Training of young players

[dww]

I heard a radio interview between Gabriel Marcotti and Steve Bunce yesterday about the formers book called The Italian Job which is about the contrasts and similarities between the English and Italian game (written with Vialli). One point they bought up of note was that a lot of top coaches seem to believe that the reason for the difference in basic skills is that Britain is windier than the continent and this disuades people from doing to sort of repetetive skills drills they do on the continent.

Which makes it a bit of a bugger that the Academy has a vast open field to work on.

Do you buy this idea or do you think there are other (cultural?) differences for the differences in players skills?

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

Can see some sense in it. Culturally I think the Brits are more prone to just getting on with things and not worrying about the best equipment or more radical ideas. A lot of our sports science is not applied at the levels it should be. I also think the violent nature of school football inhibits kids from developing dribbling skills or show boating tricks. Better to be a handy in tackles than a 'euro puff' who can take on and beat his man.

[machiavelli]

To be honest, i have never thought about the wind affecting the training of the players...I do think climate does have a big say in the training, but i believe that it is more cultural differences, which provide the biggest differences in training, at both youth and senior levels

[SCarter]

I often think that in England to much is put on actually winning rather than developing players. When I was growing up and playing my football I had stints with a few clubs Chelsea, Reading and Wycombe Wanderers. The training sessions were very much getting ready for the next match and putting alot of importance on winning the game rather than actually training the individual skills like touch, passing and trying to enhance awareness. It is also visible in matches at young ages that alot of pressure is put onto winning and why often the ball is knocked forward towards the fastest player on the pitch who is normally put up front.

Compared that to when I watch a couple of local games in Spain a few years ago. The kids were around U14 and were discouraged to put the ball in the air and the control and passing of even the poorer players in the teams were as good as the best in the english local leagues. I have also seen a lot of Brazilian documentaries which show the kids using balls that dont bounce or do poorly as it helps to improve the control and ability on the ball as well technical ability.

[ronan]

number of years ago the team behind national coaching here in ireland adressed this very issue
bsically we had to redesign the thinking behind the coaching
it basically meant looking at ways to improve their skill on the ball and working with the ball rather than older methods where the kids would hardly see a ball.
to use the conditions as an excuse is rubbish imo.
bit of wind or rain doesnt stop a kid dribbling the ball,in fact it should encourage it.

[dww]

number of years ago the team behind national coaching here in ireland adressed this very issue
bsically we had to redesign the thinking behind the coaching
it basically meant looking at ways to improve their skill on the ball and working with the ball rather than older methods where the kids would hardly see a ball.
to use the conditions as an excuse is rubbish imo.
bit of wind or rain doesnt stop a kid dribbling the ball,in fact it should encourage it.

It is interesting that Wenger is one of the main people who believes it does though and as such has erected a wind shield at their training facilities. I imagine it is not just the skills of themselves being harder but also you are less likely to do it if the wind makes you cold - hence teams tend to play games to keep warm rather than do ball skills.

[Guest]

It is interesting that Wenger is one of the main people who believes it does though and as such has erected a wind shield at their training facilities. I imagine it is not just the skills of themselves being harder but also you are less likely to do it if the wind makes you cold - hence teams tend to play games to keep warm rather than do ball skills.

Interesting. I think it's the culture but you can apply the same principle to northern countries such as Norway, Finland and Sweden where football is not so skilful. It sure is an hindrance training in windy conditions but the solution to playing in these conditions is to put the ball down and pass the ball instead of going long where the ball is much susceptible to it.

We as a club have always tried to play the game the way it should be, but still keeping characteristics of the english game in maintaining a high tempo all the time. Wenger has done the same, but he's probably pushed that to another level with the way he develops his teams.

[Parm]

I often think that in England to much is put on actually winning rather than developing players. When I was growing up and playing my football I had stints with a few clubs Chelsea, Reading and Wycombe Wanderers. The training sessions were very much getting ready for the next match and putting alot of importance on winning the game rather than actually training the individual skills like touch, passing and trying to enhance awareness. It is also visible in matches at young ages that alot of pressure is put onto winning and why often the ball is knocked forward towards the fastest player on the pitch who is normally put up front.

Compared that to when I watch a couple of local games in Spain a few years ago. The kids were around U14 and were discouraged to put the ball in the air and the control and passing of even the poorer players in the teams were as good as the best in the english local leagues. I have also seen a lot of Brazilian documentaries which show the kids using balls that dont bounce or do poorly as it helps to improve the control and ability on the ball as well technical ability.

yp that was my understanding of the youth game here, more empahsis on winning rather than technique. You can see it on the continent, all the players seem so confident on the ball and have sound technique.

[Pablo]

I spend a lot of my time in Spain and its ****ing windy there too, so I think that has a minimal affect, if any at all.

What I have noticed though is that they all play this five aside game called Futbol Sala. Its played with a smaller ball and smaller goal, normally on an indoor pitch. It's a skillfull game, you need to be able to beat a man and be very good in possession, and need very clever movement to work an opening. It's exactly the type of skills you see in the Spanish players, comfortable on the ball, skilful, creativity and movement. I think if we had that game in England for the kids to play we would bring up some more skillful players.

[Graybach]

It is interesting that Wenger is one of the main people who believes it does though and as such has erected a wind shield at their training facilities. I imagine it is not just the skills of themselves being harder but also you are less likely to do it if the wind makes you cold - hence teams tend to play games to keep warm rather than do ball skills.

Would it not be easier to train indoors under controlable conditions?

I guess the answer is this would in itself bring other problems.

[Harv]

I think it has more to do with how the kids are brought up, and the areas they come from. In Spain, Italy, Portugal, Argentina and Brazil, you see kids in the street playing football all the time. I didnt see it at all in England.

It seems that fitness/stamina is more important these days than skills too.

Do you think Le Tissier/Gascoigne/Merson would of been able to play in todays environment? No chance.

[Resu]

Interesting. I think it's the culture but you can apply the same principle to northern countries such as Norway, Finland and Sweden where football is not so skilful. It sure is an hindrance training in windy conditions but the solution to playing in these conditions is to put the ball down and pass the ball instead of going long where the ball is much susceptible to it.

We as a club have always tried to play the game the way it should be, but still keeping characteristics of the english game in maintaining a high tempo all the time. Wenger has done the same, but he's probably pushed that to another level with the way he develops his teams.

The problem isn`t so much the wind, as the pitches.
As you say the long ball doesn`t work with in strong winds.
The grass season is short in most parts of Norway, most of the training is on mud/sand/gravel pitches. After two months of rain/sleet/snow it`s very hard to keep any sort of controll of the ball.
Now there are artificial turf pitches poing up everywhere, and you can allready see the difference in skills.
I think the pitches have are a bigger influence on the skill level than the wind. I the next 10 years norwegian kids will have moved on a great deal when it comes to skills.

[dww]

Would it not be easier to train indoors under controlable conditions?

I guess the answer is this would in itself bring other problems.

I presume it is so you have a grass surface to play on but you are right there may well be other problems indoors.