-issues-hands-warning-Powell-suitors/article-2645377-detail/article.html
Interesting note re QPR's Doyle (who did nothing after signing for QPR: One of the few Crewe players bought back then who did NOT flourish!)
This is Staffordshire -Crewe Alex: Gradi issues 'hands-off' warning to Nick Powell suitors
< Previous 1 2 3 Next >
PREMIER League managers can forget their pursuit of Crewe's teenage prodigy Nick Powell unless they can offer him first-team football, writes Gwyn Griffiths.
That's the message from Alex boss Dario Gradi after a Sunday newspaper claimed Arsene Wenger was preparing a £2m raid for the promising 16-year-old, who has so far made just two substitute appearances for the Alex.
The Arsenal boss has tracked Powell's progress through England's youth teams and the Alex academy are well aware the interest hasn't gone away.
Yet Gradi insists he will handle the striker's situation in a similar fashion to former Crewe defender Rob Jones, pictured below, who eventually joined Liverpool in 1991.
"It doesn't matter what they offer, the question is always 'is he going to play in the first team'. If the answer is 'no' then the conversation won't go any further," Gradi said.
"That is our policy and it was the same with Rob Jones. The first time Liverpool asked about him they weren't going to put him in the side, so the discussions didn't go any further.
"The next time they asked, Graham Souness told me he would be marking Ryan Giggs in that Sunday's TV game and so the deal was done."
Gradi bitterly regrets letting another of his proteges, Maurice Doyle, slip away prematurely to QPR back in 1989.
Doyle, then 19, went on to make only six appearances for the Londoners, although he did resurrect his career at Millwall.
Sunday's report claimed the Crewe-born Powell has already been the subject of a £1 million bid from Arsenal and that Wenger was determined to double his bid in next January's transfer window.
But Gradi, who agreed a long-term deal with the teenager and his family five months ago, says he has had no contact from Wenger or anyone at Arsenal.
"It wouldn't really matter anyway," he added. "We wouldn't want one of our youngsters moving unless they were going to play in the first team. That's been our policy over the years.
"I don't know whether this is paper talk, but my recruitment officer says the same.
"However, I'm not expecting any phone calls about Nick. He's still got a bit to do to be in our first team.
"The supporters always like to see these kids coming through – and they're not pleased if they then only get to see them once or twice."
Sandbach School pupil Powell made his Crewe debut in their League Two defeat at Cheltenham Town on August 14, coming on as a second half substitute for Clayton Donaldson.
He has represented England at under-16s and under-17s level and scored two goals during a four-team tournament also featuring Portugal, Turkey and Australia last month.
www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/sport/Crewe-Alex-Gradi-issues-hands-warning-Powell-suitors/article-2645377-detail/article.html
