Jack Wilshere is 2nd rate

Without saying it in as many words, Pep Guardiola had a sly dig at the talent that the English game brings through and also the lack of trophies that Arsenal have won.

"Wilshere is a top player, he is an excellent player, not just Arsenal, but also for the national team. He is lucky because we have many players in the second team like him but he plays because there is no pressure at his club to win titles"

Pep Guardiola is a man that knows his football and also knows his footballers. Would Jack Wilshere make it into his starting XI, not a chance, would they even find room for Cesc Fabregas?!
Barcelona have a vast array of talent to call upon, and looking through their squad, it is hard to find space for a teenage player that was outshone by Christian Eriksen on the international stage. However, Arsenal have found a place for him in their team, and what a player he is proving to be. Calm on the ball at the back with a joyous lack of the 'hoof it' mentality that many English players have, he is also composed on the ball further down the field with the ability to thread the ball through unthinkable gaps in the opposing defence. With players such as Van Persie and Nasri making runs in front of him, it is easy to link the game up.

Whilst playing in the England shirt the quality was lacking. Being overawed by the situation would not have been a factor as it was a low key affair in Denmark. The ability of the player around him was more than likely the downfall to his game, as well as playing in a restricted role. Fabio Capello in all his infinite wisdom decided to deploy Jack in an unfamiliar defensive midfielder role where his only options to pass were to the wide players from his own half. Wilshere is a player that comes into his own around the opposition's penalty area, playing in front of the defence is not his forte.

Pep Guardiola may see Jack as being a threat to him tonight. If he can get into the positions that Arsenal allow him to get, he will be able to provide opportunities for the fit again Van Persie. If Jack can rise to the occasion, Arsenal may just sneak this.
On the other hand, with the unbelievable talent that Barcelona have at their disposal, it will be a very, very long night.

I am just looking forward to seeing a game without a long ball merchant stealing a living!

Why are English players so technically inept?

The technical ability of players in foreign countries such as Spain, France and Germany is so apparent, yet is it solely down to the coaching?
"It takes 10 000 hours of quality practice to become elite" Malcolm Gladwell

I have repeated this to many a young player throughout my coaching life, breaking it down to tell a young player that if they start to play football at the age of 5, to gain 10 000 hours of practice, they will need 666 (an omen) hours a year, nearly 13 hours a week which is nearly two hours per day. How many young players play quality football 2 hours a day? Many do claim to, but standing opposite your friend and passing the ball back and forth is not quality. Playing football in school PE is far from quality, which will usually consist of lines upon lines of children bored waiting until it is their chance to shoot and then playing 15 a side games. Those that play for a local team will have it even worse, where coaches' egos come into play and it all becomes the long smash forward to the big lad to score.
What about those that get into an Academy, where the 'quality coaching' takes place. Do they get their 13 hours a week?
In Spain, a young player will have 4880 hours coaching at and Academy between the ages of 9 and 21. Players such as Xavi, Iniesta and David Villa would have enjoyed over 400 hours a year, in France they enjoy nearly 500 hours and Germany 480 hours. What do the English players get?? They get just over 300 hours.

Under the FA's Charter for Quality, a player in an English Academy is permitted 3 hours contact time per week with their club aged 9-11. Dennis Bergkamp has labelled these years the 'Golden Years of Learning' In England, when you are aged 12-16 you can train 5 hours per week, in Dennis' Holland, this is 10-12.

The Premier League will look to change this when they categorize clubs into four categories. The top clubs will have access to a larger pool of players and will be able to treble their contact time with the players. This must only be a good thing, but if you have ever spent any time in an Academy or witnessed the coaching that takes part, it may be best that the player plays on the street!

Barcelona will have up to 7 home grown players in their starting 11, Arsenal will be lucky to have only 2 in their starting 18. So, this tells a story in itself about the standard of the English player coming through. Is it Arsene Wengers fault that not enough English players are coming through the system? Not a chance, if they are good enough he will play them such has been the case with Gibbs and Wilshire, if they are not good enough, he will look to buy the player and nurture them.

The FA and the Premier League need to look at the amount of hours a young player is allowed inside an Academy or Centre of Excellence, but a club needs to also look at the standard of coaching they receive whilst they are there. Man Utd have over 120 players playing in the English game on any given Saturday that have come through their system, yet no club will follow the plans they have put in place. English people always try to be radical and the trend setters, they will learn a lot by copying the best. 

State of the modern game

Why is the English football system so far behind in terms of development? I'll tell you why, it's down to people like me - coaches.

"There are lies, damned lies and statistics" Mark Twain 1904
However, I still intend to use them;

UEFA A, UEFA B and UEFA Pro Licence Coaches
England - 2769   Spain - 23 995   Italy - 29 420   Germany - 34 970   France 17 568
UEFA qualified coach to registered player
England 1:182   Spain 1:17   Italy 1:48   Germany 1:150   France 1:150

England
2006: 1430 UEFA B Coaches, 397 UEFA A Coaches and 45 Pro Licence Coaches
2009: 1759 UEFA B Coaches, 895 UEFA A Coaches, 115 Pro Licence Coaches

At this rate it would take England 123 years to match Spain

These are just stats tho, and as Mark Twain said, probably lies. How about the criteria to sit a UEFA B qualification in Spain - played 8 season in the Spanish 1st Division or 5 games for the national team or represented Spain in the Olympics. In England you need just a Level 2. To pass the UEFA B in Spain you have to pass a basic numeracy test, a literacy test, a fitness test and study for 450 hours (150 practical) in England it is 90 hours (12 practical). The UEFA A is 550 hours (220 practical) in Spain and in England it is 240 hours (180 practical). The Pro Licence is even further apart, 245 theory hours in England whilst Spain has 750 hours (200 practical)

You can look at those stats and realise that the reason England can only produce players such as Martin Taylor at Birmingham and Carlton Cole at West Ham whilst Spanish clubs can let players such as Ignasi Miquel go who then play first team football in England.

If we are ever going to create high quality footballers again, the culture of this country has to take a massive shift. Coaches will have to get out there and gain qualifications and education, the FA will have to provide quality courses and children will have to want to play football, because not enough do.