...and Bradford City

[MikeSB]

I wouldn't use the term "claptrap" when commenting on your opinions. After all, that is what they are. However I disagree vehemently with much of what you say. You have criticised the number of management staff on our books but I would point out that it is widely acknowledged that our previous manager's workload was literally unmanageable. He was doing everything, something totally unrealistic in the modern game. Had you watched the Forest v Spurs game yesterday you would have heard the commentator referring to the appointment of a "set piece" coach in the Spurs ranks. I can imagine you ripping your hair out as I type this.
You also say that football was better in the days when we had teams playing with 5 forwards and running directly at goal. To some extent, this happens now but is less successful because the quality and abilities of defenders is much greater than the times you hark back to.

The point is that coaching does improve players of any sport. Players involved in football, cricket, tennis, badminton all benefit from coaching regardless of ability and if, for example, we in England decided to dispense with it you would very soon see us getting left behind.

I know you will disagree and quote JG and GB but even those two brilliant players will have had some level of coaching in their careers.

I suspect you are all getting confused with the term 'coaching' and training would be far better as all players both professional and amateur had that in all sports. I disgree with you on that all players are improved by erm, coaching as I played golf for 40 years to single figure handicap and had perhaps two lessons with the club Pro and what a waste of money that was. Most of the golfers I played alongside with were high handicaps and not one lesson by Jack Nicklaus could have improved them. I won't watch PL matches now even with a free ticket no matter who they were playing. Ditto Tennis where all the skill has gone like Nastasi with net control of the ball and I will have to disagree about our level of football in the lower divisions and maybe even at the top where Bill Nicholson was manager of everyyhing and they won the double league and FA cup too and do you know why? Because he signed and had excellent footballers and had hardly any training with them and certainly no coaching and they were tacticians rather than coaches. I think most of our Alex team of the old days would beat todays Alex team easily and the kids would have no chance against most of them. Football is or should be about attacking the goal, not playing in the middle of the pitch waiting for a break away to score. That is my opinion and entitled to it and its certainly not 'claptrap' and people using that word on here have failed the plot in what football should be about and the plain fact that we won the world cup with not one academy or coach is the clear evidence that its not needed then or now but is a great way of employing also rans and amateurs in so called academies. David Platt had all the coaching badges in the world like they all do now and how far did he get? Mourino can't win a sausage now as he can't sign the best players etc etc etc. How many managers have Crewe Alex got now? Ten is it and yet we cannot afford to sign a player as no money...Plot lost completely. There is no way our academy kids could play on those pitches of yesterday...It was Dave Artell who could not manage properly and maybe it was because he was not a football manager and so wanted to do everything himself, even refereeing the matches...All we need is ONE manager as all clubs had in the past not a committee where all Professional Clubs have even a boot cleaner...FGS what has happened and in those days they didn't get much money and that is the real enemy of football...One season and made for life, playing in half empty grounds?