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From a thread posted sometime back about the statistical side of a good youth team leading into national success it prompted me to think about the role of youth leagues in producing senior talent.
From my ignorant and generalised observations, it seems to me that the first thing youth players stepping up into senior teams learn is that it doesn't work anymore.
A lot of the tricks, skills and physical prowess that saw them dominate opponents in the youth league just fail when they are attempted in the senior leagues. And the players do try them before they accept it doesn't cut it at the higher level - as youth defenders often find when they get the ball pinched off them close to goal.
A fantastic youth team that went up to the senior level as a whole unit would no doubt find that they still have the cohesion and combination play they were so well practiced in, but would find that a stronger, faster opponent interposes themselves where it was previously open passing lanes and open space, or simply outmuscles them at each contact point.
I do not think a fantastic national youth team could be expected to produce at the senior level if they were just swapped in, so the benefit of youth leagues is not about producing anything close to a senior product.
For me the youth setup is really about identifying potential alone, and of course continuing to develop fitness and muscle memory in ball control. Even the vision that youth players develop is less effective as they don't get the same amount of time on the ball to consider options once they step up, and the opportunities close up quicker than they did.
For me, the benefit of a youth league is not what it produces, so much as all about what happens next.
Youth that is not given senior game time with and against other experienced, senior players is never going to develop to the level required.
And further, a youth player who steps up into a senior domestic league is equally not necessarily ready for the step up to national selection - regardless of how many goals they score at the domestic level and how many 'ring me' gestures they make. To even make the gesture suggests strongly that they are not actually mature enough in the head to represent yet and that may be just another lesson for them to learn or not.
None of it world shaping, brilliant insights but just something I have been thinking about in the back of my mind for some time.
From my ignorant and generalised observations, it seems to me that the first thing youth players stepping up into senior teams learn is that it doesn't work anymore.
A lot of the tricks, skills and physical prowess that saw them dominate opponents in the youth league just fail when they are attempted in the senior leagues. And the players do try them before they accept it doesn't cut it at the higher level - as youth defenders often find when they get the ball pinched off them close to goal.
A fantastic youth team that went up to the senior level as a whole unit would no doubt find that they still have the cohesion and combination play they were so well practiced in, but would find that a stronger, faster opponent interposes themselves where it was previously open passing lanes and open space, or simply outmuscles them at each contact point.
I do not think a fantastic national youth team could be expected to produce at the senior level if they were just swapped in, so the benefit of youth leagues is not about producing anything close to a senior product.
For me the youth setup is really about identifying potential alone, and of course continuing to develop fitness and muscle memory in ball control. Even the vision that youth players develop is less effective as they don't get the same amount of time on the ball to consider options once they step up, and the opportunities close up quicker than they did.
For me, the benefit of a youth league is not what it produces, so much as all about what happens next.
Youth that is not given senior game time with and against other experienced, senior players is never going to develop to the level required.
And further, a youth player who steps up into a senior domestic league is equally not necessarily ready for the step up to national selection - regardless of how many goals they score at the domestic level and how many 'ring me' gestures they make. To even make the gesture suggests strongly that they are not actually mature enough in the head to represent yet and that may be just another lesson for them to learn or not.
None of it world shaping, brilliant insights but just something I have been thinking about in the back of my mind for some time.
