Comments on: U-21 Tactics Expose Weaknesses of English Football http://www.epltalk.com/u-21-tactics-expose-weaknesses-of-english-football/881 Daily News & Analysis of the English Premier League Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:00:52 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.epltalk.com/u-21-tactics-expose-weaknesses-of-english-football/881#comment-2177 Anonymous Sat, 16 Jun 2007 11:48:00 +0000 http://www.epltalk.com/2007/06/16/u-21-tactics-expose-weaknesses-of-english-football/#comment-2177 I couldn't agree more with regards to the lack of tactical flexibility shown by the players and coaches alike.<br/><br/>Unfortunately it goes deeper than that, our methods of identifying talented players and developing them is archaic in comparison to the likes of Brazil.<br/><br/>We need to play more 4-a-side football with small (2x2 feet) goals where possesion of the ball, movement off the ball and individual skill is the path to victory. <br/><br/>If you are passing by in your local park and see for example an U13 youth game going on look out for the best player.... I bet he'll be the one who looks about 5 years older than everyone else and runs faster and hits the ball harder than the others. He will have no need for a smart and subtle football brain. Who knows you may well have played up against one of these players yourself, my bet is that you have and they never amounted to anything as an adult player. I couldn’t agree more with regards to the lack of tactical flexibility shown by the players and coaches alike.

Unfortunately it goes deeper than that, our methods of identifying talented players and developing them is archaic in comparison to the likes of Brazil.

We need to play more 4-a-side football with small (2×2 feet) goals where possesion of the ball, movement off the ball and individual skill is the path to victory.

If you are passing by in your local park and see for example an U13 youth game going on look out for the best player…. I bet he’ll be the one who looks about 5 years older than everyone else and runs faster and hits the ball harder than the others. He will have no need for a smart and subtle football brain. Who knows you may well have played up against one of these players yourself, my bet is that you have and they never amounted to anything as an adult player.

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