One of the inherent problems is that U-20 players with NT experience struggle to get consistent playing time at some clubs. This year some players jumped ship for more "prestige clubs" and then bounced dey head and jumped back. Some players jump ship for an extra $500 TT (or merely the promise thereof, given the current financial environment). Others would have been further along in their development had they earlier in their careers played more football instead of sitting on the bench.
Not only do I think the situation can be changed, I also think it must change. We have to rewire. We are ill-equipped to compete otherwise. For one, you would be surprised who would sink and who would swim, if we didn't pick winners and allow development to occur organically.
Incidentally, I'll be at a few PL 2 matches mid to late September. Will tell you my thoughts following that.
So congo ... On Monday I made the trek to observe Everton "host" Arsenal. Arsenal got spanked. Not comprehensively, but a mix of opportunistic and better overall moments. Total # of goals in the match = 6. General quality of the match? Not high. Neither team would be recognised as an accomplished variant of its club's First Team. In fact, Arsenal were particularly poor. Perhaps a mitigating factor for Arsenal was that six of its players in the category were away on First Team duty (pointed out to me by a member of the technical staff), so some younger players were in the mix ... but even with that, one would have expected more from some of the names on record.
The PL 2 has some concerns (won't share them here). However, to one of the points you raised ... it would be interesting to have a tally of the ages of the players on all the rosters. Because if the model truly is to target players >20 but <23 that may be impractical (the PL2 may have greatest benefit for precocious talent) and we may end up with a babysitting/handholding exercise for the older players who in a different environment might be bid goodbye (in T&T, we could end up with a lot of non-commerically viable players?). And, unless there are really good coaches in this category who are attentive to details within the details, we would be wasting time and having a league merely for the sake of having one. (I'm deliberately being provocative).
Everton has invested in the age group by bringing in players. Arsenal has its players who have come through the ranks. Everton won last year. They strike me as caring about winning. Arsenal is more finely tuned on developing. So although I mentioned the score and "spanking", the truth is short-term gains mean diddly. Wenger knows each one of the U23s inside out. Everything Arsenal is is that man's construction ... and because of his continuity at the club, he's been able to work out how/who progresses and when ...
The football wasn't spectacular but the anecdotes were.
In case anyone is wondering Everton 4 Arsenal 2. In true Arsenal fashion, they could not preserve a lead.