The Soccer Blog: Youth

Showing posts with label Youth. Show all posts

Thursday, 31 March 2011

Bierhoff calls for investment in youth

Germany general manager Oliver Bierhoff thinks greater emphasis should be placed on developing youth players at national level.

Bierhoff, who netted 37 goals in 70 appearances for his country during a distinguished career, also thinks football federations and leagues should work together to develop the national team.

“I think it’s important to have a philosophy and long term strategy,” Bierhoff said.

“Obviously there is short term interests – you have to win the next game, you have to stay in the league.”

“But you have to see in the long run and I think if you invest in the youth section and you give them a good education technically and physically then you have a wider choice for the coaches for the first team to put some young players in.”

The 42-year-old also believes that leagues and federations should be closely linked in the process of helping young players develop.

“A good national team is also good for the clubs and good performances for the clubs is also good for the national team,” he said.

“I think you have to oblige the clubs to invest a certain amount of money every year into this education. Then you have to have the courage to let these players play in the league.”

Thu 31 March, 2011

Wednesday, 16 March 2011

Video: Liverpool v. Man United, FA Youth Cup

By: Noel | March 16th, 2011
Tweet

Ed will be along later in the day with the Braga preview, but in the meantime there isn’t much out there on the Liverpool news front, which perhaps shouldn’t be all that surprising on the final day of a long off-week between matches. Still, when you’re down to staring at indeterminate articles about potential behind the scenes issues involving an agent who may or may not have had something to do with Andy Carroll’s transfer to Liverpool which in turn might or might not have an impact on his former agent suing him for breach of contract, well, it makes a news and notes wrap up rather hard to scrape together.

I suppose I could always just point anyone who normally finds their way here via a news aggregator whose various filters and algorithms block the devil’s dirty evil curse words towards yesterday’s sweartacular offering about Fernando Torres, but I wouldn’t want to seem to be shilling for clicks. But if you haven’t read the piece about former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres from yesterday, you really should go and Fernando Torres it. Fernando Torres.

Seriously, though, the overlords at The Offside will beat me if we fall short of various synergistic blogform hit levels of sychronistic exceptionalism. Fernando Torres.

Ahem.

Anyhow, for the rest of you, something you’re more likely to need catching up on would be Liverpool’s FA Youth Cup match from last weekend. Certainly that Liverpool’s now out makes it less pressing news, but it was still an at times wild and entertaining affair, with Liverpool going up 2-0 before a run that saw a pair of a pair of red cards as four players were sent off while United fought back to claim a narrow victory in a match that at times got as ugly in the away stands as it did on the pitch. So for those who may have missed it due to time zones or time changes or simply because you don’t have access to LFCtv, here you go:

p.s.: Apologies that the only highlight package out there with commentary appears to be from the MUFCtv feed.

p.p.s.: Fernando Torres.

Some Related Liverpool Posts:Video: The Liverpool GrooveVideo: Andy Carroll v. Sporting BragaYouth Cup Wrap, A Deal for Dalglish, and Other Sunday NotesVideo: Safe StandingVideo: Luis Suarez v. West Ham

Category: Miscellaneous

Tags: FA Youth Cup, Manchester United, Miscellaneous, Noel's really a bit of a dick, Video Highlights, Video Killed the Radio Star
Tweet « Fernando Torres Just Won’t Shut Up | Home | LFC4LIFEDamn. Manure will always be Manureblog comments powered by Disqus

Harry Redknapp, England manager? (Awful writing) Is It Too Early to Get Excited About Sturridge? Denmark 1 - 2 England (Via Hamlet) more news...

Search The Offside

Sunday, 13 March 2011

Youth Cup Wrap, A Deal for Dalglish, and Other Sunday Notes

By: Ed | March 13th, 2011
Tweet

timechange Those observing daylight savings time over the past seven (or six, or eight) hours likely find themselves in a similar predicament as I—overly tired, trying to convince yourself that it’s actually 9:00 am when you’re used to it being 8:00am, and mostly irritated as you wrap your head around the justifications for an antiquated ritual that’s based on one adult child’s tantrum that he couldn’t stay out later in his big boy clothes and play with bugs some more. It’s possible that that’s a slightly altered version of how things happened, but I’d argue the core of the argument remains the same, and I’d be okay if we just left the clocks alone.

Or maybe I’m just bitter about waking up an hour early to watch Liverpool v. Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup and then “waiting” for kickoff by sleeping through most of the first half. There was plenty of action left, however, and the 3-2 loss for the young Reds leads the day’s news:

** The build up to today’s quarterfinal was almost like a senior squad match, and the final product came pretty close to delivering. Liverpool took a 2-0 lead through two goals from striker Adam Morgan and looked to be continuing a run of form that’s seen them nab a fair bit of the spotlight. Morgan’s goals were buttressed by confident displays from the usual characters—Suso, Raheem Sterling, and Conor Coady all put in quality shifts in their own right, and John Flanagan was likewise impressive.

Things got a bit nutty shortly after Morgan’s second, though, as a double sending off for Stephen Sama and Paul Pogba gave way to a three-goal second half for United. Larnell Cole got the visitor’s first, and two goals from Ravel Morrison proved to be the difference. Despite the loss, the second half was plenty exciting, and the atmosphere for the entire match was phenomenal (bar a few unfortunate chants from a small section of United fans). A few late incidents, including another double sending off for Conor Coady and Tyler Blackett, dampened things a bit, but all in all a match worth watching. Exciting to see what happens over the next few years for those involved, particularly the names mentioned above.

** Late last night there were a few reports that Kenny Dalglish had been offered a two-year contract—Yann mentioned it in the comments of Noel’s post yesterday around the same time that I was reading something similar over at the Daily Express:

The 60-year-old Kop legend, who has transformed the club’s fortunes since replacing the sacked Roy Hodgson in January, had asked American owners John W Henry and Tom Werner for a four-year deal. Henry and Werner were reluctant to look beyond two years but have promised a review if progress continues to be made under Dalglish.

Sunday Express Sport can reveal that Steve Clarke, who was brought in as a coach to work alongside Dalglish by Damien Comolli, Liverpool’s director of football strategy, is on a three-and-a-half-year contract.

It is understood that Dalglish wants a lucrative financial package to compensate for a lack of long-term security. Those negotiations are still going on.

Without anything coming from the club (which likely wouldn’t come until something was finalized anyway) we can’t pop the cork just yet, but I think we can all hope that there’s some truth to the reports for both Dalglish and Clarke. At this point you’d have to say that it would be a massive mistake for the owners not to be working towards this sort of deal—Dalglish’s return, aided by the signing of Clarke, has gone far beyond sentimentalism. They’ve got Liverpool headed towards brighter days, and it’s a necessity that everything’s done to keep them around.

** Lastly, there’s been growing transfer rumblings about pre-contract agreements in the works, and two of the more commonly associated names are Sylvain Marveaux and Taye Taiwo. Nothing in the past week or so regarding the latter, but the former is apparently edging closer to an Anfield move:

The Reds and Premier League rivals Newcastle have been linked with a move for the 24-year-old, but Kenny Dalglish is believed to be leading the way for his services.

Marveaux himself seems ready to commit to the Anfield club, despite having spent his entire professional career with Rennes. Speaking to The People, he said: “I am very close to reaching agreement with Liverpool about joining them next season.”

It’s all well and good until you realize that the source is the People, a paper which also produced this still-steaming pile of shit. So I guess there’s actually no transfer news worth discussing. Go figure, it being March and all.

That about does it for what turned out to be an unexpectedly exciting Sunday morning, unless you’re just waking up to face the harsh reality of a world that needlessly catapulted itself an hour into the future. Enjoy what’s left of your weekend, at least what time will allow. Just don’t fall wanking to the floor…

Some Related Liverpool Posts:FA Youth Cup, Poll Wrap, and Other Monday NotesGerrard on Dalglish, Approaching Wolves, and Other NotesHappy Birthday Kenny Dalglish, Redeveloping Anfield, and Other Friday NotesA Fenway Friendly, Contract Renewals, and Other Sunday NotesPurslow Piñatas, Poll Wrap, and Other Friday Notes

Category: Miscellaneous, Team News, Transfer News

Tags: Conor Coady, Dave Kidd is the Idiot King, Daylight Savings Time is a Conspiracy, FA Youth Cup, FSG, John Flanagan, John Henry, Kenny Dalglish, Miscellaneous, Raheem Sterling, Steve Clarke, Suso, Team News, Transfer News
Tweet « February! Winning! Substance Abuse! | Home | Eddiefa youth cup was dissapointing because of the result. I watched the game and liverpool were dominant throughout and man utd didnt really have a chance of getting back in it untill the sending off. it will be brilliant if kenny could bring through these players for next season once the dead wood of poulson/koncheskey/jovanovic etc have finally left the club.

blog comments powered by Disqus