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Joined November 2014
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Football, Western Sydney Wanderers, Arsenal, River Plate
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As we prepare for another instalment of the Sydney Derby, it's an appropriate time to reflect on what the derby has meant for football…
A strong domestic competition like the A-League is actually hurting our football development in the short to medium term. The A-League was established in…
1. Going to Celtic was a terrible decision. The SPL is not known for being highly technical and a quality developmental league. Holland, Belgium or Switzerland would have been a much better choice. Even second division club in Spain or Germany would have been best for his continued development.
2. Ryan made the right call. Firstly, he was given an assurance from the manager that he would be first place. Mitch was never given such an assurance and surely knew that Weidenfeller had made the position his and had many many years ahead of him. But the lure of a big club like BVB convinced Mitch but it looks like it’s holding back his development for now, not to mention his national team aspirations.
A strong A-League makes weak Socceroos
Thanks for the detailed response RBBAnonymous.
I think we agree on many points. As I mentioned towards the end of the article, we are on track to emulating the J-League and developing players that can slot into top-division European clubs. We just need patience as the National Curriculum will bear fruit in 10 to 15 years. I’m just saying that for our very best young players, playing in an overseas league is much better for their development for the time being.
A strong A-League makes weak Socceroos
Thanks for the detailed response Eamonn.
You raise some good points.
Re Sainsbury, he’s been injured too much to make a good judgement on his ‘success’ overseas.
But I agree that patience is required. As I said I believe we are on the same path as the J-League, just a decade behind them. But I also believe that our best young players should be heading over to Europe as soon as possible otherwise the A-League as it is could be stunting their development.
A strong A-League makes weak Socceroos
Thanks for the response nordster.
I think that removing the salary cap will actually keep more of our best young players in this country for much longer, as they will be comfortable earning a good living here. This would be detrimental to their development. They should go to a cut throat environment such as Europe as you have suggested.
At the moment, the salary cap is actually encouraging our best young players to go elsewhere which can only be a good thing for them.
A strong A-League makes weak Socceroos
Thanks for your response Jack.
The A-League has achieved so many things that would have been unimaginable 10 years ago. And as football fans in Australia, we are living in a golden age and I am not ignoring all that.
I am just saying that the technical side of things is still not up to a level where our best young players can fulfil their potential here. It has certainly improved remarkably as you pointed out, but for now, it is stunting their development.
A strong A-League makes weak Socceroos
Nothing is stopping them from going over as a teenager. But there are many experts and pundits who are encouraging our best young players to stay in the A-League as long as possible which, in my opinion, is stunting their development.
A strong A-League makes weak Socceroos