I had one coach who as soon as the ball was off the ground used to scream, “SECOND BALLLLLL!!!” like he was going into battle.

I used to think, “Give me a chance with the first ball, you facking prikk.”

comment by Donny The King van de Beek (U10026)
posted 38 seconds ago
Coaching methods have changed quite a bit I suspect. Not playing the ball across goal being one given how defenders are being coaching to play out from the back.
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Also that they can do it properly, whereas kids at my level obviously couldn't. The "passing back on target" was partly to do with terrible pitches as well. Sure I saw at least one goal where the keeper went to kick out a backpass and the ball bounced off a divot, over his foot and in.

😂

I know AWB was in no man's land about 5 times against brighton but the keeper has vision of everything and should be screaming as his defenders....
De gea is terrible at that.

comment by Greg- (U1192)
posted 0 seconds ago
😂

I know AWB was in no man's land about 5 times against brighton but the keeper has vision of everything and should be screaming as his defenders....
De gea is terrible at that.
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It's not like there's any crowds to drown out the noise 🙄

comment by Greg- (U1192)
posted 2 minutes ago
😂

I know AWB was in no man's land about 5 times against brighton but the keeper has vision of everything and should be screaming as his defenders....
De gea is terrible at that.
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It has to be of great benefit to a defence if your keeper is vocal to not picking up players.

The manager really has to take the ultimate blame for what went on against Brighton. There is no way he couldn’t see it. I bet the match thread gang were picking it up.

In these times managers instructions should be easier to hear than ever

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Clockwork, yeah that’s true as well. The focus of coaching in England has changed, though. They’re playing on smaller pitches for longer now, technique is a bigger focus than it used to be. I think that’s shown with a lot of the younger players that have come through in the premier league recently.

comment by Donny The King van de Beek (U10026)
posted 17 seconds ago
Clockwork, yeah that’s true as well. The focus of coaching in England has changed, though. They’re playing on smaller pitches for longer now, technique is a bigger focus than it used to be. I think that’s shown with a lot of the younger players that have come through in the premier league recently.
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True. We'd been saying for years that too much emphasis was placed on physique at kids' level and not enough on technique. It can't have been much use playing on pitches that were way too big, and with hills so pronounced that you could sometimes barely see one goal from the other

comment by United we win (U19958)
posted 3 minutes ago
Somehow we need to get the glazers out
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This would very much be dependent on who you get in.

I think we were the only country that had 11 year olds playing 11 aside. They changed it to u13’s and at u15’s it’s a size 5 ball on full pitches. There was lots of other things that changed the coaching methods when the FA directives came in with St. George’s Park.

I still think that’s earlier than what what some of the European countries are doing with 11 aside, however.

comment by Donny The King van de Beek (U10026)
posted 27 seconds ago
I think we were the only country that had 11 year olds playing 11 aside. They changed it to u13’s and at u15’s it’s a size 5 ball on full pitches. There was lots of other things that changed the coaching methods when the FA directives came in with St. George’s Park.

I still think that’s earlier than what what some of the European countries are doing with 11 aside, however.
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What I used to see that was different in places like Holland, Belgium and Germany was that they had kids playing 11 a side but on 5 a side size pitches.

This was around 86 - 92. The Dutch said it taught the kids how to pass in tight spaces.

comment by Robb Pacino (U22311)
posted 35 minutes ago
In these times managers instructions should be easier to hear than ever
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Welcome back.
Now where's the WUM?

comment by Clockwork Red (U4892)
posted 29 minutes ago
comment by Donny The King van de Beek (U10026)
posted 17 seconds ago
Clockwork, yeah that’s true as well. The focus of coaching in England has changed, though. They’re playing on smaller pitches for longer now, technique is a bigger focus than it used to be. I think that’s shown with a lot of the younger players that have come through in the premier league recently.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

True. We'd been saying for years that too much emphasis was placed on physique at kids' level and not enough on technique. It can't have been much use playing on pitches that were way too big, and with hills so pronounced that you could sometimes barely see one goal from the other
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I played a cup game no so long ago on a waterlogged hill.
It was the worst football experience I've ever had.

I don’t think they play eleven aside at all in Spain until they are 15. But not 100% on that. But yeah the concept seems to be to have the become comfortable in tight spaces and have more touches of the ball. It’s something the FA have clearly looked at as well, even if it’s not as far as what some other countries are doing.

England seem to be doing a good job of producing fast, skilful wingers/forwards. Apparently we’re the envy of Europe (apart from France) with our ability to churn these out at youth level. And it’s why Germany have been heavily scouting, and poaching, young English talent as they’re not producing comparable players of a comparable level.

An interesting point on Germany.

Now, I don’t know if things have changed much since my time there but a hell of a lot of grass roots football was played on shale pitches.

Players literally have to stay on their feet or you would lose half the skin on your legs. I think this has a major influence, it did then anyway on why the German league is less physical.

I certainly found that playing civvy football over there.

comment by Irishred (U2539)
posted 16 minutes ago
comment by Robb Pacino (U22311)
posted 35 minutes ago
In these times managers instructions should be easier to hear than ever
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome back.
Now where's the WUM?
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😂

You guys played well last night. One of the best performances I’ve seen in recent years tbh. You guys remind me of the great United sides of the past who after winning the league came back just as hungry. Jota looks to be just what you need as he’s talented and hungry to take whatever chances he’s given in the side. And I was right about you guys and Thiago long before it was a strong rumour 😎

comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 6 minutes ago
An interesting point on Germany.

Now, I don’t know if things have changed much since my time there but a hell of a lot of grass roots football was played on shale pitches.

Players literally have to stay on their feet or you would lose half the skin on your legs. I think this has a major influence, it did then anyway on why the German league is less physical.

I certainly found that playing civvy football over there.

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I played on an AstroTurf pitch the other week and have a burn scar on my left knee, I hate them pitches. It was a boiling afternoon, you could feel the heat from the surface, the pitch was huge and the surface was crippling on my knees and ankles.

But then again, our home ground is known as "the slope" because it is literally a 5% gradient I'm sure.

JYAF

I used to hate playing on Astro Turf. Luckily it was rare.

I think Germany have the best infrastructure for pitches - artificial and grass - in Europe now, VC.

Germany radically changed how they coached and developed players in the 2000’s. It obviously was the reason for their world cup win and a massive pool of talent, but that seems to be drying up now.

The commentator in the Germany and Spain game was saying that the DFB don’t expect to be competitive at international level after the 2026 World Cup due to the lack of talent coming through in Germany.

Dazza

I would like to think they have replaced the shale pitches with artificial ones at least.

The purpose of the shale pitches was that they remained playable with constant use. Back in the UK at that time the council type of pitch would be a foot deep in mud come January. I would like to think that has changed.

Problem in England is that there’s less access for kids to play whenever they want. There’s better infrastructure now but it’s not accessible to everyone as a lot of it is quite expensive to use. I don’t think Germany have that same problem.

Germany just seem to be in a bit of a down cycle. The talent pool for the top players in Europe over the next decade seems likely it’ll be highest in England, France and Portugal.

Though the annoying thing about Germany is that they don’t have to have the most talented players to do well at international level. But there is a worry on their side at the lack of talent coming through, which is made worse for them by many German clubs investing in young English and French talent.

I've noticed more and more at grass roots level and amateur level moving into the lower depths of the league ladder, a lot more emphasis is on ball work and improving technique.

A few years ago when I was at a club before I stopped playing, we had coaches who were someone's Dad who would have you do laps of a field and then a game just to please all us young one's. No clue on how to improve players. That's fine for some Sunday League sides with a group of young lads who play for the laugh of it all.

I was recently training with a club at the bottom of the English footballing scale and they had a 2 hour pre-season session all about fitness, but working with a ball. On grass, with floodlights, excellent pitch and good facilities. It's the shame the manager wasn't right, but the purposefulness of the session to improve a young squad was good.

Even where I'm at now, we get 45 minutes of ball work, in-game scenario's improving individuals in a group. Coaches who really grasps and understand the game. We do spend 30 minutes running but that's more down to the dark nights rolling in.

comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 40 minutes ago
Dazza

I would like to think they have replaced the shale pitches with artificial ones at least.

The purpose of the shale pitches was that they remained playable with constant use. Back in the UK at that time the council type of pitch would be a foot deep in mud come January. I would like to think that has changed.
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Played on a couple of shale pitches in Portugal - like playing on a ruined car park. Most of the pitches were really good astroturf though.

The commentator in the Germany and Spain game was saying that the DFB don’t expect to be competitive at international level after the 2026 World Cup due to the lack of talent coming through in Germany.

____________

I look forward to our second-round penalty-shoot-out defeat to Germany in Euro 2028.