General Football Thread

[Colly]

Think he might take a leaf from Neville Nevilles book and call the next one Beckham Beckham Beckham. That's what I'd do anyway.

[IAceI]

Under-17 World Cup came to an end on Sunday with a true fairy-tale ending as home team Mexico, with 98,000 fans behind them, defeated the cheating, diving, preening tossers of Uruguay 2-0 who prove that it is possible to detest a nation from the senior team to it's youth ranks.

It was a pretty standard match, Mexico always looked a little bit better than Uruguay who somehow made it to the final having finished second in the group (behind England who beat them 2:0 in the group stage).

They beat the highly impressive Uzbek U17 team in the quarter finals and then managed to beat Brazil 3:0 despite being pretty much outclassed. They got an early penalty and then sat back and hit two counter attacking goals to seal the match, but they are just a disgusting team to watch. At one point one of their players gave a sly kick to the head of Leo and got away with a booking, there's just something so thoroughly detestable about Uruguay.

The third place play off match was the one with all the thrills and spills though, Germany winning 4:3 after being down 3:1. Samed Yesil was, again, an absolute phenomenon and just one of those players who looked a class above the rest. In my eyes the German teams were the best team there but were out thought in their semi final against Mexico and unlucky to go out. But the match showcased the best of the best players on either side. Yesil looked great, Adryan (despite his shocking dive) was good, Ademilson (with the back-heel for the first goal) linked well with Lucas Piazon (signed to Chelsea). The third Germany goal where Yesil flicks it to Aycicek is just brilliant.

Here are the highlights from the 3rd place play off for your viewing pleasure.

http://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup/highlights/video/video=1472779/index.html

[DavidMarrio]

There is quite a few good youngsters from our academy in the U17s who have said to have been impressive. I always enjoy the u17's, u19's competitions cause you get a real sense of who might be the next breakout star or people who have the potential but don't quite end up living up to it.

Sinama-Pongolle is a good example think he was top goalscorer once in the u17s or u19s and didn't quite end up reaching expectations put on him.

[IAceI]

Sinama-Pongolle is (now) joint top scorer of this competition when he managed 9 goals in six games in 2001 in Trinidad & Tobago. That was equalled this year by Souleymane Couilbaly of the Ivory Coast who scored 9 goals in just four games including four against Denmark and a hat-trick against Brazil. And in fairness to Pongolle, he's on the books at Sporting Lisbon (loaned to St. Etienne) and has played for Atletico and Recreativo - so while his Liverpool spell wasn't amazing, and he may not be as good as people hyped him up to be, he hasn't been a total flop and has done quite well where he's been.

Nii Lamptey, now there's someone who fell apart after being hyped up in the U17 tournament.

Anyways, Coulibaly is meant to be attracting interest from Real Madrid and Tottenham - and Samed Yesil from Arsenal - should remain with their clubs (Siena and Leverkusen) and develop there before they move anywhere in my opinion.

Who were the Liverpool lads? Raheem Sterling looked very good for England, best player in my eyes, cuts inside from the left a lot and takes shots. Looks dangerous, and seems to know when to make the right passes. Definitely seems worth the signing.

Brad Smith too at left back. Wasn't spectacular but relatively solid. Looked good against Germany alongside Magri, Chalobah and Cousins - but they were diabolical for the most part, more than Smith being good.

Were there any others? They're the only two I can think of off the top of my head who played much.

[DavidMarrio]

Think there was about 6 in total from us in the squad:

Tyrell Belford, Brad Smith, Matthew Regan, Raheem Sterling, Jack Dunn and Adam Morgan.

I think the problem with Pongolle was is around the time of when we signed him he was hyped up as being one of the next big french things along with Le Tallac when we got the pair of them. And while he wasn't good for us he wasn't necessarily bad either. Got about 4 goals in 38 appearences like. His best spell has been at Recreativo by far (only club he's managed over 10 league goals a season) got about 22 league goals in 2 seasons but he just seems to be moving about from place to place really.

Same with the England under 19's we have a few players in the squad and it looks promising for the future but I'm just skeptical over whether they'll actually get into the first team due to our past. There is some really good english talent in the under 17's and under 19's they just need to be given a chance when the time comes at their respective clubs.

[IAceI]

Think Morgan was quite decent, came off the bench a few times to decent effect - if it's the one I'm thinking of. Not sure the other three played a huge part. Good to see Liverpool putting forward some English talent though. Should be said that not many of the U17 team go on to represent their country at the top level, so I'm not sure how many of this team will be there in 5 years time. I'd wager Sterling probably will be though.

And Pongolle is probably a good example of why he should have stayed at Le Havre and developed rather than sign for Liverpool at such a young age with so much hype and potential around him. That hype is only there around this tournament, for example if Souleymane Coulibaly signs for Real Madrid now - then he's got to perform, he's the next big thing - if he stays at Siena, then in a year moves to - for example - Genoa, or whoever, no one will say "Oh he's that guy who turned down Madrid and has clearly gone shite now."

Had Pongolle stayed at le Havre and developed a bit more rather than being thrown in at the deep end, maybe he would have improved more and been able to live up to more of his potential. Start for Liverpool? Still very unlikely. I struggle to think of too many success stories where a player moves at 16 years old from a team to another and goes on to become a massive success. Fabregas aside, and in fairness that was Barca to Arsenal of all transfers. I'm sure there are some, but I'd wager they pale in comparison to players who have succeeded who have stayed at the same club from say, 7-18/19/20 years old and been allowed to develop.

Staying at their club and being made to develop is always the best idea if you ask me. Real Madrid have fantastic facilities, but those facilities should be used to develop their own players. I just don't see how Madrid signing Coulibaly aged 16 would help him. Even if they signed him for age 18 and left him at Siena until then, moving at 18 would be a big step up for him. Personally the progression of someone like Hamsik (Slovan -> Brescia -> Napoli) and now he's looking at some of the biggest names in football chasing his signature, is going to be a better way to go than jumping to one of the big boys at a young age and hoping it works out. Nemanja Matic I'm looking at you. Ruins potential too much if you ask me.

Bit of a tangent there, where was I?

Oh yes. Basically I haven't really seen anything in the U17 or U21 (and we aren't in the U19 Euro comp this year) to say that in 5 years we'll be any better or worse than we currently are. The problem lies at grassroots more than anything, and our archaic style of tactics. What is it Bilic said about us, we force players into a formation, rather than giving our players tactical assignments. Or something like that.

Plus we're obsessed with determination, passion, the term 'box-to-box' which was pretty much derided by Xabi Alonso, and an ignorant determantion to do as much as we can and go move the ball forward as much as we can despite impossible circumstances.

Anyways I'm ranting. Raheem Sterling seems like a bright prospect for the future. A wily signing from Liverpool in my eyes.

[DavidMarrio]

There was an interesting article in last months Four Four Two about our obsession in terms of the physical side as well how instead of trying to teach the kids the basics in terms of technique instead people sign the big strong people or the small and quick players.

I mean when you look at some players like Xavi or Iniesta they aren't the strongest and they aren't the quickest yet they have some of the best skills around, thats what we need to focus on instead. Teaching kids how to do the basics and give them better skills.

And yeh I agree with you fully about some big clubs rushing to sign "the next big thing" it doesnt help the player at all, your example of Hamsik is a good one, a progression of moving to better clubs has allowed him to develop as a player instead of getting rushed to a side like Man.U when he was younger and now he's touted by some of the biggest clubs around and deservedly so.

[EddieG]

In a player vote, 20 out of 23 Feyenoord players have voted out Mario Been as manager.

[Starvinho]

Just another decent goal...

[Lineker]

Massimo Busacca, the Swiss official who infuriated Arsenal last season by sending off Robin van Persie against Barcelona, has been appointed as FIFA's head of referees.

[MDK]

Anything that infuriates Arsenal is good in my book

[Lineker]

World's oldest football rulebook auctioned for £881,250.

Have they looked closely for any small print mentioning goal line technology?

[IAceI]

Has anyone seen this fella?

Just apparently he's a neo-nazi child abductor and wanted by police.

[GoGo Yubari]

"Demi Berbaton" sounds like the name of a soccer-playing android.

[DavidMarrio]

"Demi Berbaton" sounds like the name of a soccer-playing android.

Sounds like something from PES haha

[Starvinho]

Brazilian star Juninho is to make a final appearance for Middlesbrough in their pre-season friendly clash with PSV Eindhoven, reports the Press Association. The 38-year-old, who represented the club in three separate spells and was a member of the team which lifted the Carling Cup in 2004, will play some part in the game next Friday evening.

He loves Middlesbrough that guy...

[therockbox]

Birmingham are apparently about to go into administration.

[Lineker]

[IAceI]

Facepalm and all that. Some rules need to come in regarding ownership sooner or later, although some more sense may be needed. You have Carson Yeung coming in and then it being revealed he's a right little toerag. QPR's monied elite treating them as a cash cow trying to bring in the tourist fans and pricing out the loyal supporters. It's a bit of a joke.

On the other hand, has anybody been watching the European U19 Championships? It's basically the Spain show, Gerard Deulofeu on the right right wing has been absolutely sensational. From Barcelona. Reckon he's on the verge of cracking into the first team and should get some Copa Del Rey appearances in the coming season. They kid is just phenomenal. Step overs galore, head up, runs at his man and skips past him like Walcott/Lennon/SWP but does it with more composure and skill rather than pace, and then, unlike them, can put a cross in. Looks a real talent, and just one of many in the Spanish squad.

[IAceI]

Also this is worth it's own post. This goal from Czech Republic v Greece the other day oozes class. Gets better with every single replay.

http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/tomas-prikryl-greece-u19-13897029/

Shit celebration though. Ruins it with that shite.