Guest Knightrider Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 In youth development there is a scale of development called the 4 corners of development which some coaches, academies and clubs use to assess and guide (or get rid of) potential stars of the future and increasingly scouts are turning to this scale or variants of others like it to assess potential transfer targets. Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to apply this scale to our own players and first up I'm going to take a look at Obafemi Martins because for me he is an atypical player when it comes to general opinions and assessment. I'm going to use a scale of 1-5 with 3 being average, 4 being above average (good) and 5 being outstanding or exemplary. Obviously 1 and 2 is poor. Before I start though an elite player will tick 95% of all boxes in each category, rarely will a player tick all, those that do can claim to be one of the best players in the world or thee best and purely from an individual perspective, Christiano Ronaldo ticks them ALL. Oba Martins 1. Technical Technique range - 4 Awareness - 3 (more about the awareness of the self and others) Core skills - 3 (don't confuse this with being able to do a step-over, skills are how one uses what one knows and can do in a match, all players can do step-overs or ball juggling believe it or not but can they do it in a match?) Creativity - 3 (this isn't threading a ball through or lobbing the 'keeper, that is skill and technique, this is about thinking differently, i.e. instead of down the line or do the obvious, you decide to switch the ball to the other flank instead to stretch the opposition. Creativity and being able to execute (skill and technique) are different things. You will laugh but Nicky Butt is creative, he just lacks the skills and technique for many of his ideas to come off, hence why a lot of his ambitious balls go out of play or back to the opposition. This is where control (mental) comes in, those with good levels wouldn't even try such things even if they dream them up. The uncreative player would be someone who plays it safe all the time, does things the why he's been coached, told and instructed to do without flinching. Such players can't think for themselves, they need to be instructed.) Un-predictability - 4 (don't misinterpret this as blowing hot and cold, this is about not being a one trick pony and is more about the ability to use any number of core skills in a competitive environment) 2. Tactical Positional sense - 2 Direction - 2 Awareness of space - 2 Decision making in games - 2 Movement - 2 Formational sense - 3 3. Psychological Confidence - 4 Concentration - 3 Control (mental) - 3 Commitment - 4 Communication - 2 4. Physical Physical maturity - 4 Speed and reaction - 3 (not to be confused with outright pace) Power/explosion - 5 Agility - 5 Endurance - 4 Speed endurance - 4 Strength - 5 For me Martins is an average footballer technically and tactically but an exceedingly good athlete and psychologically strong which are 2 corners of development which have taken him to the point he is at now in his career. The team doesn't benefit from these 2 corners as the team isn't geared towards his strengths where as Martins' technical and tactical weaknesses make it hard for him to bend the team to his strengths. In short he will only ever be an inconsistent performer here at Newcastle which can be covered in a good enough team playing to his strengths but for a team to truly succeed it needs 7-8 consistent high performers, even if they are not all individually good as players. Everton are a classic example of a team with 7 or 8 consistent high performers for example. Can Martins' technical areas be developed further? Not by any significant margin no as his core skills, awareness and creativity are average to poor. Can Martins improve tactically? Yes, positional sense, formational sense, directness and awareness of space can all be improved. However his decision making and movement are at the limit of what he can and can't do and will always hinder any improvements in the other tactical areas. I'm saying you can improve his knowledge of say what to do, but you can't improve his ability to transfer that knowledge into practice a great deal which is down to how to do it, when to do it and when not to do it and when to do it not once, but hundreds of times. For example, when a player is on the right flank in space looking to play it into the box, it's common practice to make your run towards the far post, to step off the markers and back towards the penalty spot or to peel away to the back post. And this is just three general rules of practice. You can drum that type of knowledge into a player but if his decision making is poor what can you do? If that player is never in the position due to poor movement to select one of those options, again what can you do? Not a lot. That's what we have with Martins. He could actually be a technically poor player but tactically above average and we would get far more out of him than we do or will, especially as he's so strong physically and psychologically. Anyway, the above scale will hopefully show that it isn't just about putting good players together to create a good team, it's so much more complicated than that. This is why no team full of elite players in every position who tick 95% of all boxes will ever be a consistent success. If you had 11 players all with a creative eye and ability to pull off whatever they dream up for example, who is going to do exactly what the brains of the operation, the manager, instructs? I.e. to get rid when necessary instead of playing it about. Replace Carragher with Gallas at Liverpool and they would concede more. The key is to pair them together. To blend a mix. You don't need me to say this but our team is a mess using the above scale and despite us having good players, good enough for this division, collectively they are the wrong mix and psychologically, weak as piss. Hence why we are where we are. Only individualism will see us stay up and in Martins, he might just be the one ironically. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unbelievable Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 Much more subjective than you make it look.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Knightrider Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 Of course it is as I've added a lot of opinion to it and used my own score ratings but I'd like to think the 4 corners scale can be a good measure of a player. Depends who is doing the measuring of course Anyway I think it's an interesting way to look at things and will hopefully get people thinking more rather than the tired old "he's shite, end of" or equally "he's great, end of" type comments and not just where Martins is concerned but all of them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Knightrider Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 Anyway, my take on Owen using the scale. Michael Owen 1. Technical Technique range - 4 Awareness - 3 Core skills - 3 Creativity - 3 Un-predictability - 2 2. Tactical Positional sense - 5 Direction - 5 Awareness of space - 5 Decision making in games - 4 Movement - 5 Formational sense - 5 3. Psychological Confidence - 4 Concentration - 5 Control (mental) - 5 Commitment - 4 Communication - 4 4. Physical Physical maturity - 3 Speed and reaction - 3 Power/explosion - 2 Agility - 2 Endurance - 2 Speed endurance - 2 Strength - 2 Sufficient technical and tactical qualities, psychologically strong but physically below average I'd say. Obvious I know but there is a method to my madness or rather these posts Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 Dear me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Knightrider Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 Charles N'Zogbia 1. Technical Technique range - 3 Awareness - 3 Core skills - 3 Creativity - 3 Un-predictability - 4 2. Tactical Positional sense - 3 Direction - 3 Awareness of space - 3 Decision making in games - 3 Movement - 3 Formational sense - 3 3. Psychological Confidence - 3 Concentration - 3 Control (mental) - 3 Commitment - 3 Communication - 3 4. Physical Physical maturity - 3 Speed and reaction - 4 Power/explosion - 4 Agility - 4 Endurance - 4 Speed endurance - 4 Strength - 3 Like Martins, average in my view with physical qualities his key strengths. Unlike Martins though who has a few poor marks with a few real high marks, N'Zogbia is fairly steady in each category which will make for a more consistent player in terms of performances over the course of a season. With Martins you will get an impressive performance one week, an an abortion of one the following and that will be the consistent pattern, even if he's producing the goods re goals. With N'Zogbia you'll get fairly standard performances with a few good ones thrown in now and then on average rather than shitty ones with one or two great ones or lots of great ones with few shitty ones. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 Are you having a laugh? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Knightrider Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 No. The 4 corners thing is a tried and tested way to look at key aspects of an individual in terms of their ability to perform in a match (technical), function within a team (tactical) and whether they can maintain any kind of standards over the course of a campaign and the ups and downs that follow (psychological and physical). I'm applying it to wor players based on how I rate them in those 4 areas so when May comes, I will have a better idea of who needs to go, who needs to improve, who we must keep and what type of players we need to sign rather than labeling them all shite, sell the lot, lets sign Deco and friends in ready of the sky cameras and boasts of we're ganna win the league ye knaa. I could do this in the privacy of my own mind I know, but where is the fun in that. No, I like to share and involve others in my ideas and thoughts. I even hope a debate ensues. This is also a protest thread. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
papo Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 someone's having too much freetime these days... :lol: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shak Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 Protest thread? Anyway, doesn't this whole approach rather fly in the face of all your talk about not trying to manufacture good footballers/teams and rather just letting players play, the way football is meant to be played? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.S.R. Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 Martins He's not great, but he is fast, like. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnypd Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 is the 4 corners like the 3 sea shells? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 is the 4 corners like the 3 sea shells? 2 sandwiches short of the proverbial picnic tbh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredbob Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Have you just made this up? Isnt this basically champ man just with a lower scale and your personal opinion? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
matta Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 this is shit. but i would love 3-1 to nufc on monday Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulivye Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 not with us any more, but do nobby solano! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparta Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 ill take a bacon with that! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newcastle Fan Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Have you just made this up? Isnt this basically champ man just with a lower scale and your personal opinion? This.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueStar Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Have you just made this up? Isnt this basically champ man just with a lower scale and your personal opinion? I think he's just transcribing the official NUFC Top Trumps for this season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cronky Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 I think your marks for technical merit are a bit generous on all three players, HTT. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkhead Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 ..the four corners Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdm Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 mackems.gif Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Goalfather Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Interesting post even though I disagree with much of it How would u assess the following non NUFC players Ronaldo Rooney Adebayor Kenwyne Jones Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueStar Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Ronaldo Goalability - 9 Powerkickness - 9 Accelarationism - 8 Footbrainience - 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Liam Liam O Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Prozone-tastic! Is CoachHTT really Big Sam? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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