Etihad Campus, Stadium Development and Collar Site

[supercity88]

Happy to hear that U13s will be playing smaller format game. That is essential to ensure that players are technically sound and can control, pass and move before they learn the positional game on full size pitches and adapt. It is what they do at Barca and how they revolutionised Spanish football. It is something this country needs to do to address the lack of young talent coming through. Technique first, positional play later. Progress us beyond the big lads at back, quick lads up top format that has been the foundations to football in this country for so long.

 

[kippaxblue76]

All the pitches are 11 a side size but all up to u13s play on 5 -9 a side pitches.

I know they can put cones out for them, but might have been nice to include some bespoke pitches for the young lads

There is a half size pitch as well, can anyone guess what that is for ?

 

[fbloke]

All the pitches are 11 a side size but all up to u13s play on 5 -9 a side pitches.

I know they can put cones out for them, but might have been nice to include some bespoke pitches for the young lads

There is a half size pitch as well, can anyone guess what that is for ?

Keeper training.

 

[kippaxblue76]

Happy to hear that U13s will be playing smaller format game. That is essential to ensure that players are technically sound and can control, pass and move before they learn the positional game on full size pitches and adapt. It is what they do at Barca and how they revolutionised Spanish football. It is something this country needs to do to address the lack of young talent coming through. Technique first, positional play later. Progress us beyond the big lads at back, quick lads up top format that has been the foundations to football in this country for so long.

Yes totally agree with this, I have coached a junior team from the age of 6 right up to 18's, from 6 years old to 10 yo we played 7 a side on small pitches so it developed technique, plenty of touches and smaller spaces to work in, at the age of 10 we had to go to full size pitches ( FA ruling) and what a farce it was, our goalie looked like a midget in the full size nets and the rest of the lads were just bewildered by the amount of space. They should play on smaller pitches until about 14 which is I believe what they intend to implement. Its a no brainer and should have been done years ago.

 

[fbloke]

Happy to hear that U13s will be playing smaller format game. That is essential to ensure that players are technically sound and can control, pass and move before they learn the positional game on full size pitches and adapt. It is what they do at Barca and how they revolutionised Spanish football. It is something this country needs to do to address the lack of young talent coming through. Technique first, positional play later. Progress us beyond the big lads at back, quick lads up top format that has been the foundations to football in this country for so long.

Yes totally agree with this, I have coached a junior team from the age of 6 right up to 18's, from 6 years old to 10 yo we played 7 a side on small pitches so it developed technique, plenty of touches and smaller spaces to work in, at the age of 10 we had to go to full size pitches ( FA ruling) and what a farce it was, our goalie looked like a midget in the full size nets and the rest of the lads were just bewildered by the amount of space. They should play on smaller pitches until about 14 which is I believe what they intend to implement. Its a no brainer and should have been done years ago.

Thats all changed from this season under FA changes.

I wont go into the details as there are too many but keep up to speed via -
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/news/2012/05/31/fa-changes-to-youth-football-whats-in-store/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/news/2012/ ... -in-store/</a>

 

[Neville Kneville]

Happy to hear that U13s will be playing smaller format game. That is essential to ensure that players are technically sound and can control, pass and move before they learn the positional game on full size pitches and adapt. It is what they do at Barca and how they revolutionised Spanish football. It is something this country needs to do to address the lack of young talent coming through. Technique first, positional play later. Progress us beyond the big lads at back, quick lads up top format that has been the foundations to football in this country for so long.

Yes totally agree with this, I have coached a junior team from the age of 6 right up to 18's, from 6 years old to 10 yo we played 7 a side on small pitches so it developed technique, plenty of touches and smaller spaces to work in, at the age of 10 we had to go to full size pitches ( FA ruling) and what a farce it was, our goalie looked like a midget in the full size nets and the rest of the lads were just bewildered by the amount of space. They should play on smaller pitches until about 14 which is I believe what they intend to implement. Its a no brainer and should have been done years ago.

Thats all changed from this season under FA changes.

I wont go into the details as there are too many but keep up to speed via -
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/news/2012/05/31/fa-changes-to-youth-football-whats-in-store/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/news/2012/ ... -in-store/</a>

It's taken them this long & how many 'revolutions' & 'think tanks' to figure that out ?

Absolutely staggering.

The kids would have been better off with some concrete a wall & a fucking lamp post.

 

[kippaxblue76]

Yes totally agree with this, I have coached a junior team from the age of 6 right up to 18's, from 6 years old to 10 yo we played 7 a side on small pitches so it developed technique, plenty of touches and smaller spaces to work in, at the age of 10 we had to go to full size pitches ( FA ruling) and what a farce it was, our goalie looked like a midget in the full size nets and the rest of the lads were just bewildered by the amount of space. They should play on smaller pitches until about 14 which is I believe what they intend to implement. Its a no brainer and should have been done years ago.

Thats all changed from this season under FA changes.

I wont go into the details as there are too many but keep up to speed via -
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/news/2012/05/31/fa-changes-to-youth-football-whats-in-store/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/news/2012/ ... -in-store/</a>

It's taken them this long & how many 'revolutions' & 'think tanks' to figure that out ?

Absolutely staggering.

The kids would have been better off with some concrete a wall & a fucking lamp post.

The mind boggles mate. I and a few others coaches actually had a meeting with the Manchester FA to talk about this around 12/13 years ago but it all fell on deaf ears, staggered by the stubbornness.<br /><br />-- Wed Sep 18, 2013 1:10 pm --<br /><br />

All the pitches are 11 a side size but all up to u13s play on 5 -9 a side pitches.

I know they can put cones out for them, but might have been nice to include some bespoke pitches for the young lads

There is a half size pitch as well, can anyone guess what that is for ?

Keeper training.

Spoilsport :)

 

[more lazy than useless]

Yes totally agree with this, I have coached a junior team from the age of 6 right up to 18's, from 6 years old to 10 yo we played 7 a side on small pitches so it developed technique, plenty of touches and smaller spaces to work in, at the age of 10 we had to go to full size pitches ( FA ruling) and what a farce it was, our goalie looked like a midget in the full size nets and the rest of the lads were just bewildered by the amount of space. They should play on smaller pitches until about 14 which is I believe what they intend to implement. Its a no brainer and should have been done years ago.

Thats all changed from this season under FA changes.

I wont go into the details as there are too many but keep up to speed via -
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/news/2012/05/31/fa-changes-to-youth-football-whats-in-store/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/news/2012/ ... -in-store/</a>

It's taken them this long & how many 'revolutions' & 'think tanks' to figure that out ?

Absolutely staggering.

The kids would have been better off with some concrete a wall & a fucking lamp post.

I coach in Ireland and its the same here. I've seen good lads put off by the sudden and overwhelming change, especially the smaller ones. I have yet to come across a keeper who can take a big enough goalkick unless they are twice the height they should be for their age freaks, and any tall lad gets put in net because there's little choice but and ends up, 9 times out of 10, pissed off. Its a complete joke. There are plenty of other things too, eg the age groupings don't help when some small kid finds himself being outmuscled by some kid twice his size but there's nothing that can be done to get him playing with kids his size until he's able for the bigger ones.

They really would be better off with a wall and some concrete, and we generally tell them to find a wall at home to kick a ball against.

Its no wonder so many give up. I've had so many tell me they 'know' they're not good enough so aren't going to bother anymore, when I really do know they could get something out of the game if they kept going. Hopefully things are changing, but I won't hold my breath.

 

[supercity88]

It is good that they have addressed it although it has taken them far too long. The FA seem to like to appoint people to do reports that take 18 months and offer little conclusions or advice how to move forward. A simple meeting with decent coaches would show them the issue. They would see quick lads stood on the halfway line running onto long balls from the bigger lads at the back. It is all scrappy and with little technique. Everyone has known this for a long time but it is only now coming to fruition. Fortunately City specifically have an exceptional team in place for youth development so we should bring through a vast number of quality players. I think it is a shame that former England players haven't had a larger role in youth development in this country. Or not to any significant effect. Gary Lineker knows exactly what has been done in Spain and at Barca and would be perfect to have been involved here. Gareth Southgate to be fair has responded to some of those issues.

 

[fbloke]

I've been involved in the FA stuff and TBH its been a fantastic experience seeing dedicated people who are driving change such as Nick Levett and Gareth Southgate (and there are other FA employees on here that I am aware of too) fighting the stubborn, frustrating and at times downright obnoxious attitudes that have previously held sway at the FA and elsewhere.

I take real heart from the fact that as the FA move forwards so do their attitudes to youth football and coaching.

Alas it wont happen quickly enough for me but the process has got momentum now and, in time, the naysayers and blocking types will be seen for what they are.

We now exist at at time when more and more people in football see the need, and indeed the benefit of putting the kids first and so are developing systems and methodologies that do exactly that.

What now needs to happen is for more (and perhaps more youthful?) coaches to come on stream with the more up to date skills and attitudes.

Lastly, lets us not forget that English football at all levels subscribed to the methods of a certain Charles Hughes way beyond any reasonable timeframe but it begat a generation of coaches who not only gained admirers but perpetuated the methods.

One of those men even made it into the England job, Graham Taylor (For those who remember his more direct Watford teams?).

Tony Pulis, Dave Bassett and John Beck are my personal pet hates BTW.

But back on topic for the thread -

Mutterings about some Sky 'investment' in Manchester cycling are doing the rounds so it might be over at the Velodrome?