"You're too small to be a footballer"

[TBM]

Interesting debate on 606 last night about why, in this country, are we obsessed with size? - when players are at clubs as a kid they are often released for being "too small"

Look at the European Champions

Xavi - 5ft 7in
Messi - 5ft 7in
Iniesta - 5ft 6in

These 3 players were the main reason Barcelona won the Champions League this season and all of them are 5ft 7in or smaller. In England, if you look at most youth teams they are all 6ft plus footballers.
The closest we have to the above, in our national team, is Shaun Wright-Phillips........says it all really.

Maybe if we spent time developing the smaller players into the game we would end up with stars similar to these.

Thoughts?

[AF1]

'greed


my mates son is on the books at Reading and has been given six months to grow or will be shown the door


lunacy

[Alan Partridge]

Danny Stevens of Torquay United is 5'1.

[TBM]

Danny Stevens of Torquay United is 5'1.

Is he the next Xavi, Messi or Iniesta?

[Maguire]

To add more power to TBM's argument - I'm 6ft7in and i'm shit.

[papereyes]

Interesting debate on 606 last night about why, in this country, are we obsessed with size? - when players are at clubs as a kid they are often released for being "too small"

Look at the European Champions

Xavi - 5ft 7in
Messi - 5ft 7in
Iniesta - 5ft 6in

These 3 players were the main reason Barcelona won the Champions League this season and all of them are 5ft 7in or smaller. In England, if you look at most youth teams they are all 6ft plus footballers.
The closest we have to the above, in our national team, is Shaun Wright-Phillips........says it all really.

Maybe if we spent time developing the smaller players into the game we would end up with stars similar to these.

Thoughts?

Paul Scholes is about 5ft 8

I don't think its quite as simple as you make out but, essentially, English football selects for pace, strength and height so stronger, taller, faster players are going to be picked and developed ahead of technically better players lacking in those three aspects. Its also three things that one can't easily improve. Yes, you can work on your sprinting technique and your physical strength but it takes time. As an example, I know that the guy who signed Agbonlahor to Villa had the opinion that they could turn this kid who was basically a sprinter into a footballer but they'd find it harder to turn a footballer into a sprinter.

I think a genuinely classy small kid would get through the system but where it fails is players on the borderline, players who could be good enough. I also think a talented but small midfielder would tend to get played at wing back or wide midfield rather than central midfield just because that's how things work.


What's perhaps worse is that the lower leagues select even more greatly for physical ability ahead of skill. There's very few places for a talented but physically smaller player to actually go. And, because they're English, they already decide against abroad.

From my experiences last season, I was competing with a huge nigerian lad for the third midfield spot and most times he got the nod as he was pretty much twice the size of me, in spite of me actually being able to pass the ball ten yards. If I did get games, it was as left or right wing back.

Danny Stevens of Torquay United is 5'1.

Alan Wright of Blackpool, Blackburn and Villa was tiny. Got injured because he bought a sports car that was too big for him.

[Alan Partridge]

Danny Stevens of Torquay United is 5'1.

Is he the next Xavi, Messi or Iniesta?

Yes, yes he is.

[Vision]

Danny Stevens of Torquay United is 5'1.

Is he the next Xavi, Messi or Iniesta?

Yes, yes he is.

He's the next Sammy Igoe.

[Huntley & Palmer]

Isn't it more to do with the fact that Argies and Spaniards are short arses?

[Whore Jackie]

Alan Wright of Blackpool, Blackburn and Villa was tiny. Got injured because he bought a sports car that was too big for him.

Problem with engaging the clutch in his Ferrari IIRC.

Didn't the commentary reveal that Messi's been having growth hormone injections for years, all funded by Barcelona, and that he'd be 4'8" without them. And isn't there a stat that a high proportion of English professional footballers are born in the September to December period – essentially the biggest, strongest players within that year group.

[Archie's penalty]

Isn't it more to do with the fact that Argies and Spaniards are short arses?

Can I hear you say Torres and Batistuta?

[Huntley & Palmer]

Congratulations on picking out Torres at a gigantic 5'9"

[TBM]

Congratulations on picking out Torres at a gigantic 5'9"

LOL try 6ft 1in Hunts

[Huntley & Palmer]

Good old soccerbase.com

[TBM]

Good old soccerbase.com

being a Liverpool fan yourself and seeing him play live, didn't you think to yourself before posting "hmm i swear he's bigger than that"

[Huntley & Palmer]

Yeah, I thought he was one of those smaller than he looks types

[6ft Kerplunk]

Talking of which, I know he's knocking on a bit now but has Syvlinho shrunk since he left Arsenal?

[Row Z Royal]

Talking of which, I know he's knocking on a bit now but has Syvlinho shrunk since he left Arsenal?

Bigger pond.

[readingbedding]

'greed


my mates son is on the books at Reading and has been given six months to grow or will be shown the door


lunacy

Six months to improve, either that or he's a midget/dwarf.

[Archie's penalty]

Congratulations on picking out Torres at a gigantic 5'9"

Morientes was a pretty big guy as well.