Capello

[DadsleyRover]

Capello has the ingrediants for a certain style of play and he chose to stick to 442. His substitutions were like for like. He could not change the system.

He should be sacked and if he goes to an industrial tribunal there will be thousands who could be called to give evidence as to the reason he failed.

Another way could be to ask him to do a tour of the troops in Afgaistan. I bet he wouldn't come back from that.

I agree totally with all the comments on coaching the kids they should be allowed to learn the game.

We should get the suits out of the FA and get some football people in there and learn from the nations that are doing well.

[Barmby Rover]

I went to see an international tournament of futsal a couple of years ago at the institute of sport in Sheffield. It is a great game, I would love to see a local tournament between the S.Yorks. sides, and I am pretty sure Rovers would win, it is all about skill and not hoofing. That is where the future lies for our youngsters. Pity they will never play for the top \"teams\" in England though, the places there are reserved for foreign players who have already made it, and not for our home grown youngsters.

[Al4475]

The Burton thing is interesting, I worked out at a school in Staffordshire when I left college at a place called Barton-Under-Needwood perhaps 3 miles up the road from Burton on Trent and about 10 miles max, from the Burton development site, the whole area around there was ready for this development and it seemed to stand still for years as a simple piece of green ground that was disused - I don't know really how well things have moved on since then - in theory the idea was great, an Ajax style grass roots academy or a Clairefontayne (spelling/name) where the cream of the British kids could go and be taught and coached properly.

But maybe that's the crux of the problem - this development has been in place on paper or whatever for around 10 years, and I ain't sure how it's progressing! No decisiveness - if as a previous poster said that night in Germany changed their mentality about kids and grass roots -why the hell hasn't it happened here?

[DonnyNoel]

Al4475 wrote:

The Burton thing is interesting, I worked out at a school in Staffordshire when I left college at a place called Barton-Under-Needwood perhaps 3 miles up the road from Burton on Trent and about 10 miles max, from the Burton development site, the whole area around there was ready for this development and it seemed to stand still for years as a simple piece of green ground that was disused - I don't know really how well things have moved on since then - in theory the idea was great, an Ajax style grass roots academy or a Clairefontayne (spelling/name) where the cream of the British kids could go and be taught and coached properly.

But maybe that's the crux of the problem - this development has been in place on paper or whatever for around 10 years, and I ain't sure how it's progressing! No decisiveness - if as a previous poster said that night in Germany changed their mentality about kids and grass roots -why the hell hasn't it happened here?

Hopefully this is the tipping point. This was the \"Golden Generation\"'s last chance of winning anything. I'd start looking at the Euros to blood players like Hart/Young/Huddlestone/Agbonglahor to be ready for 2014. Whilst this goes on hopefully the new facility at Burton starts to show its worth.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Rigoglioso wrote:

I started it about two and a half years ago, the second I found out he got the job.

My main concerns were that he didn't have the man management skills to work with a group of players when the World Cup came around and motivate them in the six weeks or so that they would be in South Africa. I predicted that their would be fall-outs and spats in the England camp, and by and large I think I've been proved right.

I also said time and time again during the qualifiers and successful friendlies that England won, that we'd proved nothing and we wouldn't win the World Cup - or reach the semi-finals that were the target!

Okay, my head's getting a bit big now, but you get the point. Think I've been proved right. The only thing that surprises me is just how shambolic the England team have been in their four games in the tournament. I'd say for at least 80%-85% of actual game time, we've been easily the second best team in our games. Pathetic.

That's an interesting rewrite of history. From what I remember, the main reason you kept saying Capello was a crap manager was because he refused to pick Michael Owen. :/

[PACMAN]

I'll stick up for Rooney, seeing as nobody else has. He is a world class player, when surrounded by world class players. Sadly, that hasn't proved to be the case at this world cup. How many times yesterday did we see him trying to win a header from a long ball pumped up at him? Yet when he did get the ball at his feet he looked more than dangerous!!

For me it's time for a clear out. Goodbye Messrs Gerrard, Lampard, Terry, James et al, throw in the Adam Johnson's, Theo Walcott's, Joe Hart's. Young, hungry players who have something to prove rather than vastly overpaid, over-rated has beens how have had their chances!!

As for Capello, keep him, he's stubborn enough to carry through a reconstruction job and not be bothered by the press calling for his head every time we lose!!

English football is rotten to the core IMHO. The FA is so prehistoric it's untrue, jobs for the boys, old school tie network etc, etc. They can't see the blindingly obvious, the England national team will never again win the world cup in my lifetime. Why? We have far too many foreigners at the top level of our game, young talent cannot progress as it once did when clubs go out and splash millions on players instead of developing our own.
Nathan's correct, the grassroots are neglected because clubs need an instant solution rather than growing talent. Most of the best young English players are now in the Championship because they can't break into Premiership sides which would dramatically aid their development. Looking further down, parents place so much pressure on kids in this country at such an early age, is there any wonder so many burn out or simply walk away from the game?

[River Don]

I agree with a lot of the comments here. To me the England players are over rated and they do look better in their club sides because they are surrounded by foreign quality. If this English side were playing in the Premier League, they'd be battling it out with the likes of Villa and Everton at best.

I've been saying for many years,t we don't teach the game properly in this country and I would like to see root and branch reform of the FA and the likes of Brooking given proper responsibility for youth football. I'd like to see people like Wenger and Roy Hodgson involved too.

As for Capello, I wouldn't sack him. There's no point in always blaming the manager, we keep sacking them and we get nowhere. The next manager is ALWAYS just as unlikely to deliver. The players simply weren't good enough, I don't believe anyone would have got much more from them.

Far too much emphasis is placed on formations and tactics when the basic problem England face is players who can't control the ball properly. We still keep giving the ball away.

Until we start getting the very basics right, we don't stand a chance.

[graingrover]

I  obviously do not know Capello as well as some ( never having met him or played for one of his teams   ).His lack of command fof  the language may be a contributory factor in this failure since his previous successes were in Italy and Spain (and he speaks fluent Spanish.)However on the pitch we lacked a General for sure. Not one of our players led by example ...were they scared of Capello? Did you see the way he got stuck in to Stuart Pearce!

[CusworthRovers]

Good thread this.

Futsal- My lad has played that. Very good and all about a few factors that matter IMO: control of ball, space awareness of self and team-mates, pass and move. This is something we should be encouraging at an early age, be it Futsal or normal Footy. Instead, it's the powerhouse 10yr old who will barge through 6 skinny kids and score 40 goals in a game with little awareness of his team-mates and with little skill and control......or it's the lightening quick speedster who will push it forward and run like chuff and then try and shoot everytime. Yes he will bag 26 out of 68 attempts, but again with little awareness of team-mates, control and technical ability. Unfortunately it's these kids that will come through at a young age, as they are winners there and then at that age only. They are picked up even at non competitive small sided footy, and each pro club will have 15 of these types with a view to making them winners. The real footy boys with the correct skills and abilities can be often left behind, and do not get the required coaching.

Then again, the coaching at pro clubs at a young age is very much focused on results for that age group, inclusive of DRFC. Is there any wonder they will only pick up the strapping 10yr old  who can dictate a game through physique and speed only.

The trouble is when they get in their teens, the physique and speed element is less apparent, as the other have caught them up, then they have little to offer as footballers, with 5-8 years of investment wasted

[graingrover]

i had two lads  I recommended to Rovers ,one of whom played futsal for the French National team ... but they never got any answer from the club to the CV's I sent (in DP's era)...  .Did DP consider futsal was no platform from which to develop 'real' footballers . Unfortunately ,as often has happened with Rovers, .. no answer.. so we will never know!

[Lytham Rover]

where do you start!

in america they have commissioners who lead the sport and are relatively independant in the decisions that they make

in england we have committees!

we need root and branch reform of the pyramid starting at the top with the FA

then down to the premier league *spit*

then out to the clubs

with a coherent and achievable plan as to raising the standard of players coming through to provide the players of the future giving preference to english qualified players (look how cosmopolitan germany looked with the different ethnic backgrounds  one in the eye for the neo nazis!!!)

the most impressive/improved side at the WC this time has been japan  who barely had a professional league 20 years ago but have ran denmark ragged  what did they do right that we havent?

the key thing is that we mustn't think that everything is ok and it will sort itself out

cricket has had numerous inquests into their debacles but finally they are getting it right and are winning albeit in a smaller pool but they are on the right tracks

the status quo is NOT AN OPTION!

[jucyberry]

The thing is, Capello will never win, if he is strong and fierce then oh dear the poor babies played badly cos of the big scary manager.

if he is soft, then it would be, oh look at the little lambs why doesn't he instill some backbone.

At the end of the day, those men just wern't good enough. No more no less.

I guess there are times when every manager makes decisions that seem totally wrong for the game that is being played out. wait till the season begins and SOD brings on all the subs in the last three mins..lol..

The only difference is, 99.9% of the other managers aren't making those strange decisions infront of the world.

And to be fair to Capello, the ratio of failed England managers who are actually English against those who aren't is way higher over the past forty years isn't it.

[River Don]

You have a far greater chance of succeeding as a footballer in this country if you happen to be born earlier in the school year. Those kids with a September birthday have grown more and are likely to be better athletically than kids with a late birthday.

Our youth football is so concerned with results and physicality that the younger kids are simply barged out of the way. Smaller talented kids also tend to be ignored and lost to the game before they have chance to develop properly.

And we just don't do enough to concentrate on the basic skills throughout kids football anyway. The problem is deep seated and I have very little faith in the FAs current approach to improving things.

I'm all for initiatives such as footsal and small sided games. For instance I believe it's the Dutch don't allow young children to play in competitive leagues, they believe that kind of competition at a young age is actually detrimental.

[Pintolager]

I would like to hear O'Driscoll's views on England's failure in the World Cup. With his philosophies on football and how he likes the game to be played, I think he would have some intersting opinions.

[DonnyNoel]

Pintolager wrote:

I would like to hear O'Driscoll's views on England's failure in the World Cup. With his philosophies on football and how he likes the game to be played, I think he would have some intersting opinions.

Whilst I wouldn't want him to leave Rovers I think his input into youth coaching at a national level would be a huge asset for the country. His policy of questioning \"the norm because it's the norm\" and his stance on results vs performance should be introduced whilst kids are young. He said when he joined DRFC that he had to re-brief scouts on what to look for in players (irrelevant of whether a player gives the ball away, was it right pass to be making? If it was, he can coach how to complete the pass) and I think we need to take a similar stance on what makes a good player at 10/11/12 years old.

[Foozer]

You wanna have a better national team? Easy: Reduce the number of foreigners in the prem. F.ex: Never more than 4 foreigners on the field for a team during a game.

[keyser_soze]

Without being xenophobic we need an immediate cap on the number of foreigners at the highest level of English football (if its even legal?). How about a max of 5 in your starting XI and subs? How many of the star players of the teams progressing in this world cup play their football in England, benefiting from our coaching and our TV money, and playing in our European place. We're building International players for other countries.

All our potential England stars are rotting in the reserves of Premier League clubs, and playing at lower levels. 15 years ago, the stars in the Championship would have been playing at the top-level had a chance to prove their potential as England players.  Players like Sharp, Stock and Wellens would be top division squad players.

A Leeds supporter on a different forum asked for Jermaine Beckford to be chosen for this squad, there was no way he could have based on a season in League One, but without Drogba, Malouda, Tevez, Anelka, Essien, Torres etc etc etc a player like Beckford would have already had that chance to prove whether or not he was worthy at a higher level.

England have maybe 5 world-class players (2 of which are incompatible, and the system shouldn't be changed to accommodate them), but just don't have the strength in depth. How many English goalies are there playing regularly in the Prem? 4? 5? How many have played in Europe? Realistically, that's your pot you've got to chose from.

And goal-line technology as discussed in another thread. No video replays, just a simple alarm/light/bell/fanfare/fireworks, whatever.

And, if you're chasing a game, don't take off Defoe, and if you're gonna bring another striker on, put Crouch on instead of Heskey.


Or how about chosing the England team from England-based players regardless of nationality? That appears to be what the Germans have done with their Turkish/Polish/Ghanaian army.

[Lytham Rover]

keyser_soze wrote:

Or how about chosing the England team from England-based players regardless of nationality? That appears to be what the Germans have done with their Turkish/Polish/Ghanaian army.

the thing is the germans recognised that these players were there and encouraged them to declare for germany rather than one of their other parents birth place

the other fact is that 5 players from the under 21's winning side (against england) were included in this squad and a couple of them made it into the team compare and contrast 1 for england!

ps f**k the premier league!

[River Don]

Brian Clough knew the biggest problem with English football.

John Ryan knows it.

It isn't the manager, it isn't foreigners in our game.

It is the Football Association itself. The lead weight that NEVER changes.

[snods big brother]

One of the problems with football is the fans - we do not have the ability to manage our expectations correctly. Every competition we expect to win and have done since 1966 and quite probably long before that, after all we invented the game! We continually listen and believe the sound bites of papers, managers and players - where in reality qualifications is an achievement as is getting out of the group stages. Until we learn to manage expectation we will continue to have this woe is me atitude after every so called failure.

[RobTheRover]

River Don wrote:

You have a far greater chance of succeeding as a footballer in this country if you happen to be born earlier in the school year. Those kids with a September birthday have grown more and are likely to be better athletically than kids with a late birthday.

Our youth football is so concerned with results and physicality that the younger kids are simply barged out of the way. Smaller talented kids also tend to be ignored and lost to the game before they have chance to develop properly.

And we just don't do enough to concentrate on the basic skills throughout kids football anyway. The problem is deep seated and I have very little faith in the FAs current approach to improving things.

I'm all for initiatives such as footsal and small sided games. For instance I believe it's the Dutch don't allow young children to play in competitive leagues, they believe that kind of competition at a young age is actually detrimental.

I agree totally with this, RD.

I'm a coach of an U7s side, the youngest that kids can play for a team.  There is no competitive league (in fact, there are only friendlies up to u11s), although the DDJSFL organise a league season of matches, and managers of clubs want to win at all costs.  The idea that this is an opportunity to coach kids PROPER developmental skills at the time when they are most receptive to them is lost.  I see coaches who see the team not winning as a bad reflection on them.  I also see parents who believe their little Johnny is going to be the next Rooney or Messi, and place ridiculous levels of EXPECTATION on them rather than just supporting their child's FOOTBALL EDUCATION.

I've just been on the FA's Level 1 coaching course, and the focus is now all about first touch, finding the pass, supporting play by having awareness of space, etc.  Barely any of the drills are about shooting or scoring goals.  Maybe the sands are finally starting to shift at the top, but it will be a long time before everyone is on the same page.

[River Don]

RobTheRover wrote:

River Don wrote:

You have a far greater chance of succeeding as a footballer in this country if you happen to be born earlier in the school year. Those kids with a September birthday have grown more and are likely to be better athletically than kids with a late birthday.

Our youth football is so concerned with results and physicality that the younger kids are simply barged out of the way. Smaller talented kids also tend to be ignored and lost to the game before they have chance to develop properly.

And we just don't do enough to concentrate on the basic skills throughout kids football anyway. The problem is deep seated and I have very little faith in the FAs current approach to improving things.

I'm all for initiatives such as footsal and small sided games. For instance I believe it's the Dutch don't allow young children to play in competitive leagues, they believe that kind of competition at a young age is actually detrimental.

I agree totally with this, RD.

I'm a coach of an U7s side, the youngest that kids can play for a team.  There is no competitive league (in fact, there are only friendlies up to u11s), although the DDJSFL organise a league season of matches, and managers of clubs want to win at all costs.  The idea that this is an opportunity to coach kids PROPER developmental skills at the time when they are most receptive to them is lost.  I see coaches who see the team not winning as a bad reflection on them.  I also see parents who believe their little Johnny is going to be the next Rooney or Messi, and place ridiculous levels of EXPECTATION on them rather than just supporting their child's FOOTBALL EDUCATION.

I've just been on the FA's Level 1 coaching course, and the focus is now all about first touch, finding the pass, supporting play by having awareness of space, etc.  Barely any of the drills are about shooting or scoring goals.  Maybe the sands are finally starting to shift at the top, but it will be a long time before everyone is on the same page.

Interesting reading:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article2957535.ece

The land is flat but the people are rounded in the Netherlands. Clubs do not throw kids on the scrapheap if they do not make the grade. If Groningen decide a youth player is not good enough, the club are duty-bound by their agreement with the KNVB to find him an amateur one. The whole ethos is on caring for the children. “We have a way of educating players,” Jeltema said. “It’s not all about winning.”

They also have an age group and technical co-ordinator and more qualified coaches, with parents having little influence.

It is not rocket science, but the idea that winning is not everything is anathema to the English.

[billdoor]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFnJB__4AvU&feature=player_embedded#!

Have a look at this futsal site.

t should be at least part of the future of british football.

[BLIR]

It's all very well trying to deflect the blame from the manager but there are a number of questions that need to be answered:

[ol]Who selected the squad, including clearly unfit players?
Who picked the team for each match?
Who played players out of position, sticking rigidly to formations that the players clearly weren't comfortable with?
Who took Defoe off and replaced him with Heskey when we were desperately in of goals - the equivalent of fancying a w**k and turning the porn off?[/ol]

The buck stops with the manager for me, and on the money he has been paid to do the job he simply hasn't been up to scratch