ho chi feen
08-07-2008, 12:28 AM
Nothing I haven't read before in the last 10 years (usually with reference to England), but it's depressing that it still needs to be repeated:
Ireland need to launch a Spanish inquisition
Dave Hannigan
http://media.tribune.ie/site_media/photologue/photos/2008/Jul/05/cache/cesc_clip_display.jp g
In the summer of 2002, Fernando Torres scored the winner for Spain against Germany in the European Under-19 championships final in Oslo. Alongside him that night were Andres Iniesta and Sergio Garcia. Two years later, the Spanish won that tournament again with a side including Sergio Ramos, David Silva and Ruben de la Red. Given that the country has taken the same title twice more since then, it was fitting in his review of Euro 2008 that UEFA's Technical Director Andy Roxburgh should pay special tribute to the roots of last Sunday's success.
"Some of us are not all that surprised about the outcome here, because for more than a decade now, the top youth teams in Europe have been Spanish," said Roxburgh this week. "We've seen the Spanish team win the last Under-17 competition in Turkey, and it was one of the best performances that I've ever seen from a youth team. The Spanish are continuing to try and develop the next generation. It is a credit to the Spanish Federation and the work that they have done and investments they have made in developing players."
There is no great secret to this. Countries that invest properly in nurturing footballers and which treat the international youth tournaments with the respect they deserve (as opposed to the traditional English contempt) tend to do well. By observing both those principles for over a decade, a gifted Spanish generation grew up honing its winning instincts in the most competitive under-age environment. Experience gained in how to win may have had more to do with their triumph than anything.
Last month, Sean McCaffrey brought an Irish Under-17 team to the very same European Championships lit up by the latest from the Spanish conveyor belt. Without wanting to denigrate their achievement in reaching the final eight (a feat in itself), a lot of the best young players in the country looked technically deficient compared to their French, Spanish and Swiss opponents. The Irish boys were game, enthusiastic and well-organised but some of their touch and composure was much less impressive. A bit like their senior counterparts.
Most of that Irish squad were either at English clubs already or on their way. How many of them though will ever develop the impressive technique that was the hallmark of all the serious teams at Euro 2008? That's the question which should frighten any FAI honcho watching the past few weeks of action. Well, that and a few more such as: Are we doing enough to try to transform the prevailing culture in order to produce footballers rather than doughty competitors?
In the aftermath of England failing to qualify for Euro 2008, there was a media inquest which centred not on Messrs Lampard and Gerrard but on how the game was being taught to children there. The Times even ran a piece discussing the folly of using regulation-sized goalposts and pitches for schoolboys' matches because such dimensions favoured strength over skill. Another theme was whether kids' teams prized winning over the development of individual skills.
Funnily enough, there didn't seem to be any great inquest into the state of the sport in Ireland after yet another doomed qualifying campaign. Beyond the search for a manager, nobody was crying out for a root-and-branch examination of the way kids learn the game from Dingle to Donegal. We know the FAI has poured money into coaching this past decade but our latest not so near-miss might still have prompted a national conversation about whether the type of players we are growing has contributed to our woeful record this past 14 years.
Sweden didn't exactly light up the tournament but Euro 2008 marked their fifth consecutive major finals appearance. In that time, Ireland has managed just one. If you want to go further back, it's actually once from seven tries. Football isn't the national sport in Sweden, the country spends five months a year battling an icy winter yet their team routinely qualifies. How come? Is a vibrant indoor scene a factor? After all, Torres' first organised games in Madrid were indoor seven-a-side affairs? All we know is it might behoove somebody in a green blazer to spend a few months in Stockholm having a look-see and asking a few pertinent questions.
Istanbul might be worth a visit too. Turkey has a much larger population than Ireland but the manner of its journey from international also-rans to now regular contenders can surely yield valuable pointers. At least part of their improvement at club and international level was an influx of German coaches in the '80s. They brought with them a level of organisation and a greater awareness of defensive discipline which allowed the Turks to better harness already wonderful technique. There must be more to it than that though. Maybe somebody should try to find out while absorbing what we've just seen in Austria and Switzerland.
Cesc Fabregas (left) was being trained at Barcelona from the age of six, Rafael van der Vaart was 10 when he walked in the gate at Ajax, and Fernando Torres just one year older the first time he fetched up at Atletico Madrid. The real lesson here may be that a lot of the most extravagantly gifted flair players also just happen to be those who received the most quality coaching from the earliest stage. Obviously something to aspire to.
Ireland need to launch a Spanish inquisition
Dave Hannigan
http://media.tribune.ie/site_media/photologue/photos/2008/Jul/05/cache/cesc_clip_display.jp g
In the summer of 2002, Fernando Torres scored the winner for Spain against Germany in the European Under-19 championships final in Oslo. Alongside him that night were Andres Iniesta and Sergio Garcia. Two years later, the Spanish won that tournament again with a side including Sergio Ramos, David Silva and Ruben de la Red. Given that the country has taken the same title twice more since then, it was fitting in his review of Euro 2008 that UEFA's Technical Director Andy Roxburgh should pay special tribute to the roots of last Sunday's success.
"Some of us are not all that surprised about the outcome here, because for more than a decade now, the top youth teams in Europe have been Spanish," said Roxburgh this week. "We've seen the Spanish team win the last Under-17 competition in Turkey, and it was one of the best performances that I've ever seen from a youth team. The Spanish are continuing to try and develop the next generation. It is a credit to the Spanish Federation and the work that they have done and investments they have made in developing players."
There is no great secret to this. Countries that invest properly in nurturing footballers and which treat the international youth tournaments with the respect they deserve (as opposed to the traditional English contempt) tend to do well. By observing both those principles for over a decade, a gifted Spanish generation grew up honing its winning instincts in the most competitive under-age environment. Experience gained in how to win may have had more to do with their triumph than anything.
Last month, Sean McCaffrey brought an Irish Under-17 team to the very same European Championships lit up by the latest from the Spanish conveyor belt. Without wanting to denigrate their achievement in reaching the final eight (a feat in itself), a lot of the best young players in the country looked technically deficient compared to their French, Spanish and Swiss opponents. The Irish boys were game, enthusiastic and well-organised but some of their touch and composure was much less impressive. A bit like their senior counterparts.
Most of that Irish squad were either at English clubs already or on their way. How many of them though will ever develop the impressive technique that was the hallmark of all the serious teams at Euro 2008? That's the question which should frighten any FAI honcho watching the past few weeks of action. Well, that and a few more such as: Are we doing enough to try to transform the prevailing culture in order to produce footballers rather than doughty competitors?
In the aftermath of England failing to qualify for Euro 2008, there was a media inquest which centred not on Messrs Lampard and Gerrard but on how the game was being taught to children there. The Times even ran a piece discussing the folly of using regulation-sized goalposts and pitches for schoolboys' matches because such dimensions favoured strength over skill. Another theme was whether kids' teams prized winning over the development of individual skills.
Funnily enough, there didn't seem to be any great inquest into the state of the sport in Ireland after yet another doomed qualifying campaign. Beyond the search for a manager, nobody was crying out for a root-and-branch examination of the way kids learn the game from Dingle to Donegal. We know the FAI has poured money into coaching this past decade but our latest not so near-miss might still have prompted a national conversation about whether the type of players we are growing has contributed to our woeful record this past 14 years.
Sweden didn't exactly light up the tournament but Euro 2008 marked their fifth consecutive major finals appearance. In that time, Ireland has managed just one. If you want to go further back, it's actually once from seven tries. Football isn't the national sport in Sweden, the country spends five months a year battling an icy winter yet their team routinely qualifies. How come? Is a vibrant indoor scene a factor? After all, Torres' first organised games in Madrid were indoor seven-a-side affairs? All we know is it might behoove somebody in a green blazer to spend a few months in Stockholm having a look-see and asking a few pertinent questions.
Istanbul might be worth a visit too. Turkey has a much larger population than Ireland but the manner of its journey from international also-rans to now regular contenders can surely yield valuable pointers. At least part of their improvement at club and international level was an influx of German coaches in the '80s. They brought with them a level of organisation and a greater awareness of defensive discipline which allowed the Turks to better harness already wonderful technique. There must be more to it than that though. Maybe somebody should try to find out while absorbing what we've just seen in Austria and Switzerland.
Cesc Fabregas (left) was being trained at Barcelona from the age of six, Rafael van der Vaart was 10 when he walked in the gate at Ajax, and Fernando Torres just one year older the first time he fetched up at Atletico Madrid. The real lesson here may be that a lot of the most extravagantly gifted flair players also just happen to be those who received the most quality coaching from the earliest stage. Obviously something to aspire to.