Wales 3 v Scotland 0

[bobbydarg]

What a load of rubbish, the SFA should refund every penny spent by the " Tartan army " on their visit to Wales to support this second rate team. And good-bye Mr Burley.

[John Donnelly]

If you've got a tenth-rate team with a tenth-rate manager you get a tenth-rate performance.
If you've got a tenth-rate team with a first rate manager, you get a tenth-rate performance.
If you've got a first-rate team with a tenth-rate manager, you get a first-rate performance.

Put the bloody blame where it belongs. Let's stop parroting the bloody newspapers and TV and think for ourselves.

This is a general comment BD; not directed at you personally. I still maintain, it's all in the motivation.

I've been a manager all my working life, and my mantra has always been, 'there's only one person that can motivate you, AND THAT IS YOU.'

A very disappointed, (again) JD.

PS. Where can I buy an English scarf?

[bobbydarg]

It's obvious you have never been a football manager. I have been in football all my life, playing, managing and committee. If you don't have the quality, no amount of motivation will bring out performances week in week out good enough to win games. We just don't have the talent. Our whole system right from grass roots is wrong,and the quicker the "high heids" realise this the better.

[John Donnelly]

BD,

We are not encouraging and promoting the quantity. There's too much money in the game. We need to encourage the 'tanner-ba' approach, rather than the football academy approach.
Twenty / thirty years ago when Scotland was a 'player' in international football, Junior football was a major part of our game. There were literally hundreds, if not thousands, of amateur clubs on a Saturday morning aged from 10 to 15 year-olds. They fed through to the Juniors, who had a huge following every Saturday afternoon. The likes of Celtic and Rangers, used these as nursery teams. The perfect example was the Ardeer Rec., which was a nursery team for the Celtic, and produced BobbyLennox.

You are right, we don't have the quality any more. My argument is outlined above.

I keep repeating, 'don't blame the manager.' The players are being paid too damned much. They have no motivation; (there's that word again); nor have they they the pride in the jersey to give their all for their country to give that extra, that makes the difference when they're up against it.

Nobody's going to give them a hard time when they meet a better team. But when they roll over for a team that they could give a run for their money I'm pissed off.

JD

[bobbydarg]

Your right, there used to be 100s of saturday and Sunday feeder teams, but those days are long gone. The youngsters are not taught the basics in this country. We don't have enough facilities at 'grass root' level. The coaching is all wrong, they are still, at the age of 7 upwards, being asked to do physical exersizes as part of their training. Give them a ball and ask them to pass, dribble, shoot, head, trap and all the other stuff you do on the field of play. The physical side of the game will follow when they have grown.
You said 'there's only one person that can motivate you, AND THAT IS YOU.' very true, but i'm afraid part of the managers job is to motivate the team, and Mr Burley has lost that side of his game.

"Education is a key that unlocks doors but you need the right skills to use it!"

[John Donnelly]

BD,

i'm afraid part of the managers job is to motivate the team

I still maintain only you can motivate yourself. A manager can only create the situation and atmosphere which he hopes will cause you to motivate yourself, the rest is up to you.

The manager is an easy target, because there's only one of him.

JD.

[Penny Tray]

This is a an extremely complex subject, to which I don't have time to contribute my many thoughts. I will throw in however, that an expert from Holland [where JD lives], a country deservedly tipped to succeed in the forthcoming World Cup, who not too long ago was working in Scotland and looking out on a scenario where 250 Scottish boys were being trained at a football camp, said - "IN FOUR YEARS TIME SCOTLAND WILL BE WORLD CHAMPIONS". He then paused, sooked in his breath and added - "AT STANDING ABOOT"! He apparently couldn't undertand why boys were still being coached on a ratio of 1 to 25, resulting in the concentration of many boys drifting as perhaps two were being shown a particular technique. It should be something like 1 to 4 or 5. He also believed that a full size pitch should accommodate three matches, being played across the pitch with small goals - small ball - etc, etc. We need to develop our children gradually, not expect them at 5 and 6 years of age to run around a full size pitch with a size 5 tubie, pulverising a wee goalie between huge sticks. We really need to go back to a blank sheet of paper in Scotland. And by the way yesterday's match was the worst performance I can ever recall. No wonder Bobbydarg's blood pressure is up a wee bit.

[bobbydarg]

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

[chriso]

Your right, there used to be 100s of saturday and Sunday feeder teams, but those days are long gone.

Rab if you go to the rec on a saturday morning you will see teams from 6 years upwards playing. My grandson is 7 and plays every week, sometimes training twice during the week.

[little plum]

P.T. The size of football allowed changes according to age, if playing official games. I'm not sure Penny, it might be 13 years before they use a size 5. ? I managed a youth team 20 years ago and the memory's not too good.

[morag]

Oooh, I really don't want to get into this,. I really don't. There have been many remarks right on the ball, so to speak, regarding management, talent, etc. Too much P.C.ness, not enough guts, when did the wee boys always out kicking a ba' around mind if it was the right size? When players were bought rather than home grown the game lost much of it's charm to me, and I think lost the urge to win for the team rather than for self.

[little plum]

The manager, George Burley, has been sacked. I wonder who in their right mind would take up the poisoned chalice.