BRE A coaching challenge for SM/EB

Can you train a footballing brain into someone? I agree with most of what you say but footballing intelligence always seems to be something you either have or you don't.

 

Surely you can? It's just knowledge, experience and practice. I would say it's the other way round... in the NFL they say, "you can't train size". He has all the physical (to a degree - non-trainable) attributes to be a good centre half. He just needs work on the knowledge side of things and working under pressure.

What I've noticed with BRE is that his passion gets in the way of his ability to just stop for a second, think and make the right decision.

 

He's just another Matt Clarke. Good Physique and quite athletic but not the greatest defender and has major concentration problems. He's no spring chicken either so doubt there's much improvement coming his way. His physicality will come in handy in some games but would think McCall will want a better footballer in the long run so we can play out from the back.

 

Can't agree more. I was a striker and a lazy one at that. However, I was always top scorer and my assists were in good numbers also. My strike partners trained harder and worked harder than me and were good athletes but had no composure in front of goal and was never in the right place at the right time so never had the numbers. I just don't think certain things in football can be trained. If he's not got the football ability now at 27/28 or whatever he is, is he suddenly going to turn into Rio/Stones type over night. Think that horse has bolted. He will be useful in certain games though so worth having in and around the squad but long term no thanks.

 

As much as anything, he can be coached to know and play to his limitations. Head it, block it, give it simply to the nearest player in space. If he can't distribute it well, don't ask him to try.

 

His passing and control on the ball was shown up on Saturday.

Think he will get replaced under McCall

 

Apart from his size as a defender he's an absolute shocker of a player, I'd play Paudie and try make him into an asset.

 

Not sure you should be mentioning Stones in the same sentence as Rio, sadly Stones is going backwards at Man City IMO, but I get your reasoning .

 

You can't just train someone to do parts of their game that are weaknesses. It's like saying we could give BRE to Man City for 12 months and he'll come back being able to pass a ball or read a game. There are somethings you cannot teach otherwise every player would be a world beater. He's in league 2 because his overall skill set dictates.

 

Is the correct answer. His attributes are of an old fashioned stopper at the back. Nowt wrong with that, just don't waste time trying to turn him into someyhing else.

 

When he signed someone put a highlights video of him up playing for ASFC. He had it all - goals, tackling and wonderful long range passing. Either we've coached all of that out of him or someone filmed a lot of footage to come up with those highlights.

 

YouTube highlights, can build anyone into a premiership player. I've birdied holes at golf before, doesn't mean I'm gonna win the Open. 5 or 10 minutes on you tube is not the reason a player is in league 2. All the minutes of him playing you haven't seen on the clip does.

 

Hed certainly come back a much better player, that’s for sure.

He’s in League Two because, as the rest of the League Two players (with the exception of those on loan from bigger clubs) he doesn’t have access to world class coaching and development facilities.

If BRE had personal coaching from the worlds best coaches, personal trainers, dieticians, physicians, sports scientists, football analysts etc etc.. for 12 months, he would come back far better than L2 standard!

 

Devante Cole had access to all this, so did Jordi Hiwula. All the way throughout their careers. Both now getting a gig in league 1. Not really a glowing endorsement is it. Sending BRE to somewhere such as Man City would improve certain aspects of his game, mainly professionalism. It wouldnt teach him how to control a ball or read a game. That goes for other lower league players. There are things in life you cannot teach, you've either got it or you haven't.

 

My mate was there from 15-22/23. Not even playing football now. No guarantee in football. Your skills dictate what you can and can't do on a football pitch. By your maths they should sign players like BRE with no ability and would just develop them at ease and turn them into top draw players. As we know the skills have to be there to develop or they find themselves at this level or non league.

 

Im absolutely certain he's never had "a wonderful passing range".

 

He's a solid unit. Good in the air. but he lunges into tackles and looks reckless at times. He isn't comfortable on the ball. No amount of coaching is ever going to improve that at his age (28 - he's as good as he'll ever be). He can still do a job for us in league two but we have to accept his deficiencies and try and partner him up with someone to cover his weaknesses.

Paudie isn't as strong in the air as him but is better on the ball.

AOC is probably the most rounded player of the three.

 

He reminds me a lot of Steve Williams but I think BRE has much more potential.