https://x.com/Texas_jeep__guy/status/2075332260367122505
https://x.com/LynneBP_294/status/2074546558402531440
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Yes, I am not particularly optimistic either. There is no doubt loads of talent, but there really seems to be something missing - which is probably the level of manager in place.
The CAF managers seem to have two basic types, the national and the foreign journeyman. The national seems to usually have experience and some success in the domestic league - but the domestic leagues seldom have most of the players that are on the national side.
Alternatively, there are the FAs that bring a European or South American with some pedigree in better leagues. But they are almost never the level of manager who would be in the frame for their own countriesā national job. All too often, this type of manager seems to decide he needs to solve āAfrican tactical naiveteā by imposing a sterile defensive style of play - which seems to stifle the real talent that the players bring to the table. South Africa v. Canada was a clear example of that. Coached to be a 2nd rate European side, not surprisingly that is about what they get.
It is really a version of the same problem that Brazil has been struggling with for a generation or so. But the CAF associations donāt have the same depth of domestic league to develop their coaches - and even Brazil decided to go with Ancelotti.
I donāt think a CAF nation is going to break through until the quality of domestic leagues improves significantly, to allow the development of African managers capable of finding an effective blend of their best players in Europe with domestic talent, playing in a style that allows their talent to shine through. That is going to be a slow process - African managers are not generally going to get a chance in Europe, and the domestic leagues have a tiny fraction of the resources of the big European associations to develop coaches. I donāt see it happening in this generation.
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I try to be optimistic about World Football and there is a rich talent at grass roots level, especially African players who now play in the major European League such Sadio, Mo, Drogba, Hakimi, Osihmen, Williams etc.
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The way I see it, it goes in generations for smaller countries. Right now, for instance, Norway has by far the best generation ever in terms of players and we also really have a truly good manager at helm. So although we are arguably a weaker side, we have a fair shot at England as well as Argentina. But that is only this World Cup, maybe the next one too (I hope). These are the days, this is our one chance of going truly deep (and maybe the next one), we donāt expect a semi final, but we think it is highly possible.
But thatās just because we have this generation, this team. Our league is not strong enough to produce players like Ćdegaard and Haaland in a large quantity, despite Norwegian football having taken massive strides (itās actually decent now, and we can see that from BodĆø/Glimt but also Brann and Viking in Europe), the gap is there to Germany and will always be due to their much bigger economy and population (far more people play football in Germany) and the gap is even bigger to England and specifically the money in the Premier League, which again makes buying fully produced and sharpened gems in all positions possible for Premier League teams. It is illogical and nigh impossible that we will be able to retain this level in comparison to other countries, for very many years and most of us know that (which is part of the reason of why we celebrate this run like mad). So this is it for Norway.
The problem is that the players you mentioned are almost all old, and would be unlikely to play a big role in the next World Cup. Their chance of getting to be on a team good enough to go very deep in the World Cup has likely passed.
Itās possible that those who comes after will do so, itās a cup after all, so possible to string together an amazing run but I donāt see any African nation establishing itself as a footballing powerhouse over time (you need a competative league for that) any time soon. I am just saying that itās very unlikely that an African team will win the final in the next few 5-6 decades. But there is a chance of course. Always a chance when itās a cup.
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I am 500+ or posts behind and am not going to run through them to check if this has already been posted, butā¦
We have found the long lost Norwegian brother of @Sweeting
https://x.com/SkyNews/status/2075338675114684690?s=20
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Most World Cupās areā¦
Sadly most of football is now.
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France and Spain are conveyor belts, who knows what the political landscape will do to French football in the coming years but Spain will continue to produce. Portugal look incredibly stagnant god knows what that looks like going forward. Germany are missing pieces and probably would have progressed with Schlotterbeck, I assume in 4 years they may look like a decent bet.
England have hit a bit of sweet spot in which they have stepped up to be one of those clubs who can produce players. Argentina will become a bit of a dead end for a few years until they find their next talisman, Brazil said they were targeting 2030 so they must have some idea of what is coming through.
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Why donāt we buy him for a couple of years isnt he on a free?
I thought Stones had signed another contract with Man City.
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hell no
I donāt know. I didnāt realise they extended his contract.
Not much so I dont really get where this idea in Brazil was coming from and so to me it felt like a preemptive excuse. They last made the semis of the U20 world cup long enough ago that several of those players have since retired. They got knocked out in the group stage of the last version and failed to qualify for the 2 prior to that. There is no obvious emerging generation of talent to point to
If Im being cynical maybe the idea is that they knew this time around they couldnt not take Neymar, that taking him would be bad for the side, and so they had to wait until 4 years from now to have a crack at it without his shadow being cast over them
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The problem for many CAF countries, using Nigeria as a specific case is in two broad categories.
-
The inability to develop talent, especially at the youth levels I place this above the domestic league, because of the ability of players to travel abroad for contracts.
Thereās not enough high quality coming through, and many who arrive in Europe have often missed significant years of quality, foundational development. The result is that many never truly progress wrt their development. -
The second part is gross mismanagement at the level of many FAs. Its not somuch a question of hiring journeymen coaches, but hiring the right fit.
Why do I say this? Back in the 90s Nigeria hired Clemens Westerhof; by any metrics a Dutch journeyman. He produced what remains IMO, Africaās best WC team to date. But Nigeria has never been able to sustain the level of talent production from that periodā¦
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Maybe not just a Neymar deflection, but it definitely seemed like expectations management. It is not as if Ancelotti has Brazil clearly playing a style they are struggling to learn or fit, like Kloppās LFC in 2016. Equally, with transfer windows not a factor, it isnāt clear how Ancelotti can progressively build his team towards 2030
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I do want the final Norway against Belgium
@Arminius : Your oponion?
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I agree with both of those, as underlying causes of the limitations I was referring to - just thinking of Senegal, it is absolute madness that a coach that did what he did should not only remain in post, but receive the vociferous backing of the FA. That kind of dysfunction works against developing good coaching, robust leagues, and solid player development pathways.
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Theyāre backā¦
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I donāt have much of one. Of the 7 remaining countries, none are particular favourites - I would probably like to see the winner of Norway-England advance and maybe win it all, but Belgium in the final would be a story.
Mostly, I just want see to some good games - an Argentina-England match would be something.
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Yeah I donāt see it, its evident Spain might be something special in 4 years but Brazil.
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