World on alert Germans marching again!

[Ketsbaia]

Winter breaks, homegrown rules.....success for England conflicts with success for the Premier League and in that situation, the money will always win. So I don't see anything changing for a long time.

[OzzieMandias]

I think its largely down to the way football is coached at youth level. Ive watched under 11 to under 14 football at both the Villa acadamy and at local team level and its all about winning, power, booting the ball away from danger, not taking risks. Kids are not encouraged to express themselves.

 

Thats why so few England players look comfortable on the ball and even fewer can beat or even try to beat a man. (Chris Waddle summed this up perfectly the other night on Radio 5 in fact he speaks more sense then the rest of them put together)

 

We are years behind Holland, most of Southern Europe and South America. We can keep blaming the Manager's like we have done for the last 20 years or more but at the end of the day they can only work with meagre resources they have available.

 

That's basically it. No confidence on the ball or the ability to create (all done by foreign players at the clubs).

 

Its bought in because this country has stopped producing or never really has produced players wil really good close control and the ability to make a pass under pressure, beat a man, whip a ball in.

 

What the f*** are we teaching the kids at football.

 

We should still kill howard wilkinson

 

 

The kids are coached at their clubs and I doubt many clubs work to Charlie Hughes coaching manual. In fact I doubt the FA have much influence over the coaching of potential pro footballers at all.

 

The problem and the solution lies with the clubs. Until they start playing creative and inventive football the youngsters coming through the ranks will never be much more than athletes in football boots. Unfortunately the price of failure in the PL is now so high that playing anything other than negative percentage football is a huge risk.

 

 

 

You could argue, the fault lies earlier, if we produced our own "Mikel Arteta"  we wouldn't need to go buy one would we?

 

 

 

For starters we shouldn't be playing through winter. 2 week break from x mas to new year would IMO make a massive differance to tiredness and injuries that accumulate.

Surely it would just result in having to cram even more games in the last three months of the season. If we want fresher players the only effective option is reducing the number of games.

 

Carling Cup should just be for teams outside the PL.

 

But the cash-strapped League will object as it will mean reduced revenue.

[Parky]

I think its largely down to the way football is coached at youth level. Ive watched under 11 to under 14 football at both the Villa acadamy and at local team level and its all about winning, power, booting the ball away from danger, not taking risks. Kids are not encouraged to express themselves.

 

Thats why so few England players look comfortable on the ball and even fewer can beat or even try to beat a man. (Chris Waddle summed this up perfectly the other night on Radio 5 in fact he speaks more sense then the rest of them put together)

 

We are years behind Holland, most of Southern Europe and South America. We can keep blaming the Manager's like we have done for the last 20 years or more but at the end of the day they can only work with meagre resources they have available.

 

That's basically it. No confidence on the ball or the ability to create (all done by foreign players at the clubs).

 

Its bought in because this country has stopped producing or never really has produced players wil really good close control and the ability to make a pass under pressure, beat a man, whip a ball in.

 

What the f*** are we teaching the kids at football.

 

We should still kill howard wilkinson

 

 

The kids are coached at their clubs and I doubt many clubs work to Charlie Hughes coaching manual. In fact I doubt the FA have much influence over the coaching of potential pro footballers at all.

 

The problem and the solution lies with the clubs. Until they start playing creative and inventive football the youngsters coming through the ranks will never be much more than athletes in football boots. Unfortunately the price of failure in the PL is now so high that playing anything other than negative percentage football is a huge risk.

 

 

 

You could argue, the fault lies earlier, if we produced our own "Mikel Arteta"  we wouldn't need to go buy one would we?

 

 

 

For starters we shouldn't be playing through winter. 2 week break from x mas to new year would IMO make a massive differance to tiredness and injuries that accumulate.

Surely it would just result in having to cram even more games in the last three months of the season. If we want fresher players the only effective option is reducing the number of games.

 

Carling Cup should just be for teams outside the PL.

 

But the cash-strapped League will object as it will mean reduced revenue.

 

Fuck them.

[Parky]

If there's going to be a winter break then they should years ago have reduced the Premier League to 18 clubs -- like they were supposed to, until the clubs objected. Which they still will, if the idea is revived.

 

Forgot about that. 18 clubs is actually the best way to go.

[OzzieMandias]

Winter breaks, homegrown rules.....success for England conflicts with success for the Premier League and in that situation, the money will always win. So I don't see anything changing for a long time.

 

It's all about money, basically. Blame our dumb post-Thatcherite culture where profit is everything. Far from reducing the number of games, for example, the FA were recently trying to add yet another one -- the 39th game, to be played, ludicrously, abroad, the better to boost the Prem's international marketing appeal.

[OzzieMandias]

If there's going to be a winter break then they should years ago have reduced the Premier League to 18 clubs -- like they were supposed to, until the clubs objected. Which they still will, if the idea is revived.

 

Forgot about that. 18 clubs is actually the best way to go.

 

Definitely.

[Guest malandro]

I think its largely down to the way football is coached at youth level. Ive watched under 11 to under 14 football at both the Villa acadamy and at local team level and its all about winning, power, booting the ball away from danger, not taking risks. Kids are not encouraged to express themselves.

 

Thats why so few England players look comfortable on the ball and even fewer can beat or even try to beat a man. (Chris Waddle summed this up perfectly the other night on Radio 5 in fact he speaks more sense then the rest of them put together)

 

We are years behind Holland, most of Southern Europe and South America. We can keep blaming the Manager's like we have done for the last 20 years or more but at the end of the day they can only work with meagre resources they have available.

 

That's basically it. No confidence on the ball or the ability to create (all done by foreign players at the clubs).

 

Its bought in because this country has stopped producing or never really has produced players wil really good close control and the ability to make a pass under pressure, beat a man, whip a ball in.

 

What the f*** are we teaching the kids at football.

 

We should still kill howard wilkinson

 

 

The kids are coached at their clubs and I doubt many clubs work to Charlie Hughes coaching manual. In fact I doubt the FA have much influence over the coaching of potential pro footballers at all.

 

The problem and the solution lies with the clubs. Until they start playing creative and inventive football the youngsters coming through the ranks will never be much more than athletes in football boots. Unfortunately the price of failure in the PL is now so high that playing anything other than negative percentage football is a huge risk.

 

 

 

You could argue, the fault lies earlier, if we produced our own "Mikel Arteta"  we wouldn't need to go buy one would we?

 

 

 

For starters we shouldn't be playing through winter. 2 week break from x mas to new year would IMO make a massive differance to tiredness and injuries that accumulate.

Surely it would just result in having to cram even more games in the last three months of the season. If we want fresher players the only effective option is reducing the number of games.

 

Carling Cup should just be for teams outside the PL.

Rooney, Lampard and Gerrard started a combined total of 4 LC games last season. In contrast they started a combined total of 29 Champions League games.

[juniatmoko]

England players just lazy because too much money....

[Parky]

England players just lazy because too much money....

 

There is that.

[Disco]

England players just lazy because too much money....

 

1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, £11.3million)

2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Barcelona, £10.4million)

3 Lionel Messi (Barcelona, £9.1million)

4 Samuel Eto’o (Internazionale, £9.1million)

5 Kaka (Real Madrid, £8.7million)

6 Emmanuel Adebayor (Manchester City, £7.4million)

7 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, £7.4million)

8 Carlos Tevez (Manchester City, £7million)

9 John Terry (Chelsea, £6.5million)

10 Frank Lampard (Chelsea, £6.5million)

 

11 Thierry Henry (Barcelona, £6.5million)

12 Xavi (Barcelona, £6.5million)

13 Ronaldinho (AC Milan, £6.5million)

14 Steven Gerrard (Liverpool, £6.5million)

15 Daniel Alves (Barcelona, £6.1million)

16 Michael Ballack (Chelsea, £5.6million)

17 Raul (Real Madrid, £5.6million)

18 Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United, £5.6million)

19 Kolo Toure (Manchester City, £5.6million)

20 Wayne Rooney (Manchester United, £5.2million)

 

21 Robinho (Manchester City, £5.2million)

22 Iker Casillas (Real Madrid, £5.2million)

23 Victor Valdez (Barcelona, £5.2million)

24 Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla, £5.2million)

25 Deco (Chelsea, £5.2million)

26 Didier Drogba (Chelsea, £4.8million)

27 Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus, £4.8million)

28 Francesco Totti (Roma, £4.8million)

29 Luca Toni (Roma, £4.8million)

30 David Villa (Valencia, £4.8million)

 

31 Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich, £4.8million)

32 Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich, £4.8million)

33 Ashley Cole (Chelsea, £4.8million)

34 Fernando Torres (Liverpool, £4.8million)

35 Gareth Barry (Manchester City, £4.8million)

36 Patrick Vieira (Internazionale, £4.8million)

37 Charles Puyol (Barcelona, £4.3million)

38 Andres Iniesta (Barcelona, £4.3million)

39 Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid, £4.3million)

40 Andreas Pirlo (AC Milan, £4.3million)

 

[NG32]

Man city paying way way over the odds for players, and they haven't even broke into the champs league 

[Elliottman]

Man city paying way way over the odds for players, and they haven't even broke into the champs league 

 

yeah, sucks to be them.

[NG32]

Man city paying way way over the odds for players, and they haven't even broke into the champs league 

 

yeah, sucks to be them.

 

Would be spending that much money on players and still not getting into the champions league and at some point they are going to have to run the club with what the club earns.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I think its largely down to the way football is coached at youth level. Ive watched under 11 to under 14 football at both the Villa acadamy and at local team level and its all about winning, power, booting the ball away from danger, not taking risks. Kids are not encouraged to express themselves.

 

Thats why so few England players look comfortable on the ball and even fewer can beat or even try to beat a man. (Chris Waddle summed this up perfectly the other night on Radio 5 in fact he speaks more sense then the rest of them put together)

 

We are years behind Holland, most of Southern Europe and South America. We can keep blaming the Manager's like we have done for the last 20 years or more but at the end of the day they can only work with meagre resources they have available.

 

That's basically it. No confidence on the ball or the ability to create (all done by foreign players at the clubs).

 

Its bought in because this country has stopped producing or never really has produced players wil really good close control and the ability to make a pass under pressure, beat a man, whip a ball in.

 

What the f*** are we teaching the kids at football.

 

We should still kill howard wilkinson

 

 

The kids are coached at their clubs and I doubt many clubs work to Charlie Hughes coaching manual. In fact I doubt the FA have much influence over the coaching of potential pro footballers at all.

 

The problem and the solution lies with the clubs. Until they start playing creative and inventive football the youngsters coming through the ranks will never be much more than athletes in football boots. Unfortunately the price of failure in the PL is now so high that playing anything other than negative percentage football is a huge risk.

 

 

 

You could argue, the fault lies earlier, if we produced our own "Mikel Arteta"  we wouldn't need to go buy one would we?

 

 

 

For starters we shouldn't be playing through winter. 2 week break from x mas to new year would IMO make a massive differance to tiredness and injuries that accumulate.

Surely it would just result in having to cram even more games in the last three months of the season. If we want fresher players the only effective option is reducing the number of games.

 

Carling Cup should just be for teams outside the PL.

 

And the Champions League should just be for the Champions, it should be much smaller.

[Gash]

All of champions league knock-out perhaps.

No replays for Carling Cup/FA Cup

[Guest Brummiemag]

I think its largely down to the way football is coached at youth level. Ive watched under 11 to under 14 football at both the Villa acadamy and at local team level and its all about winning, power, booting the ball away from danger, not taking risks. Kids are not encouraged to express themselves.

 

Thats why so few England players look comfortable on the ball and even fewer can beat or even try to beat a man. (Chris Waddle summed this up perfectly the other night on Radio 5 in fact he speaks more sense then the rest of them put together)

 

We are years behind Holland, most of Southern Europe and South America. We can keep blaming the Manager's like we have done for the last 20 years or more but at the end of the day they can only work with meagre resources they have available.

 

That's basically it. No confidence on the ball or the ability to create (all done by foreign players at the clubs).

 

Its bought in because this country has stopped producing or never really has produced players wil really good close control and the ability to make a pass under pressure, beat a man, whip a ball in.

 

What the f*** are we teaching the kids at football.

 

We should still kill howard wilkinson

 

 

The kids are coached at their clubs and I doubt many clubs work to Charlie Hughes coaching manual. In fact I doubt the FA have much influence over the coaching of potential pro footballers at all.

 

The problem and the solution lies with the clubs. Until they start playing creative and inventive football the youngsters coming through the ranks will never be much more than athletes in football boots. Unfortunately the price of failure in the PL is now so high that playing anything other than negative percentage football is a huge risk.

 

 

 

You could argue, the fault lies earlier, if we produced our own "Mikel Arteta"  we wouldn't need to go buy one would we?

 

 

 

For starters we shouldn't be playing through winter. 2 week break from x mas to new year would IMO make a massive differance to tiredness and injuries that accumulate.

Surely it would just result in having to cram even more games in the last three months of the season. If we want fresher players the only effective option is reducing the number of games.

 

Carling Cup should just be for teams outside the PL.

 

No, please don't take away our only chance of ever winning a meaningful trophy!

 

Winter break wont make any difference in my opinion - clubs would be flying off to the far east playing games over there to make even more money

 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I think the Carling Cup is a good place for younger/reserve players to get a game... would be a shame to get rid of it for that reason.

[Ameritoon]

I think its largely down to the way football is coached at youth level. Ive watched under 11 to under 14 football at both the Villa acadamy and at local team level and its all about winning, power, booting the ball away from danger, not taking risks. Kids are not encouraged to express themselves.

 

Thats why so few England players look comfortable on the ball and even fewer can beat or even try to beat a man. (Chris Waddle summed this up perfectly the other night on Radio 5 in fact he speaks more sense then the rest of them put together)

 

We are years behind Holland, most of Southern Europe and South America. We can keep blaming the Manager's like we have done for the last 20 years or more but at the end of the day they can only work with meagre resources they have available.

 

This is a problem in America as well. For one, our biggest youth league is just something to allow kids to have fun and learn sportsmanship. But, with kids serious about getting better, there's not a general training idea, there's no organization. The main thing that's stressed is team work and winning, most of our practices are spent working on tactics and dead ball situations. We might spend twenty minutes a day, if that at the older levels, working on foot skills, touch, trapping, etc.

 

There's should be a set training philosophy that the country stresses, and it should mainly focus on working on foot skills and technical ability for kids under 13/14, with a little work on teamwork. And that point, once kids have developed enough you can start focusing on everything else.

[NG32]

I think its largely down to the way football is coached at youth level. Ive watched under 11 to under 14 football at both the Villa acadamy and at local team level and its all about winning, power, booting the ball away from danger, not taking risks. Kids are not encouraged to express themselves.

 

Thats why so few England players look comfortable on the ball and even fewer can beat or even try to beat a man. (Chris Waddle summed this up perfectly the other night on Radio 5 in fact he speaks more sense then the rest of them put together)

 

We are years behind Holland, most of Southern Europe and South America. We can keep blaming the Manager's like we have done for the last 20 years or more but at the end of the day they can only work with meagre resources they have available.

 

This is a problem in America as well. For one, our biggest youth league is just something to allow kids to have fun and learn sportsmanship. But, with kids serious about getting better, there's not a general training idea, there's no organization. The main thing that's stressed is team work and winning, most of our practices are spent working on tactics and dead ball situations. We might spend twenty minutes a day, if that at the older levels, working on foot skills, touch, trapping, etc.

 

There's should be a set training philosophy that the country stresses, and it should mainly focus on working on foot skills and technical ability for kids under 13/14, with a little work on teamwork. And that point, once kids have developed enough you can start focusing on everything else.

 

 

It should be number 1 in training. 

 

 

[Gash]

Very true, kids are told now "If in doubt put it out" and to just get rid.

Grassroots is the issue, getting kids into clubs such as Arsenal at an early age is the key, a club which encourages expression of football.

[ohmelads]

Is this really the issue though?

 

Look at Spain and Holland. For decades they have underperformed at least as badly as we have. Both countries emphasise technique at grass roots level. Both countries have a league chock full of homegrown players. Yet they always crash out when the chips are down, just like us. Prior to Euro 08 Spain were always the example of underachievement and they're one of the most technical countries in the game.

 

Italy and France crashed out badly and their leagues are full of homegrown players.

 

The world cup is a one month competition, it's about playing well for a month, getting your tactics right and maybe even riding your luck at times. Argentina scraped into the tournament, now a lot of people fancy them to win it. France and Italy struggled out of the groups in 06 but made it to the final. I think I read that 4 of the last 5 winners have needed penalties at one stage in their run. The best team doesn't always win it, it's about turning up for a month and performing there and then. England have shown in qualifiers and by reaching quarter finals down the years that we are capable of mounting a challenge. I would look at our tactics far more than grassroots football. You can teach 10 year olds how you want but when they get to the world cup it's all about how you play as a unit. Rooney knows how to trap a football and take on a man, but he couldn't get into the games. This is what we should be addressing.

[Nobody]

Hasn't Messi got a clause in his contract saying he'll always be their best player? Or am I thinking of someone else?

[SEMTEX]

Hasn't Messi got a clause in his contract saying he'll always be their best player? Or am I thinking of someone else?

 

 

So if one year Bojan has a storming season and Messi is off-form, Bojan has to intentionally play worse, otherwise Messi will sue FCB? Doesn't sound like a great idea.

[mrmojorisin75]

Is this really the issue though?

 

Look at Spain and Holland. For decades they have underperformed at least as badly as we have. Both countries emphasise technique at grass roots level. Both countries have a league chock full of homegrown players. Yet they always crash out when the chips are down, just like us. Prior to Euro 08 Spain were always the example of underachievement and they're one of the most technical countries in the game.

 

Italy and France crashed out badly and their leagues are full of homegrown players.

 

The world cup is a one month competition, it's about playing well for a month, getting your tactics right and maybe even riding your luck at times. Argentina scraped into the tournament, now a lot of people fancy them to win it. France and Italy struggled out of the groups in 06 but made it to the final. I think I read that 4 of the last 5 winners have needed penalties at one stage in their run. The best team doesn't always win it, it's about turning up for a month and performing there and then. England have shown in qualifiers and by reaching quarter finals down the years that we are capable of mounting a challenge. I would look at our tactics far more than grassroots football. You can teach 10 year olds how you want but when they get to the world cup it's all about how you play as a unit. Rooney knows how to trap a football and take on a man, but he couldn't get into the games. This is what we should be addressing.

 

good post, different perspective, like it

 

difference is holland and spain have both won things (major tournaments) in my lifetime...england are getting further away it seems but it's a very good post nonetheless

[NG32]

Is this really the issue though?

 

Look at Spain and Holland. For decades they have underperformed at least as badly as we have. Both countries emphasise technique at grass roots level. Both countries have a league chock full of homegrown players. Yet they always crash out when the chips are down, just like us. Prior to Euro 08 Spain were always the example of underachievement and they're one of the most technical countries in the game.

 

Italy and France crashed out badly and their leagues are full of homegrown players.

 

The world cup is a one month competition, it's about playing well for a month, getting your tactics right and maybe even riding your luck at times. Argentina scraped into the tournament, now a lot of people fancy them to win it. France and Italy struggled out of the groups in 06 but made it to the final. I think I read that 4 of the last 5 winners have needed penalties at one stage in their run. The best team doesn't always win it, it's about turning up for a month and performing there and then. England have shown in qualifiers and by reaching quarter finals down the years that we are capable of mounting a challenge. I would look at our tactics far more than grassroots football. You can teach 10 year olds how you want but when they get to the world cup it's all about how you play as a unit. Rooney knows how to trap a football and take on a man, but he couldn't get into the games. This is what we should be addressing.

 

Aye fair comment about Spain and Holland producing some nice tidy players but they often dont do well in a big tournament.   I still think we should be produicng more player who are comfy on the ball.