I must admit, i'm on fatletiss' side of the debate but I can't honestly see English Football radically changing it's style for the forseeable future. English fans demand a fast, exciting product and the only way it will change is if Young coaches and Managers are brave enough to play a more patient brand of possession football. There might be light at the end of the tunnel with fresh Managers such as Brendan Rodgers and our own Nigel Adkins putting emphasis on the importance of "keeping the ball". This debate has been going on for at least the last 30 years and the ONLY way it will change is as fatletiss says, young kids are taught at the 8-16 years stage of development.
Of course no offense, I just wanted to make sure you didn't think I was just slagging off and we could debate it - which is good. thanks for the constructive response. My fear is that your view is shared by the majority and I am in a minority of something like 15%. This topic is my real hobby horse and I so wish that I could get a job at the FA and help them make quicker changes. You say we are England and there is no point trying to be someone else; well I think there is. For years other countries stole a march on us economically be changing manufacturing methods in their industries... football is an industry too really. If we carry on doing the same thing the same way, we won't improve. We will just fall further and further behind. Was it Einstein that said "keep doing the same thing, and you'll keep getting the same result" ... perhaps he was an early football coach and not a mathematical genius. I really believe we must change and change now. We must start at the bottom. Put the focus on the bottom and bring it through in a new way. That is the kids. Let's take the focus of the national first 11 for now. We will still support them, but let's say that we are building now for 2022. Give the ten year olds the best possible training and develop them techincally first, tactically second and we will see a huge improvement in our national team in ten years time. You said Spain's backline never gets tested because the midfield keep the ball. Spot on. So why don't we learn from that, not ignore it. If you have a machine that is worked very hard all day every day doing all the work in a factory, it will get worn out and break quicker than a machine in a factory that that is not worked as hard. If a stone is pounded by water continually, it disfigures, changes shape or is worn away. if you don't want that stone to be worn away, then you need to move it or change it.
and in that time, nation after nation is catching us. Ayone remember 1986 World Cup in Mexico. England lost their first game to a country called Portugal. There was shock at the time becasue Portugal were considered somewhat "third world" in terms of their national side. Have a think back over the last 10 years and where Portugal's status in World football is now. In most tournaments, someone considers them a team; they reach semi-finals; they have knocked out Englamd twice. We are standing still.
I agree that new methods have to be taught to the young...ball control, being comfortable with the ball, and keeping possession by passing to players in the right position to receive it. I think we are stuck in the middle. We used to beat teams before because, whilst they played pass-pass football, we were fast and strong and bypassed their midfield with long balls to powerful centre forwards. We now try and play the European way but don't have the skills to do it. I hope there are signs the FA are taking this on board, but it will take time until it works its way through the system. Fans have to be patient as well.
Fran, good post and a couple of very key things from what you said: 1. you said "I hope the FA have taken it onboard" - well, they have, a long time ago. The problem they have is that they can't be heard at grass roots level above the screaming and yelling of the parents who want Johnny to get a medal and the coaches that failed themselves at playing, and are living their glories through their boys' teams. 2. you said "fans have to be patient as well" - for "fans", read above point and "parents and coaches". Away from their boys mathces, these guys become fans of their team and then England. Every game at St Mary's I hear grumbling and moaning when we keep passing it at the back. Your points are spot on Fran, but we are swimming against a tidal wave, not just a tide.
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The big question is would you sacrifice how big and good the prem is, so we have a better national squad?. Germany did it and for a few years their league was ****. You may want England to play a certain way but do we really have the players?. Our football is dominated by foreign footballers, yes some are very good. But a hell of alot are poor, even at youth level now there are far to many foreign youngsters. Most teams just can't be arsed to develope their own talent and would rather steal someone elses. Until we have a massive change in the whole structure of our football, we will continue to see the same time after time.
Ruin PL for the National side...No. we get more pleasure out of following our own teams than we would out of England winning.
