Our future's (not) bright

Since the Suzuki Cup group stage exit, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has gone on a charm offensive with our local media giant Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) as articles appearing in their papers are telling us of a 'bright future' ahead.

First on the Monday, after Singapore exit, the worthless one, Zainduin Nordin defended the LionsXII claiming it is on the verge of 'producing players' ready to conquer.

Then FAS general manager of Youth Development (JCOE) S. Varapha Rajan tell us the National Football Academy (NFA) is as 'good as any in the world' and the problem is just the outflow is worse than elsewhere so not totally their fault.

After that, former national coach P.N.Sivaji step in telling us of 'the talents Singapore has at hand' thus the future is positive, not negative.

Yet is it so as events does not showcased FAS 'Confidence'.

First on point one with FAS releasing their players list for their LionsXII, which showcased as many as 10 players who are not Under-23 next year, so how is that emerging talents as the likes of Firdaus Kasman and Shahdan Sulaiman, signed from Tampines, are internationals, not rookies.

Here's the real reason why youngsters are not emerging; players who are 24-29 and are internationals are playing in an Under-23 team.

So national coach Bernard Stange should not be 'shocked' with his players lacked of steel in the Suzuki Cup games for nowhere in the world do one see internationals, who are way overage, still fighting for spots with youngsters in so called 'youth development team'.

If the worthless one has 'confidence' in LionsXII abilities to produce players', why sign established internationals.

Then down to the next point and Mr S Varapha Rajan, I can accept your point on the outflow of youngsters but not about not needing more clubs to have Centre of Excellence (COEs).

For those who do not know, the article in SPH Straits Times, unlike Yahoo, mentioned foreign experts telling FAS they need to work harder to encourage clubs to have COEs for Singapore football sake but our FAS man rebut that.

And that's where the problem lie!

FAS clearly believed they do not need others involved.

Before going on, let talked about FAS boast that their NFA is a matched for anyone youth development in the world earlier in the article.

If FAS truly believed so, why is Adam Swandi in France as we can save the $200k but of course, we know the answer is if he is in Singapore, he will never realized his potential.

So stop telling us how good NFA is when the only persons who believed are associated with FAS.

Therefore, without a capable youth development, we must catch every youngsters available.

Especially as even world-class youth development are unable to produce everybody they need.

Looked at Barcelona, considered to have best development for a club side, they still lacked players in several areas and have gone into the transfer market to buy players.

So stop dreaming it must be all your credits as nobody in the world have only one youth development to produce all the players their nation need.

Or maybe FAS is hoping the 3 remaining COEs (Balestier, Home and Warriors) can plug any shortfall.

It's unlikely as I mentioned before, there's no motivation as everything good is FAS credits while everything bad is clubs' faults.

Who want to work under such circumstances.

People need to be motivated and in this era and time, it is money which work the best as asked Prime Minister Lee for he noted in an interview with China media that in the current peaceful time, people need to be paid well or else nobody will come forward.

Clubs are only involved if the rewards are there, not punishment (Like 2004 Geylang experience and for those who do not know, Geylang went from runner-up to become bottom 3 material after FAS took 7 of their players in the name of national interest for the Courts Young Lions)

So Mr S Varapha Rajan, you have much to do especially as your boss, the worthless one, can justified spending $180k on a 30-year-old player for the Lions XII while closing down youth development all over the place at the same time. (This year, not only COEs were closed but also the Lions City Cup due to funding reason and it may be gone for good as FAS need cash for LionsXII)

Thus Mr P N Sivaji, how can one see a 'bright future'!

For people may be even more put off by a football career, not just with FAS closing down clubs as they liked, but also the fact the salary cap can stay stagnant for 7 years. (FAS tell us there's no extra money but when LionsXII need it, they can find it)

Inflation is wiping out all increases in the salary cap in Ho's era but FAS will only repeat the same story of how 'poor' they are.

As for the emerging players, they're going to the graveyard know as LionsXII; many youngsters have gone there only to sit on the bench with the team overstuffed with seniors.

Danny Wellbeck had left Manchester United as he needed games to improve himself and if a club like United cannot offered him that; when most seasons they played 50-60 games, what more LionsXII who play at most 30 plus games.

Is it any surprise a number of emerging players go there only to come out worse as they need the full games, and not the mere minutes, at their age but they will never get it.

So do not be surprised, Mr Sivaji for we are setting ourselves up to fail our next generation.

Especially as FAS men keep coming out to tell they're on the right path but we can't see it yet and only 'more time is needed'. (Like real as our worthless one can walk away in September so how much more time as he has had 7 years already)

Our future's not bright no matter how many positive stories FAS come out with SPH help.

I have no faith in MCCY choice anymore (edited)

It is clear now who Ministry of Culture, community and youth (MCCY) want as the new President of Football Association of Singapore  (FAS) after FAS vice-President Bernard Tan headed a PR campaign over the weekend to showcase his vision.

This article was even given front page treatment by the Sunday Times.

This caught me by surprise on three account as (1) FAS had always been helmed by a People Action Party (PAP) Member of Parliament (MPs) and (2) the next FAS President had never been given so much coverage while the current one was still in charge along with the fact (3) he is never even indirectly named as a successor until the last moment.

On closer inspection, it should be no surprise instead as the current reign of the 'HOPELESS ONE' Zainudin Nordin had been a disaster and time will be needed to repair the damages so why have a PAP man at this moment; for Singapore Athletic Association (SAA) have replaced their former strongman Loh for a good part of a decade and is still plagued by problems.

There is also no better time to unveil him to the public as the Suzuki Cup is coming up and if the campaign is a disaster, he will be tainted by it so it is better to do so as ASEAN champions.

Although one can claimed he is already tainted by it as he is elected by the same MCCY that saw fit to give the 'Hopeless One' 3 terms in office.

Due to no faults of the man, I already have negative thoughts on Bernard Tan thanks to what I have seems of MSF choice - Zainudin Nordin.

When that PAP man came into power, he also claimed he will focus on youth development (May I add that plan by Bernard Tan to get more Primary School children to play football was already part of the long forgotten FAS strategic Plans) but what have FAS done up to now!

The fact, at the same time, the Lions City Cup, which is for Under 15 and Under-16, was facing cancellation this year, FAS chose to focus their efforts and money to sign Baikkahi, a 30-year-old player, for their LionsXII team tell us how much efforts and money FAS put into youths.

So having a plan or a vision is no big deal as the 'Hopeless One' have enough plans and visions to fill an entire cupboard but he has achieved nothing.

Why should Bernard Tan be any different as he came into power due to MCCY and not because Singapore football believe he is the white knight.

Indeed, there will be significant section of fans who will not accept any choice from MSF after going through the 6 years of Zainudin Nordin.

So what the next FAS President-in-waiting need is not a plan or vision.

Rather he need to know promises make are not to be treated lightly and have an iron will.

The current FAS President is the perfect example of a man who think nothing of his promises as he had make a promise that LionsXII will be an Under-23 team. Until now, he has never fulfilled it and continue to shift the goalpost on that promise so why should anybody believed such a man for he can break one promise and there is nothing to stop him breaking another.

Secondly, he try to cover it by claiming it was difficult to achieve so he had no choice but to break it but that is a terrible reason for it show he does not have the will to keep a promise and such a man cannot be trusted as a leader.

All the wrong choices was ticked and yet MCCY still choose the 'Hopeless One' time and time again so I have to ask once again why will it be different this time round!

Bernard Tan may prove me wrong but I have no faith in him at this moment in time.

Canon Lion City Cup 2013 results

Group A
NFA U16 1-2 Arsenal U15
Arsenal U15 3-4 Eintracht Frankfurt U15
NFA U16 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt U15

Group B
NFA U15 0-7 SC Corinthians U15
PSV Eindhoven U15 0-0 NFA U15
PSV Eindhoven U15 3-2 Corinthians U15

Semi Final
SC Corinthians U15 2-0 Arsenal U15
Eintracht Frankfurt U15 2-3 PSV Eindhoven U15

5th/6th Placing
NFA U16 4-1 NFA U15

3rd/4th Placing
Arsenal U15 2-3 Eintracht Frankfurt U15

Final
PSV Eindhoven U15 (3) 1-1 (5) Corinthians U15

Lions City Cup Results

Group A
Singapore U16 2-1 Ajax U16
Singapore U16 0-0 Porto U16
Ajax U16 3-1 Porto U16

Group B
Singapore U15 1-2 Vasco Da Gama U16
Manchester City U16 2-0 Vasco Da Gama U16
Singapore U15 0-6 Manchester City U16

Semi-final
Ajax U16 4-2 Manchester City U16
Singapore U16 4-0 Vasco Da Gama U16

Fifth/Sixth Placing
Porto U16 6-0 Singapore U15

Third/Fourth Placing
Manchester City 3-1 Vasco Da Gama U16

Final
Ajax U16 4-1 Singapore U16

How about aiming your gun at your boss, the culprit, for once, Raddy

It seem Raddy cannot go a week without me asking him why he does not aim for his boss; the culprit of the trouble.

Is Raddy that desperate to please his boss that no matter what, he will blamed everybody else 

First of all, let looked at an old Viewpoint article - Forcing clubs will do nobody any good - and asked if that problem had been solved.

Indeed our current FAS President promised to look at the problem yet looking at the date of the article, it has been over 18 months and FAS is still paying clubs only $100k for their centres of excellence (COEs).

Let break it down - $100k for both Under-18 and Under-16, meaning 40 players, and I am not including their coaches.

That is only $2500 per player and divided by month, it is $208.3 for the youth development of our players.

Can you produced a player on that amount and I do not need him to be as good as Hariss.

If you can, I will be generous and give an extra 10% so you get $230. 

So it has been the clubs who has been paying for all the youth development, as the amount FAS give is unlikely to cover any cost, yet until now FAS still do not respect that

That why we come to another point which has been raised by Balestier Khalsa vice-chairman Thavaneson Selvaratnam last year about the problem of how FAS is asking (in turth poaching) for their Under-23 players without any form of compensation.

Do you expect clubs to spend money to develop players just so that FAS can get them whenever they want.

Before going on, I will say clubs are developing players but it is at an older age so FAS will not poach those players for let looked at Balestier, they constantly rebuild and other clubs do come to look their players so it is clear they do produced players of a certain quality but without more security from FAS, do not expect much more.

Going onwards, how about let say you win the Suzuki Cup at the end of the year and yet people remind you deserve no credit because it is all Sundram credit, will you stand for it.

Maybe if you get a big fat contract and in the same situation, club management will not mind - After all FAS have been claiming such credits since forever - if they get some type of payment as there are bills to pay as let me remind you, $208.3 do not pay for anything.

After all that, let go into the role of an Football Association (FA) in youth development as honestly, youth development is one of the main role of an FA as pointed out in the first link which French Football Federation (FFF) played a major part in their.

However in Singapore, I would like to point out from Under-17 onwards until nearly Under 23, there is no development of any form.

Indeed, FAS is only focus on Under-15 and Under-16 because of the Lions City Cup but outside of that there is nothing for the rest of the youth group. 

People like to claim National Service (NS) is the hindrance but let remember people do not enlist until they are 18 and it is for 2 years but there is a gap of 6-7 years when youths have nothing to aim for.

It is worse than NS and all I see for the past few years is the media (SPH and MediaCorp) and FAS working together to boast they have a great development programme as they bring in some foreign expert who will always express what great development they have.

For me it is meaningless as one, those people are only here for a few hours to a few days so how can they assess anything and two, it is the same thing as for the now forgotten Strategic Plan which was praised to the sky by AFC to FIFA.

Yes, I save the best for last as your boss promised a National Training Centre (NTC) in Singapore by the end of his reign and with less than 6 months to go until his departure, not a single word about it from FAS or our dear SPH media.

It was to have been his crown jewel, remember, as he wanted to be known as the man for youth development but what has he done to get the land (Any land as I never wish for Farrer Road for I am a pragmatic man)

If it happen anywhere but in Singapore, people will be reminding our soon-to-depart FAS President of his failure for UK guardian has lambasted the English FA ex-chairman for over a decade for never fulfilling the promise of a Football Academy in their time.

However, like the SPH media, you seem to forget your boss is suppose to be the top man in charge of any youth development as that is what an FA do and as FAS President, what has he done.

So the next time you aim your gun, Raddy, please do not forget your boss, the man of broken promises, for let asked where is the NTC now.

P.S. If you can develop a player with only $208.3, please step forward to do the job as I can tell you all the clubs in the world will want you for they spend many times that amount.

XXIII Canon Lion City Cup Results

Group A 
Spore U15
Newcastle United
Juventus

Results
Spore U15 4-3 Newcastle United
Juventus 1-0 Newcastle United
Spore U15 1-2 Juventus

Group B
Spore U16
Everton
CR Flamengo

Results
CR Flamengo 1-0 Everton
Spore U16  1-1 CR Flamengo
Spore U16 1-1 Everton

Semi-final
Spore U16 (4) 2-2 (3) Juventus
Spore U15  0-3 CR Flamengo

Third/Fourth
Spore U15  4-0 Juventus 

Final
Spore U16 (4) 0-0 (5) CR Flamengo

Meritocracy looked the best step forward

Up until now, I have written nothing on the Lion City Cup as I believed youth development is best left out of the limelight.

This stand have been formed as I have noted over the years how when the public get into the act, a lot of actions do not reflect what is best for the players but what is most popular.

At this point in time, the youth players bodies are still growing up and while they need to play football, they also need a lot of rest and one thing one read is how fans want these teams to play in as many top competition as possible.

This will not be good for long-term development as one believed for a body can only take so much; especially one that is not fully developed yet.

Let the coaches of the teams decided what is best and that is where I come to the main point.

Anybody with a good memory will remember the uproar that accompany the appointment of Dejan Gluscevicthus and latter when the U16 also went along the same route, it was no less different.

It is now over two years (for the Dejan decision) and that decision have been fully justified.

The U15 have developed well under him and it is as clear as day he has been able to strengthen the technical abilities of the youngsters under him.

Just note the difference in class between the side under him and the YOG side a year ago, when they were both the same age then for the Haiti coach had said something that will always stick in my mind.

He noted the technical abilities of the Singapore side and told his charges to push up against Singapore as he know the Singapore boys will not be able to play the ball around and have to resort to long ball.

He was right and regardless of how one feel about the 'invasion' of the foreign coaches, it is time for local coaches to face up to the fact we need to learn from them and not just comment about the different culture or we are no less inferior.

This only give the impression we do not need to learn anything and we do for we have to ask ourselves if our coaches really had any value outside Singapore.

This may sound harsh but it is a fact that when overseas clubs/teams are looking for coaches, Singaporeans do not registered and this is a result that local coaches have not proven anything yet.

If we have then, we will be like Europeans or South American with the ex of the Dutch who attract the Aussies and the Brazilain and Argentinian who attract the Japanese.

But we do not have any market other than Singapore itself so let forget the culture or superior or inferior talks.

Indeed culture may be the problem as we seem to be following our former colonial master blindly on his sensitive subject.

The English love to tell the rest of the world they do not need to learn much about football from anybody and indeed, Stuart Perice noted the 'DNA of the English are different' from others so the English cannot learn.

This is nonsense as babies can learn anything as they are a clean sheet of paper that can have nothing written on it.

So it is the resistance of the grown up that is the problem. 

Indeed culture is the problem and in such cases, we may have no choice but received the 'aids' of the foreign ones to change it as locals are unfortunately too accustomed to English football on what it tell us; which we usually agreed with it.

So for too long, it is the long ball culture we have developed since the 70s.

But now, we have a choice and we can be positive and be willing to learn from the likes of Dejan Gluscevicthus and our technical Director on the subject of coaching thus changing our style or we can be like the English and tell the rest of the world of our 'different culture'.

I believed most will take the right path so meritocracy has won and it is indeed the best step forward.

XXIII Canon Lion City Cup draw

Group A 
Spore U15
Newcastle United
Juventus

Group B
Spore U16
Everton
CR Flamengo