Lower league defenders are often less gifted technically and so have to compensate for their apparent lack of skill with hard work and energy. Just saying.
No-one slips under the radar any more, the Ian Wright scenario just wouldn't exist these days. Every lower league footyballer will have been watched by armies of scouts, tapes on games would have been examined by coaches, fitness coaches, dietary advisers, posture consulatnts and just about anyone else who can claim to add value to a football club. If they're not in a prem lge set up at 23 they're never going to get there. Everyone plays at their given level for a reason....
Yeah but some can play at a higher level when playing with players that are better than them, players can improve. The argument that a player is playing where he is because that is his level is therefore incorrect.
there are a lot of player's in non league that are good enough to play league football but don't get the chance,so the no one slips under the radar is incorrect
following non league as i do i know a few as well,some of them play for the team i follow- Sutton United
Talking of Jenkinson, he might feature tonight in the reserve game. Back for the first since that back injury.
Talking about more established lower league players. Some have had a spell in the premier league and been found out. When they reach a certain age and they are still only good enough to get into a lower league side, it gives a good idea of a player's ability.
Yeah but I'm not talking about the journeymen footballers who have done the whole semi pro thing and played at loads of clubs at that level, I mean the younger players who may have massive learning potential but only realised when given the chance.
Don't agree. There are occasional good players on an upward curve at the start of their career and occasional older players who are on the way down. If players play for Sutton it's because that's their level - they may appear to have better talent but they could have attitude, fitness, committment issues that disuade pro clubs
I only played to a level in my school team and local under 21 league, but there were players who were school mates of mine in both teams who went on to sign professional contracts with Charlton, Leyton Orient and Millwall. When we were at school one or two of them were told that they could play in the best teams (Div 1 at the time) one of them signed for Chelsea and never played a game for them even in the reserves and most of them ended up playing at non league teams a few years later.
There was absolutely no reason for Arsenal to buy Jenkinson, Walcott or OXO but we did, for example. There are loads of pro footballers who shouldn't be pro and loads that are semi pro that should.
Snap. I played with an against some of the best players in London at my age, most of which signed schoolboy for pro clubs. John Gardiner, Arsenal schoolboy captain when I was at school, captain of the school team, I don't remember him playing pro. My next door neighbour, Jermaine Wynter, Arsenal and England schoolboy and one of the best footballers I have ever seen, last seen playing semi pro.
Both examples kind of illustrate where most players at that age, even with great potential don't really make it at the top level. It's only a really small percentage that do. A lot of good players actually eventually find their level at teams like Stevenage and Sutton.
I am not disagreeing, but I am saying there are plenty good enough to play much higher. I've seen much better CMs than Song, played against better. My point is, if players like Song can play for Arsenal there are loads of lower league players that could too.
Let me get this right. You're saying that you played at a school level against players who were better than Song ? And that there are players in lower level leagues now who are better than him ?
I played a fairly serious level at 15/16/17, every player in my club side were playing for pro clubs (I was at W Ham the Charlton). The players who I thought were good enough to make it generally didn't and the ones who didn't appear as talented at that age seemed to (5 played prem league, one has a champions league winners medal and 2 played for England), the reason behind this was attitude and aptitude - the very talented players believed they were better than the rest and had a slightly lower work ethic, the less talented players worked their nuts off and overtook their team mates. Of course there are exceptions but I still say players play at their level for long periods because when talent, attitude, approach, committment, team skills, communication skills, dedication, and will to succeed/improve are all taken into consideration they're where they are because they deserve to be....
AOC did not even play for his school team at any level. According to his dad he did not want his son to pick up 'bad habits'. That is an interesting approach.
