We all have an idea of what advantage looks like. Maybe it’s a prestigious squad, a renowned academy, or a private school.
But, what if the game these organisations were playing was based on scarcity. If only the very best of the best came away with an advantage. Would that change how you see the advantage?
Micah Richards has this insight into how the modern game of football is changing for young players.
“From 1998, when the (Manchester) City academy opened, until the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008, 26 players went from the youth team to the first team, and 20 of us started at least one competitive match.
If you look at the number of academy players who made their senior debut for City between 2008 and the start of this season there are 44, which seems pretty good on paper, with 32 of them starting a game.
But dig a little deeper and only 16 made more than one start, and so far only four players have made more than 20, including Foden, who leads by a long way with 74.
Compare that to my day, when only three of the 20 players were given just one start. Eight of us made more than 20 and, between us, we made a total of 998 starts for City alone, compared to only 212 from those that have followed.
Having a small squad meant we got a proper chance and having a bad game was not the end for us, but it is a different story now.”
The probability of success is not the same as the story of success. As parents, it pays to be clear which one we are paying attention to.