Even though this group may be little over aged, I still see definitive playing style which is attractive and I have never seen in any age group of indian nation team over the last 10 years. As we all know with this U17 world cup we are not going to be top team team in world in near future but may/will be motivation for many kids to take football as a career opportunity. This U17 has all the quality to be a highly competitive in asian tournaments, so if we can develop this current group along with other additional players coming through youth league we can be a force atleast in Asia. But developing only group of 25 players focusing on any competition is not always a viable option. Player development should be comming from clubs and through well organised youth league which will take us to qualify for future youth Asian cups and world cups.
Diverting funds taken for preparing for this world cup to a proper youth development structure is going to reduce future costs for similar projects. But even after belling the cat, no one responds. So be happy with what it's now
While I think there are a number of players in this team who may just be only good enough to play in India, I think there a few players with good potential to play abroad.
We don't know how these players will progress from now onward, but this team has got the kind of exposure and with it the experience no other Indian team in the past has got, and don't underestimate the importance of the experience gained playing against better players and against different styles because if you are a player ready to learn, you will learn from these experiences.
There is no substitute for natural talent and certain physical-linked features like sprinting pace and there are couple of players with enough about them to perhaps just go up a level in the future if given the right environment and if they are motivated enough to continue to learn. The step up from youth football to senior level is huge in places like England and you can only imagine how it will be for these players if they want to go and play in Europe at a senior level if an opportunity is earned.
The overage argument is irrelevant at this point regarding this team in my opinion as teams from other countries will be bringing overage players too and I see no need to pull that card out now to criticize the team or the management.
I will stand by what I said over an year ago when I first started watching this team, that there are few players with potential to play at a good level. Komal is the outstanding player in the team, while Dheeraj, Boris, Suresh, Aniket and Nawaz are half decent.
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I can't go into too much details after the meetings of today and yesterday...but Nicolai Adam and his spending on this team has been discussed...
No country in the world is spending this much to prepare for 3 games !
The results under Nicolai are the same as under previous coaches in terms of success, therefore HIGHLY unlikely we will continue with this model.
All this talk of it being U18 Russian team... everyone at AIFF knows that Nicolai team has plenty of overage players.
This U17 team will amount to little more than Jeje & Dika batch... the stats will prove it
But developing only group of 25 players focusing on any competition is not always a viable option. Player development should be comming from clubs and through well organised youth league which will take us to qualify for future youth Asian cups and world cups.
We all saw what they did in Olympics
We don't know how these players will progress from now onward, but this team has got the kind of exposure and with it the experience no other Indian team in the past has got, and don't underestimate the importance of the experience gained playing against better players and against different styles because if you are a player ready to learn, you will learn from these experiences.
There is no substitute for natural talent and certain physical-linked features like sprinting pace and there are couple of players with enough about them to perhaps just go up a level in the future if given the right environment and if they are motivated enough to continue to learn. The step up from youth football to senior level is huge in places like England and you can only imagine how it will be for these players if they want to go and play in Europe at a senior level if an opportunity is earned.
The overage argument is irrelevant at this point regarding this team in my opinion as teams from other countries will be bringing overage players too and I see no need to pull that card out now to criticize the team or the management.
I will stand by what I said over an year ago when I first started watching this team, that there are few players with potential to play at a good level. Komal is the outstanding player in the team, while Dheeraj, Boris, Suresh, Aniket and Nawaz are half decent.