Interesting article with Hassell in Chronicle

I see Wilberforce Ocran ( great name by the way) played today for U18s, the lad Bobby brought in from Sunday football an d who Sheffield Utd tried to poach in the car park after the game.

 

I got it from you. You just literally posted that the academy's been great for a while. Bobby obviously continuing the great job. Thanks for keeping us informed of the fantastic work he's doing! Love that a great servant of ours is doing so well.

Just one point though...didn't the academy go through years of loosing nearly every week until the past year when results have really picked up. Would love to see stars on this.


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They're more snowflakes to be honest but hopefully they'll do

 

The problem with youth football in this country is we look for easy answers. We promote the kids who are the biggest, strongest and quickest for their age because they can run rings around the others. The problem is that this is only a temporary advantage, and whilst our U16s might win stuff because they hit puberty a couple of years early, other countries are focusing on coaching the kids with better technical and mental ability instead. When the other countries' kids catch up physically they run rings round us.

 

Kids football means nothing. Exactly what I said. Not the kids playing the football they are the future but results etc are meaningless they signify nothing. It is the development of players that is meaningful. As for massive lads that's where part of the problem lies in British football and why we fail internationally. They play football in a certain way due to development not due to winning or losing meaningless games.

 

I don't think comparing players to other successful players has a negative effect. It could lead them onto working harder to validate such a comparison. Every player will want to aspire to be the best, sadly 75%ish of academy players will probably never make it, so it can only be a good thing that a player who played professionally for the best part of 20 years gives them that sort of recognition in my opinion.

I'd say it's quite an alien concept to our club to be picking up players who are already around the ages of 16-18, considering previously we used to develop our own players from a young age, so we're still adjusting, but the fact that we're competing with these top clubs in itself shows how much the academy is continuing to develop.

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You see it all the time. Players don't want to be compared to others.
Mason Holgate early on did an interview with someone and one of the first things he said was don't compare me to John Stones.

I think there was one article last week with former Barnsley defender Mawson said he didn't want people compareing him to former Swansea Centre back Ashley Williams and this meant not having the same number. He said Ashley's a good player but i'm not him i'm Alfie Mawson.

Just let our players go out and enjoy themselves without been compared to others. Let them go out and make there own mark on the game without having a pressure of expectiation met my a player that's the most expensive player in the world.

I feel for Wardle in a way because all the comments from people that want to talk about players in the acadamy are liekly to start comparing him to others because he plays in a certain position and this adds pressure.

 

Attributes...

 

I think the problem is more about making the easy association. Holgate gets compared to Stones because they both took the same career path, no other reason. Same with Mawson and Ashley Williams. They're lazy comparisons to make. Kasper Schmeichel despises being compared to his dad, as does Tom Ince.

I think players do react well to being compared to others if the right comarison is made if you get my meaning. Comparing players on playing style is more helpful than making a comparison solely on their career path.

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Completely agree! That particular team produced a number of players who have made it in the professional game. I remember watching them play the likes of West Brom and both the Manchester clubs; they played some cracking stuff.

 

Youth development in this country in general has been stuck in the dark ages for years. It's no secret historically the most physically developed players get more attention and game time than sometimes more talented, smaller players. Luckily, this seems to be slowly changing...

I still think we should adopt the Brazilian system. Every kid starts in the same group as young as 5, playing on tiny pitches with the smallest size goals and ball. Once they get to a certain level technically, they move onto a slightly bigger pitch, with bigger goals and ball with a group of players that are technically equal. Once again, when they hit the next level, the group gets smaller, and the pitch goals and ball is bigger still, until the point they are good enough and developed enough to play 11 v 11, on full size pitches.

Obviously it's not just just the system that helps then develop the players they do. The fact that most players haven't got two pennies to scratch their arses with so see football as the only way out of slum life helps motivate them.

 

The setup you describe is in place in some respects. Just not focused on technical ability.

Our kid started at 5 yo. 5 a side. Small pitch.

Gradually increasing in size and players.

He is currently at under 10s. Bigger pitch and 7 a side.

Next season it increases to 9 a side and introduction of offsides etc.

 

Thats brill to hear...

Can't see a downside to it personally. Always felt sorry when I saw the kids having to play on a full size pitch with full goals. The keepers had no chance and it must have been soul destroying at times.

 

I can confirm this. Played at Frickley Athletic's ground as an U9. Couldn't even kick the ball out of my own area fully.

 

My class (year 4) used to beg me every single week to let them play on the full sized grass pitch but I always told them it was too big. I finally gave in one week when they chose it as a class treat and we all trooped along to the far end of the field. They played for less than 10 minutes before they complained that it was too big and we went back to the smaller one.