2012 was an incredible year in sport. From Europe’s Miracle at Medinah and the summer’s Olympic story, to ‘Aguerooooo’ and the unbelievable scenes in Manchester on the final day of the Premier League season, 2012 was a year of records. 2013 may be a slightly quieter year in sport but there will certainly be no time for a come down in the world of football. And for many players, this will be there year to break records.
With competition as high as it’s ever been, it’s an incredibly tough bridge to cross between youth team and first team football at the elite end of English football. The reality is that players will need to prove themselves on a loan basis in order to kick start their professional career.
With this in mind PitchSideTalk takes a look at potential young players who could break through into first team football this calendar year…
Back for good: Townsend needs to finally settle at White Hart Lane. (source:google)
Andros Townsend – Tottenham Hotspur: No one can claim Townsend has sat and waited for his career to kick off in England. The 21-year-old has already endured loan spells at no less than eight clubs in his quest to seek regular first team football. With this movement, settling into a set up is near on impossible and although Townsend has enjoyed good moments on his travels, he has found it hard to learn his trade. However, he returned to join Spurs for pre season before the 2012/13 campaign and impressed enough for the club’s new manager to retain his services. Whilst his game time has been limited to a few sub appearances this season, the quick wide man has shown he can more than cope with the demands of the Premier League. If he can progress from merely coping to strongly affecting games, he should be one who gets more chances as the year goes on. It is not the time for another loan move for Townsend, who sits behind Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale in the winger’s pecking order, now is the time to deliver on a consistent basis at Spurs.
Lucas Piazon – Chelsea: Having initially began his football career playing Futsal, he switched to the grass form of the game at the age of 11 where his talent began to blossom. At 14 years old he moved away from his family in Cortiba to join Sao Paulo where he quickly progressed and caught the eye of a number of International scouts. Chelsea agreed to sign the Brazilian teenager in 2011 after fighting off competition from a number of clubs. At just 18 he has already been heavily involved with the clubs first team set up, making his Premier League debut against Aston Villa just before Christmas. He came on in the second half and looked more than comfortable in Chelsea’s midfield, assisting Rameires’ goal with his first few touches before winning a penalty which he subsequently took but unfortunately missed. With game time likely to be limited in the mega-star Chelsea side, a loan spell could be the thing to trigger the career of this hugely talented youngster.
Nick Powell – Manchester United: A product of the highly productive Crewe Alexander academy, Powell shone last season
New man: Powell finding his feet at Manchester United (scurce:google)
with his first team performance at the club at just 18, prompting swift interest and a move to Manchester United. Since the move he has, as expected, had limited opportunity’s but is surely a future star at Old Trafford. The teenager, who can operate as a forward or anywhere across the midfield, will see an opportunity in and ageing United midfield, with players like Scholes and Giggs no longer playing as regularly. However, as always with United, he faces tough competition and will have to be patient with his progress.
Who do you think could be the break-through player in the Premier League this calender year? Comment below or tweet @PitchSideTalk to have your say!
Posted in Home, Premier League, Youth | Tagged Andros Townsend, Chelsea, Lucas Piazon, Manchster United, Nick Powell, Tottenham Hotspur | Leave a Comment »
Violence in Copa Supamericana just 18 months ahead of Brazil 2014.
Brazil: Known for its carnivals, beaches and Samba-style Football, also for its corruption, violence and lack of order. A country with a crazy love for football, craziness though, often stretching to madness. When Brazil was awarded the 2014 World Cup, the initial feeling was positive, surely there is no better place to stage one of the greatest sporting shows on earth. Brazil’s national team plays and the country comes alive. Businesses close early, roads block up and bars fill as quickly as a Caipirinha cocktail can be poured.
However, behind the visage of passion and fancy football, there are underlining problems within Brazilian football, further highlighted by the Copa Sudamericana on Wednesday. The match between Brazil’s Sao Paulo and Argentinean side Tigre was played to decide the winner of South America’s second most prestigious competition. The atmosphere was heated in Sao Paulo’s Murumbi stadium before kick off, heightened by a 0-0 draw in the first leg at Tigres stadium.
On the pitch, the home team quickly took control of proceedings. They went ahead through a goal from Lucas, in his last game for the club before he moves to Paris St. German. Five minutes later Osvaldo scored with an audacious chip-shot past Tigres’ goal keeper, giving the home team a 2-0 lead going into half time. But at half time the trouble started. A fight broke out between the players, leaving police and match officials having to prevent violent outbreaks. After a few minutes of individual confrontations – in most parts just unfavorable comments to opposition – the players left the pitch for the interval.
At that point the situation looked to have settled down but the events to follow have quite rightly taken the sporting world by shock. Reports suggest that Brazilian police officers made their way into the Tigres dressing room armed with guns and baton sticks. Not to have a quiet talk with the staff but instead to intimidate, frighten and even abuse the players. A gun was pointed at Tigres’ goalkeeper Damian Albil’s whilst the Argentine media claim to have photos of a blood stained dressing room with comments that players were hit with police sticks.
Remarkably, despite the fact Tigres refused to play the second half, Sao Paulo received the trophy and appeared to celebrate like all was normal. The club’s president even stated, ‘They were going to lose by a big score. Our biggest victory is the fact that the Argentines ran away.’ Forgetting completely the Tigres players sat in their dressing room, waiting for three hours before being able to exit the stadium safely. An incredible, ridiculous but above all worrying day for South American football, just eighteen months before Brazil are set to host the 2014 World Cup. A place of passion, partying and positive atmosphere – but not for the Tigres players and this is by far an isolated incident.
Player violence on the pitch is something that can be easily dealt with, with the use of ‘legal’ disciplinary action. Not taking police batons to players at half time but instead by using the two yellow and red weapons available to every referee. However, the fear in this is the behavior of the legal system. A legal system that in eighteen months will be in charge of controlling an event of the highest scale, an event which will include people from all over the world.
There will no doubt be investigations into the incidents in the Murumbi Stadium on Wednesday, but likewise there will no doubt be hidden information from what appears to be a corrupt police force. A team unwilling to play the second half of a final is incredibly worrying, but the words of Sao Paulo’s president suggests the naivety of a great football nation to address the situation they face – ‘Our biggest victory is the fact that the Argentines ran away.’
…What are your thoughts on the situation in Brazil ahead of the 2014 World Cup?
Thoughts/Comments welcome. Comment below or tweet @pitchsidetalk. All support appreciated!
Posted in Home, International | Tagged Brazil, Copa Sudamericana, Sao Paulo, World Cup | Leave a Comment »
The highly talked about and highly rated Oluwaseyi (Seyi) Ojo began his career with MK Dons academy, playing for the Buckinghamshire based club from the age of 10.
During his time with the Dons, Ojo played a number of age groups above himself, even playing with the U18′s and training with the first team at the tender age of 13. In his U14′s season, he gained further attention after impressive performances with England’s U16′s, so much so that a number of English clubs showed an interest in him. At the age of 14, Ojo made the move north to sign for Premier League club Liverpool.
He is now in his second season with the Merseyside club and continues to develop, again playing in groups above his age. Noticeably his performance against Wolves FC U18′s recently when the attacking midfielder scored, assisted and won a penalty (see video below).
A versatile player who is technically and mentally strong enough to play all over the pitch, with the ability to keep the ball in tight areas, beat players with ease, pick out a finely placed pass – and best of all he is already involved within the England’s youth teams.
What we know about him… D.O.B – 19/06/1997 (age:15)Posted in Home, NextGenWatch, Youth | Tagged Liverpool FC, MK Dons, Oluwaseyi Ojo | Leave a Comment »
You wait for one, and then two come at the same time. That was the case with this weeks sacking of the first two Premier League managers of the season.
Having accumulated just four points in twelve games, and after spending £18m in the summer transfer
Poor decisions: Hughes’ new players failed to gel under his management (source:google)
market, QPR’s Mark Hughes was always going to be walking a tight rope in November. The clubs investment has not been matched with results and the football world has quickly begun to question Hughes’ choice of intakes.
But should this have come as a surprise? Hughes may have enjoyed decent spells as manager with Wales and Blackburn but as of 2008, when he joined Manchester City, his managerial career has not exactly been bathed in glory. In City he had the opportunity, and certainly the budget, to build a legacy. Instead he failed – signing big-name players without necessarily considering how right they were for the team. After his stint with Fulham, owner Al Fayed called the Welshman a ‘flop’, so why was Tony Fernandez so trusting with his millions at QPR? The only real surprise was that the decision to remove Hughes was not made earlier. Harry Redknapp, the man who can rescue the doomed, has now been tasked with saving the club from a position where very few teams have avoided relegation before.
All Smiles: Di Matteo winning the Champions League in May (source:bbc)
A few miles South-East towards Chelsea and there is a very different situation. Roberto Di Matteo – an ex-Chelsea hero as a player, the saviour of the club in February and the first manager to lead them to Champions League success in May. A manager who just a few weeks ago was hailed as the man to finally transform an ageing Chelsea side into a fluid attacking force with one of the best attacking units in world football. A few poor performances later, and some noticeable defeats in the Champions League, and Di Matteo finds himself in need of a visit to Cobham’s job centre, albeit presumably with a multi million-pound pay out. Either way, the man who saved the club last season, has been let down by an owner unwilling to put faith in any of his managers. When they finally looked to have turned a corner, Chelsea have another interim manager and no obvious long term plan. It is a shame no one at the club is brave enough to tell Abramovich that stability brings success. It is a shame he has not looked at the structure of current league leaders Manchester United.
The appointment of Rafa Benitez may give Chelsea a more experienced manager, it may even give Fernando Torres’ a little bit of confidence, but it is surely only a matter of time before he is next to be moved on. Abramovich may be waiting for the services of Pep Guardiola or Jose Mouriniho, but unfortunately for him it is often the case that if you miss one bus, the next can be far away.
Fans Thoughts – What do you make of the sacking of Hughes and Di Matteo? And what next for the two London clubs?…
Thoughts/Comments Welcome. Follow @pitchsidetalk and comment below, all support apppreciated!
Posted in Europe, Home, Premier League | Tagged Chelsea, Harry Redknapp, Mark Hughes, QPR, Rafa Benitez, Ro, Roberto Di Matteo, Tony Fernandez | Leave a Comment »
With the ECA Europe Academy Report recently published, PitchSideTalk takes a look at the facts and figures that surround it. The report looks at European academy’s of all sizes, from Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy to the youth set-up of Finland’s FC Honka. The ECA is a governing body, created in 2008, to monitor the work undergone by academies. The last few seasons in European football have highlighted the need for successful youth set-ups and with the installation of Financial Fair Play measures; it is something clubs are now prioritising on. Below PitchSideTalk takes a look at some of the things the report suggests – analysing and comparing results and ideas from a small selection of the clubs involved.
Young Gun: Wilshere in the early days of his professional career at Arsenal.
Arsenal, England.
Money Spent: €6m per year.
Target: ‘To produce first team players. To be self-sufficient and generate profits.’
Philosophy: ‘The focus is only on quality.’ – Arsene Wenger
Learning Structure: 8-10 – Play and fun, receiving passes, dribbling and shooting, small sided games. 11-15 – Technical skills development. Drill work. Development of individual capacity within competitive games. 15+ - Tactical skills development. Emphasis on collective performances, positioning and tactical coaching.
Work with weights: U15 upwards. Recent Results: Many of Arsenal’s first team players have graduated from the academy. Noticeably Jack Wilshere who joined the club aged 10. Unique Aspect: 1st Team manager Arsene Wenger coaches the older academy groups during the senior International breaks. Coaches: Academy coaches are ideally ex-players with significant experience at a high level. Barcelona, Spain. Money Spent: €10m per year. Target: ‘To have a main squad with players from the academy.’ Learning Structure: 7-11 – General exercises to stimulate technique and overall football concepts. Small sided games. 12-18 – To familiarise and develop skills. Offensive and defensive concepts. Strong emphasis on possession, on passing accuracy, on fluid movement between the orthodox delineations of midfield and attack.
Work with weights: Not before 17 years old.
Recent Results: Virtually the entire Barcleona 1st team squad has graduated from its academy. Players like Xavi, Iniesta, Messi and Busquets, to name only a few, have played at the club since childhood.
Unique Aspect: Most of the academy players attend the same local school. Importance of education is constantly emphasised, a number of Barcelona B players even studying at undergraduate degree level.
Coaches: Usually very young, do not necessarily have past experience at high levels.
Ajax, Holland.
Veterans: Former Ajax academy graduates returning to coach the clubs next generation.
Developing: Young Luka Modric playing for Dinamo Zageb before his move to Europe’s elite of football.
NK Dinamo Zagreb, Croatia.
Money Spent: €1.3m per year. Target: ‘A minimum of two players from each age group will finish their youth careers in Dinamo Zagreb’s youth team.’ Philosophy: ‘Repetition is key as the players are focused on creating the right reactions in ball handling and in combining and cooperating.’ – Damir Vrbanovic, NK Dinamo’s CEO (2011). Learning Structure: U8-U9 – Applications of technique in free play. Tactical preparation and theory, taking up positions and maintaining basic formation. U10-U11 – Individual tactics, defence and attack. Encouraging one-vs-one and possession games. U12-U16 – Advances in tactical development, focusing on working in different units. Developing physical and functional abilities in the sensitive phases. Work with weights: Not before the age of 16. Recent Results: Over the last five years the cost of the academy reached €6.5m. The return from selling players was €50m, equalling a Net Profit of €43.5m. Unique Factor: The club run successful summer schools in the USA, Canada, Australia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Coaches: High level of intelligence, stable personality. Ability to transfer knowledge, feeling for the game, not necessary a former top player. Sporting Lisbon, Portugal. Money Spent: €5m per year. Target: ‘Highest number of players to reach the first team of Sporting Clube De Portugal.’ Philosophy: ‘The mission of the club is to produce football players who can compete at the highest level. It also aims to integrate the Sporting professional team with the promotion of a solid education.’ Learning Structure: 7-13 – Focus on technique, transition from an anarchic game to an organised game. 14-17 – Begin to consider and consolidate tactical aspects of the game. Focus on physical aspect and player profile. 19-21 – Specialist roles and positions, give one or more players to the first team. Recent Results: Since 2002, Sporting has obtained more than €95m with the transfers of academy graduates.
A Star Is Born: Cristiano Ronaldo playing in his youth days at Sporting Lisbon.
Posted in Europe, Home, Youth | Tagged Academy, Ajax, Arsenal, Barcelona, Cristiano Ronaldo, Croatia, England, Holland, Jack Wilshere, Lionel Messi, Luka Modric, NK Dinamo Zagreb, Portugal, Spain, Sporting Lisbon | Leave a Comment »
Twelve Goal Thriller That Sends A More Senior Arsenal Side Through In The Capital One Cup
Fast Start: Roberts scoring the opener at the Madejski stadium (source:mirror)
The League Cup has season after season been viewed by the major teams as very much a minor competition, the domestic Europa Cup if you will. It acts as a platform for clubs to explore their squads, give experience to younger players and employ man-management. Unless you are a team who will struggle to win any other silverware, unless you are a manager under pressure at a club which has underachieved for years – seven years to be exact.
So maybe there was a slightly different mindset when Arsene Wenger picked his team to face Reading in the Capital One League Cup. In the past Wenger has played his kids, often seeming to mock his opponents on his way to victory. The likes of Fabregas, Ramsey and Wilshere have all matured playing in the competition in recent years. But the situation at Arsenal is very different to when Fabregas was a teenager. They will again face a battle to make Champions League qualification this season with their only realistic challenges for silverware coming from the domestic cup competitions.
With growing pressure on Wenger to produce trophies, made no easier by his claims in the clubs recent AGM that qualification for Europe is as good as winning a trophy, the Frenchman selected more of a senior side compared to previous years. Experienced players like Laurent Koscielny, Theo Walcott and Karl Jenkinson all started for the away side in Wenger’s slightly muted attempt to take the competition more serious, but without making his intentions too obvious. If the first half of the game taught any lesson, and it had to of taught a few, it was that playing senior players doesn’t always mean a professional performance. Steve Bould sat bemused at Arsenal’s lack of defensive qualities, having received recent accolades for their improvement in this area.
Pressure On: Wenger knows its been too long without success (source:telegraph)
Reading started well, rocked the Majeski Stadium and were three nil up within the first twenty minutes. The first came from the boot of veteran striker Jason Roberts. Roberts latched on to a cross placed behind Arsenal’s less-than-convincing defence and slotted home. The second was more worrying for Wenger. Sloppy defending on Arsenal’s left side of defence allowed another Reading cross from a wide area which senior defender Laurent Koscielny could only deflect into his own net. The scoreboard got worse for Arsenal when Leighterwood’s shot, seemingly easy to deal with for young goalkeeper Martinez, was flapped at by the South American and subsequently rolled into the away net. Reading’s fourth goal was maybe without a mistake, albeit by the referee for not picking up an earlier foul on Chamakh. An accurate cross and fantastic header from Noel Hunt.
A glimmer of hope for the travelling team came on the half time whistle when Theo Walcott was played through the middle, a position he has suggested he should find himself more often, before audaciously lobbing goalkeeper Federici. If the first half acted as a lesson to Arsenal’s youngsters, the second half was perhaps their graduation. A three-goal response left the crowd, players and managers stunned in West London. Olivier Giroud contributed with a headed goal with his first touch after coming on before defender Koscielny made up for earlier errors to make it 4-3 in the last minute of normal time. The comeback was on and in the 95th minute, Fergie time for those who don’t know, when Karl Jenkinson scored his first goal for the club.
Extra time loomed with Arsenal looking certain to take the initiative from there on. Reading looked
Star on the night: Walcott contributed two goals in the 12th goal cup thriller (source:google)
beaten, their fans in despair and their owner left in a sulk. To make things worse, a goal for Marouane Chamakh ten minutes into extra time put Arsenal ahead for the first time in the match. From then on chances were presented to both, mainly from defensive mishaps instead of attacking genius, but nevertheless they were created and Reading responded once more with their fifth and the games tenth goal on the 113th minute. To highlight the defensive issues of the night, it was the game’s fourth headed goal, scored by Paul Pogrebynak. Seven minutes left, penalties beckoning but for one last piece of genius. And maybe it came from the most unlikely source, Andrei Arshavin terrorised Reading’s defence before the ball finally fell to Walcott who grabbed his second of the night. As if that wasn’t enough, Chamakh grabbed a seventh for Arsenal after a mistake from Chris Gunter, left isolated in a one-man back line.
An exhausting match for players and spectators, one you’d expect to see on a local park and not in a all-Premier-League encounter. Reading manager Brian McDermot watched his side lose a four goal lead while Arsene Wenger looked too embarrassed to show his delight at the win after witnessing what he had just seen. Nevertheless Arsenal progress with a seemingly strengthened determination in the competition this season. Perhaps Wenger has decided on a change of attitude towards the cup. Or perhaps pressure from the board has been implemented, and a message that the Capital One Cup is an opportunity for success and therefore must be taken seriously. Either way Arsenal fans will know they had a lucky escape tonight but can look forward to a competitive streak in domestic cup games this season.
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Posted in English Cups, Home, Youth | Tagged Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Brian McDermot, Capital One Cup, Reading, Theo Walcott | Leave a Comment »
