England’s performances have been okay in the World Cup and it could be argued that two losses are harsh, however, there is a mentality problem for me as continual failure (and that’s what it is) is not solely down to talent in my eyes.
I feel people are blooded too early in the England set up, that it’s too easy to gain a cap, that too much pressure is put on young shoulders who once called up having nothing left to prove.
The England U21’s always seem to do okay, last tournament aside, but they don’t win outright. If the England U21’s had players available to them such as Ox, Sterling, Studge, Barkley, Shaw, Stones, Walcott etc, then they would grow together and hopefully win their respective tournaments or at least get closer to that goal. I feel that if all U21 players were kept together and formed a winning mentality this would benefit the seniors later in their career.
If that means playing Jarvis, Noble, Nolan, Downing et al then so be it as the worst that could happen is that we don’t get out of the group. It would be hard to take while we wait and it would take a strong FA to take the pressure off a manager who would see this out but ultimately, in the long run, I feel that it would work better than throwing in players in their teens.
In my eyes you should not play for England until you are over 21.
Englands future: Thoughts please
posted on 20/6/14
Firstly I don't see how you can deny the national team a talent because of their age. If you're good enough you're old enough and personally remain unconvinced that winning a fairly meaningless tournament would develop the mental fortitude to succeed at full international level.
Plenty of players have excelled at U21 level but not gone on to better things. England's top goalscorer - Jeffers. The best players at a young age wont necessarily become top players.
Just a point of interest, England won the U21 Euro Championship in 1982 and again in 1984. Every few of the players graduated to the full England side and if you look at the names there are good reasons for that. There was definitely a winning mentality with that group of players but the bottom line is they weren't good enough to represent the full side.
posted on 20/6/14
And yet 1990 was probably our best world cup in 50 years.
posted on 20/6/14
comment by Robbing_Hoody - Here, have some goals. You don't have to work for them. They're a gift. That's what we do now. (U6374)
posted 5 minutes ago
And yet 1990 was probably our best world cup in 50 years.
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Yeah but none of the U21 team were in the 1990 team - that's the point really. You can create a winning mentality for a junior competition but that doesn't mean those players will make the grade. Of the 1984 team only Steve Hodge and Mark Hateley went on to have an England career of any note.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1196089/Whatever-happened-Englands-heroes-1984.html
posted on 20/6/14
But if these players are being called up by the seniors at 17/18/19 then they will make the grade.
I guess I'm just echoing what Pearce said and if you always do what you've always done you'll always get what you've always got.
I do not see a downside to keeping these players back. I'm not saying it's guaranteed to work but I do not see a negative to it.
I think everyone agrees there is a mentality problem with England don't they? They why not try and change it?
posted on 20/6/14
comment by Robbing_Hoody - Here, have some goals. You don't have to work for them. They're a gift. That's what we do now. (U6374)
posted 7 minutes ago
But if these players are being called up by the seniors at 17/18/19 then they will make the grade.
I guess I'm just echoing what Pearce said and if you always do what you've always done you'll always get what you've always got.
I do not see a downside to keeping these players back. I'm not saying it's guaranteed to work but I do not see a negative to it.
I think everyone agrees there is a mentality problem with England don't they? They why not try and change it?
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I totally agree with the sentiment that if you always do the same thing etc, I'm just not sure holding players back is the way to go.
If you want a blueprint then the Spanish (this world cup aside!) is not a bad one to look at. They were considered the perennial under-achievers but invested in technical training of youth and a defined style of play throughout their teams. There was a cohesive strategy as to how they were going to make the Spanish national team a success.
I have no idea if England have such a strategy but if they do it's a very well disguised one. That, to me, is how you address the issue rather than potentially holding the talent back.
posted on 20/6/14
As said the laws for training are different here and I think it's a maximum of 1.5 hours per day under 16. Something like that, where as abroad there are no such restrictions and the players are educated at the clubs I think.
The weather does not help either but the FA are making moves in terms of making smaller pitches with less players etc.
In the article I posted about Belguim it notes the following;
"First, inspired by research trips to the best training centres in France, the Netherlands and Germany, every youth team in the country was told to play a fluid and flexible 4-3-3 formation favoured by the national team. Sablon made a brochure and went to clubs, schools and all youth coaches and told them how to do it.
Sablon even went as far as ensuring under-seven and under-eight teams did not have league tables"
We need a sablon in this country
posted on 20/6/14
Foreign players get peanuts in their own league.
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COBBLERS
posted on 20/6/14
comment by Robbing_Hoody - Here, have some goals. You don't have to work for them. They're a gift. That's what we do now. (U6374)
posted 2 minutes ago
We need a sablon in this country
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Wouldn't argue with that for a second, that degree of co-ordination is absolutely appropriate in my mind.
As for the laws, I guess the FA would have to make a case for football being an exception. Not sure if they've tried or not.
It's a long term investment but I'd say a much better way to go than trying to keep an U21 team together for a couple more years.
posted on 20/6/14
comment by Leiva la vida Lucas {Proud owner of the 5 000 000th comment} (U2720)
posted 3 hours, 57 minutes ago
What England needs is to define their league/s with a style of play and run with it.
Germany did it with their speedy transition football. Italy with their good defence. Spain with their technical, passing football style. South America for their flair.
The FA need to say, this is the style of football we want to play and force all clubs at all levels to play this sort of football and then you'll see the rewards. Each player will be learning one system and wouldnt find it hard adapting from club football to the international scene.
Belguim is the exception that exported their young talent early and had other countries with good footballing schools teach their players and were lucky to have all those players born in the same generation.
Thats just my take on things.
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Good post. We do have a style...it's called hoofball
posted on 20/6/14
I agree with Mr. Chelsea to a large degree.