Ex England international Gary Stevens said live on the radio something along the lines of "the main problem with the England team is the well-meaning fathers who coach their young children incorrectly".
Personally, I think Stevens is waffling. I will jot a few things down that clearly have no effect on the lack of improvement in young footballers across the UK.
♠ It is not the £49.50 per child for 3 days of coaching at soccer schools like the Gary Stevens Ball School.
♠ Not the £50 - £80 per week fees per child to play football at the "soccer in the community" schemes held by football clubs during school holidays.
♠ Not the £3 per hour fees for children to play football at their local sports centre or astroturf pitch.
♠ Not the merry-go-round of coaches using the youngsters as a stepping stone to further their coaching careers onto the adult football circuit.
♠ Not the professional clubs kicking possibly talented youngsters to the kerb after 1 year contracts at the soccer academies.
♠ Not the lack of playing facilities at all schools at all levels.
♠ Not the "no ball games allowed" policy in UK schools due to health and safety reasons.
♠ Not the "no one must lose", PC brigade doctrinated school sports days where competition is replaced by pass the parcel games.
♠ Not the measly 1-2 hour per week for physical education in the school curriculum.
♠ Not the 1-2 hours of P.E cancelled due to rain, lack of qualified teachers, or the cancelled P.E lessons replaced by nativity play rehearsals etc.
♠ Not the lack of UK players playing in the UK leagues, due to the inflated transfer fees for home-based players over Scandinavian players etc.
England Blog Comment :: So now you know.
Posted at 7:16 PM, Thursday, February 15, 2007
Personally, I think Stevens is waffling. I will jot a few things down that clearly have no effect on the lack of improvement in young footballers across the UK.
♠ It is not the £49.50 per child for 3 days of coaching at soccer schools like the Gary Stevens Ball School.
♠ Not the £50 - £80 per week fees per child to play football at the "soccer in the community" schemes held by football clubs during school holidays.
♠ Not the £3 per hour fees for children to play football at their local sports centre or astroturf pitch.
♠ Not the merry-go-round of coaches using the youngsters as a stepping stone to further their coaching careers onto the adult football circuit.
♠ Not the professional clubs kicking possibly talented youngsters to the kerb after 1 year contracts at the soccer academies.
♠ Not the lack of playing facilities at all schools at all levels.
♠ Not the "no ball games allowed" policy in UK schools due to health and safety reasons.
♠ Not the "no one must lose", PC brigade doctrinated school sports days where competition is replaced by pass the parcel games.
♠ Not the measly 1-2 hour per week for physical education in the school curriculum.
♠ Not the 1-2 hours of P.E cancelled due to rain, lack of qualified teachers, or the cancelled P.E lessons replaced by nativity play rehearsals etc.
♠ Not the lack of UK players playing in the UK leagues, due to the inflated transfer fees for home-based players over Scandinavian players etc.
England Blog Comment :: So now you know.
Posted at 7:16 PM, Thursday, February 15, 2007
England 0
Spain 1
Iniesta (63)
Venue: Old Trafford, 07 February 2007
Kick-Off: 8pm
Referee: Michael Weiner (German)
Assistant Referees: Carsten Kadach and Sonke Glindemann (German)
Fourth Official: Chris Foy
Attendance: 58,207
Well I don't know where to start. I think a shout must go out to Man City right back Micah Richards for showing some apparent superstars how to move off the ball. Too often the England players were static. I guess everyone has a job to do in their position and the team looked scared to do anything off the cuff. Unsurprisingly enough the substitutes looked like the players most likely to change the game in our favour.
Carrick and Gerrard looked clueless in central midfield. Too often they closed each other down in pursuit of receiving the easy ball instead of stretching the Spaniard midfield. Wright-Phillips looked out of touch, possibly down to his lack of games at Chelsea under Mourinho. Not sure what Lampard was at left midfield for either. I forgive him for looking like a square peg in a round hole.
Up front, Kieron Dyer tried his best to play off of Crouch. What can either of them do if they have to feed of off nothing balls looped into the box rather than passes from a creative midfielder or two who are not scared to make a bad pass. Can you say "opta stats"? Can you say "where is Beckham"? Oh, the referee did not like Crouch much atall. He seemed determined to whistle up Crouch for anything and everything. Not sure what all that was about. Maybe match ref Michael Weiner does not like very tall men for some reason?
New goalie Foster and the injury prone Woodgate played well enough. Ferdinand and the 2 Nevilles did their level best, but with the likes of the static Carrick linking up the defence with the midfield, what can they do?
Maybe it is all McClaren's fault, but I somehow doubt it is that simple. Maybe without Rooney, Owen and John Terry, we're just shite in white. Another turgid performance like this and I may just change my mind and join the England fans that were so disappointed with the England team performance, that they felt it necissary to boo their fallen heroes off the Old Trafford pitch. Roll on Wembley I say - maybe we will play better there.
Come on England! - Please.
England 0 Spain 1
♠ England 0 Spain 1 Minute By Minute Live Match Report
♠ England 0 Spain 1 - FA Match Report
♠ We Learned A Lot About Some Players Today - Steve McClaren
Posted at 10:02 PM, Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Spain 1
Iniesta (63)
Venue: Old Trafford, 07 February 2007
Kick-Off: 8pm
Referee: Michael Weiner (German)
Assistant Referees: Carsten Kadach and Sonke Glindemann (German)
Fourth Official: Chris Foy
Attendance: 58,207
Well I don't know where to start. I think a shout must go out to Man City right back Micah Richards for showing some apparent superstars how to move off the ball. Too often the England players were static. I guess everyone has a job to do in their position and the team looked scared to do anything off the cuff. Unsurprisingly enough the substitutes looked like the players most likely to change the game in our favour.
Carrick and Gerrard looked clueless in central midfield. Too often they closed each other down in pursuit of receiving the easy ball instead of stretching the Spaniard midfield. Wright-Phillips looked out of touch, possibly down to his lack of games at Chelsea under Mourinho. Not sure what Lampard was at left midfield for either. I forgive him for looking like a square peg in a round hole.
Up front, Kieron Dyer tried his best to play off of Crouch. What can either of them do if they have to feed of off nothing balls looped into the box rather than passes from a creative midfielder or two who are not scared to make a bad pass. Can you say "opta stats"? Can you say "where is Beckham"? Oh, the referee did not like Crouch much atall. He seemed determined to whistle up Crouch for anything and everything. Not sure what all that was about. Maybe match ref Michael Weiner does not like very tall men for some reason?
New goalie Foster and the injury prone Woodgate played well enough. Ferdinand and the 2 Nevilles did their level best, but with the likes of the static Carrick linking up the defence with the midfield, what can they do?
Maybe it is all McClaren's fault, but I somehow doubt it is that simple. Maybe without Rooney, Owen and John Terry, we're just shite in white. Another turgid performance like this and I may just change my mind and join the England fans that were so disappointed with the England team performance, that they felt it necissary to boo their fallen heroes off the Old Trafford pitch. Roll on Wembley I say - maybe we will play better there.
Come on England! - Please.
England 0 Spain 1
♠ England 0 Spain 1 Minute By Minute Live Match Report
♠ England 0 Spain 1 - FA Match Report
♠ We Learned A Lot About Some Players Today - Steve McClaren
Posted at 10:02 PM, Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Previous Posts
♠ England 23 To Face France On 26 Mar 2008
♠ England 2 Switzerland 1 (6 Feb 08)
♠ Capello Names His First England Squad
♠ Fabio Capello - The New England Manager?
♠ Steve McClaren Sacked As England Manager
♠ England 2 Croatia 3 - England Fail To Qualify
♠ Isreal Beat Russia - England Can Qualify
♠ Austria 0 England 1 (friendly)
♠ Russia 2 England 1 (17 Oct 07)
♠ England 3 Estonia 0 (13 oct, 07)
♠ England 2 Switzerland 1 (6 Feb 08)
♠ Capello Names His First England Squad
♠ Fabio Capello - The New England Manager?
♠ Steve McClaren Sacked As England Manager
♠ England 2 Croatia 3 - England Fail To Qualify
♠ Isreal Beat Russia - England Can Qualify
♠ Austria 0 England 1 (friendly)
♠ Russia 2 England 1 (17 Oct 07)
♠ England 3 Estonia 0 (13 oct, 07)
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