Post World Cup: Depressing Football Facts

[just some bloke]

- England have not beaten what can sensibly be described as a top class team in a competitive game since 7 June, 2002, when we beat Argentina 1-0 in Sapporo. Over 12 years ago. That's well before both of my children were born.

- Just 23% of players in top four Premiership clubs last year were eligible to play for England

- Germany's win rate at World Cup games is 62%, England's is 42%. At European Championships, Germany's is 53%, England's is 33%

[AthleticoSpizz]

S$y and a p1ss poor FA have a lot to answer for for where we find ourselves!

Maybe things will be different in 2018

[From Despair To Where?]

Maybe things will be different in 2018

...and monkeys might fly out my butt.

You're right though, whilst English football's governing body continues to be more interested in flogging the tv rights for it's domestic league to the highest bidder, and harping on about how it's the best league in the world (it isn't, by the way), the situation will never change.

[Mr Angry]

Maybe things will be different in 2018

...and monkeys might fly out my butt.

You're right though, whilst English football's governing body continues to be more interested in flogging the tv rights for it's domestic league to the highest bidder, and harping on about how it's the best league in the world (it isn't, by the way), the situation will never change.

A typically ignorant post.

The FA doesn't OWN the rights to the Premier League; the Premier League does. It is the Premier League that is only interested in the Premier League, the TV rights et al and who couldn't give a toss about England, and there is nothing that the FA can do about it, as the Premier League is run for the benefit of the teams in the Premier League who only have owners or shareholders to worry about and so will do what is best for them in the short term to get instant success.

So what do you suggest that the FA does?

A cap on the number of non English players starting games in the Premier League? Guess what - that would fall foul of EU employment laws.

A minimum number of English qualified players starting Premier League games? As above (also, individual players may well take the case to Court over grounds of racial discrimination)

A cap on wages? Even if enforceable (doubtful) the Premier League teams (especially those in European competitions) would almost certainly argue that it would be a restraint of trade, and would win.

Its very easy to blame "the suits at the FA" (and what a hackneyed, meaningless cliché that is!) but the reality is that the solution isn't something that can be done overnight, it needs time and a LOT of investment, primarily in getting coaches of the right calibre into the ground roots of football.

For example, there are over 28,000 UEFA registered A & B Coaches in Germany, whereas there are less than 10,000 in England. The system of coaching in Germany works to an agreed upon and standard framework, whilst in England we have 3 separate governing bodies, the FA, the Premier League and the Football League, all with their own agenda's and their own ways of doing things.

Also, its not just the number and quality of coaches that needs to be addressed, its the footballing philosophy that needs to be re-examined, and that means the expectations of every fan who watches the games week in week out.

Therefore, next time you or any other fan shouts "for God's sake, lump it forward!", or you tut and shake your head when a midfielder plays a square pass to a colleague rather than hit it into a channel for the winger to chase onto, just remember that such a mind set is a part of the problem.

[From Despair To Where?]

Unfortunately, I inadvertently deleted the second part of my post where I considered that the solution might be to invest in grass roots coaching, with an emphasis on technical development with the hope that England might have caught up by the 2030 World Cup.

Unfortunately, this has been said in the aftermath of English failure in major tournaments for the past 20 years yet England seem to regress further. And so the myth that English football must be in rude health because the Premier League is "the best in the World" persists.

[Sutekh]

A cap on wages? Even if enforceable (doubtful) the Premier League teams (especially those in European competitions) would almost certainly argue that it would be a restraint of trade, and would win

And the transfer window is also technically a restraint of trade....

[Mr Angry]

A cap on wages? Even if enforceable (doubtful) the Premier League teams (especially those in European competitions) would almost certainly argue that it would be a restraint of trade, and would win

And the transfer window is also technically a restraint of trade....

Exception to the rule........

http://www.inbrief.co.uk/football-law/p ... window.htm

Would stopping a player moving during the transfer window be considered a restraint of trade?

Stopping a player from moving during the period when the window is closed could be regarded as a restraint of trade as that player is restrained by the rules and regulations of his profession from undertaking his profession.

Could this also be viewed as a restriction of the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by European Union law?

One of the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the European Union is the right to free movement of workers. The rule regarding the transfer window does on the face of it appear to be in contravention of this rule. If we look to the Bosman decision the key fact of that was that a player no longer under contract with his club could not move without a transfer fee – this was seen to be in contravention of the EC Treaty as it restricted the free movement of workers.

If we apply the same analysis we can see that preventing players from being sold during the periods when the window is closed clearly prevents them from moving freely.

If this is the case how can the European Commission be behind this FIFA rule?

The European Commission has stated that in certain cases there can be good sporting reasons to justify some kinds of economic restrictions with the benefits of team stability and regularity of sporting competition being at the top of that list.

In the Bosman case there was no good sporting reasons to limit the movement of players whereas in the case of the transfer window there is.

HTH

[Schards#2]

I'm surprised UKIP haven't tried the "if it wasn't for EU Employment Laws we'd win the world cup" argument

[From Despair To Where?]

I'm surprised UKIP haven't tried the "if it wasn't for EU Employment Laws we'd win the world cup" argument

More like extolling the virtues of good old fashioned British tactics as espoused by Charles Hughes, washed down with a real sportsman's diet of roast beef sandwiches and a gallon of IPA.

[Jackson Corner]

A recent survey of the big 5 clubs fans showed 80% would rather there club win the Champions league with a team of foreigners. Rather than England win the World Cup. 40% were not bothered about the international team and would be happy if it was scrapped as the international breaks were an inconveniance. We have created a club culture do you think the Arabs at City, Roman, Van Gaal, Wenger, and Levy give a toss about the England team?

[Bandini]

I'm surprised UKIP haven't tried the "if it wasn't for EU Employment Laws we'd win the world cup" argument

More like extolling the virtues of good old fashioned British tactics as espoused by Charles Hughes, washed down with a real sportsman's diet of roast beef sandwiches and a gallon of IPA.

We're more YOMO than POMO these days.

[paultheroyal]

Positive fact... When I grew up there were no football clubs to join till the age of 10. We just had kickabouts. When proper training did take place from age 10 it was a few dribbles in and out of traffic comes then a game.

Roll on 30 years my little lad age 3 goes to soccer strikers. All about skills with the ball, dribbling, control and making it fun!

Starting young has started and in 15 years time including my little lad a new host of stars will be born!

[stealthpapes]

Positive fact... When I grew up there were no football clubs to join till the age of 10. We just had kickabouts. When proper training did take place from age 10 it was a few dribbles in and out of traffic comes then a game.

Roll on 30 years my little lad age 3 goes to soccer strikers. All about skills with the ball, dribbling, control and making it fun!

Starting young has started and in 15 years time including my little lad a new host of stars will be born!

Well, other than every other country is already there.

We're more YOMO than POMO these days.

nice.

[Wycombe Royal]

Also, its not just the number and quality of coaches that needs to be addressed, its the footballing philosophy that needs to be re-examined, and that means the expectations of every fan who watches the games week in week out.

Therefore, next time you or any other fan shouts "for God's sake, lump it forward!", or you tut and shake your head when a midfielder plays a square pass to a colleague rather than hit it into a channel for the winger to chase onto, just remember that such a mind set is a part of the problem.

This is one of the key things. My son played for an under 7 team last season and the coach we had was excellent. Right from the start his coaching method to the kids was that they should "love the football". That meant that when they got the ball they should control and then run with it. They were not allowed to pass the ball initially or kick it away. He didn't care if they were on their own goal line and got tackled and let a goal in.

It was all about gaining the skills of being on the ball. Now when they came to play matches they initially were getting beaten quite heavily each week by teams that would just aimlessly kick the ball up the pitch but as the season went on they gained confidence, improved their control, became good dribblers and started beating these teams that they had lost to early in the season.

What i don't understand is why more coaches don't coach this way? Teach them the technical skills first whilst they are at a young age. Passing, tackling, hoofing the ball clear, can come later and if they have good technical skills they will actually need to do less of the hoofing and tackling.