The on topic thread 4.0

[Zidane98]

Great doco this

 

[Zidane98]

Mbappe senior with a quality finish

 

[Bojan KantKick]

They just failed to qualify for Euro 2024 behind Scotland with a game left to go.


With Odergaard & Haaland pretty potent attacking options that has to be viewed as a pretty big failure.


With 16 UEFA teams getting a place at WC 2026 (3 more than 2022) they really should be qualifying unless the rest of the team are absolute spuds.

Of course. McSauce is a better goalscorer than Haaland

 

[Frank Bunn]

I was in Bundoora last week for the Interstate u12 tournament. It's the best 12 year olds in the country.

I was impressed by the standard of the football. Good control, composure and positioning. As you would expect there's some big height differences between the boys at that age. The big lads could outrun and muscle the smaller ones. But some of the smaller lads were the most skillful. Victoria had a mini Phil Foden in the middle controlling everything.

A few times I saw the kids doing things that might work at club level but not when they come up against boys their own standard. Like taking on too many down the line and running into a blind alley, or turning back and forward a few times with the ball instead of just laying off a simple pass. The talented kids play up an age group but still have bad habits. I had a look at one of the girl's games. Even at that age there's huge difference in skill level.

 

[SM]

I was in Bundoora last week for the Interstate u12 tournament. It's the best 12 year olds in the country.

I was impressed by the standard of the football. Good control, composure and positioning. As you would expect there's some big height differences between the boys at that age. The big lads could outrun and muscle the smaller ones. But some of the smaller lads were the most skillful. Victoria had a mini Phil Foden in the middle controlling everything.

A few times I saw the kids doing things that might work at club level but not when they come up against boys their own standard. Like taking on too many down the line and running into a blind alley, or turning back and forward a few times with the ball instead of just laying off a simple pass. The talented kids play up an age group but still have bad habits. I had a look at one of the girl's games. Even at that age there's huge difference in skill level.

This seems like a long-winded attempt to shit on the girls playing, or is there another point I've missed?

 

[Bojan KantKick]

I was in Bundoora last week for the Interstate u12 tournament. It's the best 12 year olds in the country.

I was impressed by the standard of the football. Good control, composure and positioning. As you would expect there's some big height differences between the boys at that age. The big lads could outrun and muscle the smaller ones. But some of the smaller lads were the most skillful. Victoria had a mini Phil Foden in the middle controlling everything.

A few times I saw the kids doing things that might work at club level but not when they come up against boys their own standard. Like taking on too many down the line and running into a blind alley, or turning back and forward a few times with the ball instead of just laying off a simple pass. The talented kids play up an age group but still have bad habits. I had a look at one of the girl's games. Even at that age there's huge difference in skill level.

 

[SM]

View attachment 1836970

There was that too.

 

[Bradesmaen]

sorted thinking men are better than women by just being men? Never heard that one before...

 

[Frank Bunn]

View attachment 1836970

When I moved here from the UK I noticed a different emphasis in the training of youth football. In Britain, it was about high tempo and fast closing down of space. In Australia, there was more of a focus on passing and keeping possession, possibly from a Dutch influence. You still see it in the A League - pass pass pass x30 then no end product.

The success of possession based coaches in the Premier League has filtered down to youth levels. But it still relies on a forward press and intensity of closing down. I did not see that in the best under 12s in Australia. There's clearly talent and a lot of resources being applied, but why is Australia not producing elite footballers?

 

[SM]

When I moved here from the UK I noticed a different emphasis in the training of youth football. In Britain, it was about high tempo and fast closing down of space. In Australia, there was more of a focus on passing and keeping possession, possibly from a Dutch influence. You still see it in the A League - pass pass pass x30 then no end product.

The success of possession based coaches in the Premier League has filtered down to youth levels. But it still relies on a forward press and intensity of closing down. I did not see that in the best under 12s in Australia. There's clearly talent and a lot of resources being applied, but why is Australia not producing elite footballers?

You've missed the point of the GIF.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

The success of possession based coaches in the Premier League has filtered down to youth levels. But it still relies on a forward press and intensity of closing down. I did not see that in the best under 12s in Australia. There's clearly talent and a lot of resources being applied, but why is Australia not producing elite footballers?

Not sure they’re going to worry too much forward press for u12s. Best English kids at 12 have had far better pathways than any kid in Australia

 

[Bojan KantKick]

Good innings but sad news.

 

[Bradesmaen]

Good innings but sad news.

Blacktown City legend

 

[RPCB]

Good innings but sad news.

RIP to a legend.

 

[Bojan KantKick]

 

[Frank Bunn]

RIP Sir Bobby Charlton.

He's possibly England's greatest ever player. He was known for his long shooting ability but his all round game was fantastic. He seemed like a good bloke too.

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

RIP Legend, sad day.

 

[Elmer_Hauser]

Good innings but sad news.

RIP to a legend.

His brother Jack was a true great and legend of Leeds United himself

Sad to read about their feud/falling out for so many years..

Happily they reconciled before Jack's passing in 2020

Definitely a sad day for all United and English football fans and I am glad MUFC won their match.

 

[RPCB]

 

[exe ex machina]

Found this on Youtube, the full game of the 1953 FA Cup final, often considered the best FA Cup final of all time...

 

[moomba]

Think this is going to be great

 

[Bradesmaen]

Think this is going to be great

The view from that spot looks amazing and it's the corner. Can't wait to book a flight over and go to a game.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

The view from that spot looks amazing and it's the corner. Can't wait to book a flight over and go to a game.

Wait for the Hull home game and go with SM

 

[Bradesmaen]

Wait for the Hull home game and go with SM

 

[Frank Bunn]

Found this on Youtube, the full game of the 1953 FA Cup final, often considered the best FA Cup final of all time...

Goals at 2, 35, 39, 55, 68, 89, 92 minutes.

It's interesting to compare to the modern game. The skills of the players are similar but they were working with a heavy ball. It was very clean, no bad tackles or simulation. Big shorts. Yellow cards and VAR hadn't been invented. All the players were English or Scottish.

Goalkeepers could pick up back passes but they had to get rid of it straight away. Goalkeepers didn't wear gloves. There were no substitutes. It's deemed as the Matthews final but he was up against a bloke who pulled his hamstring after 18 minutes, carried on, and still scored!