I must confess to having watched a few Premiership matches live this season, and the one thing I noticed is the comfort the top players have on the ball and how they don't waste possession. Watching England last night this was very absent.
They have had this drilled into them from a very young age, so that it becomes second nature, and this is reflected in those sides who have been successful in the UEFA/FIFA under 16 to under 21 championships and is panning out now in senior football. Spain have had 19 victories in these youth tournaments, and England..............ONE.
Unless we get it right when the players are young, how can we expect to turn it round when they are older, but there is not enough investment in the best coaching as shown by the following stats:
UEFA A and Pro Coaches
Spain 14,860 (and 750 hours of training required for a Pro licence)
Germany 6,570
France 2,588
Italy 1,810
Netherlands 1,137
England 1,010 (245 hours of training required for a Pro licence)
In business you have to invest to succeed, as has been seen by the demise of the UK manufacturing industry over the last 50 years, so why should football be any different?
They have had this drilled into them from a very young age, so that it becomes second nature, and this is reflected in those sides who have been successful in the UEFA/FIFA under 16 to under 21 championships and is panning out now in senior football. Spain have had 19 victories in these youth tournaments, and England..............ONE.
Unless we get it right when the players are young, how can we expect to turn it round when they are older, but there is not enough investment in the best coaching as shown by the following stats:
UEFA A and Pro Coaches
Spain 14,860 (and 750 hours of training required for a Pro licence)
Germany 6,570
France 2,588
Italy 1,810
Netherlands 1,137
England 1,010 (245 hours of training required for a Pro licence)
In business you have to invest to succeed, as has been seen by the demise of the UK manufacturing industry over the last 50 years, so why should football be any different?