Colin Murray: Ben Arfa doesn't have technique.

The best example I can think of which proves this was during my 14 year old days having soul-destroying trials and training with various clubs.

One lad I played with was technically the best player I've ever seen. Had everything.... except he wasn't strong. He was so good he didn't even need strength, he would dictate every game he played in and was clearly miles better than everyone else, always in space, always seemed to have loads of time on the ball.

Yet there was another lad on the team that the coaches loved. He grafted up and down the pitch, kept it simple doing nothing spectacular, but very tidy.

The brilliant player got knocked back by a number of clubs before eventually losing heart having been released by (eventually) Carlisle at 17. (Having been at Sheffield Utd, Man Utd, Boro, Sunderland).

Only plays 5 a side now.


The other lad was Paul Thirlwell and went on to captain Sunderland.


As a nation, we'll always produce the steady eddie.... the Paul Thirlwell. The honest pro.


But when a sparkle of genius comes along, our system just can't nurture them.

Josh McEachran and Jack Wilshere are 2 players that would be lost in the ether at 90% of clubs in this country.

 

Everyone loved Gray and Keys at first. To be fair they were great for the PL. I struggled to ever like Gray but they did help drag us forward with the use of technology. But the likes of Neville have been a breath of fresh air. Neville in particular have been top class. Gray for me had started to show his time out of the game sitting on the sofa towards the end. Neville keeps it current having very recent experience of what the build up is like to a PL game, what the players go through etc. And that is without touching on his outstanding tactical knowledge. Its little wonder the lad exceeded all expectations in his career if you were just looking at raw footballing ability.

 

At least Neville brings some tactical understanding and explanation to what he does.

The vast majoirty are an embarrassment of cliches.

 

Neville is a great pundit imho. Didn't come across well when he played the game but does now imho.

 

murray is a twat, never liked that guy, i grabbed the mic off him at some radio one event and told him as much as well. Got thrown out obviously but a good laugh.

the best was one of the bouncers walking up to my mate after it and saying "do you know what hes done?"

my mates looking at him as if to say well im not his father wtf do you want from me. good times

 

It's a shame, because if he'd gone abroad to somewhere like Italy or Spain, he would have been a world class player. I find it shocking that very few English players go abroad to progress their careers and experience different leagues.

 

It's a wonder they didn't say, "He's not with us, we haven't seen him before in our lives!"

 

The best quote I have heard about the current malaise in English football is that the problem isn't the number of foreigners playing in England, it's the lack of Englishmen playing overseas.

 

Well, any other day. they cant stand murray either though so it was drinks all round .


why we were at this event i have no idea though

 

Colin Murray is cringeworthy on MOTD2