Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart Huh. I thought he had a few games under his belt by now. Guess not. My basic point, though, is that it's nice for Agudelo and US players in general to get some high-level training, but that it's misguided to assume that "European" coaches are going to be a step up from MLS coaches. The top European coaches, sure. But the average European coach? Meh. Hardly a slam-dunk. For one thing, Agudelo's club coach IS a European coach with a fairly impressive resume who still hasn't done much in MLS despite having a lot more money at his disposal than most MLS coaches. The only guy with equal financing has been Bruce Arena, and that's a pretty stark contrast.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart OK, so one poster once said something ridiculous to you on bigsoccer in some other thread about MLS, thus justifying an unprovoked anti MLS attack by a different poster on a different subject altogether. Got it.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart One thing that is very impressive with AZ and other Dutch teams is the amount of attention that is given to the individual training (though, for the tactical purposes, of course, team training and movement is very important). Gert Verbeek mentioned that Altidore has to work with the "forward coach". Harry Redknapp, once a Sounders player, mentioned that much like the American sports, soon Euro teams will have a coterie of coaches for the various positions on the field. For MLS to make a jump upward - and, to give it credit, it has made many over the years - coaches have to work on the same details that these Dutch coaches work on and work just as diligently and with as much dedication and skill. As to Juan's stint with Stuttgart, two weeks with Pavel Pogrebnyak better not turn him into another Pavel Pogrebnyak.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart Tell that to German coaches. If you think fitness is not a dominating factor then you know little about German training. It is ALL about fitness. They spend most of the summer on fitness. They spend the majority of their training sessions on fitness. Technique comes AFTER you are fit enough to play the game.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart I was asking you because you specifically mentioned "fitness". Care to name any American fitness coaches employed by clubs in Europe? I can only think of the guys JK brought with him to Bayern from LA who are no longer employed there.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart AC Milan, a fairly well known club, had an American head of fitness--William Tillson.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart For MLS clubs to make that jump they'd have to increase the size of the coaching staffs. Stuff costs money.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart A few years ago, Everton hired an American who was previously the strength and conditioning coach for the Columbus Crew. I created a thread on it at the time, but it didn't draw much interest. I don't know if he is still there.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart I don't remember making any comment about fitness, but here is what Juan said.... Which goes along with the biggest problems our players have which is technical ability, not fitness.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart Homegrown contracts are usually similar to Generation Adidas deals, so wouldn't be surprised if he signed a 5 year deal.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart With all due respect, I think that the poster you are questioning probably has more knowledge about what goes on in German training grounds these days than any 3 of us put together. I appreciate your translations and input regarding our Yanks in Germany, but I think you might want to back off of that statement a little.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart Unless you know *my* background then that's a bold statement. I spent my youth in the German academy system and played there until I was 19. My family still coaches in two very prominent youth systems there. My best frined from school is with one of the BL's finest scouting teams. So, its not like I am whistling Dixie on this.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart LoewenBoy: You really think MLS clubs/academies are focusing on more skill related training than clubs/academies in Germany? Is that your argument? Or are you saying that they are focusing more on fitness and skill than any MLS club/academy is doing with either? If it is the latter it would not surprise me, but, our players really need the skill related training especially at the academy level and lower. I think fitness training is fine, but most of our players have no trouble going 90 minutes. A couple of them are absolute freaks in that regard.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart Fair enough. I just think it's extremely inaccurate to state that trophy case would "know very little about German football" and the way training is conducted there.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart http://www.evertonfc.com/match/coaching-staff.html?page=2 Steve, yes hes still there. I personally can't wait till we no longer have to have this argument though. One day our system will be comparable to the Europeans, we just need to give ours a chance to thrive. Will take a while, and many adjustments are needed, but i believe we are on the right path. I believe that Europe is the way to go at the moment though, especially if you have that extra bit of class. I also agree that, after watching some MLS play, fitness is not the issue of our players. We are severely lacking in game intelligence and technique in general.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart The fitness is during pre-season but they still work with the ball. During the season, most of the training is technique and tactics. I stay in Germany 4 months out of the year and I am in close contact with Bayern, Stuttgart, Hoffenheim, and couple of top English clubs. I just saw Perry Kitchen at Freiburg training with the U-23's. I go to games and training sessions all the time because of my relationship with all the players and the coaches.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart Unless we eliminate pay to play and our focus on winning at the youth level, we will continue to produce mediocre to poor foot skilled players.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart I did not say that. I said they focus on fitness over and above technical skills for much of the summer. During the season they even out their fitness training with tactics and technique. Not saying they cannot go 90 mins. Saying German clubs focus on fitness. Typically more than other nations. See Magath as an example. Even Germans complain he is too tough. True. But the statement about fitness and German training seemed off for anyone familiar with the German system. Agreed, but I never said they didn't. I merely pointed out that the emphasis is on fitness. And when comparing German teams like Bayern or BVB or Hoffenheim -- when compared to the likes of Chelsea or Barca -- the German teams are noted for focusing far more on fitness than tactics or technique. I would agree. The reason for that is that they heavily emphasized fitness during the summer. My experience suggests the ratio is 70%/30% fitness to technique/tactics during the first three weeks of summer camp, then evening out to 50/50 by mid-July. By late July, and for the rest of the season (except winter camp, perhaps) it tilts 40/60 or even 30/70 the other direction. Of course, that depends on your coach and team. Magath is famous for "too much" fitness.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart This is not necessarily true. If the pay to play coaches know what they're talking about, as opposed to now where some(not all) barely are qualified to coach rec, then it won't matter if people are paying, they will still be getting good training. I'm not saying pay to play is a good system. It's not.call I'm saying is that the first priority is to educate coaches, not eliminate pay to play. If we eliminate pay to play and the coaches that don't know anything are now coaching more kids because everyone can afford it, all that happens is we produce more bad prospects, and while more depth will be created, we'll be hard pressed to produce any more top prospects than we do now, which is to say 0.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart I would agree. The reason for that is that they heavily emphasized fitness during the summer. My experience suggests the ratio is 70%/30% fitness to technique/tactics during the first three weeks of summer camp, then evening out to 50/50 by mid-July. By late July, and for the rest of the season (except winter camp, perhaps) it tilts 40/60 or even 30/70 the other direction. Of course, that depends on your coach and team. Magath is famous for "too much" fitness.[/QUOTE] I agree with this.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart I agree with this.[/QUOTE] I could agree Germans work more on fitness during the summer, but their "summer" really isn't that long. It's still 10 months out of the year tech/tactics take priority, which is much different then what goes on stateside. They have to work more on fitness during a shorter off season.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart When Hans Backe came to MLS he thought the Red Bulls were not doing enough fitness.
Re: Juan Agudelo training with VfB Stuttgart I love how every player thread in YA automatically becomes some silly debate instead of focusing on the player.