McParland Outlines Academy Direction

[jackofdk]

Code is 100 percent correct though. Truth hurts. Where are you Jack?

 

I'm right here, love.

 

I don't know why I bother, but allow me to once again quote the first article about Barca in this thread:

 

First of all:

 

"In the great Barcelona team of 1992, in which Guardiola played and which won the club's first European Cup at Wembley under Johan Cruyff, the current manager and Albert Ferrer, later to play for Chelsea, were the only home-grown players."

 

And then the manager who - according to this - put the current system in place:

 

"His Dutch compatriot and his successor as coach, Louis van Gaal, envisioned this moment. 'I dream of the team winning the European Cup that is composed entirely of players from our youth system,' said Van Gaal in his first spell at Barca in 1998.

 

Many sneered at the idea, but the Dutchman set about reforming the youth system, which is centred on the club's own boarding house, an elegant 18th Century farmhouse known as La Masia."

 

Guardiola's Barcelona are kings of the home-grown league | Mail Online

[CaptainK]

He had a mini academy at Melwood, where are the graduate? He has signed about 100 youth players?

 

The problem being that he's had to bring in players who haven't spent the formative years at the club. Therefore, we can't have players who have the right combination of technical skills, physical and mental attributes.

 

Look at Lucas and Ngog for example; people still compains that Lucas is too slow and leightweight and Ngog would fall over in a stiff breeeze.

 

It's about starting the development much earlier. Getting his hands on the kids at a younger age, should help develop kids the way we want them.

 

I keep reading Stephen Darby isn't physically ready yet - I'd like to know why not. Insua is a year younger than him and has been making occasional appearances over the last 2 seasons.

 

This is so much about the future and not a quick fix to sort out the talent that our academy has wasted so far.

 

New Academy Head Looking to re-establish a Liverpool Way

 

Re-hauling the overall philosophy at the academy. That is the task that Rafael Benitez has set for new academy head Pep Segura who will be looking to see that all teams in the set-up play in a specific manner and with a particular style.

 

Talking to the Spanish paper AS, Segura said that as the head of the technical areas at the academy, he will be the reference point for all coaching and training sessions. With a large number of staff at the academy being released last week, which included high profile figures like Hughie Macauley and John Owens, it looks like Segura has already set about his job in an area where, yet again, Liverpool seem to have fallen behind.

 

“Arsenal and Manchester United having been working well with young players for a number of years and Liverpool is now trying to do likewise,” he said.

 

“At Arsenal, Wenger has had total control [on the academy] for the past fourteen years. The same is now happening at Liverpool where Rafael Benitez is now involved in the day-to-day operations but also in the players’ contracts as well as the technical staff.”

 

Benitez newly gained power over the academy is evidenced by the fact that Segura was handpicked by him, contrary to what had happened two years back when Piet Hamberg had been appointed. “He (Benitez) asked me what I was doing and at the time I was at out of work. At that point he asked me to come over for a weekend where he told me that he had thought of me for this role. I thought about it for a couple of days and then accepted.”

 

Having led Olympiakos to a league and cup double, it might seem surprising that Segura has accepted to move back into youth football. Yet, that is where he seems to be most comfortable at.

 

“I have been in football coaching for the past twenty-six years but only for the past three years have I been working in the senior game. I was the link between Barcelona B and the first team in my final season at the Nou Camp and then spent two years in Greece.”

 

Given their success in the Champions League with a squad built around home grown players, it is fashionable to try and copy the Barcelona model. That seems to be what Liverpool have gone for and Segura, with eight years of experience at the Catalan giants, seems perfectly suited to do just that.

“One of the keys to success at an academy is to have a clear training and playing ideology throughout the different age-groups so that the players can learn about their positions. Once that’s in place you can leave them on their own.”

 

“Then there’s the ability to spot players: Messi, Bojan and Iniesta are there because they’re good. True, they came and liked what they saw so they decided to stay at Barcelona. That is also very important.”

 

“Yet, the secret to continuing with this production line is that everyone knows what their role is, which makes it all easier. Once you have set up the way you work, then year on year you can build on it and get results. I remember that there were some problems when the 4-3-3 style was imposed but they were overcome and the teams play well.”

 

Which is not to say that clubs with a distinct ideology between the youth and senior set-ups cannot work but, as Segura hints by using Real Madrid as an example, it is more difficult to integrate players into the senior side.

 

“It is curious because Madrid have a bigger pool from which to choose from than Barcelona and they always have great players. But that is precisely it: Madrid is a factory of individuals but you need to define the philosophy of the club.”

I recall that Angel Pedraza (a former Barcelona and Real Mallorca player) once told me that he wasn’t the best player of his [youth] side but made it to the first team because there was a gap in his role. The same applies to [sergio] Busquets who is another example of a player who has been trained for a specific role.

 

It wasn’t a coincidence neither for Pedraza nor for Busquets. They were chosen because they had specific abilities that fitted into the characteristics of a particular position. Lately, I’ve talked a lot about this with Benitez: if you see what way you want to play and are clear about it then you can say that you need a player to play as a 2, 7 or 11 in this or that team. That way everything is better”

 

“Pedraza was casual about it or is about Busquets. Arrived with a clear profile is set to play and fit into that idea because his features were those of that position. I've commented a lot lately with Benitez: if you look you see a clear way of working what you need: a 2, 7, 11 in this or that team. And you're all the better.”

 

A Liverpool Thing: New Academy Head Looking to re-establish a Liverpool Way

[Whelan]

I keep reading Stephen Darby isn't physically ready yet - I'd like to know why not. Insua is a year younger than him and has been making occasional appearances over the last 2 seasons.

 

 

I was thinking about that! If the club felt last year that he was not strong enough then how come he hasn't spent the past year building himself up?

 

Either the club should be pushing him or (my prefered option) he takes the initiative and does it himself!

 

Look at Andy Murray he has built himself up physically over the past year, why couldn't Derby do the same thing?

[CaptainK]

seems to be an acknowledged fact that the academy has been rubbish..........

 

granted no players have come through to the first team but there are plenty in the lower leagues even in the prem - not sure how much those boys have brought in in transfers though

 

similarly we've won two youth cups and made the final(granted we got spanked)

 

so although the academy hasn't been good enough it hasn't been the complete disaster most seem to think

 

If rafa's input is to be zonal marking and 4231, then the players coming through will be groomed to fit that system can't be a bad thing unless he leaves of course.....

Doesn't that depend on why so much money has been spent on the academy?

 

Is it to turn out lots of journeymen pro's who spend their careers in the lower leagues?

 

Develop players and save considerable sums of money in the transfer market?

 

Help grass roots football by encouraging greater community particitpation and hope you might get a star every 5-10 years?

[ToxtethTerror]

Stop negging me cunts!

 

Anyway, I love this Segura already, now he IS a top class youth coach with the right credentials to work in a position of power at Liverpool.

[jackofdk]

Stop negging me cunts!

 

Anyway, I love this Segura already, now he IS a top class youth coach with the right credentials to work in a position of power at Liverpool.

 

Two things: Who brought him in? And please reply to my post earlier on this page.

[ToxtethTerror]

I'm right here, love.

 

I don't know why I bother, but allow me to once again quote the first article about Barca in this thread:

 

First of all:

 

"In the great Barcelona team of 1992, in which Guardiola played and which won the club's first European Cup at Wembley under Johan Cruyff, the current manager and Albert Ferrer, later to play for Chelsea, were the only home-grown players."

 

And then the manager who - according to this - put the current system in place:

 

"His Dutch compatriot and his successor as coach, Louis van Gaal, envisioned this moment. 'I dream of the team winning the European Cup that is composed entirely of players from our youth system,' said Van Gaal in his first spell at Barca in 1998.

 

Many sneered at the idea, but the Dutchman set about reforming the youth system, which is centred on the club's own boarding house, an elegant 18th Century farmhouse known as La Masia."

 

Guardiola's Barcelona are kings of the home-grown league | Mail Online

 

The youth academy at La Masia has been there since 1979. Did you read Code's article?

[Dr.Filth]

Stop negging me cunts!

 

 

Negged for swearing.

[dirty_sanchez]

The youth academy at La Masia has been there since 1979. Did you read Code's article?

 

Yes he did, but you don't appear to have read anything that he's posted subsequently. Van Gaal is credited for reforming the youth system at Barca, which then went on to produce players of the calibre of Iniesta, Messi, Bojan etc.

 

Interestingly though, you're not happy about Rafa being in charge of the academy, yet so far pretty much the only thing that he's done is appoint this Segura, which you are happy about.

[SpeedyG]

I was thinking about that! If the club felt last year that he was not strong enough then how come he hasn't spent the past year building himself up?

 

Either the club should be pushing him or (my prefered option) he takes the initiative and does it himself!

 

Look at Andy Murray he has built himself up physically over the past year, why couldn't Derby do the same thing?

 

He has been on a program since he graduated to Melwood. He's mentioned it several times. I guess it just takes time. If you look at how El Zhar and Insua have bulked up that took a couple of years and is probably dependent as much on where the kid is in the growth cycle as the program.

[CaptainK]

The youth academy at La Masia has been there since 1979. Did you read Code's article?

 

It was van Gaal that overhauled it when he became the manager at Barca. Just like Rafa, our manager, is trying to do.

[Cardie]

The youth academy at La Masia has been there since 1979. Did you read Code's article?

 

Have you read any of the articles?

 

It doesn't say Van Gaal set up La Masia it says he changed the youth set up.

[ToxtethTerror]

Yes he did, but you don't appear to have read anything that he's posted subsequently. Van Gaal is credited for reforming the youth system at Barca, which then went on to produce players of the calibre of Iniesta, Messi, Bojan etc.

 

Interestingly though, you're not happy about Rafa being in charge of the academy, yet so far pretty much the only thing that he's done is appoint this Segura, which you are happy about.

 

I am not happy about McParland.. and if the Academy thing works then I'd be very happy.. I just have issues with "one man shows" at big organisations.

[ToxtethTerror]

It was van Gaal that overhauled it when he became the manager at Barca. Just like Rafa, our manager, is trying to do.

 

Do you want me to list the players La Masia produced before 1997?

[SpeedyG]

I am not happy about McParland.. and if the Academy thing works then I'd be very happy.. I just have issues with "one man shows" at big organisations.

 

I've never known a big organization that didn't have one man at the top telling a bunch of people what to do who then told another bunch of people what to do.

 

What world do you live in?

[ToxtethTerror]

I've never known a big organization that didn't have one man at the top telling a bunch of people what to do who then told another bunch of people what to do.

 

What world do you live in?

 

You mean the Chairman at a company appoints all the finance, marketing, HR etc people? Or the Marketing Director appoints all the retail staff?

[Code]

Do you want me to list the players La Masia produced before 1997?

 

My guess is not as it totally will ruin their argument.

[RedinSweden]

I've never known a big organization that didn't have one man at the top telling a bunch of people what to do who then told another bunch of people what to do.

 

What world do you live in?

 

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Do you want me to list the players La Masia produced before 1997?

 

Please do. And hurry the fuck up with it too.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

My guess is not as it totally will ruin their argument.

 

How will it when the arguement is at this moment, that Van Gaal completed an overhaul of theirs which is what Rafa is doing.

 

 

My negging finger is twitching so bad right now.

[SpeedyG]

How will it when the arguement is at this moment, that Van Gaal completed an overhaul of theirs which is what Rafa is doing.

 

 

My negging finger is twitching so bad right now.

 

You are wasting your time trying to have a dialogue with those two, the goalposts will be moved so often and so rapidly that you'll get motion sickness trying to keep up.

[Whelan]

Does it matter how many they produced since 1979! how many did it produce after 1990 for instance Albert Ferrer and Pep Guardiola?

 

Or are we seriously expected to beleive that the Barcelona board sat around in 1997 and said to themselves 'our academy is fucking brilliant, the bizz, can't believe nobody else is copying what we have done...I think we should change it ?'

 

Our systems was working, but now it isn't so you look to change it. IT IS NOT A HARD CONCEPT TO GRASP!

[SpeedyG]

You mean the Chairman at a company appoints all the finance, marketing, HR etc people? Or the Marketing Director appoints all the retail staff?

 

No the guy in charge of "Footballing Operations" appoints all the footballing staff.

[ToxtethTerror]

No the guy in charge of "Footballing Operations" appoints all the footballing staff.

 

We are a football club, so one man will end up recruiting nearly everyone bar the board and admin staff. For me Rafa's remit sould be "First Team Manager" - it starts and ends there.

[Whelan]

We are a football club, so one man will end up recruiting nearly everyone bar the board and admin staff. For me Rafa's remit sould be "First Team Manager" - it starts and ends there.

 

As far as you are aware, what is Arsene Wengers role regarding Arsenal?