01 Jul 2018 08:52:35
Uruguay has a population the same size as Wales 3.5 million people how do they produce so many very good players?
01 Jul 2018 10:13:02
The kids there play football from a young age. You could ask why Uruguay don't produce as many great rugby players as Wales, it's because they don't play it as much.
Footballing talent doesn't work like a lottery, it's not the case that 'x' amount of people per million are born to be world class footballers. You need to play every day for years as a kid for that talent to develop, much less be noticed.
01 Jul 2018 10:44:21
Fair point about the rugby analogy mate, but still for a country with such a small population they have produced some very good talent.
There must be reasons behind why that England and others could learn from.
01 Jul 2018 12:56:51
What about Iceland? They’re population is near 335,000 and they are becoming a bunch of tough oppenants. Hopefully they carry on producing good players. I know they’re not on the same level as Uruguay but hugely respected nonetheless.
01 Jul 2018 13:33:15
Iceland have done brilliant Glen and again show what can be achieved if everyone pulls together.
But it's the quality of Uruguay players from sucj a small pool to pick from that has shocked me.
What is it they teach there young players we and others don't?
Fix that with a population of 55 million and England might just be world beaters one day.
01 Jul 2018 14:44:48
A lot of kids have nothing but football I guess. Football all day everyday in the local cages, it’s raw and it’s almost religion to some! English kids have their life very scripted in terms of what they do, obviously when they go to school and how they get through life. Most of the best players in the world started with absolutely nothing and have relied on football to make their lives better.
01 Jul 2018 15:36:20
I think that is a big part of it Glen, here the kids have so many options and distractions away from football.
I'm not sure how we keep the 14 years old of this country focused on wanting to go as far as possible in the game, I certainly think making sure that almost everything they do ij training involves having a ball apposed to endless laps and stretches.
01 Jul 2018 16:19:26
Exactly that Gunner mate. Also the fact that it is so incredibly hard to get scouted in this country depending on where you live. The word on the poor streets of these countries that there’s a wonder kid somewhere and they’ll be snapped up in a heartbeat.
01 Jul 2018 16:56:15
I think there might be a lot of benefit of getting some of our younger players of 16 to 20 playing in Scandinavian or Eastern European leagues or maybe even further a field rather than just under 23s football where they seem to stagnate.
I don't know if that would be helpful but it would be different from what we are currently doing.
01 Jul 2018 18:55:45
Does the UK get the basics right from an early age? What coaching do they get and what defines success at that age. Kick the ball up front and get it to the speed merchant as quick as possible? Everyone run after the ball? Put the two big boys in defence to get in the way? Rather than educating them on the beautiful gsme
Self entitlement culture - I am good so I deserve success
Lazy schools and FA in grass roots
Giving young players too much too soon so they never push on. Exclude my country, but England do well at young men level but just don’t push on. Look at Jack wasting his talents as he never appreciated them and didn’t take care of his body. Still got huge contracts, so where’s the incentive to really push on. Take DB10 - first to arrive at training and last to leave. David Beckham was the same - put the effort in to get to next level.
Too much money in EPL that youth is truly never really given a chance as room for error is tiny.
Also, as fans we like to see effort over craftmenship. Take all the crap Ozil has to put up with in English press. They should be moaning at him not creating chances rather than defending. They should be moaning at the board / manager for not putting a team out to get the best from him.
In England - would a little player like a Santi ( similar to what Wrighty was told ) be told he is too small to play?
As a country - how do we want to play football? I would say effort over skill.
{Ed001's Note - odd you say that about Ozil, I am just doing a player profile on him and most of it is about the negative press he gets just because of the way he looks.}
01 Jul 2018 19:36:17
Ozil work rate is much higher than people realise but in this country we like people to be seen to be working hard not just be working intelligently hard.
Pele said Hordle would get in the Brazilian side but couldn't become an automatic choice for England because he didn't bust a gut like Bryan Robson did.
The thing is consistentcy, what ever your game style you need to be consistently good at it and that's where it all went wrong for Ox Theo and Jack at Arsenal for varying reasons.
01 Jul 2018 19:38:52
Ozil does create chances, it’s the players that don’t take them. When germany went out of the World Cup, Ozil created the most goal scoring opportunities in one match then anyone else in the tournament but yet again he gets criticised.
01 Jul 2018 20:00:52
When we got thrashed by City in Mesuts first season he stormed off in discust at the final whistle and got slaughter for it, if he shows his emotions he's wrong and if he doesn't he's wrong.
I spent a whole game keeping my eye on Mesut for 90 minutes and it is surprising what he does off the ball.
01 Jul 2018 20:09:31
Agreed - I am not digging Ozil. I stick up for him normally as he covers a lot of ground, creates chances and creates space for others by taking up great positions.
01 Jul 2018 20:33:55
Hi SY mate i never thought you was having a go at him, I know your a fan of his mate.
His body language makes him an easy target for the media but I personally think he cares more than he shows outwardly.
02 Jul 2018 02:47:52
I remember football at school was never pushed when I was there and homework always came first before a kick about and while that's obviously best for 4999000 of 50mil the extra 1000 or so who might of had a chance if they had been pushed harder in sport rather than academics might of had a chance, but that's a massive risk if you fail and have nothing to fall back on. I wonder how many people in Uruguay or other such countries have a poor education, focus on football and when they fail are left struggling pretty badly, you can understand why a lot of parents wouldn't risk that for their kids here obviously it might be detrimental if they have real ability that's stifled. But it must be as hard as winning the lottery! How many English players play in the Premier league as a proportion of the population?