Liverpool FC Forum

[Alonso14]

I personally believe that European Players are technically better then English ones.

I mean dont get me wrong we have a our fair share of technically gifted players in the likes of Rooney, Rio Ferdinhand and too some exstent Gerrard and Beckham.

But Europe's finest seem to all ways having the edge when it comes to first touch control, dribbling and crossing.

English players never seem to be able to beat players with great skill (with the excuss of SWP) like the way the C. Ronaldo or any of the brazilians do.

Why do you think this is? I belive it may be down to the way our academys pick players and the way they train them. For example from the ages of about 10 and 11 they are already playing on huge size fields and always have time on the ball. Where as maybe places such as Italy play on much smaller fields which concentrate more on the ability to control the ball and short passing.

There are also examples of this in our own Liverpool Midfield with the contrasts of Gerrards run with pace and Alonsos abilty to pick a short or long ball quciky without having to take two looks in which area of the field his target is.

The way academys pick players seem to be quite disgraceful as often the best player doesnt get choosen its the biggest and the strongest. I was disgraced when i heard the nottem forest let SWP go just because 'he was too small'.  Who knows how many gems hav got lost because of this.

Its jus interesting if you look at different parts of the world and see the different styles of football.

and dont get me wrong im not knocking english football.

[El Nino_#9]

that will all change in the next few years.
before, football was all about passing and movement (keeping it simple). don't get me wrong it still is but now the game has brought in a lot of foreigners into the epl and its become a lot more technical.
nowaday's kids playing football are now more or less devoting all of there training on skills, tricks.etc.
so don't be suprised if we get a few english ronaldinho's + ronaldo's!

[kaz the kopite]

footsal is played brazil with a smaller ball!

it developes better close control and dribbling skills!

players who have played it include!

ronaldo, adriano, robinho etc.

you get the  picture!

we should have a similar league here and develope our own c.ronaldo`s!

[A.B.]

Robinho didn't play on grass until he was 14, he played "futsal" instead.

[109-1093441336]

Also English coaches tend to pick tall boys, choosing to ignore small boys like the way SWP was shunted as a youth. 

Its why england has the most  CB's but the least wingers.

[Lando_Griffin]

The foreign coaches, Beni included, will introduce skill work as soon as the players arrive. Provided Rafa is still here, we will have the best academy in Europe within 10 years, and will be producing regular gems. You wait and see.

[red marauder]

It's called "football de salao" and it is only just beginning to be taught at some junior acadamies.Until it becomes widespread throughout the school system,we will have to wait to unearth our very own Ronaldinho.
Brasil and other South American countries produce many great players not because of this system ,but in spite of it. They cannot afford to enrol their children in football academies and so the kids play on the streets and beaches with tennis balls as they can't afford size 5 mitres! This is where they hone their skills.   Also ,being penniless,the kids have no other distractions for their enjoyment,so football is the only thing for them to do.    so don't blame our coaches,it's capitalism that has made our situation like it is.

[76-1115222408]

Good post, something I tend to agree with, i made a post a little while ago so will re-post it here as i think it is relevant, but also i have'nt got time to write another post as just leaving for football training!!!

(yckatbjywtbiastkamb @ July 17 2005,13:25)
great players are born and not made, if you could teach that x factor the league would be full of gerrards and rooneys.
these acadamies will take an average player and turn him into a decent one but they`ll never take a decent player and make him a great one. they produce footballing robots and the players with real true genius like maradona and pele taught themselves by playing in the streets and developing their natural intuition and feel for the game.
it`s down to luck if you produce great players. 

Excellent point mate. I totally agree!!!

However it also comes down to luck and circumstances as well!
I grew up with MANY players that could easily have made the grade, but were never picked up by scouts or if they were, often fell into the wrong crowd of fellas and football became second best to either CRIME or DRUGS.

For example, I grew up with (and still know) and played in the same football team as Jody Morris. Now believe me when i say that he was an excellent player (completely diferent from how he plays now, he had so much SKILL it was unbelieveable) but he was by no means the best player in the team. There were at least 3 or 4 players better than he was.
But the thing was his father had a link into Chelsea and so he was picked up. All the rest of the lads in the team are either in Prison at the moment, just come out or addicted to drugs.

As i say it comes down to luck, and Jody was the lucky one from OUR area. He wasnt the best, BUT was the luckiest.
Look how much trouble over the years Jody has found himself in, this comes from the environment that he grew up in our area, as they say 'you can take the boy out of his area, but you cant take the area out of the boy' and this is the main reason he used to get into trouble, as we ALL used to get into trouble with the police etc; As i say he was lucky enough to escape the street and get a chance at a club, with proper facilities and coaching staff etc;
Otherwise Jody Morris could so easily ended up another drug dealer or drug addict on the West Kensington Estate 'Frontlines' as they are known down here!!!

However, the grass isnt always greener on the other side as i will go onto explain now.

As i stated above Jody had so much skill, it was just wrong really!!
But as soon as he hit the Chelsea youth set-up THEY changed the way he played. THEY stopped all his flair coming out and made him into more a tackling midfielder (which was never his strength!). Thus (for me) they STIFLED his NATURAL ability, which was being skillful, going past players and being creative.
This was NEVER seen from him when in Chelsea colours and even less evident in his Leeds days (as he basically became a hatchet man FFS!!).

Another example of academies or youth set-ups STIFLING ability (but not to the same extent) is Joe Cole.
My brother played against Joe Cole on numerous occasions when playing District football (my bro played for 'West London', whilst Cole {and Jay Bothroyd} were playing for 'Highbury and Islington'.
Now I only witnessed Cole play once, but all i can say he was AMAZING. But when he emerged at West Ham he was different, not as much skill being used (obviously it is a higher level of football, no doubt) but he was similar to a maradona type player and i only think we are starting to see this from him now due to JOSE MOURINHO!!!

Why??

My view is that the academies and youth set-ups in this country tend to make players able to play the 'english' game as opposed to developing their 'natural' abilities and i think that is where the crux of the problem lies to be honest.
And i think that as Jose Mourinho (being Portugese) has a different mentality this is the reason we are beginning to see Cole's REAL ability starting to come out. He nurtured the talent that must have been clearly evident in training, but added other skills so he is able to use these skills in the Premiership and CL.

So I am hopeful that as we have Rafa (and therefore a european mentality at the helm) that this may go on to have a beneficial effect on the way our academy is run.

For me it is all about the mentality of the academies changing to develop the talent as it comes to them, and not trying to impose a style of play onto them.

[109-1093441336]

It's called "football de salao" and it is only just beginning to be taught at some junior acadamies.Until it becomes widespread throughout the school system,we will have to wait to unearth our very own Ronaldinho.
Brasil and other South American countries produce many great players not because of this system ,but in spite of it. They cannot afford to enrol their children in football academies and so the kids play on the streets and beaches with tennis balls as they can't afford size 5 mitres! This is where they hone their skills.   Also ,being penniless,the kids have no other distractions for their enjoyment,so football is the only thing for them to do.    so don't blame our coaches,it's capitalism that has made our situation like it is.

What rubbish. 

I lived in Brazil for two years, their coaching is far and away ahead of England.  Capitalism only come into the equation when you compare the amount of government money each country pours into these academies.

Coaching a young kid doesn't cost money, equpiment does.

Kids all over England have been playing football on the streets for years, yet the general consensus is that English players have concrete feet compared to Brazilians.

You have to live in Brazil to have an opinion on them.

[Alonso14]

It's called "football de salao" and it is only just beginning to be taught at some junior acadamies.Until it becomes widespread throughout the school system,we will have to wait to unearth our very own Ronaldinho.
Brasil and other South American countries produce many great players not because of this system ,but in spite of it. They cannot afford to enrol their children in football academies and so the kids play on the streets and beaches with tennis balls as they can't afford size 5 mitres! This is where they hone their skills.   Also ,being penniless,the kids have no other distractions for their enjoyment,so football is the only thing for them to do.    so don't blame our coaches,it's capitalism that has made our situation like it is.

What is 'Football De Salao'  

[A.B.]

It's 'futsal'.

It's indoors footie[mostly played in Basketball like gyms], 5 v 5 including keepers, no turf, kick-ins no throw ins, smaller ball,heavier ball.

[Ciggy]

Oi Alonso 13, I guess thats yer age?
Well I need to inform you that rafa is going to make us Champions of Europe once again and we fear no one.
So bring them all on, We are Liverpool F.C f#ck the rest we are the best

[Alonso14]

Oi Alonso 13, I guess thats yer age?
Well I need to inform you that rafa is going to make us Champions of Europe once again and we fear no f@cker.
So bring them all on, We are Liverpool F.C f@ck the rest we are the best

Yep im the one thats 13...

[66-1120597113]

To say that we are inferior is ridiculous!Not 2 mention bullsh1t!This is backed up by that glorious nite in Istanbul! I think what u really should have asked Alonso14 is,why is the English style of play not as pleasing on the eye as some European countries or Brazil?
The simple answer is that all parts of the world express themselves in different ways in everything,ie language,food,dress sense etc.and our beloved game of football!
The premiership might not be pretty sometimes but i think its the best league in the world by a mile!

[Alonso14]

To say that we are inferior is ridiculous!Not 2 mention bullsh1t!This is backed up by that glorious nite in Istanbul! I think what u really should have asked Alonso14 is,why is the English style of play not as pleasing on the eye as some European countries or Brazil?
The simple answer is that all parts of the world express themselves in different ways in everything,ie language,food,dress sense etc.and our beloved game of football!
The premiership might not be pretty sometimes but i think its the best league in the world by a mile!

I do agree that the premership is the most exciting and the best to watch, but i mean if you compare the England sqaud to the say the Spanish squad most of them will be TECHNICALLY not as good, meaning there first touch, crossing and dribilling is better. Im not saying there better footballers, because its not jus technique that makes you a good footballer (altho plays a big part) it about you decison making your determination as well as your physical abilty like strenth, pace and fitness.