14 Mar 2020 13:35:23
To take our mind of things. A couple of years ago Ed002 said something about the french youth training on this site. If I remember correctly it was about making young players more versatile and less rigid in formations, please do correct me if I'm wrong mister 002. It made me wonder how football is evolving, the game itself. How do you guys and girls see the game being played in ten years time? It would be interesting to get the eds superior knowledge on this one to.

{Ed002's Note - A good question. You are correct that for a number of years the French have been training youngsters at Clairefontaine and the other French academies to be more versatile and adaptable with a view to less rigid formations being used outside of the defence in the future - and that continues as we move forward. In the coming years you will see China emerging as a footballing nation. Currently the leading academy (Guangzhou Evergrande) has been formed in partnership with Real Madrid where in excess of 30 Spanish coaches are working with the kids to develop versatile skills and techniques. The Evergrande academy is different from those being set up by European sides in China as it is not looked at as providing a revenue stream for the club, but a long-term plan to bring success to Chinese footbal. In ten years you will see more versatility in players than there is right now. So perhaps a good thing.}

1.) 14 Mar 2020
14 Mar 2020 14:33:21
As always thank you for your insight in these parts of the game that us mere mortals hardly know anything about. Really interesting and something I look forward to seeing on the field.

{Ed002's Note - You are welcome.}