How do you solve a problem like England?

[Brighton TID]

The simple bare balls truth of it is that we do not have the mentality and national youth facilities in this country to encourage players at the youngest age to develop the skills that can only be taught at an age pre 14/15.


Brazil are successful because their players learn as kids playing bare feet on the beaches. Liverpool were good back in the day because the kids honed their skills on the streets as there was nothing else for them to do. This is the key to the whole thing I think. We need more spaces for the kids to play and naturally learn the game, rather than some 'qualified' coach barking at them. Same with any sport. YOU CANNOT COACH NATURAL TALENT.

 

[Mental Lental]

I don't subscribe to this nonsense about players playing too many games. Look at the Americans, they pay silly money to their baseball/basketball/grid-iron players too but they expect them to play nearly every other day.

We should DOUBLE the amount of games. Clubs would be forced to have LARGE squads and use squad rotation. The wage budgets would need to be readjusted to permit a larger squad so you have more players and less individuals on inflated wages.

Oh and BAN Manchester Utd and Chelsea cos they can afford to have even larger squads and still pay silly money.

 

[cuthbert]

The simple bare balls truth of it is that we do not have the mentality and national youth facilities in this country to encourage players at the youngest age to develop the skills that can only be taught at an age pre 14/15.


Brazil are successful because their players learn as kids playing bare feet on the beaches. Liverpool were good back in the day because the kids honed their skills on the streets as there was nothing else for them to do. This is the key to the whole thing I think. We need more spaces for the kids to play and naturally learn the game, rather than some 'qualified' coach barking at them. Same with any sport. YOU CANNOT COACH NATURAL TALENT.

Great post I agree with every word. Let the kids play, with tennis balls or any thing else they can find, one against one, two against three doesn't matter kids will sort it out and develop their skills. I find it very sad to watch 9yo kids playing on a full sized pitch in kits with numbers and sponsors names on their shirts, while their parents shout abuse at a 16 yo referee.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I don't get the question when they say let the Premier League run it. Why the fcuk would you let a bunch of egotisticle twats who only run the game for their own greed and whose players represent it without pride or passion. They only want to run it so their players are protected and their own clubs are protected. I don't believe for one minute they want to run the national side so they could actually win something.

The bollocks of they were knackered after a long season doesn't wash with me either, just look at those two tennis players who played for a little bit longer than the 90 minutes we ask those pampered idiots to put in is crap.

We have a fundemental problem from the ground upwards. We need to coach kids better and to learn to caress the ball not make 9 years old play on a full size pitch with full size goals. That just teaches them to lump it forward and they lose all their creative ability coaches teach them from under 7 upwards.

The FA is in decline and it needs completely revamping as it no longer has the confidence of people within football.

The nation stops when England play so it has to be addressed.

Like it or hate it the people that are running the premiership know how to run football.

 

[Gwylan]

Like it or hate it the people that are running the premiership know how to ruin football.

Fixed it for you

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I think the main problem is that England managers are 'forced' to pick English players from the Big 4 regardless of whether they all play in similar positions or can play together. Gerrard and Lampard are prime examples, as someone above said they both have technically gifted midfielders around them allowing them to do what they do best. It took ages for England to twig this and pick Barry, but we still try and force the two of them into a team. Then there is the Rooney problem, a great player but we're not playing to his strengths with the choice of players around him. It will take a strong manager to accept that all three together doesn't work, and someone loses out.

Capello will hopefully grow into the job now over the next four years. But I still maintain that the English manager should have two qualities - 1) be a winner, and 2) have large experience of English football. That narrows it down to four (well five) people in my mind - Ferguson, Wenger, Mourinho and Redknapp (and Benitez, but, um, no).

 

[Gwylan]

I think the main problem is that England managers are 'forced' to pick English players from the Big 4 regardless of whether they all play in similar positions or can play together. Gerrard and Lampard are prime examples, as someone above said they both have technically gifted midfielders around them allowing them to do what they do best. It took ages for England to twig this and pick Barry, but we still try and force the two of them into a team. Then there is the Rooney problem, a great player but we're not playing to his strengths with the choice of players around him. It will take a strong manager to accept that all three together doesn't work, and someone loses out.

Capello will hopefully grow into the job now over the next four years. But I still maintain that the English manager should have two qualities - 1) be a winner, and 2) have large experience of English football. That narrows it down to four (well five) people in my mind - Ferguson, Wenger, Mourinho and Redknapp (and Benitez, but, um, no).

Ferguson is nearly 70 and is looking to retire; Mourinho left English football, partly thanks to a player revolt led by the England current centre-back, and Redknapp is facing tax evasion charges - so all these three can be ruled out.
Wenger's not a bad call though. I reckon he's got one more season to win something before the board looks around for someone new.

It's a good call that the best 11 players aren't necessarily the best team (although to be fair, I think that was the thinking on Heskey,no-one pretended that he was one the best)

 

[Storer68]

#1. Replace everyone at the FA with people who know the game, rather than the existing back slapping old farts who've never kicked a ball in their lives. We need new, fresh ideas to get ahead of the game rather than playing catch up all of the time.

Think you will find that Sir Trevor Brooking kicked the odd ball.

Fresh ideas - SCRAP the premier league

 

[Storer68]

I think the main problem is that England managers are 'forced' to pick English players from the Big 4 regardless of whether they all play in similar positions or can play together. Gerrard and Lampard are prime examples, as someone above said they both have technically gifted midfielders around them allowing them to do what they do best. It took ages for England to twig this and pick Barry, but we still try and force the two of them into a team. Then there is the Rooney problem, a great player but we're not playing to his strengths with the choice of players around him. It will take a strong manager to accept that all three together doesn't work, and someone loses out.

Capello will hopefully grow into the job now over the next four years. But I still maintain that the English manager should have two qualities - 1) be a winner, and 2) have large experience of English football. That narrows it down to four (well five) people in my mind - Ferguson, Wenger, Mourinho and Redknapp (and Benitez, but, um, no).

I think I could GROW INTO THE JOB if I was being paid £12million a year to achieve feck all

 

[Blackadder]

That team should be playing in the quarters this weekend. The players were skillful enough. There is something wrong in the camp and Cappello will need to weed out a couple (or more) Prima Donnas.

 

[Storer68]

An example of Germany thinking ahead.

Last seaon the Bundesliega played all its matches with the ball that is being used at the World Cup. Consequently German players are familiar with its movement through the air, and how to control it without giving away possession.

Oh, and they have strikers who rememberd how to score goals. Bit of a shock to that useless lump of lard Rooney

 

[Gwylan]

An example of Germany thinking ahead.

Last seaon the Bundesliega played all its matches with the ball that is being used at the World Cup. Consequently German players are familiar with its movement through the air, and how to control it without giving away possession.

Good point. The GENIUS who signed the deal that meant we couldn't use the World Cup should be named and shamed - he probably did more damage to our WC chances than any other individual.

 

[pasty]

Last seaon the Bundesliega played all its matches with the ball that is being used at the World Cup. Consequently German players are familiar with its movement through the air, and how to control it without giving away possession.

I understand the FA wanted the PL to do something similar, but there was a conflict of sponsorship or something. Also helps that half the Bundesliga is sponsored by Adidas, who happen to make the ball.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Good point. The GENIUS who signed the deal that meant we couldn't use the World Cup should be named and shamed - he probably did more damage to our WC chances than any other individual.

The players could of at least trained with it.

 

[tonymgc]

The training centre at Burton is absolutely essential for the growth & development of the next generation of players.