A thought on Stoke and football

[qblockoompah]

Very good shout, had some right cheating ar5eholes on a Sunday when I was young, same culprits!

[brightonr]

The problem with English sports, is that from an early age, kids are taught that winning is not important and it's "it's not the winning but the thing part that counts", this was deliberately designed so the fat, lazy kids who are net very good are not embarrassed by talented kids.

Why is it in academic terms, if billy or johnny are really clever in maybe, English, Maths or the sciences, they are pushed on at school to take their exams early, but in sporting terms, they are handcuffed.

The suggestions by brooking and southgate are pointless and do nothing positive for youth football, apart from reinforce the dont worry if you loose message as how can you play footbal where goals don't count for nothing. Positive things would be 9 a side and no offside until u16, not the nonsense they are peddling.

Superb post Mason. Totally agree with your 1st sentance especially.
All competativeness has been taken out of kids sports which is total bull$hit if you ask me. As you say, its done so as to not upset the fat kids that are more interested in which doughnut to have on lunch than in playing sport and losing their kid tit$.

This sort of attitude at grass roots stems all the way up and reflects in our National sides poor efforts in competitions. IMO anyway.

Is it me, or is that quite funny?

[MattyRangers]

Is it me, or is that quite funny?

Believe it or not I could actually see my feet without the aid of a mirror whilst at school.

Oh the good old days eh.... :strive:

[gator]

Having coached many years of youth football I understand what is being stressed here, our provincial governing body has just this past week introduced new structures for clubs to follow that stress more skills development and less emphasis on results at younger ages!
As much as I agree with all this I hope Stoke completely avoids their midfield, pumps endless long balls and long throws into the box and Crouchy nets a brace in a 3-0 Stoke victory Sunday in a match that features very little skill or imagination!

[Rich]

Sorry, don't understand how playing from the back means winning at all costs. What does 'how open they are for youth to watch' mean?. In some other countries, kids are taught skills first before anything else, and that's how it should be here. When my son began kicking a ball about, I encouraged him to use both feet instead of being one-footed, and it payed dividends later in games as he grew up as a park player.

I think you mis-interpreted what I said. To summarise and extend:

The FA, lots of other coaches and I want to get kids learning how to play football. This includes both feet, balance, skills, tricks and definitely not least understanding passing & movement on and off the ball.

There are plenty of youth teams that I have seen U7 (of which I'm slightly more understanding due to age and progression) up to U13 but bet ages older too, practice long ball. I have seen 7-a-side teams who have a big keeper and a big lad always used as the forward with 5 other players stood around doing f all whilst, you guessed it, lumping it long.

Worst thing is seeing the accused coach and his parents celebrating victory, as if those kids are something special & are actually learning anything, ala Stoke.

[Rich]

The problem with English sports, is that from an early age, kids are taught that winning is not important and it's "it's not the winning but the thing part that counts", this was deliberately designed so the fat, lazy kids who are net very good are not embarrassed by talented kids.

Why is it in academic terms, if billy or johnny are really clever in maybe, English, Maths or the sciences, they are pushed on at school to take their exams early, but in sporting terms, they are handcuffed.

The suggestions by brooking and southgate are pointless and do nothing positive for youth football, apart from reinforce the dont worry if you loose message as how can you play footbal where goals don't count for nothing. Positive things would be 9 a side and no offside until u16, not the nonsense they are peddling.

I completely agree where you're coming from. I have always said that the only way youth footy could become non competitive is if you were to take the goal posts down!

What the FA mean and the reason they are extending the age is to take parental and in some cases, coach, pressures from the kids.

The biggest flaw in the FA's plans to be more continental is that most the countries we are trying to emulate either play indoor, outdoor tournament style or futsal ( heavier ball so less bounce and more skills) and the boys belong to larger clubs where they bib swap and therefore it isn't club vs club but a collection of boys within a club playing each other and then swapping teams etc. So much less competitive in reality rather than just based on what someone says.

Anyway this was supposed to be about Stoke. If long ball means they beat Bolton great, my question is should their be pressure on teams style from the FA? In the same way they are clamping down on clubs finances.

[silvercue]

Any team should be able to play how they like within the rules.

Our lad plays under 8s and the coaching is dreadful. They do srpint training FGS! As for ball control and making yourselves available for a pass - that is non existant.

They are taught nothing except "hit it". I don't have the time to do it myself, so I can't dig at the individuals, but they don't know what thjey are doing. I was genuinly shocked when he started.

I used to live in Spain for a while and every kid still plays outside and they play on concrete or artificial pitches with a small ball that doesn't bounce...just like in Brazil.

How we teach kids to play football is the reason we haven't won anything for 40 years.

[gator]

Anyway this was supposed to be about Stoke. If long ball means they beat Bolton great, my question is should their be pressure on teams style from the FA? In the same way they are clamping down on clubs finances.[/QUOTE]

I agree with the principles you are discussing but I fail to see how the FA could do anything directly about a team's style as long as it's played within the laws of the game!

[lymehoop]

a lot of the football played in this country has no finesse and is based on sheer brute strength, hence how players like Shittu, Samba and Huth have made a living in English football. O for the days of footballing defenders like Todd, Moore and Frank McLintock