This is the first blog for the year for Soccer Learning Systems and it is with great pleasure that I can help my friends at SLS get this project off the ground! My association with SLS goes back to 1986 when I was beginning my former company Post-To-Post and teaching striking around the United States. We shared some common themes and conversations with those of educating young players and coaches. Now they have honored me in asking to share some my views.
It is great to welcome back the begining of the English Premier League with all the excitement over new signings, beautiful lush pitches and perfect footballing weather. After watching the Euro 2008 Championships, where creative attacking play was the norm, one can only hope that we see evidence of the same in the English game. Of course this stage of the season is one of tremendous optimism from all the new teams and it was good to see Hull City successful in their opening game.
Will this be the season where some new younger English players can make their mark on the game? As of last week a total of 82 summer signings took place yet 61 of those were foreign raised for a total of 74 per cent. Martin O’Neil and Aston Villa seems one of the few teams who perhaps could field 11 English players. Will this help or hurt the national team in their upcoming games?
On another note I am re-reading one of the best books in my collection, Winning!” by Sir Clive Woodward who coached England to the 2003 Ruby World Championship. While not about soccer it is worthwhile to see how he revitalized Rugby from the dark age mentallity of “That’s how things have always been done” to one of “Change Thinking”. Maybe it should be read by the higher ups in soccer in both England and the US!
Enjoy the remaining summer days full of Olympic soccer, Champions League prelims, the EPL and of course your children’s weekend soccer games!
