"A Match For Europe"


thementalshimmy
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 67
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Quick question, how many of you are/have been involved with youth football other than as a parent supporting their kids?

Real Madrid need not answer:laugh:

I played football for my local team from under 7's to under 18's starting in 1991. When we got to under 12's their were 2 teams at each age group up to under18's an A team and a B team. One played in the east of Scotland league and one played in the West Lothian league. Both leagues had around 10 to 12 teams. Every squad had 15 to 16 players and certainly in the teams I was playing for we regularly had kids coming all through the season wanting to play.

I still see the guy who ran the club every now and again and the last time I seen him he was telling me how their are no teams under 10 although their is a team from my area called something else, and that a couple of the higher age group are finishing this season. So basically in the last 20 years the club has went from having around 20 teams playing at different age groups to around 8 this season and probably down to 5 or 6 teams next season.

I'm pretty sure this is a similar story to alot of boys clubs in Britain who had great guys putting in their time and effort to give us something to do on a Sunday and teach us to play the game we loved. A few boys over the years went on to play at a decent level Steven Craig played a couple years above me and a few of my team ended up around the lower leagues for a few years but now play junior to fit around their jobs. I fear Scottish football faces years of lack of young talent unless we can get kids playing again at an early age in local leagues.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Imo the main problem is the mentality of the game when we were doing reasonably well, i think we thought we were doing ok so lets just keep winning games, as much as fran is brilliant and he makes us play better football, the two wingers are key, they need to understand not just to ping a long ball to sandaza to run on, they just need morris to come back and receive it and then we are in the midfield and have an attack on, if we punt it they get it back and do the same, this doesnt generate good enough crowds, it isnt entertaining.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nearly all of the comments so far confirm for me what I have felt for a long time, Scottish football would be better off without one (or both) of the Old Firm. Two teams against the rest of Scotland is just too much too handle one team would be manageable. Even though they profess to hate each other they are always in cahoots with each other. A more even playing field is what we need if one of the OF goes the rest of us have a better chance. I still believe if we (thats not just SJ)have a real chance of winning crowds will return. I might even be persuaded to support ALL scottish clubs in Europe.(but then again maybe no)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The whole programme was a eye-opener.

Really? Was it honestly a massive shock to discover they have different methods of youth development in Spain, Holland and Germany? It was just telling us the same old stuff we get told every few years following the latest Scotland failure. The truly depressing thing is that we've known these facts for decades, yet every decision that gets made at the top end of our game, by the people who run it, only seems to make things worse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1st problem that needs sorted, SFA,SFL,SPL,SJFA,SYFA all trying to control scottish football .......why?

The new criteria that is being talked about for clubs to qualify for a youth grant will work on a points system where by the more points you get the more stars you get from a 1* club to a 5* club, one of the things you get more points for is that if you have ex senior plyers as coaches you get more points :shock:

So an ex player can be a crap coach but get a job because he will get his club more points and more cash:roll:

I know a coach who was doing his badges going through a drill and was stopped and asked if it was in the SFA hand book, the coach says well the content of the drill is in the hand book but how i deliver it is not! The SFA examiner " if it's not in the hand book you will fail" .........WHY?

This examiner could not see the content was the same because he had only been taught one way and was not open to a new idea:roll: The SFA way or no way:shock:

If our system was a good as the Largs mafia will have you believe why did Paul Lambert sit his licence in Germany:?:

We need to get away from the old school jobs for the boys and get people in who can freshen things up:wink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Would have liked to have seen a few more people from the business end of Scottish football give their perspective on things. Derek McInnes mentioned that Saints preferred the current league set-up because it's better financially - so where was Geoff Brown to give his view on things?

I agree, often managers have good ideas and sense of prespective but its the money men who have the clout to put it in place or make changes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that one of the main problems is that the professional teams perhaps fail to

develop their young players' technical abilities enough. Rather than getting an U19s team playing a good passing game and making sure they are comfortable on the ball it seems that more importance is placed on winning. If you have an U19s team full of guys who are big and strong for their age and win most games at that level then is that success? No. The physical aspect is important But if we develop an attitude of "performance is more important than result" at a younger level then maybe we will see more technically gifted players coming through?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With regard to local football, its always been that way in the last few years. Back in 2000 there were 15 teams in the under 13 league, the same team 4 years later was only playing 6 local teams. Now the 13's league is smaller so by 17's etc there will be no Perth league.

Do Saints have any involvement in these local leagues, and if not, I wonder why not? I know the club already have youth teams in various national set-ups, but as part of a more localised community focus could they not also be involved in the Perth competitions? Even if it just meant having a team at each level that gets to access old Saints kit/training gear and carry the St Johnstone name.

Something I always notice when looking at clubs on the continent is that they tend to be part of wider sports clubs, with volleyball, basketball (etc) teams on top of their women's football teams and various youth sides. I wonder why this has never caught on in Scotland. Saints own the best sporting facility in the area and could do so much more with it to improve their local status and increase their popularity while encouraging youngsters into sport. Everything about the outlook of Saints and other Scottish clubs just seems to be massively at odds with the way things are done abroad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't see the program and I have skimmed quickly through some of the posts. Frankly I would rather see us in the position we are in the SPL right now than be worried about youth development in Perth.

Maybe I have missed the point but dont more clubs import talent than promote from their academy?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't see the program and I have skimmed quickly through some of the posts. Frankly I would rather see us in the position we are in the SPL right now than be worried about youth development in Perth.

Maybe I have missed the point but dont more clubs import talent than promote from their academy?

In Scotland we do because we are 30 years behind and haven't developed youth football.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

like paddy (can't mind his second name) and david weatherspoon

Patrick Deane was a cracking striker, but Hibs and Celtic both had an obsession with playing him as a full-back, hoping to develop him into that position.

Ruined his career as far as I'm concerned, the fastest person I know that had any chance of making it, a wicked finish in and around the box yet the tried to mold him into a defender..

As for Dee, he's a cracking attacking midfielder with a great eye for a cross and a ball, but again Hibs had an obsession for a while at playing him at right-back. his consistent performances for the Scotland U21 side at right-mid and even further advanced prove where he best plays, but the club he is under contract with prefer to play him elsewhere to suit them. Bit of a vicious circle, because not only is he not getting the chance to turn in the performances hes capable of in another position and further his career, he's also not getting the chance to develop better in his natural position!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Patrick Deane was a cracking striker, but Hibs and Celtic both had an obsession with playing him as a full-back, hoping to develop him into that position.

Ruined his career as far as I'm concerned, the fastest person I know that had any chance of making it, a wicked finish in and around the box yet the tried to mold him into a defender..

As for Dee, he's a cracking attacking midfielder with a great eye for a cross and a ball, but again Hibs had an obsession for a while at playing him at right-back. his consistent performances for the Scotland U21 side at right-mid and even further advanced prove where he best plays, but the club he is under contract with prefer to play him elsewhere to suit them. Bit of a vicious circle, because not only is he not getting the chance to turn in the performances hes capable of in another position and further his career, he's also not getting the chance to develop better in his natural position!

and why did saints over look them? / not want good local yonug players?

:mad:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I personally think some of you are being slightly harsh on Saints and their Youth Policy.

Sure, it would be great to have a team full of local lads but in this day and age that is simply not going to happen. Our Under 17's won the league title a few years ago and since our promotion to the SPL our Under 19's have done well against teams with much bigger budgets for youth development than us.

It must be hard for a manager though, do you go with a team full of youngsters and hope that you get time to let them develop and grow as players or do you go down the route of filling your team with experienced players? If I were the manager, I would go down the route of filling my team with experienced players as it is more likely to produce success and in turn ensure you stay in a job.

I personally feel we have done relatively well to produce talents such as Callum Davidson, Danny Griffin and Kevin Moon. This next crop of players such as Stevie May, Liam Caddis, Mark Durnan and Zander Clark all have the potential to play for our first team and im delighted that Lomas is sending these lads out on loan to gain experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The BBC hold a debate regarding the state of Scottish football and saints don't come out of it looking great.

If the rangers situation didn't come about there would be now show.

Surely a documentary about how to keep a stable football club going from the lower leagues to top 6 football whilst not putting the business in danger is the kind of thing they should be showing. But to them that's not interesting enough. Why do positive when they can have a go at our clubs and still drag down our game. All because rangers cooked the books and its ended up like kirk broadfoot, with egg on its face.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you find all the clubs in scotland came out looking bad at the bbc debate I like Steven Pressley he was the only one make any sense in the programme he know their a problem and wants to fix so doe's the fans but everyone else his happy to keep as it is as they know they be out of job if their was 1 football authority running scottish football. as for Craig Levein he so negative even when he speaks it was like I better not speak out against the S.F.A or i get a smack for Stuart Regan.

S.P.L kill scottish football and so did the old firm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you find all the clubs in scotland came out looking bad at the bbc debate I like Steven Pressley he was the only one make any sense in the programme he know their a problem and wants to fix so doe's the fans but everyone else his happy to keep as it is as they know they be out of job if their was 1 football authority running scottish football. as for Craig Levein he so negative even when he speaks it was like I better not speak out against the S.F.A or i get a smack for Stuart Regan.

S.P.L kill scottish football and so did the old firm.

He is the most dull football individual I have ever had the misfortune to listen to.

Even IF he had anything worth saying (he doesn't), his delivery is so dull I can't be bothered.

What an inspiration.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He is the most dull football individual I have ever had the misfortune to listen to.

Even IF he had anything worth saying (he doesn't), his delivery is so dull I can't be bothered.

What an inspiration.

Really? That would be the guy who came to the United job and started making all the noises that are now being made by others. The guy who brought Ian Cathro to united and then the SFA because of his great work in developing technique, realising that whilst United had developed some of the best players in the country for the last 3 decades there was still something wrong with their set-up. But I forgot we should get a real inspirational sounding voice like Walter Smith or SAF. And Madrid were right to sack del Bosque for being dull.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

well said real madrid. i am with you on the low number of football teams in perth. scotland has an amazing grass roots set up, or did.

who knows, perhaps football just has too man xboxs to compete with these days...

Scotland has never had anything of the sort. That's the problem. We were medium sized fish in a small pond and we're now in the sea and failing to adapt. These programs and journalists always look back to the halcyon days and fail to consider the changes in the nature of the game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The BBC hold a debate regarding the state of Scottish football and saints don't come out of it looking great.

If the rangers situation didn't come about there would be now show.

Surely a documentary about how to keep a stable football club going from the lower leagues to top 6 football whilst not putting the business in danger is the kind of thing they should be showing. But to them that's not interesting enough. Why do positive when they can have a go at our clubs and still drag down our game. All because rangers cooked the books and its ended up like kirk broadfoot, with egg on its face.

Whilst Saints should rightly be congratulated for the way the club has been run in general, as the topic was development of Scottish players, Saints are an example of what is wrong with Scottish football in that respect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whilst Saints should rightly be congratulated for the way the club has been run in general, as the topic was development of Scottish players, Saints are an example of what is wrong with Scottish football in that respect.

I heard your manager the other night talk about a talent that's coming through your youth ranks. Said he is ready to break through. It's funny he noticed him after bringing in a 19 year old from Fulham on loan rather than allow the lad the chance to come through.

Maybe not just our club.

You put your team down a division for a few years and see who you have coming through when funds are lowered and the priority becomes the first team. Just think if your club went the same way at the same time we did.

We are still here. You wouldn't of been.

That's what matters

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really? That would be the guy who came to the United job and started making all the noises that are now being made by others. The guy who brought Ian Cathro to united and then the SFA because of his great work in developing technique, realising that whilst United had developed some of the best players in the country for the last 3 decades there was still something wrong with their set-up. But I forgot we should get a real inspirational sounding voice like Walter Smith or SAF. And Madrid were right to sack del Bosque for being dull.

You can praise Levein as much as you want.

Won't change a thing. He is dull and uninspiring. To me.

Not interested in anything you have to say on the subject.

You come across as arrogant, sanctimonious and often appear to take the high ground when you disagree with people.

Let's also add patronising and condescending shall we?

:laugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share