Joe Cole and Daniel Poulsen examples of squad selection that baffle the fans of Liverpool FC. Poor Joe Cole hasn't been effective at all for the LFC all season, but to be fair his overall effectiveness has been dropping for close to two years, so why place him on the squad in Europe. My familiarity with Daniel Poulsen is limited to this season, and his play truly lacks in all aspects.
So why do you play them?
The first answer is resources. As much as a player is a person, for a team they are a resource. They are a means of ensuring that the coach can play the "Best Eleven" (see previous posting), at any given point in the season. This leads to considerations of positions, player versatility, on field compatibility, experience, player availability and injuries.
Liverpool FC is lacking in two key areas; Available players and experience.
There was a time you could go to the bench when Alonso was out and get Mascherano, or if Benayoun was out go to Babel. You also had Reiera, Aquilani, Hyppia, Riise, Crouch, Bellamy amongst others who have come and gone from the Club, and have yet to be fully replaced. It isn't that the players on the squad are poor, the depth of the squad of three and four years ago has dissipated and the quality and experience on the bench is no longer there.
Take this weeks game, Gerrard, and Saurez are out. Add on injuries to Kelly and Aurelio and viola, Cole and Paulsen, who are on not Hyppia, Benayoun, Riise, or Aquilani.
What was King Kenny to do, well what choices did he have? Cole and Poulsen have a history of success and on that history he can only hope that they can deliver for LFC what they have done for other squads in the past.
One question that has gone around about these selections is why didn't King Kenny go to his reserves, or Academy players in this situation? It would appear that the experience and depth isn't there yet, and Liverpool want to win in the Europa League., so they go with suspected known qualities., such as Cole and Poulsen.
Youth Squads
What do you do with smaller amateur squads that may have two or three divisions of player within their structure. Our local region divides them as follows: Tier 1--Tier2A--T2B. These divisions reflect both commitment and skill levels although each level will have players who could play up a division, and others that may have been assessed too high during the initial selection process. The former group tend not to have the time or attitude to play at their potential, whereas the latter group tend to be able to play at the higher level, but are usually amongst the final selections and tend not to play as much as they want.
Officially there are no reserve squads or "second teams" in this structure, and official rosters have to be declared at an early date and are of limited numbers. It does not allow foe free transfer of players from division to division, and is based on a limited snapshot of player ability at a tryout process.
This is not correct, either in philosophy or approach.
Philosophically it presumes that the initial roster is it, and that the eleven best will remain the eleven best all season long. This ignores that players can develop or regress as the season progresses, and what seems like a sure thing at the time of selection is abjectly wrong as the season progresses. I know as I have made that incorrect assessment based on that snapshot on more than one occasion.
The approach issue is that it silos players too early in a season and their playing career. It often leads to the trap of being chosen a T2A always a T2A. This is often because of lack of training opportunities with the higher ranked players, or just training in general. Players that don't want to improve, my experience are few and far between, but those that want to become more competitive will, if given the opportunity will self identify and improve in these sessions especially if they believe there is a chance for movement upwards during the season. Secondly it requires a co-operative and flexible approach by the coaches to communicate the various strengths and weaknesses of their players during the season, and a willingness to move players BOTH for the improvement of a squad and the development of the players.
The current approach stagnates players development as their is little or no movement between squads, and coaches as a result of the system are not encouraged to assess other players as the season progresses.
SOLUTION
It isn't revolutionary but the second squad should be playing in a " T1 reserve league" that has all the benefits of the 2A league as it now stands, provincials, tournaments, league championships etc, BUT the final rosters for provincials and league finals for each division be declared on or about August 1 as opposed to the current earlier dates currently imposed. Up to that point in time players can play up and down. After that date they can only go up from the reserve squad, including playoffs, but on no more than three occasions.
This modest proposal would open up squads to appropriate in house competition, encourage players to try to improve and move up to the first team, and open up a larger pool of players and depth on the bench for the coach and Club.
is this the only possible solution? Of course not. Is it better than the current system, of course it is. It gives more opportunities to play, train and learn at the higher levels, and most importantly it encourages competition and ope that hard work and play will be rewarded.
DRILL OF THE WEEK:
One question that has gone around about these selections is why didn't King Kenny go to his reserves, or Academy players in this situation? It would appear that the experience and depth isn't there yet, and Liverpool want to win in the Europa League., so they go with suspected known qualities., such as Cole and Poulsen.
Youth Squads
What do you do with smaller amateur squads that may have two or three divisions of player within their structure. Our local region divides them as follows: Tier 1--Tier2A--T2B. These divisions reflect both commitment and skill levels although each level will have players who could play up a division, and others that may have been assessed too high during the initial selection process. The former group tend not to have the time or attitude to play at their potential, whereas the latter group tend to be able to play at the higher level, but are usually amongst the final selections and tend not to play as much as they want.
Officially there are no reserve squads or "second teams" in this structure, and official rosters have to be declared at an early date and are of limited numbers. It does not allow foe free transfer of players from division to division, and is based on a limited snapshot of player ability at a tryout process.
This is not correct, either in philosophy or approach.
Philosophically it presumes that the initial roster is it, and that the eleven best will remain the eleven best all season long. This ignores that players can develop or regress as the season progresses, and what seems like a sure thing at the time of selection is abjectly wrong as the season progresses. I know as I have made that incorrect assessment based on that snapshot on more than one occasion.
The approach issue is that it silos players too early in a season and their playing career. It often leads to the trap of being chosen a T2A always a T2A. This is often because of lack of training opportunities with the higher ranked players, or just training in general. Players that don't want to improve, my experience are few and far between, but those that want to become more competitive will, if given the opportunity will self identify and improve in these sessions especially if they believe there is a chance for movement upwards during the season. Secondly it requires a co-operative and flexible approach by the coaches to communicate the various strengths and weaknesses of their players during the season, and a willingness to move players BOTH for the improvement of a squad and the development of the players.
The current approach stagnates players development as their is little or no movement between squads, and coaches as a result of the system are not encouraged to assess other players as the season progresses.
SOLUTION
It isn't revolutionary but the second squad should be playing in a " T1 reserve league" that has all the benefits of the 2A league as it now stands, provincials, tournaments, league championships etc, BUT the final rosters for provincials and league finals for each division be declared on or about August 1 as opposed to the current earlier dates currently imposed. Up to that point in time players can play up and down. After that date they can only go up from the reserve squad, including playoffs, but on no more than three occasions.
This modest proposal would open up squads to appropriate in house competition, encourage players to try to improve and move up to the first team, and open up a larger pool of players and depth on the bench for the coach and Club.
is this the only possible solution? Of course not. Is it better than the current system, of course it is. It gives more opportunities to play, train and learn at the higher levels, and most importantly it encourages competition and ope that hard work and play will be rewarded.
DRILL OF THE WEEK:
This is one I call POGO, for Play Out - Go Out . This is a 4 v 4 in a 15m x 15m grid set up with two players on the outside for each squad and two on the inside. The objective is for the inside player with the ball to pass to one of his two outside players, and once done successfully, to switch with the outside players ( hence play out go out). Each switch is a point, first to ten wins. This game encourages close touch, possession skills, accurate passing, and tight marking.
Walk On
Hal White
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