U19 - cause for concern?

[earl of leven 0]

Scotland lost 2-1 to Holland last night, and our team featured many young bears (5 I think)....yet even the coach Ross Mathie admitted that Holland were better in all departments.

 

Do we sometimes mistake our youth system 'getting better' with it being 'very good already'?

 

Scottish clubs have suffered for years from setting their own standards low, and basically aiming at other Scottish clubs....are we copying Ajax, or are we simply trying to beat ra shellik.....

 

Should we be worried that our youngsters appear still to be sruggling in terms of touch, composure and passing? Isn't that what we were promiserd from the Auchenhowie revamp?

[Gazza_8 233]

Losing to a Dutch U19 side isn't anything to be ashamed of.

[earl of leven 0]

Losing to a Dutch U19 side isn't anything to be ashamed of.

 

Yes but Ross Mathie said: "They were better in all departments.."

 

And we supplied the bulk of the squad.....shouldn't we really have got over the Scottish traits that lead to failure by now?

 

Full size pitches, offside, tall guys as defenders etc....excuses won't wash now surely? We've had years, decades, of not being anywhere near the top teams in youth development. When do we try and close the gap?

[Gazza_8 233]

How long have Rangers and Scotland had the facilites that their Dutch counterparts have been using for years?

 

The Dutch are masters of bringing youth players through the ranks.

[Frankie 8,552]

Quite simply there should be a complete revamp in the way the game is run at youth levels in this country.

 

However, as much as were hear sound-bites from the relevant people, practical and financial help is never forthcoming. Meanwhile, the social evils afflicting our country and our kin increase year on year.

 

But let's blame football fans singing daft songs for that.

[earl of leven 0]

The Dutch aren't masters at anything...I am re-reading 'Brilliant Orange' and believe me there is nothing unique about it, they're not robots. They simply believe in touch, control etc....then as boys grow they slowly bring in tactics, and maybe full size pitches...but always touch, pass and move, awareness, ability to play with either foot...but crucially, as Frankie says, it is adopted by all clubs at all levels. We are suffering from copying SFA blueprints etc, which are clearly wrong. When do we go it alone and learn from systems that work..that's all it is mate, systems...not aliens from space.

[Gazza_8 233]

They've successfully brought through players from their youth teams for years now so I'd say they're doing something right.

 

I wish we could do the same but something's missing. When we play in european games the touch and movement of the opposition (not just the Dutch) is so much better than us.

[earl of leven 0]

That's what RFC has to address mate...not rely on SFA to come up with a ten year plan blah blah...we've all heard it. We should set our own standards, copy the best, not some sh** SFA blueprint.

[jbrfc 0]

That's what RFC has to address mate...not rely on SFA to come up with a ten year plan blah blah...we've all heard it. We should set our own standards, copy the best, not some sh** SFA blueprint.

 

 

is that not what we are doing with Murry park?.

 

And we supplied the bulk of the squad. so we must be doing something right then .

[earl of leven 0]

Yes but the bulk of a squad that was tactically and technically inferior.

 

I fear we still follow general trends....we should not be allowing our kids to play for other teams; no full sized pitches; no offside traps; they should be getting one touch training etc.

 

We shall see....youth systems are worthless in themselves, they only attain value if they rear the kind of players we'd normally pay millions for. We need a Cuellar, or Prso, not more Charlie Adam types.

 

Time will tell.