Cardiff City's shift towards having more of a reliance on homegrown and academy products has yielded mixed results in recent years.
The likes of Rubin Colwill and Isaak Davies have seen their stocks rise since being introduced into the first team, however injuries to the duo and a consequent lack of game-time have led to much frustration from all parties.
Others such as Joel Bagan, Oliver Denham and even Eli King have been introduced into the fray, too, however their inclusion has been far more sparse.
With Cardiff having pumped a lot of money into their academy system in recent years, not least investing millions into a new site in Llanrumney, it is fair to suggest they would like more consistent results as the club moves forward.
New manager Erol Bulut has a track record of promoting from within at his former clubs and that should be something that puts a big tick in the box both for the players and hierarchy, who are keen to see more Cardiff-reared players thrive on the Championship stage in a Bluebirds shirt.
Colwill has earned his fair share of admirers for the way he manipulates the ball and pure manner in which he can strike it. Earning his first Wales cap, going to the Euros and even playing at a World Cup shows just what the national team setup thinks of him, too. But his talent belies the six goals and two assists he has produced - and he has started only 22 of his 60 Championship games owing to injuries and, seemingly, having fallen victim to a constant change in managers.
Davies, too, has had his moments. His jet-heeled runs down the wing and ability to stretch defences has been refreshing to see, with Cardiff often in recent years having big target men up front. Again, though, his potential talent has not translated into huge returns, with only three goals and two assists 38 appearances - with only 12 starts.
There is a growing sense that this season is huge for these two players. Both of them desperately need a pre-season and a good run in the team. The same goes for Bagan and King, should they be kept on with their contracts running out this month, while Denham would also like more involvement this season after an injury-hit 2022/23 campaign.
Fortunately for them, Bulut is keen to look to the youngsters within the system already and will speak to academy bosses about who the potential stars of tomorrow might be to aid his team in their quest to push up the table after a disappointing couple of seasons for the Welsh capital city club.
"Young players always are very important for the club," Bulut said. "You cannot always look abroad and buy players. If we have the possibility that you can bring young players up, it would be perfect.
"I don't know the academy and the players, which level or quality and if they can help us. In the past I had many players I brought in (from the academy) when we were successful.
"I will have a meeting with the director (of the academy) and whether we can bring players up to help the first team, for when we have the need."
Of course, with the team having struggled since the club adopted a new policy of promoting youth and the academy players having been integrated, it has hardly been a conducive environment to blood young players. It's always easier to slot players into a winning team, that much cannot be argued.
But in the pressure-cooker of the Championship, squads can have no passengers. Indeed, we were told at his unveiling on Monday that Bulut is a hard taskmaster and would take no prisoners. "Some players are in for a rude awakening," one Cardiff source said.
The new manager is also about to embark on a big recruitment drive, too, with as many as 10 new players expected to come in before the end of the window, with four or five targets already having been lined up. Competition for places is expected to be far stiffer than the last two seasons, that's for sure.
Overcoming great pressure can be a hugely positive experience for young players, though, and it will give the manager the best indication of who is likely to thrive in his team and in this new-look environment this season.
READ NEXT
Cardiff City news as Erol Bulut rips up Portugal pre-season plans and immediately makes mark
Cardiff City already linked with star playing in Turkey just days after Erol Bulut announcement
New Cardiff City boss Erol Bulut eyes up to 10 new signings as he lays out exciting transfer plan
