Well.... Bloody hell.... Finally a topic to get my teeth into...!! Short answer to OPs question...no.... We won't sink as low as Wales.... However, I believe fully that we will remain in an international football limbo for a considerable period that has already started. The problems football face in this country are numerous and many have been touched on already.... But fwiw, I'll contribute and wait to be berated and god forbid agreed with in equal measures. -firstly... The standard of teaching and coaching in this country is generally poor, as is the quality of many of the outlet football clubs. As a PE teacher, the qualification I have as standard is no better or worse than any number of dinner ladies or volunteers across the country.... But the pathway through FA coaching courses is hap hazard at best. The level 1 course is aimed at anyone..... And I mean anyone.... Is impossible to fail and whilst I agree it's not always the case, many of the Saturday and Sunday teams are set up on the basis of this alone and the quality just isn't there. The "jumpers for goalposts" kids are sucked up by these clubs and the children are lost in a world of dubious football. -school football no longer matters.... Despite being written into the schools FA constitution that school football takes priority over outside football.... I gave up this fight years ago.... There is little pride or quality in the schools football I have seen... -as a country, we are all to ready to accept mediocrity and dress it up as "a bad day...." this is more for the internationals..... But if a player plays badly for England..... All they have to fall back on is. A £74,000 a week salary...... My own personal thoughts on players aren't relevant..... But some players are being carried by reputation alone and are tolerated without reason... -the England "style" we so desperately want is lacking both domestically and internationally. Have me moved our style on since Ukraine 3 months ago..? No, different players... And same old slap dash approach. Maybe st George's park may help develop a cohesiveness of style between England teams...? -finally.... It's all about the Benjamin's...! For such a cash rich sport to be haemorrhaging such a vast amount of cash on Wembley's and pay offs, and not having it being ploughed into grass roots.... This really shows what the FAs priority is when it comes to money. Finally, i like Roy..... He's assembled a decent set of coaches and I just hope the FA see fit to offer him a 5 year contract..... Quality coaching will win out.... As long as its allowed to....
The problem is parenting and the xbox generation. I coached my sons team until the start of this season, the boys were a delight to coach and we had the nucleus of a very talented side and despite being a village team we won the cup for our region against big town teams and played some really good football. We have had to fold this year and the reason is we can't get a full squad of players together. Now I said village, but there is still more than enough families in and around the community to have a team but a lot of kids don't have parents prepared to give up the time to get then to training and the games, with the exception of a few it felt like a child minding service that we were offering (but as a volunteer!). This plus the fact that kids simply don't get out and play as they used to, there aren't as many that want to play - but with good parenting this would be resolved. Off my soapbox now! To the original question though - No we won't be as bad as Wales.
If I was a parent I would probably encourage gaming, but it's important to find a balance and get kids outside as well because they're all getting fat. I think it's important for a kid to be into what other kids are into, because that's how you make friends. If I hadn't had my Playstation and my Gameboy, then I'd have been missing out on a huge chunk of what it was like to be a kid in the 90s. But I don't think you should need to force a kid to go outside and play. I always wanted to go out with a football or my bike or whatever, and I didn't need any encouragement.
All this makes me glad that we have a fully qualified physio as manager. I bet his kids get plenty of exercise. How possible could it be that we could have one of his at our club in ten years with him still in charge?
Anyone who can defend England performance is very optimistic! Down the right we were shocking, never seen a worse defending right back then Johnson - is he ever in position? - Milner is not a right winger and the sooner we realise this the better, he is useless, we could get anyone in to 'cover the ground' he offers very little going forward and has no winger ability! STOP PLAYING HIM THERE. Don't understand how Cleverly is such a media darling, he was okay at times, good passer confident on the ball, but oh my sweet Jeses, I know we would have won that game if he was swapped with any one with a teeny tiny bit of composure. I'm not saying I know how to change our game, but by god do we look poor. The sooner we stop playing backup players from big clubs the better, they do not benefit us in the slightest. Nathan Dyer didn't receive a call up - yes I know he's a bit of a tosser - but he has had a great start to the season. Lescott was shocking, he is solely at fault for their goal - Gerrard tried, just doesnt have the pace of Konoplyanka - he had sweet FA to do all game and gifts them with the shoddiest pass/ clearance ive ever seen! Next was our substituions, sure welbeck and sturridge are okay - not the best we have but what you gunna do - but why did they come on out of position?!?! baffling to say the least. then finally our impact sub, bring off one of the better players on the night Baines, and replace him with chelseas sub left back/ 5th choice winger - EXCELLENT CHOICE WOY. When i said that Lampard was our best player i got slated at college, but he was the only one doing a shift the middle, he looked dangerous with his passing and composed in the middle, he offers less than gerrard at CM but it didnt look like that! he was great really holding the team well. and to the people slating child coaching in this country, believe me its there. I work doing junior football coaching, what you find is thta parents arnt willing to pay £5 for a 2 hour session of solid ball control work and technique. they state there is not enough game time (we give 15 mins at the end) and that what we teach does not benefit them as it is 'boring'. I'm only 19, and still go to local parks to play and so do hundreds of others, not everyone stays in all day so dont stereotype that, the ones who stay in everyday are the ones whose parents allow them to have a tv, console and laptop in their room, and wonder why theyre content being their all the freaking time!! thanks for reading my mad man ramblings.
I hear you Joe but you'd be surprised how bad it is. There used to be rushing when we were kids (late 80's, early 90's) to get the goal posts and there'd be other games with jumpers for goalposts (apologies for cliche) but today the fields are as good as empty. I'm not saying no gameboys etc - I loved them too but it's much more than that to day and the pendulum has swung a little too far - in my opinion.
and to the people slating child coaching in this country, believe me its there. I work doing junior football coaching, what you find is thta parents arnt willing to pay £5 for a 2 hour session of solid ball control work and technique. they state there is not enough game time (we give 15 mins at the end) and that what we teach does not benefit them as it is 'boring'. I'm only 19, and still go to local parks to play and so do hundreds of others, not everyone stays in all day so dont stereotype that, the ones who stay in everyday are the ones whose parents allow them to have a tv, console and laptop in their room, and wonder why theyre content being their all the freaking time!! thanks for reading my mad man ramblings.[/QUOTE] LSGM - don`t get discouraged, and keep up the good work. I used to help with my son`s school and boy`s club teams. For the school team, some were there for free child-minding. Most though got stuck in, and we had right good laugh. Two now are Aberdeen players (not Barcelona, I realise), but it made the effort worthwhile.
LSGM - don`t get discouraged, and keep up the good work. I used to help with my son`s school and boy`s club teams. For the school team, some were there for free child-minding. Most though got stuck in, and we had right good laugh. Two now are Aberdeen players (not Barcelona, I realise), but it made the effort worthwhile.[/QUOTE] I look forward to the day one of the boys gets in to pro football! I recently attended one game of a 13 year old lad, he has been scouted in to the brighton centre of excellence to play for the U14s, the scout was impressed with his ability with the ball (a lot natural) but its good for them to say regardless as for two years ive seen/helped (a bit) his skills progress!
here in colombia instead of 5 aside they play microball. Its less than half the size of a normal football, heavier and does not bounce. The game is purley on the ground and has to be played to feet as the ball would take your head off. It really encourages close control and skill
RLGSM - your comment about all the equipment in the room is spot on, it never happened when I was a kid as the cost of the technology was to expensive, the real cost compared to earnings is much lower now and they have almost become commodity items. Agree with what your saying on coaching, etc as well. In terms of England I think the problem is Gerrard and that sounds harsh but his best years at Liverpool were under Rafa and there was always a bit of moaning of him not being played in centre mid, he played out wide on the right and also just off the front man. There is something in this, because with both Liverpool and England he doesn't look right in the tankard centre midfield place and I don't think has the pace for the other roles any more. When he gets the ball deep he seems to always be looking for the Hollywood ball, occasionally it comes off and he looks a hero but the number of times he simply hands possession back to the oppositionis frightening. In international football this is a cardinal sin and although I'm not his biggest fan, the position (until Wilshire is back) is suited to someone like Carrick who maintains possession and sets the tempo for the team.
Very true. Parent/child time turns into extra working hours for the parent and screen time for the children, so it's a difficult situation.
You have missed a point I believe from those people (like me) moaning about child coaching. People like you are doing a great job and coaching (I believe) in the bestway. However, my point is that you are working in a business and my moans are always aimed at the boys teams tha tplay on a saturday or a sunday. These boys are (majority) taught to win a match regardless of the manner in which they do it. You will find parents and coaches jumping up and down, screaming from the touchline, willing the boys to get the ball forward. I witness this every weekend as I run a boys team. It is funny how many parents and coaches cheer and celebrate wildly when a boy "whacks it" from near the halfway line as it rolls nicely to him and the ball travels in the air and over the gaolie's head and outstretched arms into the net. Not many of those people will pull the lad aside and ask him what else he could have done (control it, take a touch or two, pass it, dribble it nearer to the goal). Someone earlier said they were a PE teacher and gave up on the school football more important than outside school football issue. Well, my lad has just started senior school (he's 11) and they had football trials for years 7 and 8. 16 boys turned up... sixteen! two year groups and only 16 boys wanted to trial for the school team. Something is drastically wrong in our system!
My eldest has just changed schools at 13 and a similar thing. House matches today and only 15 kids from 200 put their names down!
BUT is it only such a small number that want to sign up or the more likely that many parents have said 'I haven't got the time to....? etc. On the 'xbox generation'. I was a kid in the 80s/90s. I never had a sega or nintendo or anything like that. My first was a Commodore Amiga which I bought myself aged 17 when I was working!!! The statement on the parks not being empty? They are up here in this council 'hotbed of football potential' area. Chap above about football coaching. If it were a fiver for 2 hours I would be well happy to pay that. However several times a term my kids come back from school with a 'soccer skills' flyer. UEFA qualified coaches etc. £14 for a four hour afternoon or £24 for 2 sessions. Never ever seen anything for a fiver for 2 hours etc. There is a sea change in youngsters desires whether people believe it or not. When I was in the 7-16 year old bracket every spare minute was spent playing football whether (like me) you were rubbish or good at the game. If there were only 3 of you then it would be one in goal and 2 out playing header's and volleys or one man wembo. If there were more than 1 then maybe a really big game of 1 or 2 man wembo or 5+ a side etc. Each park would often have several groups of boys (mates) each playing a seperate game. From the edge of the fields you could probably see at any one time (out of school hours) 5 or 6 seperate games going. Now when I walk past the park these days after school or any other time it is empty apart from the odd solitary dog walker. However I did notice that the local kids (I'm on a council esate) were all socialising in my next door neighbours front garden earlier this afternoon. About 10 boys sat in deck chairs etc and what were they doing? Their idea of socialising was not talking or interacting. They each had their own ipad or laptop or notebok and there were 10 different audio streams competing. That's competition for you and I am not making that last sentence up.
