I think expecting to grow your own players is a fools folly personally.
Look at the squads around the league, they have 1 or 2 "homegrown" players in them, we have City, Utd, Liverpool, also now the likes of Burnley to a lesser extent in our catchment area.
As for proven right, the only thing that is correct is that good scouting is whats really important.
Im the easiest person to vault on this forum, im wrong, a lot, its not a problem, my goal isnt to be right on the internet, its just to chat utter biscuits with utter mentals who share the same teams as me.
So just take your vaulting like a man.
Good luck to the boy Chermo.
If selling Lukaku and replacing him with DCL (who we developed) isnt a tick for developing players im not sure what is...the same goes for all the young players we sign and develop up to a high standard...or those who come through the ranks and we sell on for profit.
On the flip side, looking at the 5 or whatever list of names I put down and comparing them to signing one young Lukaku -- you go for Lukaku every single time.
Thats also proven by seeing what those players have done in comparison and their total fees combined compared with his sale figure.
So to somehow disagree with my posts from years ago is a bit silly.
Zats post mainly named Everton youth players, that had come through the youth system at Everton.
It depends what you mean by home-grown.
As far as Premier League rules are concerned? No.
If we bring Chermo into the side and he turns into a very good player, who would you credit for that?
Players dont need to be home grown for the 'developed' label.
Chermiti is classed as 'raw', hes coming into the club at the same age as DCL was and probably will have and need a similar amount of development work to reach his potential.
SImilar can be said for Branthwaite, Patterson, Onana, Garner and even to a far lesser extent McNeil.
Young players who come into the club that are not playing at the top level and are put into the team/squad and have tailored development plans to hopefully reach their potential.
You look at Rooney for United, or Ronaldo. When 'most' everyday fans ask them who their first club was most would probably say United.
We keep these players and build a top quality team, supplemented with new young players and the odd experienced signing. Or we sell them for profit.
There is no other way to compete with the top sides.