The Premier League made conciliatory noises about being "collaborative and co-operative" towards Dyke and yesterday's attempt at solidarity is a welcome step in the right direction. Dyke and the FA's director of football services, Jonathan Hall, were present at the Premier League's scheduled session but left the room when the clubs discussed broadcasting issues, changes to the Under-21 league (which will now be two-tier with promotion and relegation) and their views on Dyke's Commission.
Dyke and Hall returned to the room for the FA's 20-minute slot. Dyke delivered a highlights version of his Millbank speech. Sunderland voiced their displeasure that Dyke criticised their foreign recruitment drive in his speech, pointing out they had six players from the Academy of Light on the bench for their last game of last season.
Richard Scudamore, the Premier League's chief executive, emphasised to all present the need to work together, and also emphasised to the FA how his organisation was playing its part with youth development through the £340m Elite Player Performance Plan.
Dyke's focus is wider-ranging than youth development, calling on clubs to address issues such as timing of major broadcast games before England internationals, the release of players to all England age-group levels and the clubs' obsession with buying foreign stars. "But all those issues fall away if the quality of English player coming through the Academy is really good,'' said one official present in Piccadilly.
Les Reed, the head of football development at Southampton, is understood to have spoken particularly cogently about youth development, reminding Dyke that there were already some really talented young English players coming through. Dyke was also told to be careful of too much scaremongering about the scarcity of kids. It could prove a "self-fulfilling doom-laden prophecy", according to another present, if the youngsters felt they were a lost cause.
One club executive told Dyke that his commendable campaigning for youth development should focus on "quality not simply quantity". He added: "You can have 400 English players but what's the point if they are not of the best quality. You'd rather have 200 brilliant English players."
Afterwards, Dyke chatted convivially to executives from a range of clubs, including Karren Brady of West Ham, Paul Faulkner of Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur's Daniel Levy.
"There is a great deal of knowledge there," Dyke said of the Premier League clubs, "and I am sure we will be able to find some very concrete ways of improving the pool of talent available to England managers. We already know there is a lot of good work going on but I suspect there is more to be done."
The positive mood at the meeting was partly explained by the friendship between Dyke and the Premier League chairman, Anthony Fry, whom he knows from the BBC. Fry emphasised the clubs' support.
"There is no doubt around the Premier League table as to the benefits of a national set-up that is thriving and performing well," he said. "It is evident from discussions with the clubs that there is a strong desire to see greater numbers of England qualified players coming through their Academy systems that are capable of performing at both Premier League and international standard."
Concern was expressed privately amongst the clubs that Dyke's time-table for the Commission to absorb ideas and make recommendations is too tight.
"Four months is ambitious," said one official present at the meeting, "a diligent and credible process may take longer."
Nurturing an English Özil will take even longer.
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