[Jaspersharpe]

Was talking to a guy I know yesterday who's son has a contract at Chesterfield (he's on the fringes of making the first team) and who has seen the coaching setup for kids from bottom to top. He says it's basically fucked because we still can't get out of this mentality that kids need to be playing competitive matches on full size pitches as soon as possible.

While the rest of Europe are playing on smaller pitches with no competitive league's until over 13 we're stuck in the dark ages. The result is that the kids learn to win matches by hoofing it to the biggest lads and the strikers learn that booting it straight up will beat any keeper who is 3ft tall in a full size goal. We've known about this shit for years but nothing changes.

This is why the top clubs' youth academies are full of foreign kids and the chances for English players to break into those clubs become fewer and fewer. A rule to limit the number of foreign players in the youth teams would perhaps deal with the symptom but not cure the illness. It's a shame that nobody seems to want to stand up and be counted and change things but then that would take some decisive action from the FA. My sides.

Anyway. Meanwhile, in Azerbaijan.......

http://inbedwithmaradona.com/journal/2011/7/28/when-ibwm-met-tony-adams.html

[Jaspersharpe]

Why Phil Brown should get the Man U job:

http://www.surrealfootball.com/2011/07/28/the-power-of-phil/

 

[nai]

Very good read that, I'm glad Tony Adams has found something to involve himself with away from the UK, he was in danger of becoming a laughing stock over here, not sure English players get his mentality now that he's very, very sober.

Agree re the coaching, up also see it in parks, dad and uncle boot the ball to each other while the lad runs backward and forward between them.  While it's a great way of wearing a kid out, teach him about football it does not.

[Jaspersharpe]

  re Adams.

I've banged the drum before but if anyone's not read it then his book "Addicted" is a very good read and doesn't pull any punches about his alcoholism.

[tomtom]

Why Phil Brown should get the Man U job:

http://www.surrealfootball.com/2011/07/28/the-power-of-phil/

 

Just woken up... "This man inspires through motivational osmosis." pmsl

Good find Jasper..

[Richie Crouch]

Following on from the Phil Brown link, not sure if this has been posted before

As a Liverpool fan I can't help but agree!

http://www.surrealfootball.com/2011/07/28/why-andy-carroll-is-the-new-emile-heskey-and-why-i-hate-them-both/

[Jaspersharpe]

Still though, people believe that despite his goal scoring record, he was still an asset to the England side as he brings the best out of the other striker, bollocks. The only reason the other striker looks good is because Emile is so fucking terrible. It is like putting an average girl next to Susan fucking Boyle.

  

[Jaspersharpe]

"PANNU CALMS FEARS"

http://www.bcfc.com/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10412~2404386,00.html

Really? Yeah I can see all Blues fans breathing a sigh of relief after that statement. 

Reminds me of when Belotti was CE at Brighton and used to issue statements which were total bullshit / totally ignored by the fans!

[Grubes]

City have finally sealed the deal for Aguero http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14226198.stm

Now should I sawp hernandez for aguero in my fantasy team 

[nai]

City have finally sealed the deal for Aguero http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14226198.stm

Now should I sawp hernandez for aguero in my fantasy team 

Nah, he's south american, won't settle, waste of money.  Could have bought Andy Carrol for that and still had the loose change for Cameron Jerome.

[Jaspersharpe]

City have finally sealed the deal for Aguero http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14226198.stm

Now should I sawp hernandez for aguero in my fantasy team 

I can't buy Hernandez but it'll be interesting to see how much they value Aguero at. I guess £10m.

[nai]

Now available, £11m. Do players raise in value following pre season xfrs I wonder, filling my team full of players pending moves, Nzog, Cahill, Modric e.g.

[Grubes]

first competitive football match of the FL season tonight with Crawley v AFC Wimbledon.
The winner plays palace in the first round of the carling cup. Would be nice to see wimbledon go through,

and just heard on sky sports Lee Clark has signed a new contract YYFY

[Grubes]

World cup qualifiers: Bearing in mind Fab Cap will have fooked off by then! I may actually watch in hope of attacking total football ... 
 
Any way our group:
ENGLAND, Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, San Marino

Ukraine and poland again .. A group we should walk?

[nai]

i'm booking my flight already.

bit twitchy at the end, bet the whole of france let out a big groan when our name came out.

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

World cup qualifiers: Bearing in mind Fab Cap will have fooked off by then! I may actually watch in hope of attacking total football ... 
 
Any way our group:
ENGLAND, Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, San Marino

Ukraine and poland again .. A group we should walk?

Bear in mind though that the lobbyists are already coming out in force for "genial" Harry Grout. Sorry. Redknapp - leading that charge from behinfd his Sun "newspaper" column - T. Venables.

[Dr T]

A tad idealistic But I agree with the sentiment...

oh and what exactly is the point of Squillaci?? 

[Grubes]

I hope this is true Lampards England career over
He is third choice for his role behind wilshire and Scott Parker
 

[Dr T]

So Fab is going to give Barca some pocket money???

To be fair the sooner he goes the better so the whole mess can be sorted out....

[tomtom]

World cup qualifiers: Bearing in mind Fab Cap will have fooked off by then! I may actually watch in hope of attacking total football ... 
 
Any way our group:
ENGLAND, Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, San Marino

Ukraine and poland again .. A group we should walk?

Bear in mind though that the lobbyists are already coming out in force for "genial" Harry Grout. Sorry. Redknapp - leading that charge from behinfd his Sun "newspaper" column - T. Venables.

I've had a GENIUS idea.

Simon Cowell for England manager. Screw the traditional approach, instead we can have ten weeks of tv shows before each game where the players are in boot camp and get phone voted off each week. All proceeds to FIFA. Of course...

[Jaspersharpe]

Saturday was a rather emotional day for Brighton fans. Nicely summed up here:

http://europeanfootballweekends.blogspot.com/2011/07/brighton-hove-albion-v-tottenham.html

[Falling Down]

I know it's only a friendly tournament but City looked very good playing Inter yesterday.  I'm looking forward to the Charity Shield next Sunday as I have the feeling that for once, it will be a competitive game with Utd having something more to prove than the Blues.

[tomtom]

I know it's only a friendly tournament but City looked very good playing Inter yesterday.  I'm looking forward to the Charity Shield next Sunday as I have the feeling that for once, it will be a competitive game with Utd having something more to prove than the Blues.

Seen this?
Mario Balotelli: I don't like Manchester and I'm homesick
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/01/mario-balotelli-manchester-city-homesick

Had a blue cabbie back from the airport this morning.. He seemed very chipper about Sunday and the coming season...

BUT the season starts (for the league..) on Friday with Hull vs Blackpool. Just negotiating a permit with the mrs..  we're due in London on sat..

[Grubes]

Nice way to start the season. Is it on sky?

[Falling Down]

Sky Sports 1 @ 14:30, Sunday 8th August.

TomTom, welcome back to blighty.  Yeah I've seen the Balotelli story and to be honest I tend to ignore everything that's written about City players in the press as speculative or spin unless it's a direct interview with someone at the club.