By Aston
March 2 2008

Town manager Jim Magilton says standards are being raised on the pitch at Portman Road and if the younger players are to make it into the first team they will need to be good. Only one player from Town's starting line-up against Southampton (Richard Naylor) came through Town's academy and it looks set to stay like that unless the reserve league improves or the youngsters are of the highest calibre.

Jim: "The bar is being raised, if there are players who come through from our academy in similar fashion to the likes of Kieron Dyer and Richard Wright then they will be destined to go straight into the first team.

"But we are now in a situation where I want the youngsters to tick all the boxes before being considered for a first team place.

"In an ideal world they will progress through the youth teams to the reserves, but the lack of strength in our reserve fixtures now hampers this to an extent.

"A gradual process is good for the kids, but they must now reach higher standards to make the grade."

Source: EADT

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