Sunday, December 24, 2017
New Age Limits Add To Coach's Pressures
I must admit to a feeling of massive underwhelment at the recent 'changes' announced by the Football Association of Singapore as they bid to improve the state of their flagship SLeague. Remember, this is a league where the last eight trophies have been won by just one team, Albirex Niigata, which features precisely zero local players.
Local giants Tampines Rovers, Home United and Warriors have struggled to play catch up as the Japanese side reinvents itself each season and still goes on to dominate the Singapore scene. Will the latest proposals provide the impetus to end the White Swans' local domination as well as provide a conveyor belt of young talent for a moribund national team?
The main change appears to be the introduction of age quotas. Local clubs must have a squad of between 19 and 25 players. If a squad has 22 players a minimum of six players must be aged 23 or under while a further eight must be aged under 30. I must admit age limits leave me thinking 'meh'. Isn't it just tinkering round the edges of the problem especially when the Young Lions will continue to exist? Surely if you want to introduce age limits then do so but disband Young Lions as well and disperse the squad around the league?
Each team must start a game with a minimum of three local Under 23 players. If a coach wants to replace an Under 23 player in the first half they must bring on another Under 23 player. In the second half they can bring on who they want. See what I mean? Meh.
Albirex Niigata now have the option of signing two Under 23 local players. Woo. Why would they want to given they dominate the game without any locals? On the other hand why limit to two? If the aim is to make Singapore football more professional and Albirex Niigata are obviously the most professional side in the country why not open the door to more local lads?
A coach's job is to get the best out of his team and the key word here is his team. He should be the final arbiter of who gets signed, who plays and who gets replaced, not some desk jockey. If a coach is being forced to field teams to fit regulations rather than a game plan and his team loses will the club be sympathetic to the extra demands placed on him by these new regulations?
# posted by Me @ 9:32 AM 
