Barcelona and their youth?.....

[Wiirdo]

Basically all of the foreign leagues have good youth systems. Lyon have a great system. Same with Ajax.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

only arsenal try that way but i guess dont have the resources to do it.

barca are incredible but have been top of the tree for years and years and years, we can do that, but it will be 10 years before we see the results imo.

2bh i think our academy products being churned out every year are getting fewer and far between but if we invest the money in facilities and coaches as well as scouts as well as maybe having Jim or someone else in charge of scouting the local pools, we could have the best academy in england.

barca will always be ahead of us because spain is more attractive to south americans and they have more prestige and spanish youngsters are more talented.

That's because we're getting better though, under Pearce when there was a splurge of youth players getting a game, that was really because we couldn't afford to sign anyone (except Samaras).

The first team can improve rapidly when you get investment, but the Academy will take years to catch up.

The whole culture of English football would need to change to start bringing through so many talented players like they do in Spain, maybe in 50 years time, but it won't happen any time soon.

I don't think there's a lack of talent, it's just missed because other attributes are given more importance and it's harder to display your skill in the fast paced, physical style of game.

I didn't want to be rude about our academy talent in my first post, but I do think there is a talent shortage. Either that, or a lack of mental strength or in MJ's case mental strength and fitness, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Mikem93]

our young kids dont play football and the ones that do are all coached in the same way because of these sunday league managers who think they are arsene wenger lol.in spain they work alot on technical ability which makes them more controlled and skilled on the ball and more tactical.look at gareth barry for instance,he is probably got the worse technique in the league but is powerful and is a solid midfielder.young coaches in this country just tell a left back to huff the ball up the wing to the strikers in hope they will chase it.

IMO thats the biggest problem with the youth football in this country, the biggest kids are favoured from a young age because managers want to win at all costs so they get some lads to play at the back and in the centre of midfield and some one big to go upfront and play long ball which really encourages no progression in technical ability or even general footballing knowledge. You see the kids with real potential and ability, the ones who can receive a pass effortlessly and then make the right choice as to what they do with the ball, sitting on the bench because the managers (the dad who wants to be Mourinho) want to win so the think the best way to do it is to get the ball up to the big guy upfront.

 

[pee dubya]

That's because we're getting better though, under Pearce when there was a splurge of youth players getting a game, that was really because we couldn't afford to sign anyone (except Samaras).

The first team can improve rapidly when you get investment, but the Academy will take years to catch up.

The whole culture of English football would need to change to start bringing through so many talented players like they do in Spain, maybe in 50 years time, but it won't happen any time soon.

I don't think there's a lack of talent, it's just missed because other attributes are given more importance and it's harder to display your skill in the fast paced, physical style of game.

I didn't want to be rude about our academy talent in my first post, but I do think there is a talent shortage. Either that, or a lack of mental strength or in MJ's case mental strength and fitness, but that's just my opinion.

I meant in the country rather than just the academy though. I think the talent is within the population, it just doesn't get spotted and developed to the same extent as it does in the likes of Spain or Brazil.

 

[chelseaaway84]

IMO thats the biggest problem with the youth football in this country, the biggest kids are favoured from a young age because managers want to win at all costs so they get some lads to play at the back and in the centre of midfield and some one big to go upfront and play long ball which really encourages no progression in technical ability or even general footballing knowledge. You see the kids with real potential and ability, the ones who can receive a pass effortlessly and then make the right choice as to what they do with the ball, sitting on the bench because the managers (the dad who wants to be Mourinho) want to win so the think the best way to do it is to get the ball up to the big guy upfront.


what a great post mate and 100% true, my lad plays at an academy and is very technical which at the moment the coaches love, but hes not as tall as the boom merchants at the back, yet they get the praise
to be fair where he plays they try to get the kids to play great football which i respect from a learning point of view and enjoy
junior league football 90% of the time is won by the team with the biggest and strongest lads, and coaches think they are great but dont realise this country will never be as good as spain because first touch and the ability to play short passing is the most important aspect of football, never try to give the ball away cheaply
roll on when proper football is coached at all levels in this country and kids are taught right and more importantly told to enjoy the game and not be shouted at