Why are our footballers so technically inept?

[Shaggy]

It’s the age-old question that seems to be asked every two years – after each and every major tournament failure for England.

WHY are we so technically bereft?

The way Croatia – a tidy team but one who lost at Macedonia at the weekend – passed the ball around ‘us’ was very embarrassing. All touch, movement and technique.

Then we have the likes of Gerrard, a world class player, continually wellying the ball 60 yards downfield, and the likes of Lampard, Joe Cole and Wright Phillips seemingly unable to control a ball or play anything like one-touch football.

Last night, Luka Modric looked the world class technical player while Gerrard looked like a Conference hoofer.

Why??????????

We no longer have kids playing on full-size pitches – they play more 5-a-side than ever and the emphasis is supposed to have shifted from humping long balls and clattering tackles, to one or two touch pass and move football.

So what the **** is wrong? I genuinely have no idea and look forward to reading some answers.

[Guest]

Coaching down to the grass roots and nurturing future coaches to preach the same principles from the ground up. To me, England doesn't have a set pattern.

Each of the coaches, down from the Under 15's should teach kids to play one way, with the same system employed by the national team. That way, their integration up the ladder will be seamless.

If the FA's gonna think they can sack and appoint any manager from the 'in flavor' english one or foreign one, they are deluding themselves.

It's all about having a clear vision and implementing it the right way, and some patience.

[Reece]

[dailymail]I blame the foreigners.[/dailymail]

[kemm1]

It’s the age-old question that seems to be asked every two years – after each and every major tournament failure for England.

WHY are we so technically bereft?

The way Croatia – a tidy team but one who lost at Macedonia at the weekend – passed the ball around ‘us’ was very embarrassing. All touch, movement and technique.

Then we have the likes of Gerrard, a world class player, continually wellying the ball 60 yards downfield, and the likes of Lampard, Joe Cole and Wright Phillips seemingly unable to control a ball or play anything like one-touch football.

Last night, Luka Modric looked the world class technical player while Gerrard looked like a Conference hoofer.

Why??????????

We no longer have kids playing on full-size pitches – they play more 5-a-side than ever and the emphasis is supposed to have shifted from humping long balls and clattering tackles, to one or two touch pass and move football.

So what the **** is wrong? I genuinely have no idea and look forward to reading some answers.

Most England football fans and it seems like the FA are in denial about this. The vast majority of England's players are overrated and one dimensional, there are a few people who are not afraid to point this out like Chris Waddle, Trevor Brooking, Alan Mullery etc.

We tag our players as world class for being very good at one maybe two things.

I think the answer lies in youth football, this is what Trevor Brooking is trying to change. Youth football from age 5 to 11 years old is vital, because after that it's too late. The FA spent nearly £1 billion on Wembley even though we ahve world class stadiums all over the country instead of investing in out inept grass roots system.

But what will happen is they will blame the England manager - AGAIN and then question if there are too many foreigners in our league, these are not the root causes of our problem.

[AFII]

It's because of the style of play in the english leagues. If the refs would allow less in the games, more freekicks, yellow and red cards, then the young players could train in a different way, more training based on skill instead of the physic.

Now they need to train a lot of physic to have a chance and that means less focus on the skills. Much more on the training should be based on playing with the ball from an early age but they can't do that as long as the refs allow as much as they do now.

You would then get less free flowing football but you would get better english players.

[Shaggy]

Coaching down to the grass roots and nurturing future coaches to preach the same principles from the ground up. To me, England doesn't have a set pattern.

Each of the coaches, down from the Under 15's should teach kids to play one way, with the same system employed by the national team. That way, their integration up the ladder will be seamless.

If the FA's gonna think they can sack and appoint any manager from the 'in flavor' english one or foreign one, they are deluding themselves.

It's all about having a clear vision and implementing it the right way, and some patience.

But how do they do it ‘abroad’?

It’s not just Spain, Italy and Argentina who are technically gifted – it’s virtually ****ing all of them! Croatia, Turkey, Israel ….whoever you care to mention – they’d all have been described as “tricky continentals” in days gone by.

They can’t all have identical coaching systems? Why are they all so much more comfortable in possession and technically capable? Granted, they don’t all have the pace, power and organisation that England (I include the other home nations in this actually) have in spades, and England often beat those sides, but they usually labour to victory and ‘we’ never pass anyone off the park.

I think it’s very, very weird and intriguing.

[FatTony]

It’s the age-old question that seems to be asked every two years – after each and every major tournament failure for England.

WHY are we so technically bereft?

The way Croatia – a tidy team but one who lost at Macedonia at the weekend – passed the ball around ‘us’ was very embarrassing. All touch, movement and technique.

Then we have the likes of Gerrard, a world class player, continually wellying the ball 60 yards downfield, and the likes of Lampard, Joe Cole and Wright Phillips seemingly unable to control a ball or play anything like one-touch football.

Last night, Luka Modric looked the world class technical player while Gerrard looked like a Conference hoofer.

Why??????????

We no longer have kids playing on full-size pitches – they play more 5-a-side than ever and the emphasis is supposed to have shifted from humping long balls and clattering tackles, to one or two touch pass and move football.

So what the **** is wrong? I genuinely have no idea and look forward to reading some answers.

In this country from the youth upwards we value pace and power above all else and then you have the premiership that's so fast that it encourages direct football. We don't develop or encourage technique.

I heard a guy speaking on the radio before and he was a scout I think, and he was disgusted as he'd spent some time with a premiership outfit who would not take on some real young talent. In his words the clubs he'd dealt with only wanted kids who were 6ft and athletic. These clubs were rejecting talented youngsters in favour of average players of a particular physical criteria.

[AFII]

But how do they do it ‘abroad’?

It’s not just Spain, Italy and Argentina who are technically gifted – it’s virtually ****ing all of them! Croatia, Turkey, Israel ….whoever you care to mention – they’d all have been described as “tricky continentals” in days gone by.

They can’t all have identical coaching systems? Why are they all so much more comfortable in possession and technically capable? Granted, they don’t all have the pace, power and organisation that England (I include the other home nations in this actually) have in spades, and England often beat those sides, but they usually labour to victory and ‘we’ never pass anyone off the park.

I think it’s very, very weird and intriguing.

It all comes down to how much the refs allow you to play, it's different in every league. The english audience like it to be tough and the spanish beautiful for example and that means that the refs will allow less in Spain than in England so the more skillful players will get a better chance.

[Mattshark]

But how do they do it ‘abroad’?

It’s not just Spain, Italy and Argentina who are technically gifted – it’s virtually ****ing all of them! Croatia, Turkey, Israel ….whoever you care to mention – they’d all have been described as “tricky continentals” in days gone by.

They can’t all have identical coaching systems? Why are they all so much more comfortable in possession and technically capable? Granted, they don’t all have the pace, power and organisation that England (I include the other home nations in this actually) have in spades, and England often beat those sides, but they usually labour to victory and ‘we’ never pass anyone off the park.

I think it’s very, very weird and intriguing.

A friend of mine has couched in both France and the UK and he said the system in France is far superior, they learn to use tactics just playing in youth leagues etc and the spend a lot of time working on technique and finding space. In the uk we don't do that, we even won't consider physically smaller players and we are happy to play long ball all the time.

[Guest]

But how do they do it ‘abroad’?

It’s not just Spain, Italy and Argentina who are technically gifted – it’s virtually ****ing all of them! Croatia, Turkey, Israel ….whoever you care to mention – they’d all have been described as “tricky continentals” in days gone by.

They can’t all have identical coaching systems? Why are they all so much more comfortable in possession and technically capable? Granted, they don’t all have the pace, power and organisation that England (I include the other home nations in this actually) have in spades, and England often beat those sides, but they usually labour to victory and ‘we’ never pass anyone off the park.

I think it’s very, very weird and intriguing.

The whole system is a mess. Down from grassroots football, to the FA and including the press.

England is an insular country, different from the rest of Europe. They also play rugby in their own style. The should take a leaf out of how France built their teams. If you look at their youth system, it's terrific. Spain is the same, but they haven't been successful as a national team yet.

They all play to the same pattern. England is not comfortable in playing pass and move football because it's not been ingrained within them. It's a basic flaw.

[AFII]

A friend of mine has couched in both France and the UK and he said the system in France is far superior, they learn to use tactics just playing in youth leagues etc and the spend a lot of time working on technique and finding space. In the uk we don't do that, we even won't consider physically smaller players and we are happy to play long ball all the time.

That's probably because you will be hacked down and get injured without the ref doing anything about it in the english league. Sometimes it's a joke what you need to do to get a yellow card.

The refs don't give the skillful players a fair chance because the above will happen if you make a nice move. Fabregas will soon end up getting injured because he will be hacked down time after time IMO. The reason, the players are allowed to do it without being punished that much.

[fred_plasticine]

basically - from what you all said - england should be playing a very aggressive, direct, physical game with loads of crosses and long balls, is that correct?
if you play that a approach with top notch players you should be a very hard oponent to beat imo. but england are neither fish nor fowl.

[kemm1]

basically - from what you all said - england should be playing a very aggressive, direct, physical game with loads of crosses and long balls, is that correct?
if you play that a approach with top notch players you should be a very hard oponent to beat imo. but england are neither fish nor fowl.

[chrispy]

England doesn't have truly world-class players. Not like Brazil etc. John Terry is over-rated, Lampshade is ****e, Beckham is world (reknowned) for the publicity machine behind him (stop his crossing and he's got f*** all left), Stevie G is a great player but not world class (yet), Owen (when he plays that is) had pace etc and a decent eye for goal but not much else. Ashley Cole is also over-rated, SWP can't even get a game for the Chavs, Gareth Barry? The panel is still out on what he can provide. Owen Hargreaves - had a decent world cup and all of a sudden is worth a fortune.

None of these players are world class. English (and even British) football is in decline. Kids these days would rather play footie on a 360 than out in the street. The FA needs to get grass roots football sorted then maybe in 10 - 15 years we'll have players worth talking about.

[kemm1]

The whole system is a mess. Down from grassroots football, to the FA and including the press.

England is an insular country, different from the rest of Europe. They also play rugby in their own style. The should take a leaf out of how France built their teams. If you look at their youth system, it's terrific. Spain is the same, but they haven't been successful as a national team yet.

They all play to the same pattern. England is not comfortable in playing pass and move football because it's not been ingrained within them. It's a basic flaw.

I agree with that 100%