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British players mature too slowly
Not mentally, although this may well be true also, but in terms of their overall development. The best young talent overseas seem to achieve it much earlier than young talent does here. Players who are in their late teens or early 20s take the world stage and often have no problems adapting.
Neymar signed for Barcelona when he was 21, Hazard was the same age when he went to Chelsea. Ronaldo was a teen when he first went to United and within a couple of seasons was already a fantastic player. Those are just three examples, maybe not even the best ones. But there are many examples of young players who were considered good enough at a relatively young age.
Compare that to here when you'd hear about a 26 year old "they're still maturing". The discussion of James Wilson reminded me of this. He's 19 and judging him may be harsh but fans of other top European clubs would think it a nonsense to have absolutely zero expectation on someone aged 19. They may not expect the finished product but they'd want something that'd give them hope as to what it might be.
Here it seems the attitude is that we should be grateful if they reach the age of 23 and can run in a coordinated fashion. There seems to be absolutely no expectations on any young player. They're go from being at the "maturing" and "one for the future" stage, and that finishes and 12 months later they're 30.
Why do youth set-ups the world over manage to have no problem following the (rough) outline of:
Very good at 18
Playing top level football at 20
One of the best in the world by 22
Whereas here it's
Still learning aged 18
"He'll come good" aged 21
"Just need games" aged 23
"be good once he hits his peak" aged 25
We shouldn't expect too much too soon 28
Neymar signed for Barcelona when he was 21, Hazard was the same age when he went to Chelsea. Ronaldo was a teen when he first went to United and within a couple of seasons was already a fantastic player. Those are just three examples, maybe not even the best ones. But there are many examples of young players who were considered good enough at a relatively young age.
Compare that to here when you'd hear about a 26 year old "they're still maturing". The discussion of James Wilson reminded me of this. He's 19 and judging him may be harsh but fans of other top European clubs would think it a nonsense to have absolutely zero expectation on someone aged 19. They may not expect the finished product but they'd want something that'd give them hope as to what it might be.
Here it seems the attitude is that we should be grateful if they reach the age of 23 and can run in a coordinated fashion. There seems to be absolutely no expectations on any young player. They're go from being at the "maturing" and "one for the future" stage, and that finishes and 12 months later they're 30.
Why do youth set-ups the world over manage to have no problem following the (rough) outline of:
Very good at 18
Playing top level football at 20
One of the best in the world by 22
Whereas here it's
Still learning aged 18
"He'll come good" aged 21
"Just need games" aged 23
"be good once he hits his peak" aged 25
We shouldn't expect too much too soon 28
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But did the F.A ever reinvest in the coaching & development structure of Football in England, as promised, after the 2010 World Cup? I know we won't see immediate results, but just wondering if things were instantly put into motion.
He's got one goal this season. Bit soon to be calling it "another goal" as if he's in some form.
More Premier League goals than Balotelli..
The hype is not about his goalscoring record in the 1st team - it's about what he's done at all age levels.
No he isn't. He is woefully bellow the standard of a young 19 year old striker at a top club. It's the Welbeck factor all over again. If he managed to stand upright when receiving a pass he was lavished with praise at the age of 24. The fact the world over top clubs were producing or possessed players his age or younger good enough to be shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or, we were cock-a-hoop with joy with the progress of Danny '8 goals a season' Welbeck.
This is the problem. If you're 19 and you play for a club like Manchester United there should be something more about you than being barely on the radar for 10 games and score in the 11th. There is no expectation at all. You'll be saying the exact same thing about Wilson in 5 years time regardless of progress because that's just what we do in this country. Unless someone's knocking 30 they're still a "young player, progressing well".
Setting low expectations and then infantilising them up until the age of 28
Raheem Sterling came in during the January of last season and he's played well. He's had a bit of leeway and has had errors forgiven due to him being young. But he's been used as a first team player with all the expectation of a first team player. When he's on that pitch he's not young, 20 year old kid. He's a Liverpool player. When our players are giving him the ball they're not giving the ball to a young kid who's given a run-out. They're giving the ball to a Liverpool player who they expect to make something happen.
Last season Jon Flanagen wasn't a young player. He was a Liverpool player. He wasn't played as a youngster, he was played as a Liverpool player. Similarly, last season Januzaj was played as a Man United player last season. And this season I think he's been treated as a Man United player. And as he's not as good as the players ahead of him he hasn't played much, and when he has played he hasn't impressed, so like any first team player if he doesn't impress he doesn't play.
I think they have the right expectations. Cleverley got to about 24 while still being called a youngster, or a player with potential. Similar with Chris Smalling (who I've always liked). I think people talked about Lallana as having potential when Liverpool bought him, even though he was 26 and we bought him for £25m. At that age he should be the finished article. You don't buy a 26 year old with the aim to develop them and make a profit on them. Aston Villa didn't buy Tom Cleverley, the youngster, with the aim to develop him. You buy them to give you all they've developed. If we bought a 25/26 year old Spanish midfielder you'd expect 15+ assists a season straight away.
Wilson hasn't done enough to earn any praise, either. Scoring one goal in one game out of 11 doesn't get much praise, especially for a club like Man United. It's great that he can score, and hopefully he can add to that but at the moment I think it's too soon to give him any such praise. To be honest he shouldn't have had to score that goal. Had the manager swapped the starting position of Rooney and Di Maria, I'd have fancied Rooney to score and take away the importance of Wilson's goal.
it'll be a similar story with Luke Shaw too, I'm sure. £27m and (reportedly) £160k a week but you won't be allowed to criticise or expect anything approaching the finished article from him for about 7 years as he'll still be "only" between 19 and 26/27
That's very harsh. Nowadays, players generally are older when they make their debuts - I think it was one of the reasons the reserves were made into 'U21' teams, because more and more players were coming out of the youth teams, not being good enough, and being released. Sometimes these players would then rise back up, and make the Premier League. Clubs tend to keep a few more players on, giving them pro contracts, and that extra year or 2 to develop, under their own eyes.
Wilson started his first United match, at Old Trafford, under the 'Class of 92', at the end of a shocking season. That's pressure. He scored twice! This season, he's had the odd start, but mainly coming on for 20 minutes or so at the end of game. The team isn't playing fluid football, which would suit his pacy game.
It might be that United sign one or two strikers in the summer, and Wilson goes out on loan - presumably to a lower Premier League club. This will be his attitude test (which Welbeck passed at Sunderland). Give him a couple of years, when RVP has gone, then see how his career is progressing.
It's just an example of what the problem is. There's a middle ground between expecting a world beater by the of 19 and just being happy if they manage to put both shoes on the right foot until they're 27
He was one of the better players in Spain and then came to Chelsea to become one of the best players in England. All this before he reached the age Welbeck is now. If you look back at how people would discuss the two players at the same age intervals; 19, 21, 23...there won't be a comparison. One would have been discussed as a proper grown up footballer upon whom certain expectations could be laid. On the other: "He'll learn, he just need a run of games. He'll come good,he's still young"
And people who constantly do this thinking that they're promoting 'yoof' are actually part of the problem. We should have far less patience than we do and then maybe we'd recognise where we go wrong rather than sleepwalk towards mediocrity because some people think it gets them kudos to defend anyone under 25 from criticism no matter now valid.
With 10 crap games and a goal in the 11th "progressing well" is a cancer.
For example strikers is a lot about pace Owen, Rooney could destroy a defence by running as a fresh face 17 year old up to 21. However injury caught up with own when he was still quite young and never really was the same player again.
In defence it tends to be older 26-30 part of it is the bulk out the physical size more perhaps in the central role more than left and right back. It is also about the mental approach to the game as well. Experience counts for a lot in being able to read the game the longer you play the more natural this becomes.
When you talk of Messi and Neymar they are in a different quality maybe even Rooney. Football is just natural to them in a sense they don't have to think about at least the basics.
It gives them more time to practice the other parts of their game which makes them outstanding players. However these players are freaks of nature if you like if it just the luck of draw you cannot make players like this through training alone.
I think English youth and players are given a hard time. We like to compare them to teams that are doing well and question why they cannot be like that. Dont forget until re4cent history spain international record in major events was hopeless.
If I have one aspect of the English game is I would like to see the young players get more game time. It is something that happens at Southampton we put the young players in the team and give them a chance. Too often the big clubs buy up the young players then sit them on then bench where they dont learn the game.
For me they need to be playing football and enjoying the game rather than in fear of making mistakes.