Secret Footballer has a few digs at our academy

Ric said:
Yes, fair point. It's unclear as it's been worded vaguely (possibly deliberately to help conceal his identity). Seems unlikely to me that we'd be employing such rudimentary training as that at the CFA though.
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If you're referring to this bit:

"As I pointed out in the book, you can have all the coaching you like but if it is misdirected – as it was at Manchester City when I was there – where wingers were being asked to hit certain targets for crossing, strikers for shots and defenders for interceptions, that’s all utter nonsense.
Read more at http://www.thesecretfootballer.com/...ppears-willing-to-follow/#RbPQ19tGxcr1IByR.99"

then I read that as to mean when he actually trained at City rather than when he visited (recently). If he does mean the latter then I would 100% guarantee he's talking bollocks.
 
ColinLee said:
If you're referring to this bit:

"As I pointed out in the book, you can have all the coaching you like but if it is misdirected – as it was at Manchester City when I was there – where wingers were being asked to hit certain targets for crossing, strikers for shots and defenders for interceptions, that’s all utter nonsense.
Read more at http://www.thesecretfootballer.com/...ppears-willing-to-follow/#RbPQ19tGxcr1IByR.99"

then I read that as to mean when he actually trained at City rather than when he visited (recently). If he does mean the latter then I would 100% guarantee he's talking bollocks.
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Yeah, that's how I read it initially too.
 
I've seen Kevin Davies at United's Littleton Road when the rags u9/10/11 were all playing.

If he has a kid/nephew that plays for either them or the opponents that day it's feasible that he saw a bit of the CFA in a similar visit?
 
I think the Gibson/cassell days were a period when winning was placed higher than development.Their argument was winning is a critical part of the development process.Lads were rarely played above their natural age.Modern thinking is players need to be challenged to progress and develop.


The modern day City academy appears to be more about development.
 
stockportblue said:
I think the Gibson/cassell days were a period when winning was placed higher than development.Their argument was winning is a critical part of the development process.Lads were rarely played above their natural age.Modern thinking is players need to be challenged to progress and develop.


The modern day City academy appears to be more about development.
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If you look at most of the first team graduates from that period, they were mainly either big, strong, fast, hard or often all of the above. (Or on the wrong side of the law). Michael Johnson & Ireland being the main exceptions. Quite a few nutters, drunks & general criminal types too.
 
This thread reminded me, a mate and i discussed this for a couple of hours in the pub a year or so back, maybe two, on the suggestion that the secret footballer was ex-City.

We narrowed down his time period as he mentions being both promoted and relegated, being on £100k + week plus, and being one of the teams better players.

We came up with SWP. Thoughts? Doesn't fit his personality I think, but the criteria fit?

The other idea was Robbie Savage, who was on the books at the scum as a kid, as the negative City stuff from the secret footballer mostly stopped or lessened a little during his mate Mancini's tenure.
 
City_Sean said:
Because the attitude of young English players is appalling. Look at Grealish, Wilshire.

More arsed about going out on the piss.
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Meh, they're just replicating behaviour that most of their social circles will be doing.
In fact, most of their actions are actually legal in this country (such as alcohol consumption)
Whilst plenty of their friends of the same age will be fucked up on illegal drugs.

A big deal was made by our gutterpress about Raheem Sterlings Sheesh pipe smoke but he wasn't exactly injecting heroin was he...

The work ethic/attitude of our youth is a byproduct from our parents financial success.

So yes CFA will go to recruit in places where the youth will have more hunger.
And also, we have easier access to education so the potential top football player at 17 decides instead to go to University and study Engineering or Computer Programming etc... Things kids in Africa could only dream of doing.

It's not just attitude, youth in this country have far more options... I realised at a much younger age it was highly unlikely that I'd be the next football superstar, and switched to other sports and studying.
 
Don't think it's Barton. He's written about Barton before

Most of the derogatory comments made by players about their club are described as "damaging" but, in truth, are simply pointless. When Joey Barton was waging his own war against Newcastle through Twitter before his acrimonious departure, plenty of players, including me, were quietly hoping he would stop. Especially when he began to quote Nietzsche, a man who ended up talking to his dog (Nietzsche not Barton).
 
Why Always Ste said:
Meh, they're just replicating behaviour that most of their social circles will be doing.
In fact, most of their actions are actually legal in this country (such as alcohol consumption)
Whilst plenty of their friends of the same age will be fucked up on illegal drugs.

A big deal was made by our gutterpress about Raheem Sterlings Sheesh pipe smoke but he wasn't exactly injecting heroin was he...

The work ethic/attitude of our youth is a byproduct from our parents financial success.

So yes CFA will go to recruit in places where the youth will have more hunger.
And also, we have easier access to education so the potential top football player at 17 decides instead to go to University and study Engineering or Computer Programming etc... Things kids in Africa could only dream of doing.

It's not just attitude, youth in this country have far more options... I realised at a much younger age it was highly unlikely that I'd be the next football superstar, and switched to other sports and studying.
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That is quite accurate. I know a few people now who’s kids have got close to decent PL academies and load so of people have advised them against it. Many stories of clubs looking to recruit squads of 40 or more kids at school leaving age and of that intake half are lucky to see a second year and you are down to single figures by year 3. The likely result is 2 or 3 years wasted and a heartbroken kid who is out of education and with no trade / job skills.

A lot of academies are run on very old fashioned working class principles. The coaches take a view that the only think that the young players should be doing is concentrating on making it as a footballer. That puts a lot of parents off who will have to pick up the pieces if it doesn’t work out. It is a system that favours kids who come from disadvantaged backgrounds who probably had no aspiration of college or career at that age anyway for them why not go all out to be a footballer.

I’m very glad city has the link with St Beads. A better option on all fronts.
 
geoff clipp said:
Don't think it's Barton. He's written about Barton before

Most of the derogatory comments made by players about their club are described as "damaging" but, in truth, are simply pointless. When Joey Barton was waging his own war against Newcastle through Twitter before his acrimonious departure, plenty of players, including me, were quietly hoping he would stop. Especially when he began to quote Nietzsche, a man who ended up talking to his dog (Nietzsche not Barton).
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Only because the miserable ****'s dog wouldn't talk to Barton.
 
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