The name-dropping is just cherry-picking. Beasley spent his younger years with the Chicago Fire. PSV no more “developed” him than Man U developed Wayne Rooney. Of all the Holland-developed players mentioned, only O'Brien and Bradley can be said to have significant development there and even Bradley has only spend a year or two in Holland, having been with NY before that… and O'Brien, who did come up through the Ajax ranks, unfortunately had injuries ruin his career, so we'll never know what his potential would have been, but he never played for a club bigger than Ajax.

Meanwhile, Rogers, who I'll agree has potential, is in Columbus. Berhalter and Deering aren't exactly sterling examples to fall back on. Kirovski had a more regular run out for a time that Deering in the MNT.

Anyway, Renken seems set on joining Arsenal, so the verdict will be handed down in a few years, regardless of the one-sided biases in this article. I predict that if Renken sticks it out, he'll come away a stronger player. Potential is always difficult to determine, but the Arsenal system will give him time and experience in a world-class environment.

Bear with me but i have always thought there are similarities between USA and Australia in terms of football. Let me preface this by saying football similarly to in the USA i think attracts a lot of young footballers despite being a second rate sport (though this is changing dramatically). Long we have produced the physical type of footballer, very much different to other developing football countries who tend to lack organisation but have a technical basis to their style. I think we have similarities to the African footballers who (for all intensive purposes) have been associated with the physical side but you could argue have a good balance with technique these days.

Australia has gone the dutch root in terms of our football style. Albeit success at the NT level has alluded the oranje, their methods in the style of play is conducive for the development of technical players. We have a dutch coach and a dutch technical director. We have moved away from the mixed system in place five or so years ago. Youngsters are encouraged to go to holland. I think this has helped greatly, football played at youth level translates to NT level. However i would like to emphasize the fact that Harry Kewell, Luke Wilkshire and Carney, all in the squad for Australia went through the English football system. Kewell Australia's greatest export and at one time was the hottest property in european football and our most technically gifted player ever has played in England all his life until this latest move. Carney who is dribbling abilities is his greatest strength came through everton i believe. And Wilkshire, Hiddink said he had the best technical skills of all the Australian players developed at Boro. Albeit Wilkshire has moved to Holland and subsequently earned a big money move to Russia, England is not a waste ground for talent.

If you ask me i would send your young and developing player to France or Italy. The French system in the 20 years or so has been churning out talent which has reflected success at senior level football. When it's said and done the purpose of NT football is to win the world cup. Albeit Spain and Holland have incredible records of developing skilled footballers they have not translated and do not compare to France or Italy in terms of senior success.

Finally…when it's all said and done, nothing is as important as first team football…you have to go a place where you have a legitimate chance…it's all about timing of your move….

He's already ahead of where Adu was at this age. Letting him go to a country that has the worst player development system in the big european leagues is a sure fire way to ruin him.

I'd prefer he end up at a PSV or Ajax personally.