A practical approach to professionalism

Presenting this topic for discussion does not make me an expert in any shape or form regarding coaching, I must say before I carry on. This comes from watching a talented Athletic Bilbao side play West Ham United’s Development Squad in the newly created Premier League international cup competition and just talking about the topic.

At half time, the Hammers were 3-1 down though a mixture of poor defending and incisive play from the visitors and as people went about their half time routines, I stayed in my seat in the Alpari lower and read the free two-sided match sheet that had been handed out to people arriving at the Boleyn.

Reading through Sebastian Lletget’s opinion on the development team's chances I was distracted by the Bilbao players on the pitch. The substitutes were going through an intricate passing routine where the players instinctively knew who they were passing the ball to and did not miss a beat or mis-control the ball.

Coaches were on hand to monitor the routine and to give direction from time to time (I assume so anyway, seeing as my Spanish stretches to ordering either beer or ice cream). In comparison the West Ham substitutes warming up were either spraying long passes to one another or standing around watching one another play keepy-uppy.

Just to be clear - that in no way shows a lack of commitment to be a professional footballer from the West Ham lads. To me it just seemed to be a very small example of the difference in mentality when it comes to coaching in this country compared to our international rivals. Commitment and fitness can only take you so far when technical ability and ingenuity could be the key to unlocking a match.

Players who come from abroad always seem to pass comment along the lines of the pace of the game that’s played in this country is quicker, games are more intense in their commitment to challenges and players have less time on the ball due to the nature of pressing the ball. The countries these players have come from might not always be the countries that win international tournaments but it does seem to be a trend in how they are coached abroad and then upon joining a team in this country, the difference to them is palpable.

This past Saturday and West Ham United are 1-0 down away to Stoke City. At half time I flicked through the programme but found nothing of real interest so ended up watching the substitutes going through their routines before the second half started. Just like at the Bilbao match, the substitutes pretty much did their own thing. Again, I’m not advocating recreating match scenarios or running the subs into the ground mentally and physically in some misguided attempt to improve the players.

These players are at a level of performance I could only dream of achieving and obviously have been coached and training to a high level to be where they are with the talents they possess. However it has been ingrained in a number of our players in this country that a pass and rush, high pressure game is the way to go.

Of course you can be coached and managed in different ways through many different influences but the early years of a professional’s career and usually of vital importance in shaping the course of a player’s future. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when you will need to betray your more natural instincts for the good of preserving a result or when you face a side of (on paper) superior quality. However a player should still feel like they can play their natural game, no matter the match situation.

It’s almost as if the fear of failure takes hold at times and mistakes and errors that lead to goals against and loss of points due to an individual error within a match make a player think twice about attempting the same again.

Talented domestic players with the willingness to receive the ball and pick the pass in tight situations like Joe Cole before his thigh and hamstring muscles turned to jelly seem too few and far between. There is a place in every side for a midfield general, a spoiler if you will who is willing to win the ball back and provide for his team mates. The domestic technical player who not just performs a piece of skill but is willing to take the ball forward or provide the quick thinking link up play as part of a front three does seem to be too few and far between.

Suggestions have been made regarding B teams and reshaping reserve leagues in this country to inspire more intense competition akin to professional football. To me (apart from the ludicrous theory of parachuting second teams of existing clubs into the football league) these ideas won’t work. The cost of obtaining coaching badges as highlighted in the article from ESPN, the lack of quality training facilities (which the new national sports centre in Burton Upon Trent is a good start) and a lack of understanding about what is actually required in this country to catch up with the coaching set up and styles in other countries are all factors that continue to feed into the current malaise England’s national side finds itself in. These issues need to be addressed before any considerations are given to dismantling the football league structure in this country any further.

One opinion piece on a West Ham United fan site (the number one fan site I must add) wont solve any issues but perhaps the club, who self-publicise itself as the Academy of Football, could take a positive step and try to use the facilities and the talented coaching staff it currently employs to bring the youth coaching it provides back to a more technical based training and education.

Inherent talent along with coaching and the correct mentality to work for the rewards of playing higher level football go hand in hand, no matter your nationality. Ever since the Athletic Bilbao match, I have thought about how our next crop of youngsters in our development squad and under 18s will fare once their scholarships and first professional contracts come to an end. As a rule of thumb not every single player from an era will “make it” and play at the highest of levels. However some play at respectable levels in the football league structure, others take the risk and reward that comes with playing abroad while others leave playing professional or semi professional football behind and engage in coaching or sports related industries.

Perhaps the greatest ever manager of West Ham United was a lad who was coached to be comfortable with the ball in his possession and to always try and play the ball to keep possession, even if it meant potentially losing the ball in dangerous situations. His playing career ended due to injury but he was kept on the coaching staff and the rest, as they say, is history.

John Lyall’s era of managers keeping their jobs for prolonged periods of times is (mostly) over with higher staff turn over at football clubs but there is no harm in offering the lads who show the right aptitude to working and progress their coaching capabilities but not necessarily the ability to play professionally themselves a chance to coach at the club like players use to before them on midweeks sessions. The potential is there to bring an insight and fresh perspective as well as engaging with the future of coaching in this country. Tell a lad they are not good enough to play for your club and then cutting them adrift is a potential loss of talent the club should look to utilise if the player is of the right capability.

All in all, there is no right and wrong answer. No one size fits all way of progressing and nurturing the talents of our youth players but there is always hope that things will turn around. It won't take wishful thinking but practical steps and measures to be put in place. West Ham United could take a chance, what’s to lose?

* You may find Paul on Twitter @P_Tizzle31.

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