Hi all,
With Nike on board this month, their timing is superb, coming on the back of the Lions, whom they sponsored the national jerseys for.
So make sure you keep writing in, to answer Midweek topics as well, to be in the running for the Writer of the Month.
Now that the S'pore Lions are in a really good position to consolidate their position as Asean No.1 over the next four years at least, what ideas would you have to take our Lions to the next step - that is, qualifying for the Asian Cup (which we narrowly failed to do last year)?
Post your views here by clicking on "comments" below my sign-off here or e-mail us by clicking the link right.
No more than 200 words please (click link right for auto word counter)
At your service,
Ernest Luis
The Postman
The New Paper
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66 comments:
Think I'll just carry off from where the discussion ended in the previous topic...
Sending more players abroad for experience is a good suggestion, and another would be constantly arranging top oppositions for the Lions to play against. Haha, I'm not so sure whether Brazil would like to play against us, but the key here is to look beyond SEA and arrange more matches involving oppositions from outside the region.
I don't think that the current S-League is able to provide enough challenge to push our players to the next level, and you can only get so far if you keep playing against Laos and the same other oppositions in SEA. I feel that it doesn't really matter if we ended up getting taught a footballing lesson by the likes of Japan, Korea or Australia, as long as we learn from these lessons.
Singapore may just won the AFC Cup but winning the Asian Cup is a tall order. Qualifying for the Asian Cup Finals may be realistic but I don't see them winning it. Looking at teams such as Australia, Japan and South Korea-they have the strengths and depths of winning the Asian Cup. As much as I love supporting my country, I hate to say it - Singapore will not win the Asian Cup for a long time. They can try EVERYTHING, they'll still fail. I'm sorry.
The Lions have done a good job in winning the Asean Championships. They should aim to improve. The Asian Cup featuring the traditional powerhouses will be a good step forward. But having said that, the likes of Korea, Japan, Iran will prove more difficult than Laos etc.
1. Sending the Lions on overseas stint could be a good idea. How feasible it is remains to be seen. For a start, they could be sent to countries with more professional leagues such as Singapore. J-League could come to mind. No point sending the Lions to be slaughtered in England where the culture is very much different.
2. I agree with ladylala on playing more top oppositions. No point playing the likes of Philippines every now and then. The Lions have got to move out of their pond into the bigger ocean. Games like against Uruguay and Denmark should be more often. You can only improve playing with better opposition. In addition, the frequency of the matches could see them improve their familiarity. We see in Europe, there's friendlies held every now and then. We should have such games too.
3. The Football Academy has done well in nurturing the likes of Riduan, Amri etc. They should not stop here. As majority of the squad, bar Aide and Subramani has age on their side, this squad should be kept together. Even Raddy should continue, for he has done a good job so far. As continuity breeds familiarity, the togetherness of the squad could bring them far.
4. Make this a national project. Give more publicity and coverage to the Lions. With more support, they will be more spurred on.
5. The young and promising should be given the support they require to play soccer. Show them they can both play and study without compromising their future by offering more scholarships. This enables them to pursue a higher education while playing sports. This helps to calm the minds of typical singaporeans where certificates matter so much here.
Cheers,
kel
Alright, let's start from our very own roots. Why not send promising youngsters (aged 16-18) to those established football academies of overseas clubs? (eg. West Ham Football Academy) This will not only help to gauge our national talents but also helps to develop these promising youngsters in a different environment and training methods which I'm sure, can fully maximized their potential that can never be achieved playing in our own backyard.
Yes, if they don't not make the cut to the next level, we can simply bring them back and ply their trades in the S-League. At least, the valuable experience gained can only help to improve singapore's footballing standard.
Look at the bigger picture, dude.
To proceed to the next level, the coaching in Singapore must be further developed. Local coaches should be sent for overseas attachments to learn from the best nurturers of talent e.g. Ajax, Arsenal.
The large Chinese population remains an untapped resource. Hence, something needs to be done to utilize this huge potential of talent from going to waste. This is to ensure a steady crop of talents will steadily come through the ranks.
While the current batch of players is developing well, overseas stints should be considered to further their development. FAS needs to affiliate themselves with clubs abroad to help nurture our talents to the ways of being a true professional.
Having a strong domestic league is crucial in our development as an Asian contender. Only with a more competitive and professional league will we be able to produce better players which we can draw from. This would benefit the national side tremendously.
Playing more competitive matches against the bigger guns will also give our boys the experience and temperament they need. However, the fans must remain patient if results don’t go our way. There must be a learning curve in order to be one of Asia’s best.
Looking at the current squad,the talents are obviously there but the problem is how to nurture these young players and polished them into diamonds which can shine along side Asia's top teams such as Japan,Saudi Arabia and Korea.
Sending them to overseas and hone their skills and tactical awareness will definately help.With their CVs including the record of having just won the ASEAN Championship,the prospect of foreign clubs willing to offer them the chance to train with them certainly raises isn't it?This will just make things even simpler.Yes,they might not earn any playing contract or whatsoever but the idea is to gain experience and come back a better player which I'm sure they will.However if any of them do get the chance of playing in overseas that will even be better as it will keep the nation to be interested in the Lions and local lads informations.
Secondly,our lads need to improve on the fitness and mental level.In term of bodysizes our lads are more or less the same as Korea and Japan but dwarfed when compared to the Aussies but one thing Korea and Japan can keep up the pace with the bigger guys is due to their stamina and their will power.Thats one big area the Lions should improve.
Lastly of course the Lions must play against better opponents to learn and improve in their game before taking the Asia's big boys.We must have a guage at where is our level and have a more realistic target rather than thinking of eating the apple when the tree hasn't even been planted.
One step at a time,slow and steady.The prospect is good and the future is bright for the Lions.
Cheers
Send our Football Academy or Club trainees to be as interns in Europe, South America, Japan and South Korea.
Establish contacts with their respective FAs, to allow our best local talents to have trials with their top premier clubs.
Formed a team of best local talented individuals, to play in their 2nd or 3rd tier leagues like English Coca Cola Championship or Italian Serie B.Just like basketball, send a team to take part in Australian Soccer league.
Try to attract good foreign talents to be Singaporeans, from countries considered World Soccer Power Houses like Brazil or Argentina or talented but slightly not good enough to play for Spain or Italy or Germany, whose culture suitable to play in Singapore.
Old Lions will Never Walk Alone In Their Quest For More Socccer Honours.
From: Chester Low
I think that sending the players abroad for training is a good idea. It will be a better idea to send the players to differnent club like Strikers to ManU and so on and so fore.
Why the Lions cannot be as good as the western team? It's because lack of experience, so in order to have more experience, they have to play with western team or club more oftenly to have a better team to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. But with the present team with a higher morale and teamwork can be a top ASIAN TEAM within two years standing together with Japan, Korea and etc.
S.league should also import more western players that are good to increase the experience of lions playing against westerers and know their style better. Hope Lions can become world class team by 2010 with Alam, Amri, Sharil, Aide and Indra. Lions should train more on passing too as you can see from the Thai vs Lions match, the passing could have done better without letting it into the Thais' procession.
I think that sending the players abroad for training is a good idea. It will be a better idea to send the players to differnent club like Strikers to ManU and so on and so fore.
Why the Lions cannot be as good as the western team? It's because lack of experience, so in order to have more experience, they have to play with western team or club more oftenly to have a better team to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. But with the present team with a higher morale and teamwork can be a top ASIAN TEAM within two years standing together with Japan, Korea and etc.
S.league should also import more western players that are good to increase the experience of lions playing against westerers and know their style better. Hope Lions can become world class team by 2010 with Alam, Amri, Sharil, Aide and Indra. Lions should train more on passing too as you can see from the Thai vs Lions match, the passing could have done better without letting it into the Thais' procession.
So I hope Lions will keep up their good work. Win the FIFA WORLD CUP IN 2010 and tells the world although Singapore is a dot on the map, we can be as goog as big nations.
My earlier comments was written by me because i forget my password for my blog so i have an "anonymous" showing there. so don't think this is copying.
In terms of fitness and physical strength, it should not be a problem for the Lions since they have adopted a more scientific approach judging from the appointment of a nutritionist and conditioning trainer. T
What is more of a concern is how the boys take care of themselves outside the reins of the national setup. Fandi commented recently how footballers in Singapore still do not treat their profession with the kind of respect it deserves.
If confined to our shores, the boys will definitely not experience the true rigors of life as a professional. That means competing for places, being discipline and taking care of oneself. Hence, going abroad will broaden their horizons and toughen them up.
I am not a fan of the foreign talent scheme. It is a short-term solution but in the long run, why shouldn't we be able to produce future Shahril Ishaks and Khairul Amris? In the past, if we are able to produce the Dollah Kassims, the Quah brothers and the Fandis,I see no reason why we cannot do it again.
In fact, there is a need to streamline the system and improve the process in trying to marginalize the pool of players and produce better talents. Only then will Singapore be able to compete beyond this region.
We'll aim to at least qualify for the Asian Cup. If we could maintain the Asean Cup for another year, that would be great too.
Sending players aboard is good, it let them gain the experience they need for their future. I think we should send our S-League Champions and runner-up to the Japanese or Korean League.
We should start producing young talents, like what Arsene Wenger is doing for Arsenal. We should start a youth league kinda thing too. It helps scouts to pick players to join the National Team.
Qualifying for the Asian Cup should be their aim for now, but to win it, it's too optimistic.
Teams like Japan, South-Korea and the Socceroos are the team to beat for the Asian Cup. In actual fact, every team, is the team to beat.
We need to improve more and play better. Our players stamina, size and strenght are nothing compared to the Koreans, or the Japanese. There's much to improve on, but I don't mind if they take their time, but improve slowly.
I feel that more also needs to be done in order to encourage and nurture the next batch of young talents. When you think of the "culture" in England, probably every young boy there dreams of making it as a professional Premiership footballer. Here, being a footballer is perhaps the last resort as everyone's first priority is to get through the academic system and obtain a degree.
In addition, over in England, virtually every top club has an extensive scouting network for young talents and Academy setup to polish these rough diamonds. They even used to have a FA's School of Excellence, sounds like a prestigious school, and it had the likes of Owen and Joe Cole as students (its success was debatable though... haha, even Lampard got rejected by them).
I don't play football, so I don't know exactly how much has been done here to develop the next batch of talents. I know we have a Sports School, but again, I'm not exactly sure of their progress. Hopefully though, the school is able to attract more young talents and successfully develop them for the senior team in the future.
i'll just do in in short and sweet sentences...
-scouts to e at competitions even open categories one..talents are abound everywhere in singapore..
-abroad training may not work!
as the playig style varies, it might even harm the harmony in the team..
-send the lions for every single competitions, friendlies possible...
expose them as much as possible!!!
then we will be on our way up the fifa rankings..:D
With all due respect hadi, why are you comparing the fandis and dollah kassim. Yes fandi was offered a european contract but who knows if he were to succeed there? In the end, perhaps the mental strength of being away from his family and loved ones just wasn't adequate for him to take up the challenge. Amri may have scored the goal that won Singapore the Asean Cup but he's still a nobody on the international stage. We must not stop here. Even the likes of amri have to continue improving. The Asian Cup is a far step higher than the Asean Championships. And the part about Singaporeans having no problems in terms of fitness and physical strength just because a conditioning trainer has been hired? Fitnesswise we might be on par but physical strength?Asians and the Europeans? Let's face it. No matter how you twist and find, we Asians will always be at a disadvantage. I am talking about the average of course. How about the height advantage that they have. I agree though that the foreign talent scheme should not continue. I think even though the foreign players have been with us for awhile, it will take awhile before they are called thoroughbread Singaporeans. I certainly have nothing against them. Of course doing well is more than just the physical condition of the players. To do well would mean having a tougher mind better tactical acumen and technical skills. And all these come with experience with playing the best outside Singapore.
Cheers,
kel
Sunday’s win over Thailand has raised nation’s expectation. Qualification for the next Asian Cup is definitely next on the agenda.
Ideas that could be implemented to take Singapore up the football ladder.
1. Extend Avramovic’s contract and let him continue with his work. If it is not broken, don’t change it.
2. Overseas training stints for promising youngsters.
3. Arrange quality matches/ mini-touraments involving nations or clubs within Asia region.
4. Extensive scouting system to talent scout local and foreign players.
5. Link up with established clubs for exchanges.
6. Greater financial rewards for those with footballing aspirations.
7. Source for more sponsorship. Local companies can also do their part to contribute financially.
8. Expand Singapore Cup to include more quality clubs from the region to allow players to be expose to different playing styles.
9. Tap into the other 76% of Singapore. Imagine the potential that is waiting to be unleashed.
10. Send coaches on overseas stints too for upgrades.
Have you people looked at the way those secondary school boys play for their schools? Their standard is better than some S-League clubs!
Is this something greater of things to come for Singapore football?
i think the Lions should improve on the midfielder and defenders. when the match against Thailand, the defenders left lots of holes at the sides to let the Thais run in to shot.
I have no problem with the foreign talent scheme... Used to have an issue against it, but I think I've become more open-minded now. Ultimately, we have to face the fact that we have a pretty small population, and although there are a few countries with similar population sizes that have done really well (Trinidad and Tobago at the WC for example), I still think it's too hard to go far without this scheme.
Of course, it's still best to keep the main core of the team local, but if you ask me, personally I no longer see the likes of Mustafic, Precious, Daniel, Jiayi etc as foreigners. Fact is they have worked hard for the Lions, their heart seems to be in the right place, so I'm happy with them. As long as we don't get any more "jokers" like Agu Casmir, it's alright with me really. After all, our forefathers were immigrants themselves, weren't they!
Of course, everyone has a different opinion on this...
Basically, after attaining triumph and crown of Asean back to back, I do not see why we can't qualigy for Asian Cup. First and foremost, we shall make hay while the sun shines, build it up upon the foundation we have achieved in this Asean Football Championship, continue to further develope the budding starlets, give them more experience in matches against stronger opponents. These starlets have performed above expectation for the AFC, they will be the ones we can depend on for future endeavours.
Next, continue to bring in tournaments like the AFC, continue to organise matches against stronger opponents. Only in that way we supporters will continue to back the lions up, that will only do the starlets good and spur them on. Being starlets with bright potential, experience is the key.
Looking at the last 'World Class' opponent Singapore had, Denmark, we lost 2-1 if I'm not wrong. Give me a break, guys. This is a 4th 5th choice chop-choy Danish side we were playing. There was no Gravesen, there was no Sorensen, hell there was no Schmeichel or Brian or Michael Laudrup! Singapore lost to a bunch of ang mohs who play for their third division of a league. They should start winning against a depleted 'top' side to give them the boost foward.
We should send our best and promising players to overseas training as it can do wonders to the player's life. The Singapore senior team should arrange more matches outside of South East Asia for the benifit of our players to gain more experience.Especially Khairul Amri. He is a talent that has not been expoilted to its best but he has shown that he has what it takes to be the best player when he played in the Malaysian Cup and scoring four goals in one match and showing nice footballing skills.In the s'league he was the top Singaporean scorer in the charts. With more experience i am sure he came become the best player in our history books, and i am sure he will be breaking records for years to come.
I believe secondary schools and JCs are a huge well of talent which is largely unseen and definitely underutilised. The combined schools system needs to be reconsidered, as well as the input of the Sports School.
Just because it is Singapore's only Sports-focussed institution does not mean the bulk of the team has to be selected from there, nor does it mean that the best players are there.
Of course, playing talent is just one aspect. The coaching and administration side also needs a good shake-up. When astute coaches like former legend R Suriamurthi are considering leaving the country, we have to ask ourselves why.
Ultimately, though, we have to change our mindset about a sporting career. Yes, it can end at any moment. But that is no reason to shy away from sports as a career!
If Muhammad Ali had been worried about getting Parkinson's before he began boxing, would he have even begun training? I think not.
We would do well to reassure the young and hopeful that there is a future in sports and after sports for them, rather than slowly veer them towards the "correct path" of getting a degree.
As a Singaoprean,I definately feel proud of the boys winning the championship again.However,I feel the fans' support still leaves much to be desired.
Its great to the Kallang wave back again but the question is are we supporting only because the Lions are winning?Are we geniuine or fair-weather fans?Does some of the younger fans even remember the old Malaysia Cup days?Honestly,it was only when the Lions won the 2005 Tiger Cup that the atmosphere revived.
To move on to the next level,the fans MUST be BEHIND all the way,not just when the team is winning.Just look at Korea and Japan,the fans support are phenomenal and that carried them through the world cup.
The fans are the team's 12th man,we must be with the team through thick and thin.This is a new chapter in Singapore football,we must put away with the mediocrity in the past decade to compete with the rest of Asia.We cannot afford to be fair-waether.
Cheers Singapore,
Nick
Naturally, sending players overseas for development is a great idea, because they will learn to play better, work harder, and gain the confidence to face physically tougher opponents.
It is true we are physically disadvantaged on the average, but many players who are 'smaller' have made it big, too! Look at how many Korean and Japanese players have gone to Europe.
Also, more friendlies should be arranged with overseas opposition. This will allow our national team to play together more often, and gain experience as a team.
One thing that should not happen is for more players to be imported a la Egmar Goncalves and Shi Jiayi. Such solutions can provide a short term boost at best.
Nothing compares to setting up a good foundation from the youth level up, and we've gone a step in the right direction by including the Young Lions in the S-League and asking for them to be put in the Malaysian FA Cup.
Let's not rely too much on foreign imports, I think we have a sizeable pool of talent already here which needs to be better used.
Also, fan support needs to be more genuine, thanks christian/Nick for bringing that up. No point filling up the National Stadium if everyone just sits there and waits to chant "Referee Kayu", or folds their arms and checks their betting slip every now and then.
I'd rather have 2000 vocal fans watch the match than 20000 statues waste stadium space.
I still back my idea for the youth league thing. We could have for example two leagues, 1st(13-16), 2nd(17-20). These leagues are open to the whole of Singapore.
From there, our scouts could have a greater variety of local talents.
I would agree with q-s, on those secondary school boys whose standard are better than some in the S-League.
The scouts could offer the young players for trails in the Young Lions squad playing in the S-League or even a better team.
This way, when we nuture our own Singaporean talents, we wouldn't get condemn everytime about the issue of us importing foriegn players!
If you want to talk about fans, Christian. We look at the fans of Liverpool. I'm not being biased as I'm a Liverpool fan.
They sing with their hearts out. Supporting them till the final moments of the game even if they losing. That should be the spirit!
If you want to jeer the refree or the opposing team, you rather do it at home in front of your tv screen.
I don't see many Singaporeans painting their faces or their bodies like fans of other countries do. When you support a team, support them all the way, till the last minute, last second, till the refree blows the last whistle!
We have to expose the present squad and find out their outmost potential and pay it forward, tap into the unknown because you never know what lies beyond them and over time, this will enhance Lions’ future.
Rome was not built over night; it developed over time.
So long the Fans have faith and are sincere in waiting to the new establishing Lions, the Lions itself are willing to reform.
Physically we may lack behind the Europeans but how about the South Americans and Latin countries? In terms of size there is not much of a difference but consistently they are able to produce players of calibre. The likes of Saviola, D’Alessandro and Romario are of similar heights to Asian players.
It is not a physical or even a population problem. Simply put, it’s more of developing talent problem. Like what Lala said, there are countries with similar or smaller populations than us yet they are able to reach the pinnacles of football tournaments e.g. Denmark. If population was a factor, a country like India would be in the Asian Cup or World Cup consistently.
Why I am bringing up the Dollah Kassims and Fandis is simply because somewhere along the line, we stopped producing local talents. Exporting foreign talent is a short-term remedy. If we were able to produce wonderful footballers in the past, who managed to finish 4th in the Bangkok Asian games of the 60s, why couldn’t it be done again?
Hence, to become contenders in Asia in the long run, something needs to be done to further improve the talent development scheme and scouting system.
YUP..
LIVERPOOL FANS SING NON STOP.......
YNWA
Yes, fandi was a good footballer in the past but i was using him as an example because he felt homesick and if i remembered correctly from his autobiography, he left for some indonesian club soon after. As today's newpaper pointed out, other than Lionel Lewis i believe there isn't any chinese players in the team. Therefore culture is always going to be a problem whichever country one go. The J-League or even the Australian League should be where Singapore should aim first. The European Leagues are much more different in their cultures and that should be left till later. But that's after all just a personal viewpoint.
I guess you can't really compare the likes of Saviola and Romario with us Singaporeans. Likelihood is they were born in poverty and kicking rag balls while honing their skills in the backlanes. They were millions of the talents that managed to get spotted in the back lanes of South America. In Singapore, it is very much different. In a country where academic excellence is of utmost importance, we are unlikely to see that happening. We can have the very best football academy, the best facilities but still not succeed. Simply because some of the promising talents do not think football provides enough security later in life. In a world where money speaks loudly if not the loudest, many shun away from sports because they fear for their rice bowl come they reach retirement age. Unless more can be done to encourage them to change their mindset, this will always put us at a disadvantage. Remember GOAL 2010? That was a problem of producing more talented individuals. It still is a problem now as despite setting up the Sports School etc, we still do not see enough players brave enough to put their studies aside other than one particular Fabian Tan who postponed his university studies if my memory serves me right who plays rightback for one of the national youth sides. However i hear your views that infrastructure is very important in developing our own local talents as we should never depend on foreign talents for our national team.
Cheers,
kel
As Asean champions, I don't think it will be that hard for us to qualify if we show the type of character and fighting spirit as we had in the championship. However, having a good run in the Asian Cup will be another thing, against the likes of Korea and Japan who have European-based players.
For our players to improve, we need young talents to be committed to football for the rest of their lives. That will be up to the Singapore Sports School
Over in England, boys as young as 5 or 6 are already in football academies and fully devoted to the sports. Ever read the articles about how Rooney would be a builder if he wasn't a footballer? He has no qualification, whereas right here in Singapore, its the degree that counts. China also do breed athletes who are trained to win medals.
Over here, some people still view sports as an alternative for those who cannot study. Until we get over this kind of point of view, and starting training kids for the future, we should see results within the next 15 years.
-Raymond Ng ;p
Congrats to Singapore for being the AFC champions. As for this midweek topic, i'll say that Singapore's chances in qualifying the Asian Cup are quite high this time round. But they are still quite a distance from winning the cup.
Let me tell you why. The lions are still not physically and mentally as strong as Korea, Japan and Iran. These asian powerhouses will prove to be much stronger opponents compared to Vietnam, Laos etc.
I really hope the Football Academy could nuture more local talents instead of getting more foreigners to become PR and play for us. We had been criticised by people saying the current "Singapore team" is not considered a National team at all as its quite a foreigner-based team.
Look at how good Amri and Riduan are now. COntinue the good work. I'm sure we can show the world what champions are made up of.
Sending our players for overseas stint would also improve them tremendously. They'll get to learn alot of things. Like what China are doing now, preparing for the Olympics 2008 organinsing a training stint with Chelsea.
Definaltely with all these in coming years, there will be a result we're always hoping for.
Yup Kelvin, I do agree mentality and social economic conditions differ in Singapore if we compare to Latin countries. Which begs the question: Why can't a more affluent country like Singapore produce better talents?
Does Singapore need to go back to its 3rd world status before we start producing talents? In hindsight, maybe that is why were able to produce the amount of talent in the 60s and 70s.With our expertise and economic strength,we should be doing better now than in the past but clearly, the emphasis on paper qualifications is holding us back.
I agree our players should explore the options of going to the Korean, Japanese or Australian Leagues. More should be done by S-League clubs as well to try and pit their wits against better opponents.
Ultimately, everybody from the government, parents, FAS and the clubs need to work together in ensuring football prosper to another level. The Asian Cup is not beyond us but a lot of hard-work, patience and dedication is needed to realize this dream.
Singapore back to 3rd world status?Hell no man Hadi.If that is so I don't think I will have the chance to blog!haha.
Like what you said,paper qualifications are holding back Singaporeans with the aspiration of being a sportsman.Simply because the future of being a sportsman is not deemed to be as glamorous or fulfiling enough as compare to other countries.Parents would question their kids how much can you earn by playing sports.Ironically theres also parents pushing their children to play sports so they can be the future Tiger Woods or David Beckham.
For the school players playing better than some S-League teams issues.Thats quite true in some sense.What puzzled me was that school teams are even more organised than what I saw on TV for S-League.Maybe theres some great coaches out there who have not been discovered.To have a team playing good football,coaches play a huge part.Certainly it won't harm to add more quality local coach in the setup of the national team at all levels.
cheers
Let me go out of topic a little. The New Paper said Liverpool will be bought by some Sheikh. Last night at Sporttcenter Asia, I saw LIverpool is confirmed being bought over by two Americans!
Hey Haley, I know you're a dude but many chicks are called 'Haley'. I rememember this chick called 'Haley' I used to...ah never mind.
Singapore HAS made fresh steps to improve itself. By making 'friends' with the Brazillian league, as the Brazil person said on ChannelNewsAsia, they will teach 'how to dribble pass 3 players when there's only 1 straight to goal.'
At least, one thing the Sports School is able to do is to convince more parents who worry about the security of a sporting career and academic pursuits to allow their children to join the “prestigious” sounding school.
One good point raised by Kelvin was the Latin (and maybe also African) economic and social background. To a certain extent, it probably even applies for countries like England too, where a kid has becoming a professional footballer as his dream because it's the only way to get out of poverty. The most successful footballers always seem to have a poor-kid-getting-rich sort of background story. Being a professional footballer is seen as a glamorous job, not only is it the sport itself fun, it brings you fame and fortune.
Over here however, if you want to earn good money, you get a degree first. I read that Amri earns $3000 salary a month? It is pretty decent, but hardly impressive. The thing is, the popular perception amongst us is that you only become a footballer if you can't make it in school. I don't mean to sound degrading to our local players, because I myself can't see why you should “make it” in school anyway, if you can make it in football or elsewhere instead.
Just needed to add a point about the Singapore support. Even though I'm a Liverpool fan, I think it's quite unfair to compare the Singapore crowd atmosphere to the English. I know we're not as witty as them, we don't sing better songs than them (we can only sing a one word song in Ole ole ole), but what’s wrong with shouting "referee kayu" and even the malay obscenity (b*to), as long as we're making our voices heard and presence felt? Come on, we can’t be expected to start singing something inspirational like YNWA, when not everyone even knows the words to Majulah Singapura. As Singaporeans, we have our own way of supporting and sense of humour.
Perhaps I agree that we've got to support the team even when the team is down. But even though we often seem like a passive crowd, I think deep down we do care, we probably just don't know how to show the love. :)
(Yes, Liverpool has been sold to the Americans. The DIC takeover collapsed a few days ago.)
I was the 1st man of the 12th man at most of the AFC Cup matches at the National Stadium. Here are my exploits:
Vs Vietnam 'Hey Khairul Amri,you better give your yellow boots to me. Play so average.' (I apologize as he scored the 'winner' against Thailand)
Vs Malaysia 'Hoi! Singapore. Like that how to play. Come on. Score equalizer. Malaysia always say we owe them water but we pay for it what. Score equalizer, please.'
Vs Thailand 'On this day in history, it's a fact that the Thailand are chicken shit. Will not take penalty for bla, bla, bla...'
As you people can see, when I support Singapore, I get off my seat occasionally to give my 2 cents worth. :D
It is easier say than done to qualify for Asia cup. Singapore should play more international games against mighty middle-east teams and not just play against Malaysia everytime. Look at Korea and Japan, they are playing more international games against Europe teams these days. Objective is quite clear, they want to reach the world-class level and not just being asian powerhouses. With Asia cup to be held in this region this year, Singapore should take advantage of this by inviting teams like Australia, Korea and Iran to stop-over here and play friendly games against them or organise a 3 or 4 nations mini- tournament. It is going to be a long journey but if FAS dteremine to do it at all cost, results will be achieved in the near futrure.
I am certainly not degrading Amri but for his age and education level, $3000 will seem pretty comfortable. Think the salary during their career when you add up all the miscellaneous such as bonuses and allowances is seemingly attractive. For others like Indra who has product endorsements it could get even higher. But like what ladylala has mentioned, perhaps most turn to soccer only if you can't make it in school. Many instead choose to pursue a degree as a form of insurance. This is because being a footballer in Singapore is not as glamorous as those in Europe where one earns in a week more than a typical Singaporean in a year. As the saying goes, a footballer's career is short. What are all the players going to do after they finish their career? All to become coaches? Or to use the money they have saved over the years to set up a small business? Touchwood some of them suffer career threatening injuries and do not even have much savings to start. What do they have to fall back on? Practically nothing. I am not suggesting a pension for these people but more help could be given from the government in allocating certain jobs under their wings to them to facilitate their job search. They may have the necessary qualifications such as ITE certs or diplomas to handle certain jobs. If necessary, send them for further upgrading (not necessary a degree but skillswise).
I guess if more could be done to assure the young AND their parents on the 'what happens after i retire' stage, there COULD be more talents being found. The parents play a very important part in this picture while the key operative word here being COULD.
After viewing the various national set-ups and S-League teams, a lot of our former players are involved in coaching or management but that's about it.
I agree a lot more needs to be done for players when they retire.A career path of some sort is needed to ensure that these players can survive once they hang their boots.
While we do want former athletes to contribute to their sport in some way, I think it is a dangerous and narrow mindset to adopt if that's the only thing they can achieve.Certainly, they can pursue careers outside of football as well.
If football is their only option, there must be a divergence in what they can do rather than coaching. Being physiotherapists or fitness trainers are good career options and it also forces the boys to acquire a higher level of education.
No doubt it is also up to the players to try and upgrade themselves for the sake of their future. The likes of Alam Shah and Subramani are pursuing diplomas and degrees to name a few.
This could only benefit Singapore football as it ensures we get the right people with the right expertise involved in the development of football. Who better to help and understand a mindset of a footballer other than a former footballer?
I fell off my chair when I read the news that FAS signed MOU with Clube dos 13 which represents 20 major Brazilian clubs. We know it is very very difficult even for our players to get a chance to play in Championship teams in England and far more difficult to carry the boots of the top teams in EPL.
Learning from the teams in Brazil with the best soccer traditions is simply beyond expectations.
sorry to say that we are now beginning to see solid strategies from FAS. We use to see some of the worst soccer administration in the 1990s. 2005 onwards seems to be start of soccer in Singapore!
I'm happy FAS finally wake up their idea and manage get Brazil to share their expertise with our local soccer entities.
Playing World Cup 2010 dream is back in contention and possible participation in World Cup 2014, as Brazillian Ambassador believes Old Lions be making up the numbers in these two World Cups.
Start getting talented foreign players, who are not good enough to represent their countries of origin, who can represent Old Lions.
Expose local teams to overseas league, like K-League, J-League, Middle East and China Leagues.
As lyrics of this song says'The gasme will never be over because we are keeping the dream alive.
From: Chester Low
I think the Lions going into the ASIAN Cup will not be a problem anymore with the help given by the Brazil. We may or definitely have a chance to get into World Cup 2010 or even final. We need to have faith in the Lions so they can do well and do our nation proud
q-s Reality Check - To get to represent Asia in the World Cup, you have to be the top 4 Asian country in the WORLD. Singapore? A top 4 Asian country? Roti prata and teh tarik please. This is a no-brainer.
I agree with qs. With all respect, this is a no brainer with or without the help given by Brazil. We are in 2007. I doubt we will be able to make the cut in less than 3 years. Granted we are the Asean champions but that should not make us carried away to say we are able to take on the world. Perhaps a more realistic target could be 2014 or thereafter assuming some of the changes suggested in this blog gets implemented.
Cheers,
kel
Studies, qualifications and certificates! These are the thing holding young Singaporeans from relising their dreams of a footballer.
In Singapore, everything is about the certificates. NO certificate NO jobs. And you'll be looked down.
Many of us were quite skeptical before the AFC tournament started that Singapore will repeat the cup triumph of 2004/5. As the game progressed, we did not falter and at the final stage, we saw what was thought impossible in the hot cauldron on Bangkok. 2010 looks impossible unless we can import or unearth talents!
2014/5 is achievable if we persist with the right mix of money and Brazilian coaching.
i think maybe they can like have an exchange programme similar to the swimmers in singapore.
get them to play more friendly matches with stronger asian countries first.
maybe a trip to the bigger clubs in europe would do some good too.like having a twinning programme.learn how things there are done and see if we are able to consolidated it into our system.improvement of the team spirit is also important along the way.
While we are heartened by the Brazilians coming on board to help develop talent and coaches in Singapore, I feel some form of reality check and patience is in order. It should depress us even more the U-10 samba kids have more tricks and skills up their sleeves than our Lions! Shows how far behind we are in world football.
We are the ASEAN champions yes but judging from performances in the tournament, Singapore certainly did not dominate the way Asian level teams should. Hence, a long way to go and alot of work needs to be done before we really can even compete with the best teams in Asia.
As I was going to add on about the fans' support,low and behold I saw Lee Man Hon today,one of my regular customers at my work place. However,its a sad thing that not many people recognse him today,the best left-sided footballer of the country at one stage.
Which brings me to the topic of support for the Lions to acheive greater heights.It may be a decade but it seems that some fans have long forgotten about the heydays or don't even know the history at all!
I'm not trying to dwell in the past glories but I feel the younger fans should be educated about the history of our footballers.Just pull any teenagers in uniform today and ask if they knoe who's Malek Awab,David Lee,Lim Tonghai,Abbas Saad or even Fandi Ahmad?
Its a good thing that the Straits Times mentioned that Singapore came in the 1966 Asian Games and this is a history to be proud of!By acknowleding our past heros,we are not dwelling in the past but reminding fans that:"hey,we did it before we can do it again!"
It sometimes saddens me that as a fan since the M-Cup days some of the "kids" don't even know the household names and yet claim they support Singapore(because they are winning).Pardon me for being emotional but I cant stand lukewarm fans!Past legends should be remembered and present heros recognised.Then,the players will fight for more glory.:)
Despite the Asean Cup triumph, Singapore still has a lot to overcome in order to qualify for more prestigious tournaments. One thing the Lions certainly must not do is to sit on their laurels and be satisfied with what they presently have. Continuing to be only Asean champions is not enough any longer.
It would be good, if Singapore’s Lions could learn from the top players. This could be achieved through playing friendly games with top teams, such as Japan, Korea or even the soccer clubs in Europe. Singapore could also organize small-scale tournaments, such as the English Premier League cup that Malaysia holds during the European league off-season. By observing how these teams play, and having to play against them, will definitely improve the standard of play of the Lions.
More cash could also be injected into Singapore’s soccer, in the form of bonuses or rewards, as money is a major motivation factor. If the prospect of fatter pockets is dangled in front of the Lions, this might also encourage and motivate them to increase their standard of play.
Singapore’s foreign talent scheme should continue too, on top of spotting young local talents through the school talents scheme.
Well, ya, "In Singapore, everything is about the certificates. NO certificate NO jobs. And you'll be looked down"..
But to be honest, not everything.. So long you have the "something else" and that "something else" can offset all the must in Singapore, you wont be looked down.. In fact, you will be talk of the time..
I remembered I was talk of the town once when I guessed this worldwide computer genius' password in 2003. Bet everyone has forgotten about it. Anyways...
Singapore can qualify for the Asian Cup finals one day. I give them a 30% chance. HOWEVER, can they progress after that? It will be embarassing right for Singapore to be the whipping boys of the tournament? Imagine Singapore losing 5-0 to Australia, 3-0 to Bahrain and maybe 6-0 to Iran all in one group matches.
Let's look at how the South East Asian co-hosts Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand perform for the upcoming Asian Cup. If they get beaten 5-0 in almost every match in which they are the HOSTS, Singapore by all means qualify next time. Those big boys will kill you.
Asian Cup qualifying ideas have to be realised by Young Lions U-21, who played like sissies, who can lose to their Pakistan counterparts, whose soccer standard liken to Laos, known for World Champions in cricket, hockey and squash.
If such sub-standard performance by Young Lions, to be perceived as the gauging guideline to participate in Asian Cup proper tournament is practically zero.
From: Chester Low
LOL Chester. Our Under-23 squad is not up to standard. There was once they were leading the S-League and then fell off first position to SAFFC. So what is wrong here? Where do they pick these Under-23 guys from? From the reserves of S-League Clubs? I'm sorry for criticizing our local football when I myself is not good at football. Some of the guys I play street soccer with have better technical skills than the S-League players. Why are they not picked for the S-League then? Bad police record.
So NUR NISHAH, what is that "something else"? Please elaborate.
i think we should start from the younger squads, especially the U-21s and U-23s. these guys will be the ones to replace Alam Shah, Indra Sahdan and Co. and indirectly speaking, Singapore's future. the problem is that while our senior squad is playing well, our U-21s and U-23s are very disappointing. maybe people will say that's because they lack experience. but if you take a look at the squad for the U-21s and U-23s, most of them already have professional footballing experience, notably with the Young Lions. just look at our U-21s game against Pakistan. the players on the pitch are familiar names. yet what happened? i know that we can't judge how good a team is based solely on results. but their game play needs a lot of improvement. the same applies to our U-23s. time and again, they crash out of the SEA Games before it even starts. they went for overseas training. but come the actual days, the way they play just seeps the support out of the supporters.
that aside, sending players abroad is an excellent suggestion. more exposure will enable them to improve the weak aspects in their game. but maybe they could try sending players from the different age groups, meaning aside from the senior team, the U-23s for example.
if singapore is to go far in the Asian Cup, they need exposure to the style of play of their opponents, especially the Middle East countries and giants Japan and South Korea. the ASEAN Cup is an honour to win, but it's not really an accurate measure of how good the team is. this can only be determined if they face off the top teams from the region and outside of it.
Though the Lions are the current champions of Asean, they have to overcome several weaknesses on the field and also to improve on their individual techniques & fitness before taking on the Asian powerhouses.
We cannot start defending once we have a one-goal advantage. Always attack. Lewis is strong on shots but when dealing with one-to-one situations, he seems vulnerable. Also, the defensive lapses in the games with Thailand and Pakistan (important matches yet the glitches) is worrying. It’s our luck that Thailand didn’t take their chances. However, we were punished by Pakistan.
As for the complaints about our foreign players, we just got to live with it. They are nothing new here in Singapore (whether it involves soccer or the working population). Besides, what’s wrong with them playing for us when they make up about ¼ of our total population??
Having foreign talents simply highlights our short-comings in producing local talents. Though we have a smaller population compared to our neighbours, not since Goh Tat Chuan have we tapped into Singapore's largest racial population: the Chinese. We can have Africans in the line-up but no local Chinese player? How pathetic is that?
While its normal to have foreigners working and living in one's country but we have to accept the fact we are an Asian country and some of our foreigners don't even look Asian to anybody. We can argue Japan had their Brazilians but there were only 3 in their history and they didn't come in altogether but in a space of 5-7 years.
No matter how we look at it, the only way Singapore has a chance of progressing is to work hard on building solid foundations from the ground up in terms of youth development and not rely on instant solutions such as importing foreign imports.
Winning ASEAN CUP is an achievement but to qualify for ASIAN Cup is a totally different ball games. You don't get to play against weak teams like Laos. You don't meet unprofessional team like Thailand. The Lions may be up against world cup finalist Japan or even S.Korea. To prepare well, the Lions need to have competitive games with even stronger opponents in Europe. Aim to sent at least 5 key players for overseas attachment. For international friendly, i reckon we play against Australia, England and even Spain. These teams represent different playing style and the Lions simply have to adapt. Remember our eventual aim is also to try to qualify for world cup, so any team that come along is a challenge.Invite players who didn't get to play regularly in English lower division, even Jleague, Kleague to play in our sleague. Here, FAS should play a key role in helping to obtain sponsors for paying these foreign players. National team players should also meet more regularly for centralised training. Lastly, increase players' salary to motivate the Lions. This will give them extra incentives to excel.
Regarding the lack of Chinese in the national team, I do believe there's a "cultural" reason behind that... but don't think I'll elaborate on it too much as racial issues are quite sensitive. Let's just say there's a difference in the way families of various races see things. Chinese families tend to be more "conservative" or whatever, and thus not many Chinese parents like seeing their child going for a career in football.
I tell you why Chinese people are so few in local football. Since school days, the Malay boys will steal the Chinese boys' football. The field is filled with Malay boys because when the Chinese boys play, the Malay boys will shoo them off. During Sports & Wellness, Malay boys play football, Chinese boys play basketball.
Even the Chinese boys who are active in football, most Malay coaches would rather pick the Malay boys in their team.
I'm not being racist as my current best friend is a Chinese guy.
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