U23s & Academy

[Stu]

What's up with Xisco, pissed off at playing for the reserves and wants out or what?

 

Where did you get that idea from?

[BottledDog]

What's up with Xisco, pissed off at playing for the reserves and wants out or what?

 

No. Beardsley was happy with him and said he played well. If you watch the highlights, it was a fucking ridiculous red and a right kick in the teeth if he has to sit out the next 3 games.

[James]

How long before we see Adam Campbell in the U18s?

[binnsy]

the reserves are back in action next Tuesday (7th) when we are at home to Liverpool at Whitley park, free entry(or at least it was last season).  Looks like Sol will be playing again and with the likes of Haris and Kadar still on interanational duty i wonder if we'll put the same team out that played the mackems.  I'd actually be tempted to give Ben Arfa a 45 minute runout,  he says he's fit but he can't be that match fit,  don't think the lad has played since he scored against Norway for France and his pre-season games for Marseille were mainly coming off the bench iirc.

 

It wouldn't suprise me if they game got switched to SJP if Campbell and the likes of Lovenkrands are playing

[binnsy]

How long before we see Adam Campbell in the U18s?

 

 

No rush,  the lads only 15,  lets just let him develop normally and see where he is at the end of next season,  that will be his big season when he's left school and signed properly you never know if he improves and develops even more this year then in 12 months he may well be likes of Rooney, Bale & Walcott and be around the first team squad nevermind the U18's.  I have never seen the lad play mind just going off his reputation.  Unless he is ending up just taking the piss at u16 level and is just too good then i wouldn't put him in the U18 squad apart from maybe the youth cup as that is the big competition,  at league level i would keep him with his own age group.

[Cajun]

Where does this wonderkid play?

[binnsy]

up front i think,  he was top scorer in the recent Premier cup.

[robm]

http://www.nufc.co.uk/articles/20100808/campbell-stars-for-magpies_2240137_2115071

 

"Flame headed forward" 

[ponsaelius]

Are you allowed to play any over-age players in youth team games?

[Thespence]

Are you allowed to play any over-age players in youth team games?

 

Why do you ask?

[ponsaelius]

Are you allowed to play any over-age players in youth team games?

 

Why do you ask?

 

I seem to remember that you could do but I don't ever remember us doing so in U18 games.

[Greg]

Yes you can.

[Guest ObiChrisKenobi]

Are you allowed to play any over-age players in youth team games?

 

Why do you ask?

 

I seem to remember that you could do but I don't ever remember us doing so in U18 games.

 

Up to 3 19 year olds. We didn't do it too much last season as most of the youth team was decent enough, but this season I think we'll end up playing a few over age simply because its a young 'undersized' squad.

[joeyt]

So the reserves are playing Liverpool tomorrow at home. I trust LFC TV dont broadcast the away reserve matches?

[Scoreboard82]

So the reserves are playing Liverpool tomorrow at home. I trust LFC TV dont broadcast the away reserve matches?

Aye, think they do, or if not, they did until recently. I'm sure i've watched us v L'pool from W Park quite recently.

[Guest michaelfoster]

talking to the lad who cuts my hair today, who's a family friend of Daniel Leadbitter, he's picked up another injury so reckons thats his Newcastle career finished as he was given a contract extension upto January to prove himself, thats just his opinion like but we shall see.

[Guest ObiChrisKenobi]

Ah plagued by injuries that young lad. I'd assume Grieves was given another 6 months too.

[Guest Walking in a waddle wonde]

So the reserves are playing Liverpool tomorrow at home. I trust LFC TV dont broadcast the away reserve matches?

Aye, think they do, or if not, they did until recently. I'm sure i've watched us v L'pool from W Park quite recently.

 

Is on at 10pm.

[ponsaelius]

LFC TV, is this on Sky? Does it cost?

[Guest ObiChrisKenobi]

Used to be bundled in with Satanta subs, but I think its free now. Though prepare to watch the most poorly produced football since ITV.

[ponsaelius]

Don't suppose you ever listen to 5 Live's World Football Phone In, Chris?

 

Anyway, a caller was questioning the lack of technique and skill amongst English players at the moment. The Spanish football expert they had on gave a very interesting insight into the way players are coached at a young age over there, to be taught how to play with your head up and know when to give the ball at the right time. The technical side of the game is ingrained into players from around the ages of 7 or 8,  hence by the time players develop into adults the physical side of the game can then be added to their natural, honed ball playing ability. Hence producing more allround footballers in the long term who have vision, ability and technique.

 

The pundit (his name escapes me) then mentioned how he talked to a number of coaches at Valencia, and when they came over to do football schools in England and Wales they were absolutely stunned by the lack of ability in the players. That it was almost a waste of a generation because the players played with braun rather than their brain.

 

Anyway, the thing that amazed me most was later in the show a caller rang the show in defence of the English methoding. He mentioned how he was a coach for an 8 year old team aswell as a team of 16 year olds. He explained how he seen it as important to make sure the players were physically capable above anything else, and that he coaches the players to be commited and strong above actual footballing ability. He said that the way he saw it was skill and ability can be taught to the players once they make it, and that readying the youngsters for a physical barrage was top of his agenda. I genuinely couldn't believe what he was saying, he was basically saying the Spanish way of doing things was wrong and that he was right. The pundit then retorted at why England hadn't won anything in 40 years, the caller then just blamed tiredness from too many matches in the club season and subsequently went off on a tangent about how foreign imports and too much money was strangling the game.

 

He really wound me up to be honest, I despair if this is the national standard for football coaching in this country? People like this bloke shouldn't be given the responsibility because their sporting ideology is so, so wide of the mark. Anyway, I know you're doing coaching badges and taking a keen interest in this kind of thing so is this attitude commonplace throughout the UK? Is it actively encouraged to train kids in this way?

 

The show is worth a listen to if you want to hear what he said.

[Guest ObiChrisKenobi]

I'm with the Spanish Coach on this one.

 

You can teach a kid how to kick a ball, you can't teach them to be 6' tall and 15 stone of muscle. There's a game a play as a warm up with my kids, I call it tag pass (not original I know!).

 

Basically, the team with the ball have to pass it, and the defending team have to to 'tag' whoever has the ball. It might sound daft, but its a way for them to learn how to deal with a pressing team. You have to keep the ball moving to tire them out and to avoid being 'tagged' (tackled). There's a smart kid who will hold onto the ball until the defender is close and play a quick sharp ball to a team mate in space.

 

I never do any physical training with my U11s, there's just no point. Their body hasn't developed, and won't develop for at least another three years. Sadly, English Academies don't follow that plan, at least the one I know about. Several coaches I've talked to have all said the same thing. When that scout comes along and watches the game, and comes up to with his list of the most 'talented' its really the list of who's the tallest. That's all they're interested in. Tall kids who will dominate at youth level against normal sized kids.

 

Which means that when they get into their late teens they hit a brick wall when they face other naturally larger teams, as they don't know how to cope with the physical game. Even though they've spent their youth being the big imposing physical player, when they come up against other big teams they just don't have the technique to deal with other big teams. Its stupid.

 

I'd love to do some training in Italy and Holland, not sure how much it would be or if its even possible. The more books I read about different cultures and their approach to football, the more I want to know and learn.

 

As for is it the norm amongst grassroots to push physical over technique, I can't say. I haven't spoken to enough coaches and it'll depend on what grassroots team you talk to you. There's a kid in my team that was at Wallsend, but was asked to leave as his 'passing wasn't good enough'. Yet he's the best passer in my team, I can only imagine they told him to find another club because he wasn't able to ping a ball 70 yards or something - which is daft as he's only 10.

The bigger youth teams put some crazy pressure on the kids, I hope I don't do that. I just let them play football, keep an eye out for the mistakes they make, see if they naturally pick up on them during the training (most do) and if they don't, only then will I step in and do a bit of direct coaching on the issue.

[Disco]

A simple example of this that can be seen at how much foreign defenders are in one on one tackling the tricky player situations that English players are and how a lot of foreign defenders are short arses - Ayala, Cannavaro etc.

[ponsaelius]

Well yeah, I totally agree with you. The attitude of the guy ringing in just riled me up totally, his logic was totally faulted for the reasons you just gave.

 

Surely the FA and footballing academies across the country have to realise what's best, and changes have to be made?

 

I personally don't think kids should step onto a full size pitch until they're about 13/14.

[Heron]

A player who can read the game will always be 10yards faster than a one that can run 100m in 5 seconds less...