Re: Football Season 2011/12
 

This is what is wrong with football, and all this respect is total crap.

And going on about this English and European players, with European stuff, its skillful; football, with English football, all they have to do is blow the opponent over and they win an Oscar for diving.

Re: Football Season 2011/12
 

It's actually a really interesting question, that of why English do not produce many technical players. Lots of interesting theories which hold up quite well.

Scholes and Wilshere are probably the most technically gifted midfielders we have produced in recent years. The less said about Stephen 'Hollywood Pass' Gerrard the better.

Re: Football Season 2011/12
 

Oh get over yourself, I was clearly referring to what Blatter was saying.

Re: Football Season 2011/12
 

Some people take offence to what people imply. Also I will never get over myself and if that is the way you feel just ban me from this forum as I have done nothing wrong. I can not understand what I have done to offend you or your senses?

Re: Football Season 2011/12
 

The fact you get players in spain admiring Le Tissier, Xavi said he was his hero growing up, a player who in England is deemed lazy and got a whole 8 caps. In Spain they would have built the team round him.

Re: Football Season 2011/12
 

A lot of the reason we do not produce the more technical player is because the way our youngsters are brought up. In Italy, Spain and most other countries when a parent drops there child off at football training they are then banned from watching the game. In England we have parents shouting at the kids saying 'run you lazy so an so', 'do him' and so forth where everything is orientated to fitness and winning the game. Kids don't need to be told to run, they need to be told to hold the ball, look for the open man, not to be afraid at trying something in the game without being worried about getting abuse from there team mates and adults watching the game.

I was a manager of a under 12 team about 15 years ago. We won games 4-0 or 5-0. My best game was when we lost 1-0, we played wonderful one touch football in triangles, touch and move giving the player on the ball 2 choices at all times to pass. I was sacked. The same is happening to arsene wenger.

---------- Post added at 08:21 ---------- Previous post was at 06:59 ----------

Also I am now thinking that even if John Terry and Louis Suarez have done nothing, because of the current climate it may now be impossible for them to receive a fair hearing and will get very large bans from football.

I hope that this does not encourage players with no morales to make allegations just to get rid of opponents best players.

Re: Football Season 2011/12
 

l am a great admirer of Arsene Wenger's technical play and l certainly don't think he will get the sack but he might leave at his own fruition sometime in the future.

Re: Football Season 2011/12
 

Yes, this certainly seems to be part of the problem. There is an additional factor that I find fascinating however. That is of the preference for fast, strong players over skilled ones - it's also a possible reason why, for the most part, creative play makers send to be relatively short (Wilshere, Scholes, Xavi, Modric).

The theory goes like this: When children are young the differences in strength, speed and height make bigger differences. Especially in football where it takes many years to be adept with the ball, the tall strong and fast players seem to be better. In youth football there is a far greater importance attached to the act of winning and the competition than abroad, this is highlighted in the examples of you gave of parents living veraciously through their childrens' footballing achievements.

All this means that when it comes to grassroots football the players who are picked to be coached, to play in teams, are the ones who are strong, tall, and/or fast. They are picked because they will win. There is no point perfecting the perfect pass if you can run knock it past a rival and run onto the ball, there is no point being skilled in possession when you can muscle players off the ball and so on. Importantly, their ability to play without much in the way of technical skill means that this isn't practised as much and isn't used in competitive matches. This creates a dangerous loop whereby these players get more gametime, more practise, and more coaching time. They become the next generation of England U16 and U21 players, and this reinforces the perception that these players are the better ones to pick and so the cycle continues.

This explains why England (and France btw, but they noticed this problem a few years ago and took action to remedy it) do so well at the under 16, and under 21 level but never seem to do well at the top level. Their physical advantage makes a difference as they bulldoze their way through the smaller, technical better teams like Spain with sheer pace and strength when they are young. However as those teams grow up and the physical advantage becomes less important it fast becomes obvious that those teams can play football and we can't!.

In summary: Our culture prioritises winning too much with encourages the selection and training of players who win while their young but whose advantages then become less important when they become adults. Whereas South American and some European cultures have a love of technique and creativity which is established in players at the youngest age.

Re: Football Season 2011/12
 

:D

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-arc...unners-gallery

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-arc...s-with-arsenal

hope Wenger signs him on loan. he may be old but he's still got something to offer :D

Re: Football Season 2011/12
 

Really torn about saturday's match :D

Excellent quote from BBC Radio Wales' sports phone-in, when the presenter asked a caller "How will it feel to watch Wayne Rooney play at the Liberty?", the caller replied "I'll be going along to watch the Swans, not Wayne Rooney" :D

Re: Football Season 2011/12
 

Would be great to see him back with you :)

Re: Football Season 2011/12
 

Why, are Arsenal starting a Handball team now.:rolleyes::D

Re: Football Season 2011/12
 

cos he's an Arsenal and EPL legend...

@Orbinho says, "Thierry Henry the only player in Premier League history to score more than 20 goals in five consecutive seasons",

"Thierry Henry who holds the record for most Premier League assists in a single season - 20 in 2002-03".

@Zonal_Marking adds "Henry won the PL Golden Boot four times, Football Writers' POTY three times, was in Team of the Year six times, PFA POTY twice".

Re: Football Season 2011/12
 

Your avatar is very apt, just can't keep his hands off the ball can he. :p: :)

Re: Football Season 2011/12
 

LOL! :D