Saturday, 26 October 2013

Response to an old pro.

As people who know me know, i hate confrontation.  I'm sure a lot of us do.  Lately i have tried to avoid confrontation at all costs, simply due to how my Epilepsy has developed (More on another post).

This morning i pulled up my Twitter this morning, i saw 2 people having a debate that seemed reasoned discussion about the benefits of Futsal in youth training in football (soccer for you American readers).  This form of football is (in youth football) used by the Spanish and Dutch youth systems, both of whom produce some of the most technically adept players on the planet.

Considering all the posturing about Youth Football in England, and the commission set up by Greg Dyke to improve youth standards.  You would think that an ex pro who has just been appointed Youth Coach, at a club where the fans think he was a legend, would have some humility, as he is part of the setup that brings through young players, and would be opened to reasoned debate at the idea of the use of an alternative method of training for young players.

Well that was not the case.  Below are parts of the conversation between...

Myself who only played (Albeit very badly) in youth football with Afan Lido. I started out as a Midfielder, and was awful.  I changed to a Goalkeeper, and went from Awful, to Poor.  I was a decent shot stopper.  One save i made had the rest of the team, who was training at the other end of the dip, watching in awe.  My ability as a footballer got steadily worse, and at 15 i had to pack it in.  My knees looked and functioned worse than Terry Funk's.  Its also worth stating that Afan Lido's youth program in terms of setup was one of the best in Welsh Football at that time, and arguably in the top 5 now.  However like most things in the late 90's Welsh youth football, the facilities were awful.

It was in one of the poorly arranged and poor facilitated training sessions that i received a massive kick in the head, which to this day i have never fully recovered, and what i totally believe enhanced my Epilepsy.  (For more info check this link).  Since then i have been an armchair fan, but have helped out at my kids futsal team when she played.

It was there that i saw how one touch passing, movement, and dribbling were far better at 8 year old level, than they were at the 15 year old level i was last playing in.  I will elaborate more below.

I have kindly been given permission to use the tweets of Rhys, and I's initial conversation (Which admittedly admit to sicking my oar in), with the pro.  Rhys is currently an apprentice coach at Tottenham, and even from his idea's in the conversation, and there is no question in my mind, that he will go very far in the world of coaching.

As for the Old Pro, well i did not ask for his permission to recreate the tweets, however seen as it is all on public record, and mentioning me at all stages, i have recreated.  Who is the old pro?  None other than Lee Trundle.  For those who don't know, Lee had an 18 year career in football, half of which was spent in the Football league, playing for Wrexham, Swansea, Bristol City, Leeds, and Preston, and half in non-league football for clubs in Wales and England, ranging from Neath and Southport.  Its also worth pointing out that Lee is considered a legend at Swansea.

A simple idea.

Not disrespectful. Just a point, and a valid one at that. The UK does not produce skillful players in the level of Spain and Holland. At my job, i have been told "Find who the best are, and do what they do".
A needles jab. I have always found that people who cannot answer things without resorting to "Superiority", or "Insulting" you, have no answer to your argument.
That is how things are supposed to go. You learn your trade, and rise through the ranks, like say Jose Mourinho, or Andre Villas-Boas. 2 guys with no experience as players.

A couple of legitimate questions and answers, although kids aged 9-14 should be nowhere near an 11 a side pitch. When kids play in "Cages" as they say in Spain, or on the streets of Brazil with no shoes, and a coke can, they learn better skills.

Again this is an apprentice coach asking a youth coach at an English Premier League football club, why a technique that 2 of the most technically adept youth cultures use, is not used in England.

That was the end of Rhys' involvement in my part of the conversation. Again i thank him for letting me use his tweets. This point forward these are my responses to Lee, and my explanation of the context i was thinking at the time.

This was my initial response to Lee's tweet.
This was an additional, and unneeded tweet, and an insult from Lee, which was truthfully replied to. There is a little more, as 140 letters were not enough to finish what I was saying.
The next 2 tweets show why there are problems with British Coaches. One dimensional thinking, and a lack of knowledge of other worldwide coaching methods. Its little wonder why Dutch Ray refers to the UK's coaching methods and attitude as Jurassic Park.

The people who trained myself, and my brother, and my friends and everyone who i knew when playing football was the same. They tried to get the kids on their sides, and pick favourites.  They were essentially amateur coaches, who had filed to hit the top.
In the States, the scholastic program of youth sport is phenomenal. High School kids, have a real shot at the top, with the right attitude, and talent. The world is extremely cutthroat, and extremely competitive. Its no wonder why in the last 20 years the US teams in football have become a regular top 20 teams.  Wales on the other hand have had an average position of 72 in the Fifa world rankings since their inception.  That's because American dad's are not yelling "Break his Fuckin' Legs" and "Hit it long!" to their kids.

Also coaches in the states don't run on the pitch every 2 seconds to show the kids "How its done".  If you can't pass, or tackle correctly, how are you supposed to show the kids how to do it?  They let the kid try and try, until they get it right.  They treat the kids as players, and not kids to be intimidated and in awe.  They also don't try to recreate their lost dreams as a player on them.


Typo in 1st tweet, should say "Yet in a Futsal arena", however the point remains.  This kid had 3 players backing into the wall, and with a piece of skill and close control, EASILY got out of that.  H didn't "Kick it to touch" as he would have been told here.  He played his way out of it.

The tweets for a moment are a little disjointed, but bare with me.  The above question was also asked, to which the "One of the lad's" tweets tree came from.
For those who are younger, David Busst was a defender for Coventry who's leg was broken, shattered, and poking out of his skin, in an accidental collision with Peter Schmeichel, and half of the United Back line, who despite this came back as a coach, and played a couple of reserve games. Far worse than say dodgy knees, and a brain disorder.
You are once again correct Lee. He is not.  Using Busst as an example of how my physical state has enabled me to help coach kids who want to play, and maybe one day get into an argument on a social media platform with a guy they looked up to.  Not for sympathy purposes.
Again all i am doing is answering questions. He asked how high I had played. So far its been someone who is trying to be superior, vs someone with a view different to his.

I was probably the worst player on that team.  Also i think one or 2 of the guys made it to the Welsh football League, and i know one went on to play Rugby.
That is not a lie.  On the left wing (or right back depending on which half you were in), there was a 4ft by 4ft concrete square with a drain and a grill on it, ON THE FIELD.  Not to the side, no on the field.  Instead of moving the pitch 20 yards, the organisation put the pitch with a concrete bloody drain.  If those were the facilities, then of course we didn't play Futsal.

That may not make sense, so allow me to elaborate. I am 29. If you take the 6 year radius in my age, (26-32) and compare the world class players that Wales and Holland have, or Wales and Spain, its a complete shambles.  With all due respect to the following guys, but Earnshaw was our best finisher.  The dutch and Spanish have RVP and Torres.  Simon Davis while a good Welsh pro, and a guy I liked as a player, is not in the same league as say Hernandez.  But yet they played on the "Same Pitches".  Torres and Bauza played on the same pitches, and even in the same tournaments.  One is at Chelsea, and one is at Port Talbot Town.  I guess they because they play in Blue, its close...
This one does not make sense.  He is wanting to know if i would have made it in Spain with different coaching.  First thing is that i would have had better facilities to learn my trade as opposed to a patch of land known as "The Dip" which used no real equipment.  However i would never have made it  Not a chance.  I guess the answer he was expecting was either "Yes" or the whole "I would have had a shot".  No i would not have made it.

Again screwy conversation bit. This one is from the "Same Pitches" line.  According to Lee Trundle, a man who is a YOUTH COACH at a Premier League side, the problem with our facilities, is the weather.  That's a relief.  I thought our lack of top quality youth was from Shitty coaching attitudes, and old boys/lads network, and abysmal facilities, but no its nature...
There you have it, again avoiding the issue.  I bring up pitches and facilities, and he comes up with you have it or not.  I didn't have it.  We know that.  We have established that.  Injuries finally stopped the pathetic delusion that i had of one day making it.
And that was his last statement. For a YOUTH COACH to come out and spout the old "you have it or not" then mocking a kid who, while not going to go anywhere in football, who hasn't kicked a ball in an organised match in 15 years because of injuries, is very wrong.

The rest of the conversation is my reply...


At this point I was angry.  You see i am being spoken to by a man who's job is to promote his club, and teach skills to a bunch of kids, who are not so much raw, but jagged. Then polish them into a skillful player for the first team.  If this is his attitude,  have strong misgivings about the future of the Swansea Youth team.  As a smaller club, youth development is vital to the survival, especially as wages and transfer fees are spiraling out of control.

Also, to be insulting the fans who helped fuel his status as a legend, and also his reputation as a player, one that was spectacularly pissed away as Bristol City when it was quite clear he was out of his depth, is kinda ironic.  Mocking someone also for injuries ruining his non existent shot of making it, when it was a knee injury which ended his professional days is also ironic.  Mocking the level i made it to (Youth team at Local club) yet spending the majority of his Career in non league, is also ironic.

So Lee, while you are sipping from the pint you are drinking, (Paid for by the money made by fans like me) remember that I was there chanting your name with the fans.  However with your attitude towards changing methods, and your insistence on 11v11 on full pitches, i can see young coaches, like Rhys, who come in with Idea's that are fresh, feasible, and would improve the standard of football completely in the country, showing up people with "Jurassic Park" attitudes.

But then. "You either have it, or you don't".
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