England's Legacy Conundrum

I know what you're thinking....here we go, yet another article lauding over Harry Kane. I too am growing pretty tired of the seemingly endless parables of broadsheet that have hailed the young Englishman as god's gift to the premier league. That said...I'm going to make a pretty bold statement here....he could be the most important player in the future of English talent. Where Kane's career ventures will in large part be down to his ability to maintain the blistering form he's recorded thus far, & no doubt this will be of benefit to the England national team should he continue this trajectory. Yet I see the bigger picture being his hallmark & legacy upon future generations of English players. I've spoken in the past within this blog about the archetypal English footballer being one of the "blood & snotters" variety; marauding into tackles with sleeves rolled up and seemingly more interested in 2nd balls & channel runs than 1v1 battles & intricate link up play. Kane however is the complete antithesis of what his national caricature would portray, as he represents a small portion of English players that one could regard as quintessentially "European." While I'm sure his style of play is far more aesthetically pleasing than most, many would question my statement of his importance to the future game based purely on skill sets. So let me tell you why I have formed this opinion.

It would be redundant to suggest that English football has cultivated a long list of truly elite level footballers through the years, yet there has been a few shining lights we can draw upon. Glenn Hoddle is the 1st that springs to mind. He rose to prominence as a Tottenham & England regular in the early part of the 80's, wowing audiences on a weekly basis with his laser accuracy passing & exquisite 1st touch. His move to Monaco in 1987 was in large part down to UEFA's ban of English teams competing in European competition after the Heysel disaster, however his move would also service his ambition to experience a more suitable footballing culture. His departure should've heralded a boom in English creative playmakers, yet it served as nothing more than a relief to those opposition midfielders who so often chased after him for 90 minutes. The Tottenham link could further extend itself to Paul Gascoigne, a true magician of a footballer. As the World Cup in Italia 90 drew to a close, a host of suitors were lining up to capture the signature of Gascoigne. As a central midfield player he had dribbling skills that rivaled any top wing wizard, and had an eye for goal that very few strikers could match. Although Gascoigne's prevailing career was nothing short of turbulent, his qualities as a footballer were unquestionable. Why then didn't his upraising off spring more mini-Gascoignes? His likes have scarcely been seen since, which leads me to question why those who grew up in this time weren't able to emulate his talents or indeed cultivate a skill set remotely in the same mould? In more recent times a footballer that could be regarded in the same echolons as England's elite would be Paul Scholes. Often ridiculed for his lack of size & physical attributes as a striker in the Manchester United youth team, this inconspicuous Mancunian would blossom into one of the world's best attacking midfielders of his generation. His diminutive frame allowed him to link play quickly & fathom attacking patterns with what seemed like an effortless display of class. What continues to baffle me about Scholes' career was that his energies weren't truly represented until he retired from the game. As Ballon D'or votes & UEFA player of the year gongs were dished out to his european counterparts, Scholes was continually regarded as "the best" by his peers, yet amongst the media.....and certain Swedish England managers....his efforts often went un-noticed.

Where I see a lineage between Hoodle, Gascoigne & Scholes is that all of them shared something special. Not only were they all truly magnificent footballers, but they were players that our game cast off into time never to be seen again. The greatest compliment a footballer can receive is often not in the achievements & accolades he picks up, but it is the impact he has on others & future generations. These players lived in a time when English football was dominated by box-like tactics of rigidity & stern adherence. Sure they played their part within their line ups, but they represented freedom & self expression. They were the delightful pangs of color that dashed glowingly against a backdrop of grey mundane brushstrokes. Our game tolerated these players but could not trust any form of re-birth or new incarnation, simply because our coaches weren't capable of programming them. These men have served as the focal point of change within the British game yet in each instance we have chosen the easy out, the safer more liberal choice. Today there is a young man in Harry Kane who embodies everything the modern game requires in a footballer. Athletically developed, tactically astute, technically clean...Kane is the very proto-type of what British footballers can become if we open our minds & allow fluid and creative players to populate our game. As coaches our impartment of knowledge cannot be misconstrued as concrete instructions or mandates that MUST be adhered to. We have to provide a platform of freedom & an arena of open thinking. Only then will the Harry Kane's of tomorrow truly start to flourish.

Should Kane move on from Tottenham & attain a multitude of caps for England, then good for him...he deserves it. Should English football de-value what this young man's game can do for our future stars.....then shame on us, we deserve all we get. 

Footballs Perfect Christmas

For those of us that have grown up in the modern Sky Television age of the English Premiership, the festive period has become a footballing asphyxiation for even the most modest of soccer junkies. Memories of clinking glasses in Christmas merriment while enjoying what seems like a daily installment of Premiership action is conjured up by the mere commenting of "Boxing Day Special" or "New Year Clash." Such is the media conglomerates' grip on the English game it would seem that this ludicrously packed schedule isn't in any hurry to leave, such is the viewing figures it commands. Yet what ramifications does it pose upon those who are taking part in these games? We are of course talking about highly paid professionals & highly structured football organizations, surely they are built to handle a couple of games spread thin across late December? If this truly is an isolated period of the year, could it be conceivable that those opposed to its occupancy have credible concerns of its long term affect on fatigue? In this piece I intend to delve deeper into English footballs apathy toward a Winter Break, and the effect it poses on the long term future of the game.

The race for the Premier League title is well and truly underway, with Chelsea establishing themselves as the early pace setters. Their consistent form & equally consistent line up are two of the largest contributors to their table topping exploits, however their mental & physical strength will be tested to the max over this winter period. The boys from the Kings Road started their festive schedule with a road trip to Stoke on Monday 22nd December. In 4 days time (26th December) they are set to take the field once more with a home tie against West Ham, followed by a trip to St.Marys on the 28th December to take on a buoyant Southampton side. To finish this grueling run of matches they face Tottenham on Jan 1st, in what has always been a tough encounter. Chelsea are no strangers to taking part in multiple competitions & dealing with fixture congestion, but to illustrate this clearly they play as many games in 10 days as they would normally do so in 14. While numerically this amount of days may not appear overly vast, the factor we must consider is that any chance of a suitable recovery period this festive season is rendered almost impossible. It's inevitable Chelsea will have to rotate their squad over this period, something they've yet to really do this year, but even after significant changes I'm sure they would still be able to field 11 international level footballers. While this is by no means an ideal situation, the resources they have available to them heighten their chances of success. At the other end of the financial spectrum, what of clubs like Burnley & Leicester? Where are they able to pull resources from? Smaller 1st team squad....smaller budget.....surely the schedule itself is hurting this caliber of side even before a ball is kicked? Managers of these teams cannot afford for their top players to miss games, simply because the gap in talent is so vast between their starters & their support staff. What they do share with the top level managers is the ever present pressure to win games, therefore its habitually evident that players are pushed to their limits. This results in prolonged fatigue & aggravated muscle injuries, all contributing to a short term gain approach that really benefits no-one. In what is consistently billed as the "Best league in the world", the power brokers of our game must be able to see this period of games does very little to enhance the quality of play or indeed provide each club with a level playing field?

A few short miles across the channel & the football that is played on mainland Europe takes an all together different stance at this time of year. On Saturday December 19th Bayern Munich triumphed 2-1 over a Mainz 05 side that continues to elevate themselves amongst German footballs elite. Both teams now enter a well deserved hiatus, that sees them resume league play on Friday January 30th. 41 days of competition free activity will certainly go a long way to mend injured limbs & relax fatigued bodies, but its the pro-longed benefits of an end of season run that really breathes life into their campaign. France's Ligue 1 & Spain's La Liga embark upon a similar rest period, although resuming slightly earlier on January 10th. In the interest of balance it's important to include that there are some leagues in central & eastern Europe that continue throughout December, however all would pale in comparison to the ferocity of the English Premier Leagues rigorous 4 games in 10 days schedule. Looking at the bigger picture in terms of how these teams operate at the end of the season, English sides have performed admirably in the circumstances. They have had 7 Champions League finalists in 10 years & 2 Europa league finalists in the same period. In comparison Spain have also recorded 9 finalists, 4 Champions league & 5 Europa league, however the major difference between the rival countries has been their winning record. All of Spain's representatives came out on top as cup winners, with England's elite claiming only 4. Beyond club football the international arena is likely to give us the fairest & clearest example of the after effects of the grueling English winters schedule. Since 2002 England have yet to progress beyond the quarter final stage of any major competition, & in 2008 failed to even qualify for the European championships. Germany & Spain have both performed significantly stronger during the summer months, reaching at minimum the Semi-finals of each major competition. By analyzing these simple statistics its clear to see that there has to be a correlation between England's league calendar & the results of their team's performances out with league competition.  There has been colossal strides made in the past decade in club's investment & usage of sports science & medical data, however to what end is this trumped by simple burn out. We can question ability levels & technical ability differences between neighboring countries all day long, but when young English stars such as Walcott, Sturridge, Wilshere & Oxlaide Chamberlain are consistently injured surely we have to question our methods? Out with these cases, English players are regularly participating in Champions League football, they clearly have the quality, but when compared to their European counterparts do they have the legs...the mental strength...the physical wherewithal when its ultimately required most? Results would certainly argue they dont.

In closing I think it's important to state that changing the Christmas calendar wont suddenly right all of English footballs wrongs, but it would start a mindset shift that is seriously needed in the English game. There is a greater good that seems to be quickly discarded by almost everyone at the top level, starting with those that are at the head of the game. Viewing figures & sponsorship opportunities are intrinsic to the broadcast power in modern football, but surely the moderators of the game itself could show some steel & demand better? If 50% of the energy that was placed into marketing the Premiership actually went into forming a competition that prolonged the season, surely everyone would benefit from such efforts? Allied to this the high regard that both league cup competitions are held in England, we are presented with a calendar that stretches almost beyond 60 games. A figure that is simply physically unsustainable. Cristiano Ronaldo played in a total of 49 games in the 2013/14 season, a campaign that saw him claim the Champions League title, play a pivotal role in Real Madrid's La Liga season & participate in a World Cup. In comparison Steven Gerrard, who played an equally pivotal role in Liverpool's season, yet one that didnt include European competition, played in 51 games during the same campaign. Looking back at England's performances in Brazil it was clear that the squad simply didn't have the lung power or the physical strength to deal with the demands of the South American humidity. Germany, whose climate & year round weather system is similar to Britain, had very few issues coping with such conditions. Their dynamic & counter attacking approach seemed almost counter intuitive against the Brazilian back drop, yet they managed to claim the title with devastating effect.

One of the German stars clearly felt the brunt of the previous season, and along the way did little to inspire the on looking public in his home land. Mesut Ozil had been one of German footballs shining lights of the last decade, but since making the transition to the English game has fell foul of the demands required of him. The World Cup final was his 50th game of the season & this after missing 7 weeks of the Arsenal season with a leg injury. The toll our energy sapping season is taking on players is clear for all to see & where there are the exceptions to this, such as Henry or Torres who have been able to balance demands in the past, there are many more examples that show the Premiership is doing little to progress our game overall. I write this piece with a heavy heart, as my intent is not to embody the Christmas Grinch and spoil this time of year; I too share in the public's delight of a prolonged premiership cavalcade. Where I do feel we as supporters need to avert our attention is to the summer months & the effect this accumulation of games has on those we support. Take a moment this Christmas time to celebrate all that is great about our game....community...togetherness...happiness...but also be clear that our intent is to harbor this emotion throughout the year & eradicate those moments when our star players are too limp to make that final dash...or our captain is missing the game due to muscle fatigue. Even as an archetypal neutral such as myself, I value competition over any commodity. Yet the grading point of any contest is the strength each participant can attribute to. Let's look beyond our simple pleasure of a packed football calendar at this time of year & wish for a heightened level of success in 2015, that's a gift I'm sure we'd all be delighted to receive.  

"Success is not achieved without strategy, whether it be of our own volition or studying the traits of our opponent."

I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas & a very prosperous 2015. I look forward to continuing this blog into the new year & the many fascinating debates it may bring us in the future. 

The Entertainer

If there was one thing that I could be guaranteed at the end of a football game it would be entertainment. I'm being purposely ambiguous with that claim simply because the entertainment expression is one that lends itself to many different scenarios. All the thrills of a 5-5 goal fest, a close 1-0 encounter with chance after chance in either box or....and my favorite...the game with a last minute winner, sending the players & fans into delirium. All are examples of how football games can captivate the audience & provide the viewing public with an experience to share with others for years to come. Its blatantly apparent that these types of games are not exactly the norm, but as football's "entertainment value" begins to shape the future of football fandom, I want to delve deeper into what football clubs do to represent our wants & needs.

Like many people who grew up in my generation, the football team you followed was bestowed upon you by your father. As previously mentioned in this blog, the team I followed as a youngster was Glasgow Rangers. Each week my father & I would travel the lengths & breadths of Scotland to take in our latest fix of light blue action. My formative years as a Rangers fan were throughout the late 80s & 90s, so I found myself supporting the club during arguably some of their most memorable years. 9 in a row, the international stars of the Advocaat era, the 1st chimes of the champions league music....being a Rangers fan was a privilage & the taste of victory was one that we all became very accustomed to. It was during this period where I would always look over to my friends who would follow Motherwell or Hamilton & think they were mental....how could you go & watch that level of football each week? I'd proclaim. Fast forward to the present day & the Glasgow Rangers I fell in love with is a far cry from its current incarnation. The level at which the team now operates is nothing short of shambolic, irrespective of how poorly their business operation may be performing. Even though it's now from a much longer distance, I've since become the fan who's watching continual up & down performances, shaky defending, poorly controlled passes; it would seem our world has turned upside down. So in taking a step back I wanted to consider what ramifications growing up in today's football era would do to a youthful Ally Bain. Would I really be that interested in following the Rangers? With a heightened access to elite level football, would I be more captivated by watching Barcelona live on TV every week? Would I find it easier to connect with the star Argentinian striker of La Liga, whose boots I own & is on TV more than any Scottish player I know? Would travelling to Ibrox to sit next to 40,000 angry & disillusioned people sway me over witnessing 100,000  people, stand to applaud a player who dares to try the un-thinkable in the El Classico? There has been a clear shift in what it means to be a fan these days, as much of the football we take in is done so through the eyes of a neutral. I'd don't overly care for either Arsenal or Manchester United, but i'll make sure I watch it because it will be an entertaining game. Certainly the world has been made smaller by the advent of televised football, which is why our smaller local clubs have become largely anonymous to vast sectors of the community. Gone are the days where the demographic of blindly loyal football fans punch in their time clock every year to renew their season ticket, simply because "that's what we do", fans are far more educated now as to what quality football looks like. What I should concede however is that our smaller clubs, or as is in Rangers case a big club playing in a small football country,  is that these organizations can remain relevant. There is no divine right in football to play a certain way or to operate in a certain manner, but relevancy is a largely grey area in football that too many clubs simply do not consider.

Why Rangers continue to be relevant in my adult life is because I have an emotional investment, that spans almost all of my lives memories. I was fortunate that the bond was created in a time where my ability to attend games was easier & there was far less to draw me away from doing so. But what of the children of today? What measures are in place for clubs such as Rangers to foster relevancy amongst its next generation of followers? By relevancy I am alluding to the fact that all clubs have their place in the game, and are more than capable of co-existing, but when the issue of ticket prices blurs those lines, it's clearly a factor that has to be addressed. 15 euros to watch Bayern Munich, 30 pounds to watch Rangers.....hang on there's something not right here....What I feel clubs out with the "European Elite" need to establish, on a more consistent basis, is a structure that is representative of the body politic within their support. Let's take West Ham United as an example of an organization that has almost single handedly disenfranchised itself from its own following. Since the current owners acquisition of the club in 2010, the self professed "fans of the club" have embroiled themselves in a long running legal battle to relocate the clubs Stadium away from their spiritual home, the Boleyn Ground. Subsequently their ticket prices at the current stadium, which they have rendered surplus to requirements, is amongst the highest in the Premiership. Further to this they have yet to even remotely stabilize themselves anywhere near the top end of the table, despite their astronomical entry fee. Furthermore having had the benefit of a progressive & forward thinking Coach in Gianfranco Zola already in place, they saw fit to terminate his deal & employ a new manager who seems intent on rewriting the Hammers rich history of attractive football teams. As they approach the end of their inaugural "5 year plan" has their tenure done anything other than up-root all the values that were in place? West Ham United, like many clubs in the UK, was built upon core values that were a representation of a working class community, in this case within the east end of London. Football afforded them an outlet to enjoy time away from the stresses & strains of working class life, allowing them to cheer on players who embodied their character & often resided in their inhabitance. Now they find themselves appealing to a far wealthier demographic, purely predicated by the nonsensical increase in entry cost. In turn they are now paying a higher premium on what is a substandard quality of play. Clubs such as West Ham have become consumed by Premier League survival, which has inevitably brought about a level of mediocrity to the game. Where excitement once lay in goals scored & chances created, their stadium is now filled with nervous tension at the fear of failure. With a group of players whose first thought is to vacate the ball of their personal space & a coach that spends 90 minutes doing his best impression of someone who hates their job, the overall experience isn't exactly one that wets the appetite. While the fear of financial deficiencies is a very real implication attached to demotion out with the Premier League, surely the moral bankruptcy associated with a hollow 17th place survival does little to provide stimulus for your club?

In closing I'd like to advocate to all of my readers that we do more to challenge clubs in connecting with their supporters. Join  a fans forum, enter the social media debate, even start your own blog! Clubs have to do more to maximize their connection with the fans, but we have to communicate in order to be heard. Fan's shouldn't expect to get in for free, nor should they expect a coach to employ gung ho tactics in the search for fulfillment; but if clubs continue to patronize supporters by peddling average football at a non-equitable price, their viewing figures will continue to drop. Fans are not sponsors looking for financial return, neither are they paid employee's looking for personal gain, they are loyal constituents who want to see their club prosper. As someone who has lived both sides of the football divide, I form the opinion that I am employed in a professional capacity to represent my organization in a positive light. This lends itself to the teams I work hard to educate everyday and ensuring those who take the time to come & watch find the experience liberating. For any other coaches reading this blog, this translates to a club's professional 1st team right through to your U10 side; if we fail to value the importance of the experience we will continue to shed those who valiantly follow us week in week out. Being who you are is paramount to any endeavor we undertake, but understanding who you represent is a far larger honor & one that if cultivated properly will provide us results far bigger than any we accumulate during a league season.

“Juve play some good football, they are attacking and entertaining. Winning is not the only thing that counts, playing well does too."

Johan Cruyff speaking about Juventus in 2012.

Winning Formula

Since moving to the USA in 2007, a vast majority of my time has been spent working within youth development. It's transpired into somewhat of a labor of love, such is the connections you make with the players & families, but also that yearning to constantly enhance your program or find a new area to work on. Unlike many other countries the American youth system has imprinted a pay to play model, which has afforded me the opportunity to work for the football club in a full time capacity. I think debating the pros & cons of this model is one for another day, but regardless of your stance on the financial implications, the work between the white lines is something that we have to work on if there is to be a prosperous future for the US. In this piece I intend to challenge the impact of game coaching performance & how our valuation of winning may be contributing to prolonged mediocrity.

There have been times during tenure in the states that I've scratched my head & thought "Why does this coach bother to do this?" Don't get me wrong, I'd thought this in England & Scotland before arriving on these shores, but in a world where many coaches do this for a living, surely you'd at least try and enjoy what you're doing? The furrowed brow....the clenched fists....the overly aggressive wrenched tone in their voice...sure we all have bad days, but does the performance of a youth player cause that much anger? Perhaps if it does there are more issues with the coaches mental state than that of a 12 year olds lack of ball control. Put simply children get scared of angry adults, and when operating with any element of fear performance is flawed. Below I've painted a few chain reaction cycles, that playout on teams across the country on a weekly basis.

Scenario 1

- Coach works on playing out of the back in practice

- Player loses ball in the back, resulting in a goal

- Coach screams at the player for losing the ball

- In an attempt to please the coach the player reverts to kicking the ball away from danger when near pressure. The teams chances of building possession drops.

Scenario 2

- Coach works on creative moves on the ball in practice

- Player loses the ball in 1v1 situation.

- Coach tells player to keep it simple.

- In an attempt to please the coach the Player reverts to passing the ball whenever he is confronted with a defender.

- When said player is an attacking position with only 1 defender to beat, he is ill-prepared to confront his opponent and attempt to score.

It's obvious that as coaches we spend more contact time with our players during practices but often, & especially so with younger players, their recollection of a game day is far higher. Therefore what we say during games can have a massive impact on how players see the game & form self-images. Coaches are human beings, we have emotions, we get carried away....it's natural. However we are being tasked as educators in this endeavor, so we have to condense everything into a learning experience, and fuel the players willingness to improve not simply focus on error reduction. If our players resorted to screaming at their teammates whenever a mistake was made, it would probably lead to a pretty toxic situation....a lack of responsibility, no co-hesion & a lack of trust within each other. Think now how this translates into a players perception of being yelled at by the coach? What does that do to their confidence & willingness to be creative? If we are to herald a new dawn of technically gifted & tactically astute players we have to breathe life into every player we work with. From there we have to give them a platform upon which to choose their own path to excellence, a destination many of whom may never get close to. That said we must provide them an opportunity, and not complicate the journey with overly critical language that suppresses development.

Perhaps the largest grey area in youth football is when performance overtakes development. I'm not entirely sure there is an age group we can say that across the board "THIS" is when the focus should shift, but in my own opinion I believe its inextricably linked to what the coach values. It would be simple to equate winning as a by-product of positive development, but at what cost? It's unrealistic to think every win is a flawless display of fluent attacking football, so surely we can derive some factors within a loss as a degree of development? There are areas within the building phases of the game, such as playing out of the back, where the % of error is very high. Therefore players tread the fine line of being creative with the risk of losing a goal. If our players never dance that dance, how then will they solve a similar problem in other areas of the field? My concern with the value of winning is not in the outcome itself, but how coaches evaluate the process in which they have arrived at the result. A rigid, one dimensional & negative style of play can buy you victories in youth football, but what does this really do for your group of players? If youth players sole focus is to come away with a win, are we providing them with an opportunity to develop as a footballer? Some would argue the world of a professional footballer is to live & die by their results, so perhaps the mindset is one that needs to be introduced at a younger age to fully evolve. Even with this loose veil clouding our judgement, there's a part of this that just doesn't sit right with me. In our formal education we are taught to value the process, read up on subjects to become a more learned individual & enter a test environment fully immersed. It would seem that sometimes in youth football we value the process as optional, almost disregarding how we get there....just make sure you win.

I don't think I'm the 1st nor will I be the last to assume there is a correlation between this attitude & the lack of top level players who are being produced in America. That being said I personally believe it forms a small part of a larger culture that surrounds the game in this country, one that is looking beyond what is really important & being short sighted as to what vanity would value. Accolades tells us little about ability, after all we select our teams based on performance not on amount of games won in their career. Why then would we suddenly grade a teams success by a similar equation? Better yet, why would a youth coaches strength be based on the amount of titles he has accumulated? Many would proclaim it's what we perceive to be successful that needs to change, as the quality of football that is displayed on our fields continues to plod along without any real change. If we are to really drive standards we as coaches have to set the tone & set about shifting the "win at all costs" mentality & truly value high quality football as our goal.

A very important figure in my career once told me "You get the team you deserve in football" and it's something that's always stuck with me. If I work hard, value style over substance, be logical & imprint a vision, my players will react in accordance to this. We have to accept the fact this may not result in a winning season each year, but by reaching a higher level of development we have already achieved success. As coaches & educators our task is to make players better, not lift silverware. Take a moment this week to set your players some tangible goals....higher % of completed passes, higher shot completion, higher cross completion....achieving success in these areas should be the only medals we need worry about.