Brady worried about Ireland's future

Mr.Nice Guy

Not sure if something was posted on this but I thought some of Liam Brady's comments this week on Ireland's future prospects were very interesting. He's said he's worried we don't have top prospects coming through and has called for a total overhaul in the mentality of the way the game is coached here.

LIAM BRADY insists that grassroots coaching in Ireland must change in order to prevent some of the country’s most talented young footballers from being overlooked.

Speaking ahead of the Platinum One Challenge match that sees Arsenal reserves play Manchester United reserves at Tallaght Stadium tonight, Brady criticised the English and Irish approach to developing young talent.

“Sometimes in England and Ireland they look for big strong lads at the ages of 14 and 15 and the less physical lads might be overlooked. That’s something that needs to be addressed or else we’re going to miss maybe the most talented players.”

Brady insists that if technique does not take precedence over physicality in the development of young players Ireland may struggle to find skilful players to replace those on the current international team.

“I would worry that I haven’t seen a new Robbie Keane or a new Damien Duff. I think somebody needs to go out and ask the coaches to change the way they’re playing the game. Don’t go for the big lad. You’ve got more chances of producing a top-class international player by going the opposite way. I’d love to have a good 15- or 16-year-old Irish player and see him go all the way.”

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2010/0819/1224277147929.html

Brady believes the English FA are missing the point completely, hinting that it smacks of tokenism rather than actually fostering a genuine development of players from their baby steps in the game. It's something he feels that the FAI should pay heed to as well.

"I think they are missing a trick in England," he said. "They want English players playing much more in the Premier League, but if the players haven't got the ability, I don't think Ferguson, Hodgson, Wenger and Mancini are going to pick them.

"They have to develop better players, and they should go about it at young ages. I'm going to a tournament in Holland at the end of the month and all the teams will be playing in a measured way, a technical game. If you watch that game in Ireland or England the fellows would be screaming at them to kick the ball down and get stuck in. In England that's what they have got to change.

"I told this to John Delaney as well. He needs to be going around or people need to be going around to all the young clubs in Ireland representing the FAI and saying let's teach the kids in a different way.

"Don't put the emphasis on size or winning and kicking the ball long so the other team makes a mistake or the centre-forward's big and he's going to knock them over. You can't obligate people to do that but you can persuade them and I think that's needed."

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/brady-fears-for-irelands-future-2303024.html

In light of his work at Arsenal, and the fact he was closely involved with the Irish set-up, I think it's fair to say his views hold a lot of weight. I would worry though that this style of play Brady refers to is too ingrained in the sport in Ireland and that there's not enough will-power or finances available to go about seriously attempting to change it. Any thoughts on his comments?

Gonzovision

Missed me by about 8 years then.

mink_man

ah I'm sure he'll do well at villa.

Jordonvito

Its hard to know really, a lot of our important players are getting on a bit. Lets say for example after winning the world cup in 2014 the following key players retire:
(age in 2014 in brackets)
Keane(34)
Duff(35)
Dunne(35)
Given(38)

The likes of Lawrence, Hunt and O Shea will be getting on by then too

I'd expect the team to look something like this then (give or take a few wonder kids to pop up on the scene by then):

---

Westwood

---

Coleman

---

JOS

---

Sledger

---

Cunningham

---

Whelan/Ireland(time is a great healer)/Gibson/McCarthy---

McGeady

---

Tracey

---

Doyle

---

Stokes

---

The likes of McCarthy, Tracey Stokes, Cunningham,Coleman and Sledger seem to be making good steady progress, hopefully McGeady will fulfil his potential in Moscow (although I remain sceptical that will happen). If all these things to go to plan with the addition of one or two chizzlers then I wouldn't be too worried about the near future. As for further down the line, I don't know enough about our youth set up to know what lies ahead.

mink_man

stokes...no...I don't think or hope so.

Jordonvito

mink_man wrote: »

stokes...no...I don't think or hope so.

He looks like the only natural goalscorer to me apart from doyle and keane obviously, I think Keogh would be better used on the wing, and I can't see the likes of Long or Sherdian stepping up to the plate. Ideally we would have more striking options, but unfortunately not , well that I'm aware of anyway

major bill

have to agree not one exciting player coming through!! i remember when keane and duff came on the scene and you looked forward to watching ireland games to see them the same with shay given in 1996.ive lost all interest in the irish team. until that prick delaney pisses off and the fai change there ways football will always remain a joke in this country.

Mr.Nice Guy

Jordonvito wrote: »

He looks like the only natural goalscorer to me apart from doyle and keane obviously, I think Keogh would be better used on the wing, and I can't see the likes of Long or Sherdian stepping up to the plate. Ideally we would have more striking options, but unfortunately not , well that I'm aware of anyway

I think this is the area that concerns me most (along with finding a successor to Shay but I think it will be easier to find someone to follow Shay by the time he hangs up his gloves)

What shocked me when Tardelli named the squad for the European Championship games was that there were only THREE strikers named for the two fixtures against Armenia and Andorra (Keane, Doyle and Long). I find that very worrying. Keano can't last forever and I worry about where the next generation of strikers are coming from. Most of our exciting prospects seem to be defenders and midfielders.

Perhaps, as Brady touches on, we have coaches looking for the biggest and strongest guys who can play a direct game and as a consequence we are neglecting the chances for more technical and skilful forward players?

Ferris_Bueller

Don't think Brady really means any of the current U.21 players aren't good enough, but more so footballers in general from this country aren't, which I would have to agree with. There is too much emphasise on winning in underage football here, coaches should be more focused on developing good players than winning the DDSL U10 Major division.

major bill

Ferris_Bueller wrote: »

Don't think Brady really means any of the current U.21 players aren't good enough, but more so footballers in general from this country aren't, which I would have to agree with. There is too much emphasise on winning in underage football here, coaches should be more focused on developing good players than winning the DDSL U10 Major division.

its all a big click aswell in alot of clubs.

Essien

Ferris_Bueller wrote: »

Don't think Brady really means any of the current U.21 players aren't good enough, but more so footballers in general from this country aren't, which I would have to agree with. There is too much emphasise on winning in underage football here, coaches should be more focused on developing good players than winning the DDSL U10 Major division.

Exactly.

IMO we should scrap competitive football up to the ages of about 15 or 16, not completely though, maybe if only 1/2 or 1/3 of the season was competitive then coaches could spend more time looking at more players who don't fall into the "big strong lad" category.

As long as there is competition coaches will take shortcuts to winning.

Leiva

Brady worries over Irelands future ....**Cough** FAI

Kingdom

Ferris_Bueller wrote: »

Don't think Brady really means any of the current U.21 players aren't good enough, but more so footballers in general from this country aren't, which I would have to agree with. There is too much emphasise on winning in underage football here, coaches should be more focused on developing good players than winning the DDSL U10 Major division.

Everyone who has played football in this country knows what the problem is. The DDSL. And specifically about 7/8 clubs. That's what Brady is referring to when he mentions "obligating" and "persuading".

People like Brady aren't looking at U23/U21 or even U19 level. He's looking below that again, with a view to a player peaking or being top class in a decade or so.
That's the big hope for the development squads and the regional coaches and development officers. This country can produce players, it's about giving them the best environment.
Plenty of time for Brady. If you can ignore the fact that he sounds like a boring c*nt, then he often speaks plenty of sense.

As for players coming through, there are quite a few prospects. Surprised not to see anyone mention Conor Clifford? Getting solid reviews at Chelsea and is already a mainstay of our 21's despite being younger.
Up front yes the immediate prospects don't look great, but things like that can change very quickly.
It's midfield where we look likely to be very dominant for a long time to come. Already we've got James McCarthy, Chris McCann and to an extent Darron Gibson as established centre midfielders. Add to that Clifford and Robbie Brady, when they come through, and you've got a pretty good quintet that should be insitu for the next decade or so.

RichTea

major bill wrote: »

have to agree not one exciting player coming through!!.

David Meyler and James McCarthy look like terrific prospects. Let's not go overboard.

Kingdom

RichTea wrote: »

David Meyler and James McCarthy look like terrific prospects. Let's not go overboard.

How did I forget Meyler!

Fromvert

People have been saying what Brady's saying now for years. Everyone knows that our underage football is all long ball and get the ball to big kid.

dreamers75

FAI are doing a lot on this regard problem as pointed out above is the emphasis on winning U10 matches.

There a lot of qualified coaches in this country at all ages but it seems they get their badges and then try and win.

My kid played a game the other day and match before it was under 7s, their coach was like me at a Pats match getting seriously into it and jumping and cheering when they scored and hurling abuse when things went agaisnt him.

No ****ing way that guy should be allowed near kids but i bet he has all the badges and only cares about winning an under 7 match

7 a side until under 14s and no leagues until then, develop touch, control, kicking the ball then after 6 years let them play competively. Seems to work for those spanish lads.

major bill

RichTea wrote: »

David Meyler and James McCarthy look like terrific prospects. Let's not go overboard.

good prospects but nowhere near on the same scale as robbie and duff were at that age

RichTea

Kingdom wrote: »

How did I forget Meyler!

major bill wrote: »

good prospects but nowhere near on the same scale as robbie and duff were at that age

They're very good prospects. Did Duff and Keane fulfill their potential though? *CAN OF WORMS OPENED

MementoMori

Is there not a fair whack of Irish underage stars at Arsenal?

Not very positive for them.

Kingdom

major bill wrote: »

good prospects but nowhere near on the same scale as robbie and duff were at that age

I'd say there is more expected of James McCarthy and Conor Clifford now than there was of either of the two lads. Actually, now that I think of it, there was more expected of Stokes than Keane and Duffer.

Richie Partridge was without doubt the biggest prospect since Irish football went boom.

RichTea

Kingdom wrote: »

I'd say there is more expected of James McCarthy and Conor Clifford now than there was of either of the two lads. Actually, now that I think of it, there was more expected of Stokes than Keane and Duffer.

Richie Partridge was without doubt the biggest prospect since Irish football went boom.

Not sure if there is more expected of McCarthy and Clifford. There was such a massive hype about Keane when he was at Wolves and Coventry, and Duff was seen by many as a potential replacement for Giggs at United for a while!

Ahhh, Richie Partridge! Yeah, I'd agree with that. He was heralded as such a huge prospect for a while. Mark Kennedy was as well, if I remember correctly.

Carlos_Ray

Ferris_Bueller wrote: »

Don't think Brady really means any of the current U.21 players aren't good enough, but more so footballers in general from this country aren't, which I would have to agree with. There is too much emphasise on winning in underage football here, coaches should be more focused on developing good players than winning the DDSL U10 Major division.

I agree totally. Many youth coaches in Ireland need to get their priorities right. It should be about developing football, not making their CV look better by winning under 10 leagues.

A friend's nephew plays for a very well known Dublin club (under 9s). He's not a fat kid, but he's not very fast. His coach told him (an 8 year old child) to cut down on food in order to gain pace!! His parents were not happy at all. It seems the coaches just want to win at all costs, even if it means taking the fun out of the game. All they do is pick two big centre backs ( regardless of talent), one big forward, and ask the rest of the players to pump the ball up the pitch. Irish and English kids are light years behind Spanish and Dutch when it comes to playing ball on the ground.

Also no child between the ages of 6 and 14 should have a set position! Its a joke that a 6 year old is told that he's a striker, defender etc. The ajax youth don't get assigned positions until their teenage years, which is why they are so comfortable on the ball when caught out of position in later years. They are regulary hammered at under 10 levels etc, but just look at their constant flow of quality players.

The irish tactic is successful at under age levels, but it kills any creativity or skill. The finished product is well below par.

Jayob10

Kingdom wrote: »

Everyone who has played football in this country knows what the problem is. The DDSL. And specifically about 7/8 clubs. That's what Brady is referring to when he mentions "obligating" and "persuading".

People like Brady aren't looking at U23/U21 or even U19 level. He's looking below that again, with a view to a player peaking or being top class in a decade or so.
That's the big hope for the development squads and the regional coaches and development officers. This country can produce players, it's about giving them the best environment.
Plenty of time for Brady. If you can ignore the fact that he sounds like a boring c*nt, then he often speaks plenty of sense.

As for players coming through, there are quite a few prospects. Surprised not to see anyone mention Conor Clifford? Getting solid reviews at Chelsea and is already a mainstay of our 21's despite being younger.
Up front yes the immediate prospects don't look great, but things like that can change very quickly.
It's midfield where we look likely to be very dominant for a long time to come. Already we've got James McCarthy, Chris McCann and to an extent Darron Gibson as established centre midfielders. Add to that Clifford and Robbie Brady, when they come through, and you've got a pretty good quintet that should be insitu for the next decade or so.

Fantastic post.

Midfield does look promising. Also at United is Sean McGinty who is making great strides I believe, a centre half to watch.

We have always had a great ability to find players when we need them. We were crying out for a partner for Robbie and then Doyler burst onto the English scene. We were wondering where would we ever find Given's replacement and then we get Kieron Westwood albeit by the granny rule but he is one for the future.

Irish players are more slow burners rather than teenagers who burst onto the scene in England. A young lad playing in league one or the championship may have developed into an excellent rounded player by the time he hits 24-26.

But you are spot on about the DDSL

dreamers75

Jayob10 wrote: »

But you are spot on about the DDSL

My son was asked to play for one of these clubs, the guy came to the house and offered him a pair of boots and a jersey from an english team (he hasnt picked his english club yet reckon it will be Man utd tho). They knew of him from his previous team.

Funnily enough myself and the young lad were wearing pats jerseys at the time and the boots were F30s my lad has F50s, awkward moment for him ). He went for a trial with them and didnt like the other lads or the coach as he was giving out to players for not doing things right (in training under 10s). Hes playing with his mates now in the worst football team ever but hes happy. He has played 4 games now and after every game the other teams coach has come to me and asked if he can sign for them.

This is normal in DDSL , his last team went 2 years winning every game they played seriuosly good coach and a decent set of kids. Crumlin United went to each parents house with a pic of Robbie Keane and boots and a jersey for the kids. This is how they operate they care not for the kids , all they have to do is take the best players from the DDSl SDFL and stick them on a plane at 16. They dont develop them they steal them and sell them on, there are good coaches out there who actually want kids to improve but every time one does he is stolen to a club with a link to England and the parents allow it as they are sold on the England thing.

frantic190

dreamers75 wrote: »

parents allow it as they are sold on the England thing.

Furthermore on this point, this has ruined so many kids careers it is unbelievable. There is a fine line between success and failure. They are touted as future stars and then get pushed aside when something marginally better comes along, the FAI used to have officers to bring these players back into the game in Ireland to at least develop them a bit more and maybe make a career but according to Steven Gray (Bohemians player, former Southampton "future star", who was brought back into the LOI by this program) this doesn't even exist anymore, so they are left unemployed in England, forced to return home to try and salvage an education. There was a great interview in a Bohs program with Steven Gray about the issue.

He was also juggled around by underage clubs, he was at Leixlip, then Cherry Orchard and then Verona.