Ajax offer advise for Canadian coaches.

pstain · July 20, 2005

Sportsworld had a segment on Ajax offering their expertise in Toronto with some Canadian youth players. One of the Ajax youth coach mentioned that a big problem these players had was learning on how to move without the ball. He said with the ball the players did fine but they had difficulty with learning positional play and moving without the ball. Also mentioned how Ajax has a system incorporated throughout the team and that basically that is why they are successful and he gave an example of Olympiakos and how stupid they are because they bring in an entire coaching staff and replace everyone every 2 years.

There might be some other things that was mentioned so I hope that someone else can add to this.

Danny Boy · July 21, 2005

I always thought that the Canadian movement off the ball was lacking. It always seems that when we get a pass, that person is always left to their own devices to figure out how to beat the opponent. That's the main reason our possession stats lack. The good teams always seem to have a 2 or 3 options at all times. Maybe our youth needs to play more 1 touch scrimmages to feel the movement of the game better.

pstain · July 21, 2005

Yeah. You can see it at all levels in our NT.

I hope this is just the beginning of more European coaches offering their expertise to Canada.

The Ref · July 21, 2005

Frankie and Even are you reading this?

DJT · July 21, 2005

quote:Originally posted by pstain

There might be some other things that was mentioned so I hope that someone else can add to this.

I thought I didn't see the whole segment, but I saw everything you mentioned. The only additional thing I can think of was his comment that he was working with youth players in Greece a couple of weeks ago and felt that our kids are actually more talented than the Greek kids he saw (I think he qualified this with "on the ball", but I can't remember; in any case, he went on to talk about off the ball stuff as already posted).

July 21, 2005

I think coming from Ajax you have to temper this a bit. Perhaps there is no other team in Europe, or even the world, with such a clearly defined system they have applied for such a long time. Their youth grow up with it, they have it assimilated, they move in it "as if by memory". So compared to them most others look weak off the ball.

In any case, since we have a lot of Ajax system at Barça (though we have abandoned the insistence on wide out wings lately), I can see that this question is meaningless unless it goes along with the coach's set-up. There is no single 'right' way to move without the ball, though there may be clearly wrong ones depending on the system you are using. Since Ajax plays along the ground, controls in the middle, is a classic team in back passing to the keeper and starting again, has used wings traditionally way out to give mids a long or clear passing option, their kids learn to play and move in that system.

It is not how we have ever really played in Canada, at least not too effectively: our game is more vertical, uses give and goes up the wings with outside backs doubling over, tends to launch the ball over the mids' heads a lot to a "target man" (a term I hate), pushes the ball into space, expecting him any teammate to run into it, rather than sending it to his foot.

This system could be effective, but we tend to look rushed since we play with a high rhythm we can't match technically most of the time, losing the ball rather quickly, lining up again defensively behind the ball.

Question then: should Frank decide on how he'd like to play and then choose for that scheme, or adjust every time depending on who is starting?

Canuck Oranje · July 21, 2005

I have to agree with the Ajax coach's assessment. It matches my experience.

While I agree that the Ajax system is unusual in its instense focus on passing and movement, it is not unique in the Netherlands. The approach is fairly standard throughout the Netherlands.

Having said that, I also have noticed a lack of movement away from the ball and even at the MNT level. In the case of the MNT, it may be in part to differences in style and lack of familiarity.

Nevertheless, I am not sure that it is all due to a lack of effort by youth coaches. I don't think you can completely ignore the influence of the soccer environment in which young players develop in countries like the Netherlands.

In 1994, I once attended a U-11 game in a small Dutch town. The team was coached by the husband of my cousin and the team included their son who was almost the same age as my son. My son was an average U-11 rep player at that time and and would have been an average player on these teams too. He also attended this game with me. The feature of the game that caught my attention was that the kids on both teams seemed to be more interested than Canadian kids of the same age in making the perfect outswinging cross so their teammate could score. The kids also were much more rigid in their positioning on the field. And this was with very little intervention or encouragement from the coach. Kids seemed to do that naturally because it was how they saw the game being played. At the same time, there was very little defensive pressure applied by the defending team so young players with the ball were able to try the cross they wanted to make.

At the same time, the Canadian kids that I coached at the time were always aggressively pressuring the player in a sort of hockey forechecking way. And that was definitely not with any intervention nor and encouragement from the coach. I also found myself constantly pleading with these kids to maintain some sort of shape and to look for their teammates rather than trying to attack on their own.

My conclusion at the time was that young players are greatly influenced by their soccer playing heroes(if they have any). I felt that Canadian kids were trying to emulate their hockey heroes on the soccer field and many coaches were honestly trying to change some of those tendencies. Canadian youth coaches faced a far more difficult task coaching positioning, passing and movement off the ball than the Dutch youth coaches because of the environment in which each coached.

Having said all that, I believe things are improving as kids today can watch far more soccer on TV and are more likely to have soccer heroes than in early 1994 (when this visit took place)

Free kick · July 21, 2005

I read this piece on the subway this morning and found it very interesting. In fact its the first piece from this writer that I have found of any value or interest from my perspective.

When I first read the lines indicating that the source of Canada's problems are "without the ball" rather than 'with the ball" and that we were better than Greek kids "with the ball", I had to read that over again and then thought that it was a typo. But from the explanations mentioned earlier in this thread, I can now see the point. But I still have a hard time digesting that. Yes, our play away from the ball may be whats behind our scoring woes. But I have seen many examples where we are not strong on the ball either. Witness the U20 games versus Col and Ita.

red card · July 21, 2005

Here's the article from the Star:

Ajax scouts teach youngsters the beautiful game

Winning not important to Dutch masters

CATHAL KELLY

INSIDE SOCCER

The first thing Patrick Ladru, technical director of the Ajax youth academy, takes issue with is Canada's winning attitude. He doesn't like it one bit.

"Parents here want to win," Ladru says disapprovingly, as he watches a group of young GTA footballers scrimmage. "Winning is not important. Having fun is important. Skills are important."

These aren't public-service ad platitudes. For nearly four decades, this has been the organizing principle of the most successful soccer school ever assembled. Teaching is what matters to these coaches. Pressure to win hinders teaching.

The results are self-evident. Ajax has produced some of the greatest players of all time — Frank Rijkaard, Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp are graduates. Hundreds more have gone on to top pro careers.

Ajax's coaching staff has been holding its first invitation-only skills camp in Canada over the last two weeks. The visit was organized by Toronto's Sigma Sports Solutions. This week about 90 youngsters paid the $335 fee required to get them in front of some of the world's top talent scouts on a sun-bleached Brampton field.

"We were just in Greece. I think the level here is better," Ladru says. "(Canadians) play very well with the ball, but not without the ball." From his expression, it's clear that this is a serious shortcoming.

"Tricks are very important, especially for younger players," Ladru continues. "At this camp, we spend an entire day on them."

Ajax's De Toekomst (The Future) academy — an elite sports school where lessons and private tutorials are slotted around daily practices — currently holds about 160 children. The youngest — age 8 — play seven-on-seven on a half-field. Slowly, the players are weaned onto larger fields and into bigger teams. After rising through the ranks, the best footballers will turn professional and join Ajax's first team.

On an adjoining pitch, Ajax's head of international scouting Gerrie Muhren watches over a group of 15-year-olds. Muhren won three European championships with Ajax in the '70s. He knows how to win. Like Ladru, it's not something he's interested in teaching here.

"We have a saying at Ajax," Muhren says. "The first team must win. The rest may win."

Two or three of these 20-or-so players have caught his eye.

"They do what you ask — no crying or complaining. And they always have pleasure for the game."

Where do they lack? "Tactically. Technique," Muhren says.

Here's a possibly true story about Muhren and technique. He once bet a teammate he could kick a ball through the small, open window of a restaurant from across the street. When a skeptical reporter stood up at the window, the force of Muhren's pinpoint strike sent him to hospital.

"They have a lot to learn," Muhren says, leaning in for emphasis. "A lot."

FIFA coach of the century, the late Rinus Michels, developed the Ajax system in the '60s and '70s. His creation — dubbed "total football" — combines positional discipline and skilled improvisation into a medley of constant offence. It's a joy to watch, but these days it is often thwarted by grim, defensive football.

"We always want to attack. That's why we lose," Muhren says ruefully of the infamously underperforming Dutch.

On another pitch, another Ajax great is at work. Simon Tahamata is surrounded by a chaotic gaggle of 9- and 10-year-olds. The stocky Tahamata isn't much taller than some of his charges. The kids are precociously skilful. They literally squeal with delight as Tahamata steals the ball and dances between them.

Now all the fields are in full swing. The coaches move quietly among the players, critiquing and organizing them. A dozen games are going on at once. There isn't a scoreboard in sight.

red card · July 21, 2005