Messages

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh6vgkgQ2Ww&feature=related

Here's a 3 minute highlight reel from that final . . . Bayern scored a perfectly good free kick, hit the crossbar and the post and forced 2 saves from Schmeichel. . . United bundled in 2 corners!

The best team lost that day but that can happen in soccer more than any other sport. Fair play to United also as they managed somehow by the grace of god to pull that comeback off. There is no way that I am convinced they deserve to win it though.

Likewise for the final. Barcelona could play them off the park and hit every post  and force 10 saves off VDS while United might score a deflected corner and win . . . there is no scenario in which this United team will convince me they are better than Barcelona!

As they say you make your own luck! 99 & 08 teams remained unbeaten through the whole CL campaigns & if they win it this year the same will happen again. can't say that about Barcelona.

Next thing you're going to tell me that Liverpool were the best team around in 2005 

[Park & Rafael not up to it at this level and Giggs not anymore]

This reminds me a bit of Hatton Mayweather at the time . . . "Hatton is a lot better than you think, he's more than just a brawler and Mayweather is too hyped up and definitely I honestly think Hatton will win"

You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear . . . Carrick, Park & Rafael not up to it at this level and Giggs not anymore if you're going by new devils team.

United will be TOTALLY outclassed, just like that other Manc t**t!

Clearly you don't watch much football

I do you see and this season I have rarely seen Park finish a game, in fact in a season of 40 odd games he's finished less than a quarter of them. He does a lot of running around and not much else imo, as for Rafael well he is similar in terms of game time. I like him though and I think he will be a class act in time, he is too rash though and playing against Barca is likely to get red carded once he gets nut megged a few times.

Giggs was a class act and no doubt he has been a revelation for a man of his age in the Premier League, this is a huge step up though and he would not be able to cut it from the start against these lads, an impact sub maybe but not from the start. However if you put Nani on will he give Evra or Rafael enough cover?? who knows!!

Utd don't have the class for this one . . . what others are forgetting about when they talk about 2008 and 1999 are that these were pretty much miracle performances and extremely lucky. Nothing to do with tactical ability or having great teams. Luck pure and simple!!

This reminds me a bit of Hatton Mayweather at the time . . . "Hatton is a lot better than you think, he's more than just a brawler and Mayweather is too hyped up and definitely I honestly think Hatton will win"

You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear . . . Carrick, Park & Rafael not up to it at this level and Giggs not anymore if you're going by new devils team.

United will be TOTALLY outclassed, just like that other Manc twat!

Jees I could do this all night!!

Jay - Z 99 Problems

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W80Ae5hEOA

Sigur Rós - Hoppipola

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Iqq1AWMTQI


System of a Down - Chop Suey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSvFpBOe8eY

The White Stripes - Black Math

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0T5y8UjJQo

Undertones - Teenage Kicks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKumfRiGdQI

THEM - Baby Please Don't Go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wah7MqEHFg

Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcCTKtyzaXc

The Black Keys - Thickfreakness

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zByEkP3Wsdc

Fatboy Slim - Ya Mamma (good video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gYcB9TcL_o

Busta Rhymes - Gimme Some More

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHHT7dTmw8U

Dead Prez - Hip Hop (The Bass needs to be up full to appreciate this one)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuTCOvA250Y

Beck - Loser

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgSPaXgAdzE

I'll be back again with more at some stage but this should keep you all going

Hopefully the myth that we need O'Gara to kick points for Ireland has been put to bed. Sexton flawless today!

Some game and a lot of plus points for Ireland and Leinster. Heaslip, O'Brien, Ross and Healy were all immense! Well played Leinster and best of luck to themin the final ... would like to see them beat Northampton as I hate that clown Ashton and would love to see him steamrollered!

Also is it possible we saw Kidneys replacement earlier today? O'Shea seems to have his head screwed on and definitely did a number on Munster today!!

According to Eamon Dunphy only Maradona or George Best would have scored that 2nd goal tonight.

Not Roy Keane??

WOW!!

[It occasionally happens in the CL that a poor team gets fairly far in it which shouldn't be the case but there you go.]

Well my worries were ill founded. Schalke were terrible. It occasionally happens in the CL that a poor team gets fairly far in it which shouldn't be the case but there you go.

This really should have been about 6-0. Neuer is a superb keeper. A fifth final for United is within grasp. It will be very difficult whoever is in it but you can't win it if you're not in it.

On to Arsenal on Sunday. A dangerous game but hopefully the Rooney/Chicarito combo can cause plenty of problems for them.

Or win it like 2005

Or 1999?? Probably the luckiest final victory you will ever see by a team. 2 deflected corners with the other team completely on top throughout the entire game? They should have won that 3-0!! Even Fergie can't take credit for that unless he talked the big man upstairs into being a United fan!

Kinda off topic,but what is a good site for watchn the american office and the likes of eastbound and dowm,not that great with computers prob an easy way 2 do it tho did searches and not 2 sure if there safe sites etc

I use www.sidereel.com it has lots of megavideo links and also good divx links too which are the best quality for watching streaming. You need a decent connection speed though.

Why ddnt Moyes just take his trousers down in the cente circle?? It would have been more palletable than watching that. Against that Utd team they sat deep defending crosses all day when Utd were there for the taking with that team they had out??

Maybe there was a quiet word Scotsman to Scotsman that allowed Fergie to put out that team and still get a won . . . hang your head Moyes!!

[I was looking through a few clubs' websites for ideas on coaching and the best example I found was the Slaughtneil website. There's a very good guideline on it as to what they would hope their young players should be able to do at each age group. The emphasis on the skills really starts at under 10 with under 12 players expected to hone their skills under increased pressure.]

I have no problem with the notion of playing condition games but I still feel that they should be played at 13 or 15 aside.  To stop what happened in the Dalton cup match where your man soloed from his own back line why not simply have a blanket restrictions on solos, max 2!  Play the rest of the game as normal but it means the stronger guys can't push their way through the weaker lads.  The issue about skill development is not something that should be dealt with in the games themselves, it is something that must be developed the 2 nights during the week the young lads need coached.  If a player at 18 can't kick with both feet it is not because they didn't get enough 'game time', it is because the quality of work the underage coaches was doing with them over the years was not up to scratch. 

Boys and girls at under 8 and under 10 don't have the appreciation of positions as older players do and will be attracted to the ball which leaves the game a mess.
I'm sure you'll agree that it's one thing a lad being able to kick the ball with both feet during a drill but you want him to do it during a game. He'll do it quicker if he has the time and space to do it.
I was looking through a few clubs' websites for ideas on coaching and the best example I found was the Slaughtneil website.  There's a very good guideline on it as to what they would hope their young players should be able to do at each age group. The emphasis on the skills really starts at under 10 with under 12 players expected to hone their skills under increased pressure.

It was actually an open email sent to all clubs from Derry's Coaching Development Officer after Derry got a complete tanking last year:

A Chairde,



A bitterly disappointing day in Celtic Park for both our senior and minor teams.  I think after a day like that it makes everybody reflect on what is going on within our County, my viewpoint is from a coaching and games perspective.



I'm not the kind of person to be pointing fingers or blaming people, hindsight and is a wonderful thing and it's a skill many people in GAA circles seem to possess.  Instead I think we all need to examine exactly what we are doing to develop our underage players.



I think we have very good structures now in place at 8, 10 and 12 years of age with the Go Games and all the work that goes into coaching these young players.  We have very much over the past couple of years fostered the idea that every young players should play and develop their technical skills at their own rate.  I am convinced this will reap the benefits in years to come. I would however like all underage coaches particularly Under 12 coaches to concentrate working on the Weak Side to develop more two sided players.

At Under 8 level it should be about getting the kids out playing our games, enjoying them and developing that sense of club with them

At Under 10 level it should be about skill development, focus most be on developing all the skills with the young players moving into under 12 level.

At Under 12 level it should be about skill refinement and executing the skills under pressure.  There should be much more decision making in your coaching sessions for the players also.



Under 14 level is a busy year for players with Féile competitions beginning early then into their leagues and championships.  At Under 14 level players are really adapting to spatial awareness more so than anything else, players are now having to make decisions that they might not of had to make at under 12 level.  As players should be coming into Under 14 having come through the structures already in place they should have average to good technical skills, although it is always important to keep working on technique particularly on the weak side and under increased pressure.  Other aspects such as team play and tactical awareness will begin to come into your coaching sessions.  Players within their clubs should also be educated in the importance of nutrition and hydration at Under 14 level.



Once a player gets to Under 16 and minor level it's important that clubs continue to work on developing technique, team play, tactical awareness, spatial awareness amongst their players but I think it's becoming increasingly important that we in Derry start opening ourselves to the whole area of strength and conditioning amongst our players.



I know this is something we have started with development squad players and is going to have a major focus with them squads for the next few years.  But development squads (support them or loathe them) can't cater for every single player so we need clubs doing some of the work too.  I am happy to organise a series of coaching workshops around the area and bring in a few knowledgeable people to work with you our coaches within the County to show you things you can integrate into your coaching sessions that will help around this area.  If we buy into it not only will our players be stronger playing our games but I'm also convinced we would have much less injuries down the line.



Our development squad structure is in place and operating to a level I'm happy with for the past two years therefore next year's minor team will be the first group of players to come through the revised programme.  I know some people need convincing on the effectiveness but I'm adamant they are the only way we are going to really improve the top 20% of players, along with an effective school programme also of course, the two go hand in hand.  I would urge everyone to support them fully (this is more or less happening now), Armagh senior team yesterday had 17 players who came through the development squad structure, we in Derry took our eye of the ball.  I think it's important that every single coach doing the excellent work at club level and the coaches working with our development squads and within our schools continue to work hard at developing players so in seven or eight years time we have a continuum of top class players fighting to be part of and stay part of a strong senior panel.



It's very easy for us to feel sorry for ourselves after yesterday's events and to blame people but it's up to every coach from every club working with young players to roll up the sleeves and continue the excellent work that's going on!



Regards,

Chris

DERRY GAA COACHING BLOG:
http://derrycoaching.blogspot.com/

Criostóir Ó Coileáin / Chris Collins
Derry Coaching & Games Development Manager
chris.collins.gm.derry@gaa.ie

Great night for footie . . . 2 highly enjoyable games!!

Fecking Ray Wilkins... last week it was "stay on your feet" and this week it's "stand up" I can't listen to much more of this so I may turn off the volume! Some game though!!!!