In a recent article found in Success In Soccer Magazine they asked the Youth Academy of Chelsea FC a multitude of questions regarding the academy and its welfare...One of the questions was this:
What are some improvements that could be made here (in reference to the England based academy, not the Florida based academy) in England?
Neil Bath Replied:
Any problems we have are not with the Charter itself, but with those entrusted to execute its philosophies. There are more, but two elements that should be addressed are hypocrisy and the overemphasis on athleticism.
In regard to hypocrisy, there are those who forsake the development of a player in order to achieve results on match day. Too many times I have seen other academies play it safe during a youth match by sending the ball forward and not giving their players an opportunity to build out of the back or challenge their technical skills in their own half. These players will ultimately suffer because of this. This actually feeds into the other issue I see, which is the selection of a young player for his athletic potential versus his ability to play football (soccer). A common approach should apply here. I'm an admirer of Spanish football, and when I see their better players I know I'm witnessing the game as we preach in the charter: a group that moves effectively, with and without the ball, and glides along the pitch. Of course a better athlete can make a better soccer player, but to have the physical characteristics be the final determinan tis risky and ultimately ineffective. Here at Cobham we seek balance and build it whenever the situation allows.
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