Liam Daish: Portsmouth's outgoing academy coach questions belief in setup
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Prior to working with Portsmouth's academy, Liam Daish managed Nuneaton Town in the seventh tier
Outgoing Portsmouth academy coach Liam Daish has called on the club to put "more leadership and belief" into developing their own players.
Ex-Republic of Ireland defender Daish took over Pompey's under-18s in 2017.
In March it was confirmed he would leave as lead professional development phase coach at the end of this season.
"Instead of just running an academy because we run an academy, actually believe in it, invest in it," Daish told BBC Radio Solent.
"Really make it that people want to come and kids want to come and join this academy."
Daish is Portsmouth-born and progressed through the youth ranks of his hometown club. He made one appearance for the first-team before being released from Fratton Park, and went on to play for the likes of Cambridge, Birmingham and Coventry.
He was appointed to his coaching role as former Walt Disney chief executive Michael Eisner took over in August 2017.
The League One club's academy is ranked as category three under the English Football League's system, meaning it is a 'development environment' for players from the under-nine age-group to under-21. Category one is the highest level.
"There was lots of talk and plans on the takeover regarding what the view was and what the vision was for the academy," Daish said.
"Being through that time, what's been frustrating for me is probably that didn't come out in fruition and I saw real no signs of that happening. It's got harder and harder.
"Obviously the pandemic didn't help. It's been a difficult year last year with not being able to work from Roko [Portsmouth's training ground] - being off-site.
"But also at times I've felt I've been a bit of a hinderance - not me personally - but that the academy has been a bit of a hinderance, and I think there's been a lack of belief in the academy."
Home-grown talent
Harry Jewitt-White and Toby Steward are the latest players to have have moved up from Portsmouth's academy, signing professional contracts with the club this year. Yet Daish believes more investment is needed.
"Investment in facilities for the kids, more staff. The amount of energy that is used up on making sure there's enough physios, that they've actually got pitches to train on, coaches.
"If you're going to run an academy believe in it and set real targets that we want to produce our own. There's enough kids around this area, especially from Portsmouth, that I still believe you can produce enough from where we are, where Portsmouth is situated," Daish added.
Jewitt-White joined the Portsmouth youth setup as a child and made his first-team debut last year
Daish pointed to the club needing more of a bridge between the under-18 players and the first team.
The academy itself only caters for players up to the age of 18. As no development squad exists, players aged 18-23 - who are ineligible for the academy but contracted to the club - are sent out on loan elsewhere and play occasional friendlies as Portsmouth reserves.
"I feel that in my time there there's been great opportunities to actually get a group of lads of 18-year-olds or 19, 20, 21 now that could have made a real nucleus of an under-23s group, where you're actually developing, moving forward.
"Maybe get them on the first-team bench for a Saturday, instead of someone you wouldn't know on loan from wherever blocking up the pathway.
"The under-23s group has always been something that Portsmouth have struggled with. Not having it, at 18, if you're not ready for a first-team spot, being there is going to be hard for you."
BBC Sport has approached Portsmouth for a response.