I will add to your comments Zoltan, we lack destinations. Lots of pathways for the kids that result in dead ends.

Agree Arthur....its a wasteland for most 17-21 year olds unless you are top 3 in Australia...

If we can become more confident, try new things, change our mindset then maybe the vibe around the A-league, NPL and a NSD would actually mean people would be interested and start paying money..

We almost need to do the opposite of the rest of the world. We are just playing follow the leader so we are perpetually 2 years behind the more advanced nations. 

here here above !

Variety is the spice of life as they say.
Same applies in sport and in our game a team is made up of individual talents working together and applying a style that gets the best out of what you have.
Farina's comment re robots is aptly correct that today all are taught to play the possesion theory but where's the X factors, we've cleansed them out of the game with the exception/s like Arzarni.
I'm no coach by all means and love seeing Arthur's quickflicks inputs to name a few.
We lack conviction.
Everyone is a winner at Jnr levels. No there is always a winner and a loser, its a bloody game to win not to walk off that its all equal.
Zoltan made a good point also about the countless sideline parent experts, so many have no idea, their poor Johnny isn't getting enough game time, well he needs to improve darling, and no the Ronaldo or Messi in your team isn't a hog he's a talented player !
Rep level Clubs obligations to have crowd marshalls, for the trouble makers I agree but you can't even barrack for your team without feeling frowned on or worse don't encourage your kid or good play.
Like wtf.

Arthur - below from your post last night :

"The current football model we have doesn’t do us any favors, a first division that is isolated from the rest of the game focused more on ROI and profit therefore the focus is entertainment rather than being a club seeking glory and serving your supporters.
A second tier (NPL) that is designed and purposed to develop the next generation of AL players and Socceroos but not develop Clubs, all at no cost to the AL or the FFA.
Then community clubs cut off from the rest of the game again to care for the masses.
I think once you tell clubs this is your job this your destiny they become siloed never to break free to be the best, or worst, they can be.
Add to the mix a uniform coaching approach from the NC and there is a sameness in approach. No innovation no differentiation by clubs to develop their own Curriculum identity or purpose (as happens in nations with strong football culture). Their only purpose is fulfil the role designated to them.

So from my viewpoint unless we connect the pyramid, empower Clubs, allow them to innovate, creating more bigger financially strong clubs, have a transfer system, focus on football Realestate, Education Investment for coaches players parents administrators referees.
I can’t see how we will develop the players like a Ronaldo, though I’d be happy with a De Bruyne of our own!
Which really is a football free market system, compared to our current highly regulated one."

Nothing is linked as it should be for the enhancement/pathways of future players but ongoing stumbling blocks.
Fees fees fees might I add, all our clubs are doing is sap as much blood from paying parents they possibly can, not for the long term as you mention might I add just for the now.

While I understand the fees issue, it comes back to what I say about siloing clubs.
NPL Clubs are required to provide x, y, z there is a cost. But the blame game goes back onto Clubs when is an FFA and MF construct.
The SAP program is regulated and approved by FFA and MF’s Licensed or a requirement for NPL Clubs.
Again the Clubs will be blamed.
The parents are happy to pay well for the right coaches and development.  Know I did.
So what’s lacking is flexibility to be Innovative, to drive down costs because. But you cannot because the Club is regulated as to what it can and cannot do, and where it’s located in the football pyramid.
As an FYI in Victoria the Junior Licence fee works out to $280 per kid so you’re on the back foot from the start.

oh agreed mate wholeheartedly about siloing the lot - the flak goes back to the Clubs for where else can people vent......
Its a crying shame.
I hear you, happy to pay for the right coaching and dev, done it as well and like all we invest alot of our time and passion (no matter how much its broken I've also sponsered for a number of years happily to the Clubs we've been involved) it hurts to keep seeing where its all at....
IF the top can't see to correct our system/s top to bottom will be same ol same ol......

As regards hoping for players with great 1 vs 1 skill and shooting ability... They can be produced by fluke now and then. But if you want an actual system, you need:

• The best athletes in the country playing the sport. Top strikers and wingers are typically fast and agile (because they operate in less confined areas). Technique alone isn't usually enough. All of Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Arjen Robben, Kaka, Gareth Bale, Julian Draxler are/were fast and agile. Imagine if Australia had the likes of Cyril Rioli (AFL), Patty Mills (NBA), Eddie Betts (AFL), Alex de Minaur (tennis), Lachlan Murphy (AFL) or Jack Crisp (AFL) growing up playing football? Granted, de Minaur probably did.
• Well-educated coaches and a relatively high ratio for coaches-players
• Those coaches allowing these footballers to practise 1 vs 1 and shooting a lot in training (even match situations), despite tactical naivete and/or failure. Players mustn't be scared of failure or being told off. There needs to be plenty of opportunity to practise freely lest the aggressiveness and individualism be coached out of the footballer.
• Pathways, pathways, pathways in a competitive environment (as you say Arthur)
• More time actually practising and playing. Contrast European youth football schedules with Australian.
• Widespread and popular street/cage football. Again, contrast Europe with Australia

I keep thinking back to the 2013 (?) U20 World Cup.

Craig Foster was waxing lyrical about how Australia performed. He seemed to think it was the best Australian youth side in ages. He argued that, even though they didn't get results, style-wise they matched European and South American teams. It was an exceedingly proactive style of play with Australia having stacks of possession. The passing and movement were great (and I agreed). They were breaking through opposition lines and moving the ball around fast. I agreed that, stylistically, it looked so much better.

But nobody showed much inclination to take on defenders on their own. It was as if nobody had the combination of technical skill and speed. Nobody wanted to try. There were some outstanding goals from distance from Josh Brilliante and Daniel de Silva (iirc). But again, nobody demonstrated the ability to take on defenders effectively, thereby getting nearer to the goal on their own, and then either unleashing or playing the ball through to an unmarked teammate in a good position.

And it was like - they can execute a plan beautifully, keep possession and move it around (for the most part) effectively. But if the wingers and strikers don't have individual ability, that's going to make it very difficult for them to succeed in Europe. I think Adam Taggart and Jamie Maclaren were in that side. Unfortunately, they've seldom demonstrated the ability to make something out of nothing, imo.

In terms of those kind of x-factor players, we looked as if we'd gone backwards.

Using the most extreme of examples, even Pep Guardiola prefers to have an Arjen Robben, Leo Messi, etc.. He wants his sides playing a particular proactive brand of football. But he wants guys in his side who can create scoring opportunities on their own. And for that, 1 vs 1 ability, speed, agility and confidence are needed. I fear that we focus too much on only specific aspects of Pep's success.

futsal is great

1200 brazilians playing football in overseas leagues


Nationalities 2018-2019 Champions League

Rk	Nation	# Players
1	es Spain	70
2	br Brazil	65
3	fr France	63
4	de Germany	55

players able to use all parts of the foot players become 2 footed due to lack of time
 improvisation due to lack of space and time
diamonds and triangles come naturallyall players behind the ball when oppo kick in target cuts  out switch of play just like a number 9 does to channel play
defending on corners is zonal is simple to learn l, can use zonal on 11 aside
movement of target off the ball equal movemnt off the ball for no 9 futsal
rotation of positions is also used in 11 aside
goalkeeper able to drop onto one knee to stop shots used in 1v1 in 11 aside
oncepts of pressing easy to explain in futsal , can be used outdoors
concepts of dropping ie half court press like mid block in outdoor
conecpt of counter attack sfter oppo corner similar to 11 aisde
running with ball on counter just like 11 aisde

futsal similar to the dutch method of breaking down 11 aside game into smaller chunks ie 4 v 4 etc

and its all because of futsal...who knew....

Maybe its a function that Brazilians are cheap because their local leagues pay so poorly...so they travel more.

The Spanish must be crap using the same international comparisons

Once again a little to simple Dirk - you need to challenge your assumptions a bit more. 

English FA have pulled out of Futsal altogether today

the assumption is that in Brazil futsal is played until 12 before even football is played HTH

Jeez I wish I had players that could achieve 1/2 of what McClaren and Taggert have in their careers. 

all and good saying that and I agree they have done pretty good to date but one of the points discussed is having X factor player/s that you have to agree we've lacked for sometime.
Cahill, we may have had no chance during a NT game to control possesion or even get many chances in the final 3rd BUT he plucked it out of the air how many times, he was X factor, won games when it looked as if we had no hope.
Jamie has banged it this past season here, sensational but having left BR in 2017 not much to talk about went into a lull.
Taggert has done pretty damn good since his PG days and a good score rate but talking NT no one has come near to what Cahill plucked out of his pocket.
Thats one of the points of discussion - freedom, let a player with the ability to express himself etcetc....