The Disproportionate Amount of Individual Training Needs Addressing
When I was in Munich in 1990, I wrote to Johann Cruyff while he was coaching Barcelona, suggesting to him that one coach can't possibly train 18 squad players (there are more in squads now!) and it seems disproportionate and unusual that goalkeepers get private training, you have a warm up coach and physical trainers galore, but strikers and dribblers don't, when scoring is the hardest thing to do. It would make sense, therefore, that if individual players were more dangerous to their direct opponents, then there would be more goal scoring opportunities.
In Formula 1, you see 4 people changing only 1 tire during pit-stops, trying to shave a fraction of a second off. If we know that beating opponents and first touch and scoring is often a question of moments, fractions of a second, and inches not yards, then why aren't club owners and directors putting more time into improving the technical aspect of player training and optimization — because we all agree that in today’s game there is less time and space? Some may argue that dribbling is actually easier than before because there is so much protection nowadays. If this is the case, and dribblers thrived in the most brutal time of the game, then why aren't players taking more risks now? Sure, we also all know that losing the ball in critical parts of the field can result in faster, more ruthless counterattacks but there are places where risks and consequences of dribbling can be managed.
With federation and association and club structure in coach education centered around team training, there are just not enough moments and opportunities for players to train their unique individual qualities.
Many within the establishment, Holland and England included (and no, I'm not saying all Dutch and English support this!), feel that the decision-making, top-down hierarchical authoritarian structure, team-centric as opposed to player-centric, is the best solution to gaining favorable scorelines, because this way, they can feel in control of the outcomes and better influence results. However, this has been to the detriment of individual player development.
As fans, we readily recall the names of some of the most illustrious players in history: Puskas and Di Stefano for Real Madrid in the 50's, Pele, Garrincha, Rivelino in the 60's and 70's, Cruyff in the 70's, Socrates, Zico, Eder, Junior in ’82, Platini in the 80's, Laudrup, Platini and Boniek for Juventus in the mid 80's, Laudrup and Elkjaer in the mid 80's, Van Basten, Gullit, Rijkaard (’88), Maradona (’86), Zidane (’98 & '06), Ronaldo ('02), Messi (’22).
The fact is, people remember the individual “difference makers.” The misnomer of special individual players is that they are selfish and aren’t ‘team players.’ However, the best individual players have a profound impact beyond their own role; their influence reverberates throughout the entire team and they possess the ability to help elevate their teammates. If, as they say, “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts,” then logically, the better the individual parts are, the greater the whole can be.
Most importantly, and intriguing, is why people now, more than ever, are praising Coerver’s work and genius.
Wiel Coerver’s efforts in youth coaching wasn't by chance and coincidence. He came from the top of the game. As coach of Feyenoord, he beat Tottenham Hotspurs in the UEFA Cup Final and won the Dutch First Division. He proved that even after retiring from playing, like I experienced myself, a player can still get technically better and more comfortable on the ball.
While no one doubts that the best impact can be with players younger than 12 years of age, players of any age can learn. This is something that is only now being realized in the modern game. For instance, if players can get marginally fitter, and learn fundamental tactical concepts, they should also be able to improve their individual technique.
While there are a plethora of tacticians and physical trainers and sports science coaches, there are very few technicians.
The simple reason for this is because technique takes much longer to acquire and then impart on players, whereas nutritional and physical fitness as well as recruiting/selection, team tactics and strategy, especially on the defensive side, are quicker to implement. Managers for the top teams don't have the expertise and time to train players and often let players do this on their own in the off-season. In the case of the big clubs in top leagues, owners can’t wait for coaches to develop players if they want to win, so spending large sums of money to buy players becomes the common solution. They are caught up in a vicious cycle and can’t often intervene and transform their squad because they simply aren't allowed to. Smaller, ‘B-League' or feeder leagues and clubs will often have a better opportunity to take on 'silver medal' players, and elevate and optimize their capabilities.
With recent increased trending towards individual player training, and the shift away from prioritizing team structure and systems, as well as the acknowledgement that individual player qualities make teams and not always vice-versa, the need for special players - entertaining and creative players - not only to secure results, but to attract spectators, is crucial now, more than ever.
