Sorry do not have any idea how to copy and paste, (maybe if you read it and find it interesting someone can copy it across) just read this on LFW found it very interesting and rather sad. Even though I have never heard of Tony Mc Cool, don't really follow the academy under 14s he seems to have a lot to say about his time as a coach, but more importantly very insightful about our club and what has been going on these last few years.
Cheers Cate Here is the link http://tonymccool.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/academy-football-coach-my-time-in-my.html
Thanks Roller, it is rather long and you (because you write so well) would probably say not great grammar or spelling, but, if, and from what he says, he coached at QPR an interesting read.
That is an excellent read, although a very sad account of the soul being ripped out of our club. At no point does McCool come across as bitter, so I'm prepared to take it at face value. He very ably describes how training and improving young players has been replaced by ticking boxes and completing forms required by the F.A.'s Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP), so typical of the modern way where the need for data and league tables outweighs genuine quality. Does the blame rest solely at Mark Hughes' and Mike Riggs' door or is Tony Fernandes implicated as well? Or was everyone just following F.A. directives? It is easy to blame the Anti-Christ and his taffia and tempting to leave it at that, but perhaps the club were just over zealously fulfilling instructions from above. Is this what Les Ferdinand has been brought in to rectify? He is in charge of "overseeing the structure of the footballing side of the club, focusing on improving the footballing philosophy at all levels" and "will have a coaching presence at all levels, helping nurture young talent from the club’s Academy through to the first team" and will also "provide a direct link between the footballing side of the business and the Board of Directors, as well as chairing monthly Technical Control Board meetings". If so why Sir Les? I am still totally unaware of his talents in this direction, someone more cynical than myself would possibly suggest that the returning of a favourite son is just to appease the fan base. However I firmly believe that this needs to be out of any manager's hands and controlled by someone on a much longer term basis. McCool's opening description of our academy before the changes is very rosy, but what players was it actually producing for us? Have we has a youth player break into our first team since Ray Jones RIP? Yes Dean Parrett and Raheem Sterling would have done, but that is still a pretty poor return, so something did need to be done; as ever we got it wrong.
Many thanks for posting this very interesting yet disappointing piece of information. I sincerely hope TF gets to read it. Very sad to lose good people ............ they are irreplaceable.
Some excellent points well put. An ugly regime described in the article and very poor management. TF has to take some ownership here, if you are going to delegate key people to drive things AND you are not going to be around you better trust them to follow your culture and approach. The 'tick box' approach ultimately ends up in failure as you are not ultimately committed to developing a thriving youth policy - only to getting a piece of paper regardless of the mess left behind. Once all boxes are ticked people usually walk away thinking the job is done. Youth development is never 'job done' until players push into the first team, until you are signing good prospects who see QPR as a thriving place to develop into top players. Ask yourself this question... If your son, or daughter, was a football prospect would your first choice be QPR?
Good points Roller. Even in the 'good old days' description I didn't like the special treatment given to Sterling, obviously the only top rate prospect many involved had ever coached. Also seems like a very cosy, old boys world. The only doubts I have about the writer is his claim never to have heard of Rigg - even I had heard of him before he was linked to us, and I find it strange that a professional football coach would not have. Similarly, Rigg et al left a long time ago, yet not much seems to have improved. Seems that Beard and Tony listen, make the right noises, and do nothing. Hopefully Les will have an impact. Spot on regarding the measurement stuff. This is one of the symptons of the modern Western world, especially the US and UK, where we substitute measurement of inputs and activity, achieving meaningless 'milestones' for actual results and outcomes. It just gives people the impression that they are doing a job. I can drone on about this for ages, so I'll stop now.
WOW!!! Thanks for posting cate, a very good read indeed. left me a little angry to be honest. Going out to find a small bloke to start a fight!
