Every player should read this column by Owen Hargreaves of Bayern Munich.

"There is a lot about a game that you cannot control but I think you can control the way you present yourself - your body language and your emotions." Read more

How about not enough coaching and not enough football.......? When many of our top clubs train two days a week.....at the U18 age group, should we wonder why many of our players lack the qualities to play soccer at a high level? How can a serious club, who charges parents money, train players twice a week, and call themselves elite?

In any case this is another article addressing the lack of quality coming from English Soccer Academies....

"Talent is not enough - you need desire and intelligence," says Aresene Wenger. " The key is to know what to do in every kind of situation, " says Rafa Benitez. " The focus of youth development in the future," says Louis Van Gaal, "Will be tactical training and personality development." " As well as being technically good. you also have to be able to think - and to think ahead," says Morten Olsen while at the same time, Gerard Houllier maintains, " young players who have technical flaws at 16 will find it hard to catch up."

The Youth Coach will be judged on results....but what are the results? Rather than scorelines, the criteria might be: 

These are a "must read" for all serious soccer coaches.

From "The Technician #33"..... The elite youth coach is expected to inspire his or her pupils with:

Love of the game     Athletic proficiency    Team mentality

Competitive spirit     Work ethic        Healthy Lifestyle 

Football Knowledge    Mental Strength   Capacity for total concentration

Technical Mastery   Inner concentration   Leadership qualities

Ronaldinho may take the star billing, but ask Barcelona's socios to name their best player and you're more likely to hear the name of Samuel Eto'o. Privately, many team-mates agree. "Eto'o always wants to be the best, even in training," says one. "His desire to win is immense... He is the one who usually converts the chances that Deco, Messi and Ronaldinho create. He's the killer."

"I consider him as a striker who comes from the midfield, rather than a Van Nistelrooy who is a man of the box. Eto'o is a more creative player. He drops back to retrieve the ball and he dribbles with it, too. He is unique for a striker but for me, the most important thing is that when he sees moments of need for the team he doesn't hesitate to help out. He even comes back and defends..."

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