Brentford Development Squad Manager Jon De Souza said the policy of sending young players out on loan during the 2013/14 season had been “really successful”.
Many of the players from the Under-21 squad went out on loan in the season that has just concluded.
Luke Norris scored goals in Sky Bet League Two while Aaron Pierre helped Wycombe Wanderers avoid relegation from the same division, earning himself a contract with the Buckinghamshire side in the process.
Emmanuel Oyeleke spent the season at Skrill Premier Aldershot Town while a spell for Charlie Adams at Barnet earned him promotion to Brentford’s First Team squad.
Alfie Mawson, Tyrell Miller-Rodney, Joe Maloney and Josh Clarke also had spells out on loan.
Jon, during an extensive end-of-season interview with Bees Player, said he had watched the players and had reports when he couldn’t.
He added Brentford Manager Mark Warburton and Assistant Manager David Weir also wanted to watch the players and had been encouraged to give them a chance after hearing how they had done.
“Our loan system has been really successful,” said Jon.
“We have been able to watch the players – I have watched every player out on loan at least twice – and have had written reports from every home game.
“The manager has had those reports as well so he has been kept up-to-date with how they have done.
“Once they go out and play in League Two and the Conference and are able to compete, the manager will look to give them a chance.
“Mark Warburton and David Weir have wanted to watch some of the players but haven’t been able to fit it in to their schedules.”
In 2012/13 Brentford kept the majority of their Development Squad players to play in Under-21 Professional Development League fixtures.
But Jon said the 2013/14 policy was more effective as it challenged the players more.
“The policy this year has worked better for us than last year,” he said.
“The problem with Under-21 football is clubs do it differently.
“You may play a club that wants to win the league, keeps their players, plays First Team players and they are great.
“You play against a team that wants to win with a group of professionals.
“The problem I have is that sometimes you can play a group of scholars and trialists and there is no real development in that.
“I would rather the players are challenged week-in-week-out.
“If I knew I could provide that at Brentford I would do so but the league is so inconsistent we are better doing it away from here.
“They can also play in front of thousands of fans and play in games they have to win.”
Jon said there had been good feedback on how the players had performed during their loans.
He said it had encouraged the Club to offer contract extensions to those players.
Jon admitted some may not stay – and Aaron Pierre had already left – but he felt they could win promotion to the First Team squad like Josh Clarke and Charlie Adams had done in the past six months and play for Brentford in The Championship.
“The majority of reports have been good,” he said.
“The positive for us is that as people the players have had positive feedback.
“The majority of performances have been very good and some have been exceptional.
“Players excelling in League Two and Conference at 19 and 20 can, we feel, have the ability to play in The Championship for our First Team.
“If they had not done well it would have made us think they did not have a future.
“We would be wrong to offer a contract to play Under-21 football.
“Results are important but getting players in to the First Team is more important.
“We will only sign players that are good enough to play in our First Team.
“Some of the players we have offered deals to will be offered contracts elsewhere – like Aaron Pierre, who went to Wycombe.
“It will be a tough decision, to stay and fight for a place here or go and play in League One or League Two.
“That’s a decision they have to make.
“I will offer them advice and I believe they can play for us in The Championship but if they go elsewhere I wish them all the best.
“Josh and Charlie have broken through; Jakes Reeves did so before them.
“Our players have grown up with these guys; they see them in the First Team.
“That is the benefit of the Academy.”
A full end-of-season interview with Jon De Souza is available on Bees Player.