McParland Outlines Academy Direction

[GWistooshort]

From the official site........

 

MCPARLAND OUTLINES ACADEMY DIRECTION

Jimmy Rice

8 June 2009

 

Newly appointed Academy director Frank McParland outlines some of the changes he is overseeing as a new and exciting era begins down in Kirkby.

 

There has been much speculation recently on the future direction of the Academy.

 

I was asked by Rafa Benitez to conduct a strategic review of the Academy earlier this year. The conclusions of that review have been fully accepted and agreed by Rafa and his technical team and will now be implemented under my direction. I will continue to report directly to Rafa.

 

Clearly, there are going to be changes in both personnel and the way we do things at the Academy, but uppermost in our minds is need to provide the best possible environment for the future development of all our young footballers.

 

It has been decided that separate branding for the Academy will no longer be used - including the sign on top of our building. The Academy is an integral part of the club and will now be badged accordingly. It has a hugely important part to play in the future success of Liverpool FC and the change reflects that fact.

 

There will be much closer liaison between Melwood and the Academy, and Rafa himself has been hugely supportive of the direction in which we want to move forward.

 

We will examine every part of the Academy's operation and will be looking to make improvements not just in the coaching set-up, but also in areas such as medical, physio and fitness work. One new initiative will see the appointment of a head of sports science, who will tailor specific programmes for individual age groups to help them progress more quickly.

 

We will also assess the current facilities and where necessary invest in upgrading these. We have already committed to renewing both of the astro-turf pitches and work on this project will begin shortly.

 

I spoke before of changes in the staffing structure and our first appointment has been Jose Segura, who took up his role as Academy technical manager on June 1.

 

Jose brings huge experience to the role, having worked at Barcelona for both their youth system and Barca B team, where he helped develop world class players such as Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique, Victor Valdes, Bojan Krkic, Mikel Arteta and Cesc Fabregas.

 

He has also had great success in Greece, at both AEK Athens and later as manager at Olympiakos where he led the side to a Greek League and Cup double. Jose is a great appointment and the first of several key positions which we need to fill.

 

Work continues to identify the best possible people to get the Academy working properly again and producing players that can progress through to the first team. I hope to be able to confirm other additions to our team within the next month.

 

Jose will bring with him experience and ideas from working in other countries and it's important going forward that we combine the best influences from abroad with what I see as the English mentality. This to me embodies passion, aggression and desire. We want players who are hungry to play football and achieve success with Liverpool. We need to return to the philosophy of passing and moving quickly. We have to develop a winning mentality in every one of our players.

 

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N...090608-1254.htm

[richwilks]

Big changes going on. We just need to make sure that in 5 years time we are getting players into the first team rather than the endless farming out to lower league sides before eventually releasing them.

[The Hitman]

A new Head of Sports Science eh?

Has anybody forwarded Kaizer's CV?

[fyds]

Sounds very positve and some of those chnages are long overdue - nor the proof will be seen further down the line.

[yuriska]

A new Head of Sports Science eh?

Has anybody forwarded Kaizer's CV?

 

No thanks, I think Kaizer can do more than enough talking for himself.

[honourablegeorge]

Just reading on TLW - the Academy had just one fitness coach, compared to other academies where there's at least one for each age level - supposedly it's part of the reason why the likes of Darby aren't considered ready for the first team.

[Berger]

I am made up the academy is gearing towards a refreshing and improvements with vision under Rafa. We have to give this setup sometimes to work even produce some of the best talents to be future 1st team player for Liverpool for the next 5 to 10 years. Hopefully 5 years on from now will be what Barca's current youth setup.

[Berger]

Dont want to start a new thread- but legend Barnes would return to manage league 1 Tranmare from various sources.

I always held him as my all favorite reds player- with Stevie edging.

All the best to him to his new start to management career here-obviously he won his post through good CV with Jamaica.

Would like more our legends to go into management and success every where.

Edited June 8, 2009 by Berger

[growler]

the youth team is not just about making players for the first team, its about making players for the squad and also making players as professional footballers. How many of the kids from our youth system are playing in the top 2 leagues?

 

the academy should be at least self funding through transfers.

 

these changes are massive for the future of our club and long overdue

[Zoob]

the youth team is not just about making players for the first team, its about making players for the squad and also making players as professional footballers. How many of the kids from our youth system are playing in the top 2 leagues?

 

the academy should be at least self funding through transfers.

 

these changes are massive for the future of our club and long overdue

 

I imagine this is pretty much what McParland is referring to when he says:

 

"Work continues to identify the best possible people to get the Academy working properly again"

 

 

It's quite remarkable (in a bad way) that we've not had any top league regulars come though since Warnock, and since then, while we've managed to sell a few young players for 500k to a million, Man Utd and Arsenal have been getting 3-5 million+ for their young players,

[Cam]

he helped develop world class players such as... Mikel Arteta...

He's an idiot. Sack him.

 

 

Just reading on TLW - the Academy had just one fitness coach, compared to other academies where there's at least one for each age level - supposedly it's part of the reason why the likes of Darby aren't considered ready for the first team.

This is what gets me about TLW; they know the reasons why the likes of Darby aren't getting a game but then jump up & down and accuse Rafa of having an almost xenophobic aversion to using the local lads.

[johngibo YPC]

He's an idiot. Sack him.

This is what gets me about TLW; they know the reasons why the likes of Darby aren't getting a game but then jump up & down and accuse Rafa of having an almost xenophobic aversion to using the local lads.

 

they are an absolute gang of bellends

[CarraLegend]

they are an absolute gang of bellends

 

Repped.

[Sion]

He's an idiot. Sack him.

This is what gets me about TLW; they know the reasons why the likes of Darby aren't getting a game but then jump up & down and accuse Rafa of having an almost xenophobic aversion to using the local lads.

 

Rafa is a dirty cunning spaniard who has us wrapped around his little finger and will ruin this club with his rotation and stubborness, do keep up.

[Ethan]

Rafa is a dirty cunning spaniard who has us wrapped around his little finger and will ruin this club with his rotation and stubborness, do keep up.

 

well f*** me - who'd have thought

[Marvin]

well f*** me - who'd have thought

 

 

And apparently Rafa personally sacked the kit man

[fyds]

And apparently Rafa personally sacked the kit man

That one is just too weird...someone clearly has this vision of him stalking the corridors with blood dripping from his Iberian fangs and a fleshskinned dagger in his hand, a grim look of deathly wantoness on his face like some latter day Torquemada.

 

Do these people actually support the club as they seem to hate everyone connected with it (bar Alonso of course).

[yuriska]

Well Rafa's restructuring of the Academy is gathering pace:

 

Rodolfo Borrell

 

Rodolfo Borrell, one of the trainers with the greatest experience in football youth clubs, has broken contact with Barça to become one of the coordinators of the Academy of Frank Mc Parland.

 

Borrell moved Monday until Liverpool and signed its new contract that ties to him during the two next seasons.

 

“He is an excellent professional with great achievements. He knows the youth development like no-one else”, affirms Pep Segura. The ex-coach of Olympiacos assures that next to Borrell they must impel the new method of work in the quarry of the Liverpool. “We have spoken with Rafa Benítez and we know clearly some fundamental concepts. For example, to implant the same overview of game in all the teams fo the Academy”. There are questions still to define, but what is evident is that the youth coach deserves admiration. “It is not to export the model - the style of game of the Barça, but a model. First it is to modernize the soccer structures base respecting the own philosophy of the Liverpool”.

 

He's the youth coach who worked with Cesc Fabregas and Messi:

 

Rodolfo Borrell, the coach that helped Fabregas come through his parents' separation, visited Fabregas in London after he had joined the Gunners.

Borrell told the player that he had a present for him and produced the Barcelona shirt signed by Guardiola along with the message, "Some day you will be Barca's No. 4."

 

When he (Messi) arrived at Barça, 13 years old, 1.48 centimeters high and weighing 39 kilograms. Three years later, in which he progressed through the Infantile 'B' squad of Rodolfo Borrell to the Cadets of Alex Garcia, he grew to measure 1.64m and to weigh 62 kilos. A spectacular change that showed that all the applied programs had been effective.

 

And also coached at Barca's U-17 Level :

 

21st August 2007

Third U-17 Club Championship “Quixote Trophy”

For a third consecutive year, the under-17 players arrive for another new edition of the Club Championship, celebrated in Castilla-La Mancha.

The Barça team of Rodolfo Borrell, which marched through last year in the National League and plays with a noticeable 4-3-3, like all the other years.

[Woodsyla]

f*** me, this is an impressive list of personnel here. Rafa really does have total control of the footballing side now doesn't he.

[DanielS]

f*** me, this is an impressive list of personnel here. Rafa really does have total control of the footballing side now doesn't he.

 

Kind of puts the owners in a flattering light after the debacle with Klinsmann. Although I am sure that instead of seeing it as them trusting him explicitly now some people will say they are giving him enough rope to hang himself with...

 

I just find it impressive that (on surface appearances) they are giving him such obvious and overarching control.

[Woodsyla]

Kind of puts the owners in a flattering light after the debacle with Klinsmann. Although I am sure that instead of seeing it as them trusting him explicitly now some people will say they are giving him enough rope to hang himself with...

 

I just find it impressive that (on surface appearances) they are giving him such obvious and overarching control.

Hicks does appear to be a man of his word, he doesn't have a pot to piss in and is taking the club down the swannee with the debt attached to us but since he gave Rafa his 100% backing, he's never wavered from that.

[yellow jumper]

Hicks does appear to be a man of his word, he doesn't have a pot to piss in and is taking the club down the swannee with the debt attached to us but since he gave Rafa his 100% backing, he's never wavered from that.

 

not sure about man of his word. the best that can be said for the current state of affairs is that unlike the chelsea/man city regimes they can't really afford to make rash decisions. they're as reliant on benitez now as he is on them, probably more so.

Edited June 10, 2009 by george lees

[Guest PaulMcC]

Hicks does appear to be a man of his word, he doesn't have a pot to piss in and is taking the club down the swannee with the debt attached to us but since he gave Rafa his 100% backing, he's never wavered from that.

 

''We will not be like the Glaziers''

 

''We won't put debt on the club''

 

'The first spade will be in the ground within 60 days''

[Berger]

Well Rafa's restructuring of the Academy is gathering pace:

 

Rodolfo Borrell

 

Rodolfo Borrell, one of the trainers with the greatest experience in football youth clubs, has broken contact with Barça to become one of the coordinators of the Academy of Frank Mc Parland.

 

Borrell moved Monday until Liverpool and signed its new contract that ties to him during the two next seasons.

 

“He is an excellent professional with great achievements. He knows the youth development like no-one else”, affirms Pep Segura. The ex-coach of Olympiacos assures that next to Borrell they must impel the new method of work in the quarry of the Liverpool. “We have spoken with Rafa Benítez and we know clearly some fundamental concepts. For example, to implant the same overview of game in all the teams fo the Academy”. There are questions still to define, but what is evident is that the youth coach deserves admiration. “It is not to export the model - the style of game of the Barça, but a model. First it is to modernize the soccer structures base respecting the own philosophy of the Liverpool”.

 

He's the youth coach who worked with Cesc Fabregas and Messi:

 

Rodolfo Borrell, the coach that helped Fabregas come through his parents' separation, visited Fabregas in London after he had joined the Gunners.

Borrell told the player that he had a present for him and produced the Barcelona shirt signed by Guardiola along with the message, "Some day you will be Barca's No. 4."

 

When he (Messi) arrived at Barça, 13 years old, 1.48 centimeters high and weighing 39 kilograms. Three years later, in which he progressed through the Infantile 'B' squad of Rodolfo Borrell to the Cadets of Alex Garcia, he grew to measure 1.64m and to weigh 62 kilos. A spectacular change that showed that all the applied programs had been effective.

 

And also coached at Barca's U-17 Level :

 

21st August 2007

Third U-17 Club Championship “Quixote Trophy”

For a third consecutive year, the under-17 players arrive for another new edition of the Club Championship, celebrated in Castilla-La Mancha.

The Barça team of Rodolfo Borrell, which marched through last year in the National League and plays with a noticeable 4-3-3, like all the other years.

Im dumbfounded with the man with the CV. Rafa should really been given authority to bring in man like this to the club when he first arrived. Never too late though.

[Berger]

Titi Camara go into management