Blueprint for Success - Craig Foster speaks some sense!

Something has roused me out of blog slumber.

Australia u/17s have been knocked out of the u/17 World Cup after their defeat to Mexico 3-0 a couple days ago. After losing the first match against Turkey 1-0, their last game is meaningless. With the A-League in full swing and the Australia World Cup qualifier coming up, the match may be overlooked. But what it shows is the complete downfall of the Australia's youth set up in the last decade. When I was growing up, I would look forward to staying up or waking up early to watching the youth tournaments. Unlike the full internationals, Australia was always competitive in youth tournaments and had young exciting players who were actually good to watch. Who could forgot Ned Zelic's goal from an impossible angle against Holland to lead them to victory. AGAINST HOLLAND! A world football powerhouse! To indicate how backwards we have gone, you just had to see Australia-Holland in the recent u/20 World Cup. Beaten 3-0 comfortable, it was almost embarassing. We never even looked like getting near their goal. While they had players who were playing for Ajax, Arsenal, Feyenoord etc, our top players were struggling the old NSL.

Thankfully, the u/17s elimination hasn't gone completely unnoticed. Craig Foster in the paper said that it was 'rubbish' and the football we have been playing is 'crap'. I've heard him before on the World Game talk about the way kids aged around 10 years old are trained. Running, running and more running. Kids that age should be on the ball for the whole training. What the hell is the point of making them run the whole training? Kids that age run around the whole day anyway so they don't need fitness training. The problems start that early in the development. Players grow up to be machines with no technique or flair.

Former coach Les Scheinflug who led the youth teams through success (even taking the u/17s to the World Cup final just 5 years ago) has also called for heads to roll.

-there are "too many non-football" people in Football Federation Australia; said we are stuck with an "outdated English football mentality"
-"We have to get back to the basics of teaching techniques, skills, vision and speed. Bring in South American and French coaches.

A good example of a proper set up is in France. Gerard Houllier was in charge of the French youth set up in Clairfontaine in the 90s and basically they had a certain philosphy about the football their national teams would play, from the youth to the full team. This provided consistency throughout the whole set up and most importantly, produced technically gifted players who played the game properly. This also facilitated easier changing of coaches:
-Even if the Federation suddenly decides to appoint a different national coach, the team the philosophy and the continuity are already in place.
France in the 90s after the Platini-peroid in the 80s were rubbish. They failed to even make World Cup 94. However the generation that came out of Clairefontain won World Cup 98 and EURO 2000 and have arguably produced the best player of our generation, Zidane.

And even after failing in 2001, we kept on with Frank bloody Farina. Seriously he set football back in this country 10 years. People may say if we don't make it, that Guus Hiddink is a waste of money, but when you look at what he has got to work with then it puts it into perspective. Australia struggled to beat Iraq and Indonesia because they have absolutely no idea how to play. He played players like Emerton over Culina just because of reputation.

CHANGES HAVE TO MADE. OVERHAUL THE YOUTH SETUP. GET RID OF THE ENGLISH MENTALITY AND GET COACHES WHO FOCUS ON TECHNIQUE AND KEEPING POSSESSION OF THE BALL!!!

Another thing I can't stand is all the morons who say the English Premier League is the best league in the world. Well if you go in terms of which the most predictable, boring, non-imaginative, kick and run league then yes it wins hands down.
And the worst thing is the amount of coverage it gets in Australia. I seriously reckon there is some conspiracy where the Australian Football Federation sold their soul to England in the 90s and basically said we will base our whole setup on theres and give their league maximum coverage.
What the hell has England won since I've been alive? ..................................................................
NOTHING

People need to watch the Spanish and even the Italian league to a degree. Technique, skill, flair and Ronaldinho!! They actually keep possession of the ball and don't just boot it forward when their right or left back gets the ball.
No wonder our youth teams are crap.

Even Adelaide United are crap to watch. I will support them no matter what but jebus...cmon Kosmina seeing United scrap through for another hard fought 1-0 victory gets boring after a while. Queensland Roar are the best team I have watched so far but they won't win anything.

Anyway what a rant.

In summary Australian football sucks cause all we produce now are players who are boring and basically an English clone.

The late Johnny Warren always stated that we have to learn so much more from the South Americans. The 'beautiful' game. The way football is meant to played. Fun and carefree.

Saying all that, CMON WE GOTTA BEAT THOSE SOUTH AMERICAN BURRITOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!