[Archived] Mclaren

[joey_big_nose]

Not quite sure what Taylor is drivelling on about. England are producing higher quality young players compared to ten years ago in my estimation.

Lennon, Parker, Downing, Ashton, chap at Bolton, Wright-Phillips, Walcott to name but a few. Rooney and Gerrard, arguably the two finest English players at the moment, are going to be available for a couple more WCs. The Coles, Carrick, Hargreaves, Lampard are all going to be available for at least one.

I wouldn't say there is a dearth of talent, rather a couple of problem positions. We need a quality line leading centre forward to emerge over the next couple of seasons and a right back. Robinson is a great keeper but someone to appear as a backup would be good.

But in positions like central and right midfield and central defence we have loads of good players. We are such a melodramatic nation...

[cn174]

How? Do you have a link? I am interested in this as England did look way behind in the WC. We never have been the most technically gifted country and our schoolboy system was shameful but I thought that the Academy restructuring was going to help alleviate all our problems. Although I have heard horror stories of 1 year contracts being given to kids of 8 and then telling them at 9 that they are not good enough.

1 year contracts are normal, thatsw what everyone usually gets.

In fact it is discouraged to sign anything more than a one year contract. Because if you sign say a 3-4 year one, the club hold the power over you. Just say after a year your kid is not playing very often there's nothing you can do because the club hold his registration papers. He can't play for a normal town club side nor go for trials at a different club unless they permit it.

And at 10-11 years old, thats a rubbish situation to be in.

[tcj_jones]

Phillip, I'd say Parker is a top, top player and should be playing ahead of Carrick and Hargreaves in the England midfield.

Incidently, he has just been made Newcastle captain.

[FourLaneBlue]

As for Hibbet and Parker

Why is Parker funny? A class act.

[thenodrog]

Not quite sure what Taylor is drivelling on about. England are producing higher quality young players compared to ten years ago in my estimation.

Lennon, Parker, Downing, Ashton, chap at Bolton, Wright-Phillips, Walcott to name but a few. Rooney and Gerrard, arguably the two finest English players at the moment, are going to be available for a couple more WCs. The Coles, Carrick, Hargreaves, Lampard are all going to be available for at least one.

We can certainly produce quality players with talent but underlying that (with the exception maybe of Steven Gerrard) we do not seem able to transform them from spoilt pampered little lads to mature and responsible adults until at least 10 years after they have retired from the game, and when it is too late.

Think about it, imo it is very relevent. English born players with mature and adult characters like Brad Friedal and Ryan Nelson are like hens teeth these days.

[Flopsy]

They need some walking behind them carrying the laurel crown going "Remember thou art mortal" Those British players that make it to the prem are told by their agents, friends, press and parents that tehy are gods gift - the wages help as well - they get put on a pedestal and people are surprised when they act like spoilt rich kids.

Look out for press reports with Footballing Star or Hero in their headlines - and its some reserve keeper in League 1.

[blue phil]

Don't be daft Phil. You'll get footy done away with. Have 11 a sides been banned in Italy, France, Brazil, Argentina and Germany? They've all won the WC since we did and at least 3 of em are highly appraised for the levels of skill of their players.

Your second name isn't 'Blatter' is it?

I'll disregard the needless insult but I'm sure other nations concentrate more on ball skills at younger ages rather than the pointless 11 a side tournaments we seem to concentrate on at school level .

More 5 a sides where the players have more possession of the ball , I say .

[thenodrog]

Well imo (from distant memory now unfortunately) there was always less time available on the ball in 5 a sides that in proper footy. Not wanting to brag (yeah right) but we won the inaugural Blackburn 5 a side competition three years running so I do realise the difference in playing style.

[thenodrog]

I cannot remember ever being as incredulous in my life. Anybody can see that the man is a DEMOTIVATOR with no redeeming talents whatsoever. This is not a safe appointment it is international suicide.

Good Points

1. It'll be sh1t but not for long! Barwick and Maclaren will not see 2 years in their respective posts. But it will almost certainly flerk up Euro 98 first.

2. The FA will not get all that sh1t ever again from press, media and pundits about appointing Englishmen.

3. The fall out will be that FA may well be knocked from their ivory towers and dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Wembley, Ericson and now this! WTF can they ever get right?

Bad Points

1. Maclaren is far worse and less capable of managing and motivating footballers than Graham Taylor ever knew how to be! But he and his family surely do not deserve the unrelenting scorn and criticism that he is now certainly lined up for. It will certainly destroy him as a manager but it could easily destroy him as a person, and his family life too! I always feel sympathy for Turkeys 10 days before Christmas.

2. Gibsons out of a hole. I suspect he must have had some influence here! I suspect Gartside wanted mega compensation whilst Gibson would have waived anything at all. Unless Maclarens teams domestic performance this season improved by next October Gibbo would surely have seen him sacked.

3. Boro have been strengthened, Bolton have not been weakened. Boro will be a greater threat whoever manages them. Bolton will be the same so now we are looking at a tougher fixture list already.

4. The world and his wife will be laughing at our ineptitude.

Word of advice do not go to watch England and do not buy a scrap of merchandise of any sort. The FA have chosen to ignore the fans completely so now it's trime for us to ignore them! What a sad day and a shambles.

Ballux! Drat, drat and double drat! I got point 3 of the bad points half wrong! I must be slipping ........

[BlueMonday]

I fear a barren spell looming for the England team. Very depressing.

My only hope is that he makes Stuart Pearce his Number 2, then at least we'll have someone with passion in there.

Such a shame we let Martin O' Neal slip through the net.

Apologies for quoting myself, because it gives me no pleasure in being correct.

WE'RE DOOOOOOOOOMED

[cletus]

Gotta say England are not a world class team, they are an average team & have been since 1966.

When are they going to realise this?

The Scots, Welsh & Irish are all average teams aswell, but the difference is they know it. England think they are a big boy in world football....they aren`t.

Everybody aspires to win any tournament they enter, but England & it`s 5hit media EXPECT to win...there is a huge difference.

Players like Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney are good players BUT on an international level they are far from great.

Brian Clough was the best manager England never had & i suspect the same will be said of Martin O`Neil in future years.

[Eddie]

England have a world class group of players, but at the moment they are far from a world class team. Yesterday was one of the worst performances (possibly the worst) I have ever seen from an England side. They never looked like scoring and looked vulnerable at the back against what was a relatively poor Croatian side (average but organised).

What I do find annoying is how quickly people's opinion changes. After large wins against poor oppostion Mclaren was everyone's favourite, no w, after two poor results, people want him out. Bring back SGE, he was much better then his sidekick.

[Ronin]

Could it be that England are the new Scotland/Wales/Ireland !! Welcome to mediocrity

Seriously though, the media always over-hypes the over-rated players and the team doesn't then perform well as a team. Talented individuals - yes, at club level, but as a team and with players playing differently it just doesn't seem to work. Why doesn't the McLaren get the players to play as they do week in week out, England might actually start to play a little bit better then. Adopt a system and use the best players that play those positions, rather than keeping the same players but play them out of position in new formations etc.

[AggyBlue]

England have a world class group of players,

England haven't got one world class player, never mind a group.

[Flopsy]

gerrard and rooney would get in any team in the world

[M-K]

gerrard and rooney would get in any team in the world

That's exactly the attitude that gets England fans so disappointed every time they fail to win yet another tournament.

Rooney is England's best striker but he hasn't scored since 2004. Gerrard is England's most talented midfielder but I can't recall him ever inspiring the side like Beckham once did. I doubt either of them would be picked for any of the top international sides these days, but McClaren only seems capable of dropping the easy targets.

Edited October 12, 2006 by M-K

[Eddie]

I think Beckham certainly needs to be recalled to the side.

[DP]

Doesn't matter if you think Rooney or Gerrard are world class or not, fact is we now have enough good players to fit a system which will work. That's 4-4-2 with a holding midfielder, an out and out striker a second striker in support. It's not rocket science.

I blame the players for the performance on Saturday, but the tactics last night? What was that about?

My main concern about McClaren was always his ability to motivate the players. It seems now he hasn't got a clue about tactics either.....

[Rovermatt]

That's exactly the attitude that gets England fans so disappointed every time they fail to win yet another tournament.

Rooney is England's best striker but he hasn't scored since 2004. Gerrard is England's most talented midfielder but I can't recall him ever inspiring the side like Beckham once did. I doubt either of them would be picked for any of the top international sides these days, but McClaren only seems capable of dropping the easy targets.

I disagree. Rooney is an absolutely superb footballer and would grace any international side. Gerrard is also a supremely gifted player who would have no trouble getting into any nation's midfield-I have no doubt that the would fit into the engine rooms of Brazil, Italy, France, Germany and Argentina without any hesitation.

[cletus]

Ronin..."McLaren get the players to play as they do week in week out, England might actually start to play a little bit better then. Adopt a system and use the best players that play those positions, rather than keeping the same players but play them out of position in new formations etc."

I think Martin O`Neil would get the England team to play like a club side with every player knowing his job. He`d get them playing a very 'up & at em' & 'in your face' high tempo British style.

He also wouldn`t be afraid to drop big names for players who`d more suit his style of play.

On a different note, i must congratulate the advertisers of the new Borat movie for the excellent world-wide coverage of their new film. Global advertising like that would normally cost millions!

[speeeeeeedie]

On a different note, i must congratulate the advertisers of the new Borat movie for the excellent world-wide coverage of their new film. Global advertising like that would normally cost millions!

It was brilliant. Borat's grinning face right behind Robinson as the second goal went in.

[RovertheHill]

According to today's Fiver, Steve McClaren in an interview with 442 mag

"I didn't see any other England candidates with a CV as good as mine, and it surprised me this wasn't recognised"

Surely, surely, that must have been taken out of context?

[rover6]

Part of the skill problem we suffer from can be traced back to the number of 11 a side matches that our youngsters play instead of concentrating on their ball skills . I honestly believe that 11 a sides should be banned until the age of 17 .

I agree. Ball-skills are woefully neglected in the football education English youngsters get. There's too much emphasis on winning. Kids are discouraged from expressing themselves - i.e running with the ball, trying tricks etc.

I'm no great shakes at footy but I don't think I can remember ever being encouraged to run with the ball by a coach. Speed and skill were my forte (or so I told myself!) and I was continually lambasted for not playing it simple, playing the way I'm facing, being a fancy dan etc. Obviously, the coaches I came in contact with aren't the elite - far from it.

However, why do our youth teams rarely make any impressions in youth international competitions? Surely, if that is something that must be rectified before anything else? Or is capitulating in another youth qualifying game or early rounds of a tournament 'part of the learning curve'?

Edited October 12, 2006 by rover6

[speeeeeeedie]

This must be a first but I agree with Blue Phil and Rover6. I don't know how kids are taught today. I remember what happened to me; lots of shouting, fitness training, and self serving coaches. Has it changed? I know they restructured the Schools of Excellence and YTS schemes to supposedly develop better players by having small sided games but I've heard scare stories of 8 year olds being offered 1 year deals with clubs then being fired off with their career in tatters.

How does youth coaching work? Does anoyne on here do it? I coach a gang of 8 year olds over here and all we do is skills work with them.

[thenodrog]

What rubbish! These guys kick footballs endlessly all day and every day. Skills are not as important in this equation as attitudes, tactics and application. Ronaldo and Ronaldinho are the most skilful players I know but there are only a few like that.

In Maclarens defense our most skilful player imo is Joe Cole. He's unavailable though, as was Gerrard. Yesterdays men Becks, Sol C and Owen have had to be replaced by players who as yet are not good enough and it shows. But Maclarens influence and input to their development appears to be poor and as most suspected he has not the necessary managerial nor motivational skills required at that level.

His career will be ruined by this foolish appointment.