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The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Premiership bosses must follow Sir Alex's blueprint
The men behind a new club-operation system for the SPFL cite the most successful Scottish manager of all time as the best example of a coach who proved that it's not only possible to win by playing kids. It's also possible, with strategy and bravery, to win by playing kids born and raised in Scotland. 'The great irony of those comments were that the manager Alan was talking about was Scottish, arguably the most successful manager in history and wherever he has been successful has been based on giving young players first team minutes,' says Chris Docherty, co-author of last year's SFA Transition Report on the dearth of first team minutes for academy footballers. Recent figures from CIES Observatory show that St Mirren offered just 0.8% of their available first team minutes to players aged 21 or under this season. Celtic were second bottom with 7.8%, Aberdeen slightly better with 7.9%. Rangers made it to 13.6% while Dundee had the highest figure in the SPFL Premiership with 24.8% of first team minutes given to players in the key 16-21 transition phase. 'I saw an interview with David Beckham recently where he said that when he bought Inter Miami and asked Sir Alex Ferguson's advice on building a club he told him that the most important thing was the academy and bringing through your own players,' adds Docherty. 'Alex Ferguson wasn't worried about relegation. He brought young players through at Aberdeen and Manchester United because he felt that it could elevate the teams to be the best in Europe. Which they were. 'Look at when Celtic won the European Cup and it was all Scottish players. Look at Rangers and Aberdeen and Dundee United when they were punching above their weight in Europe and it was all Scottish players in the team. 'Clubs will say that the quality of the young Scottish players is not the same as it was back then. 'Some people even blame the invention of the ipad. But the ipad exists in all countries such as Spain where young players are coming through in healthy numbers. 'The question is, then, what can we do differently to improve the level of Scottish players coming through?' From June 16 clubs in the Premiership and Championship can sign agreements which allow young players to move from one club to another and play games with flexibility, freedom and fewer restrictions. Based on studies of similar systems in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia, the think tanks of old were replaced by data and fact-based evidence in a quest to find a way to increase the playing time of young Scottish footballers. Already Celtic are talking to Queen's Park and Rangers with Raith Rovers. Dundee United want to link up with Montrose while it makes geographical sense for Aberdeen to work with Arbroath and Cove Rangers and Hearts to speak with League Two Spartans. In Scottish football clubs rarely agree on anything. A system which helps clubs in the top flight as well as those further down the pyramid – and the national team – cooperation agreements brokered a rare accord An acknowledgement that Scotland needs to give young players more opportunities to play first team football without the restrictive impositions of the loan system. When the summer transfer window opens transition players will be free to flit between their parent team and their cooperation side freely. The current under-18 league will also become an under-19 competition with overage players permitted to pit the youngsters to up against men. In a simple, yet logical move, the games will be moved from Friday to enable young players to sit on a first team bench on a Saturday or Sunday and still play a game of football on a Monday. 'Through a period of consultation with league bodies, internally and with clubs across the pyramid, we are now ready to go,' says SFA Chief Football Officer Andy Gould. 'The vast majority of those consulted are in favour of this and have backed it. 'We have done a body of work, using a strong, evidence based approach and data, had a strong consultation phase and come out with a system which the game has bought into. 'The first thing was to demonstrate that there was an issue and show what that issue looked like and then have a conversation about why that was happening. That then takes you to the solutions. Read more: How SFA see loan co-operation system benefiting national team as clubs in talks Ex-Celtic winger Daniel Arzani a transfer target for Hearts 'Through conversations we realised that there was a bit of excitement and buy-in to this system. And we began to understand how this might work. 'There is a lot of work ahead but we want to make a difference in the game. We want to see young talent getting an opportunity, that's our business.' Eighteen months in the creation, Docherty describes the system as a 'landmark' moment for the Scottish game. All 42 clubs were consulted and, in a rare state of affairs, the interests of Celtic and Rangers seemed to align - for once - with those of Stenhousemuir and East Fife. Old Firm youngsters retained for UEFA 'homegrown' squad purposes will now be permitted to play first team football for another cooperation partner. Clubs with smaller squads need worry no more. If they need fringe youngsters back at short notice now, there is nothing to stop them. If a young player goes out in search of games and the arrangement doesn't work they can return home quickly and easily and be replaced by someone else the next day. A former technical consultant for the Croatian Football Federation and Hadjuk Split, Chris Docherty was also the sporting director of Honved of Budapest. His overseas experience told him that something in Scotland had to change. 'There is a pattern in all the small nations that are successful. 'Spain are the top nation in the world and they have B teams playing in the system. 'B teams is one model, the co-operation system is the other model. 'I don't think you will find many countries successful in developing players that don't have any model at all. 'B teams was not an acceptable system for our clubs. So we knew that the co-operation agreements was the one most likely to work when we got the feedback from the clubs.' Progress takes time and the results of the system are unlikely to be instant. One thing which won't change is the size of Scotland's top flight. While many harbour a suspicion that a 12-team Premiership makes it too risky for the job prospects of managers to field raw, untried youngsters the latest reconstruction talks between clubs voted to retain the status quo. Docherty remians to be convinced that the issue makes much difference anyway. 'I have worked in two countries with a more competitive league structure than Scotland. 'Croatia has a ten team league and Hungary has 12 teams with two automatic relegation places and there were more young players getting minutes there than here. 'I also used to work at Hadjuk Split and this season they were competing until the final matchday with a chance to win the league. 'They had a serious number of young player minutes there are and that comes from the strategy of the club. 'Because we have not had clubs following that model we haven't seen the benefits. This system gives Scotland an opportunity to change that.'
The Herald Scotland
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Sir Alex is SFA's proof you can win things with kids
The men behind a new club-operation system for the SPFL cite the most successful Scottish manager of all time as the best example of a coach who proved that it's not only possible to win by playing kids. It's also possible, with strategy and bravery, to win by playing kids born and raised in Scotland. 'The great irony of those comments were that the manager Alan was talking about was Scottish, arguably the most successful manager in history and wherever he has been successful has been based on giving young players first team minutes,' says Chris Docherty, co-author of last year's SFA Transition Report on the dearth of first team minutes for academy footballers. Recent figures from CIES Observatory show that St Mirren offered just 0.8% of their available first team minutes to players aged 21 or under this season. Celtic were second bottom with 7.8%, Aberdeen slightly better with 7.9%. Rangers made it to 13.6% while Dundee had the highest figure in the SPFL Premiership with 24.8% of first team minutes given to players in the key 16-21 transition phase. 'I saw an interview with David Beckham recently where he said that when he bought Inter Miami and asked Sir Alex Ferguson's advice on building a club he told him that the most important thing was the academy and bringing through your own players,' adds Docherty. 'Alex Ferguson wasn't worried about relegation. He brought young players through at Aberdeen and Manchester United because he felt that it could elevate the teams to be the best in Europe. Which they were. 'Look at when Celtic won the European Cup and it was all Scottish players. Look at Rangers and Aberdeen and Dundee United when they were punching above their weight in Europe and it was all Scottish players in the team. 'Clubs will say that the quality of the young Scottish players is not the same as it was back then. 'Some people even blame the invention of the ipad. But the ipad exists in all countries such as Spain where young players are coming through in healthy numbers. 'The question is, then, what can we do differently to improve the level of Scottish players coming through?' From June 16 clubs in the Premiership and Championship can sign agreements which allow young players to move from one club to another and play games with flexibility, freedom and fewer restrictions. Based on studies of similar systems in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia, the think tanks of old were replaced by data and fact-based evidence in a quest to find a way to increase the playing time of young Scottish footballers. Already Celtic are talking to Queen's Park and Rangers with Raith Rovers. Dundee United want to link up with Montrose while it makes geographical sense for Aberdeen to work with Arbroath and Cove Rangers and Hearts to speak with League Two Spartans. In Scottish football clubs rarely agree on anything. A system which helps clubs in the top flight as well as those further down the pyramid – and the national team – cooperation agreements brokered a rare accord An acknowledgement that Scotland needs to give young players more opportunities to play first team football without the restrictive impositions of the loan system. When the summer transfer window opens transition players will be free to flit between their parent team and their cooperation side freely. The current under-18 league will also become an under-19 competition with overage players permitted to pit the youngsters to up against men. In a simple, yet logical move, the games will be moved from Friday to enable young players to sit on a first team bench on a Saturday or Sunday and still play a game of football on a Monday. 'Through a period of consultation with league bodies, internally and with clubs across the pyramid, we are now ready to go,' says SFA Chief Football Officer Andy Gould. 'The vast majority of those consulted are in favour of this and have backed it. 'We have done a body of work, using a strong, evidence based approach and data, had a strong consultation phase and come out with a system which the game has bought into. 'The first thing was to demonstrate that there was an issue and show what that issue looked like and then have a conversation about why that was happening. That then takes you to the solutions. Read more: How SFA see loan co-operation system benefiting national team as clubs in talks Ex-Celtic winger Daniel Arzani a transfer target for Hearts 'Through conversations we realised that there was a bit of excitement and buy-in to this system. And we began to understand how this might work. 'There is a lot of work ahead but we want to make a difference in the game. We want to see young talent getting an opportunity, that's our business.' Eighteen months in the creation, Docherty describes the system as a 'landmark' moment for the Scottish game. All 42 clubs were consulted and, in a rare state of affairs, the interests of Celtic and Rangers seemed to align - for once - with those of Stenhousemuir and East Fife. Old Firm youngsters retained for UEFA 'homegrown' squad purposes will now be permitted to play first team football for another cooperation partner. Clubs with smaller squads need worry no more. If they need fringe youngsters back at short notice now, there is nothing to stop them. If a young player goes out in search of games and the arrangement doesn't work they can return home quickly and easily and be replaced by someone else the next day. A former technical consultant for the Croatian Football Federation and Hadjuk Split, Chris Docherty was also the sporting director of Honved of Budapest. His overseas experience told him that something in Scotland had to change. 'There is a pattern in all the small nations that are successful. 'Spain are the top nation in the world and they have B teams playing in the system. 'B teams is one model, the co-operation system is the other model. 'I don't think you will find many countries successful in developing players that don't have any model at all. 'B teams was not an acceptable system for our clubs. So we knew that the co-operation agreements was the one most likely to work when we got the feedback from the clubs.' Progress takes time and the results of the system are unlikely to be instant. One thing which won't change is the size of Scotland's top flight. While many harbour a suspicion that a 12-team Premiership makes it too risky for the job prospects of managers to field raw, untried youngsters the latest reconstruction talks between clubs voted to retain the status quo. Docherty remians to be convinced that the issue makes much difference anyway. 'I have worked in two countries with a more competitive league structure than Scotland. 'Croatia has a ten team league and Hungary has 12 teams with two automatic relegation places and there were more young players getting minutes there than here. 'I also used to work at Hadjuk Split and this season they were competing until the final matchday with a chance to win the league. 'They had a serious number of young player minutes there are and that comes from the strategy of the club. 'Because we have not had clubs following that model we haven't seen the benefits. This system gives Scotland an opportunity to change that.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
PSG's Champions League win was thrilling. It was still sportswashing
Paris Saint-Germain's success in the Champions League final on Saturday was a victory for youth and adventure. It was a victory for a team built with a coherent vision, and a rebuke to those who believe the game is just about collecting the biggest names. It was a victory for Luis Enrique, a very fine coach who has suffered dreadful personal tragedy. It was a victory for forward-thinking, progressive, fluent football. But it was also a victory for sportswashing. Advertisement If you could divorce the game from its context, it was mesmerising. PSG were brilliant and although Inter were awful, at least some of that awfulness was provoked by the relentless energy of PSG. The five-goal margin was the widest in any European Cup or Champions League final and it's hard to believe any final has been anywhere near so one-sided (at least until the next day's Concacaf Champions Cup final, won by the same 5-0 scoreline). Four times before, there had been a four-goal margin in the Champions League final. There was Real Madrid's fabled 7-3 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt at Hampden Park in 1960, the game that so inspired the future Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson. But part of the fascination there was that Frankfurt were also an exceptional side. They had beaten Rangers 12-4 on aggregate in the semi and they were good enough to take the lead – even if their second and third goals came as part of a four-goal flurry between the 71st and 75th minutes. Related: Our Champions League team of the season: a teen sensation to a marauding Gunner Bayern beat Atlético 4-0 in 1974, but that was in a replay. When Milan beat Barcelona 4-0 in 1994, it was a shock, and a huge tactical victory for Fabio Capello over Johan Cruyff, but until the fourth went in there was still a sense that Barcelona might come back. Milan's 4-0 win over Steaua Bucharest in 1989 was perhaps the closest to Saturday; they were emphatic winners and Arrigo Sacchi said it was the closest any of his sides came to achieving his ideal of football. Advertisement Even when Barcelona outplayed Manchester United in 2011, United had enough resilience to restrict them to three, even to force an improbable equaliser. It was not the capitulation of Inter. Barcelona must have watched Saturday's final with disbelief; how had they lost the semi-final to that Inter? How had they allowed themselves again and again to be undone at set plays and on the counter? The sense is that Saturday will be a defining victory. This is a young PSG side. The Champions League is a notoriously difficult tournament to retain for everybody apart from Real Madrid, but there's no reason why this can't be the first Champions League of many. After the years of the club as a celebrity circus, one which admittedly helped establish their brand, they have a rational recruitment policy and an intense and gifted manager. And they are undoubtedly fun to watch. Which is what makes sportswashing so insidious. On the pitch PSG are what a football club should be. But the fact remains that they are owned by Qatari Sports Investments, and that state support gives them an enormous advantage over other clubs financed by more traditional means. QSI invested in PSG six months after the meeting at the Élysée Palace in November 2010 – a month before Qatar won the right to host the 2022 World Cup – between the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president of Uefa, Michel Platini, and Tamim al-Thani, the crown prince of Qatar – now the emir. PSG was just part of wave of Qatari investment in France, although it should be stressed that Platini maintains he had already decided to vote for Qatar. Advertisement Related: Two people die and hundreds arrested in France after PSG Champions League victory However rapacious the private equity funds that own some elite clubs may be, they do not have the in effect infinite wealth of those backed by a state. Inter are one of the big three in Italy. They have won the European Cup/Champions League three times. For a long time, they were sustained by the wealth of the Moratti family. They are not minnows in any sense. And yet, according to Deloitte, their annual revenue is less than half that of PSG. Among PSG's sponsors are Qatar Airways and the Qatar Tourism Agency; state support can oil a lot of wheels. Qatar is a country in which workers are routinely exploited, women are subject to male guardianship laws, same-sex relations are outlawed and freedom of expression severely restricted. It is also the country that hosted the greatest World Cup final of all time in 2022 and that owns the best team in European (and therefore world) football. Nasser al-Khelaifi, the president of PSG, is also the chair of the beIN media group, a major player in the broadcasting of football, and is head of the European Clubs Association, in which role he was seated on Saturday next to the Uefa president, Aleksander Ceferin. He is enormously influential and is answerable, ultimately, to QSI, of which he is chair. Inter have lost in two of the last three Champions League finals. Both defeats have been to state-owned clubs. This is modern football, the stage for geopolitical manoeuvring. It used to be easy to laugh at PSG, who had spent a fortune on ageing stars who reliably collapsed under pressure. This latest iteration looks more like a football team. It is admirable in many ways. The football is both thrilling and successful. But it is still sportswashing. On this day … Before the BBC screened highlights of Chile's 2-0 victory over Italy at the 1962 World Cup, the presenter David Coleman warned viewers that what they were about to see was, 'the most stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful exhibition of football, possibly in the history of the game'. Advertisement He wasn't wrong. The first foul was committed after 35 seconds and matters had got so out of hand by the eighth minute that Italy's Giorgio Ferrini was sent off for a foul on Honorino Landa. He refused to leave the field, leading to a melee that was only ended by the intervention of police. In the confusion, Chile's Léonel Sánchez landed a left hook on Humberto Maschio, breaking his nose. As the mayhem continued, Sánchez got away with cuffing Mario David in the face, but David responded a couple of minutes later with a flying kick to the head for which he was sent off. Chile won what became known as the Battle of Santiago 2-0. The violence had been provoked by critical articles written by two Italian journalists as they covered the draw in Santiago several months earlier. Both had the sense not to turn up for the tournament itself.
Mint
2 days ago
- Sport
- Mint
Best bowling figures in IPL final: From Anil Kumble to R Ashwin, list of 5 bowlers who bossed teams in summit clashes
T20 cricket is very much skewed in favour of batsmen, and the Indian Premier League is no different. The nature of the sport is such that the batsmen, more often than not, get the spotlight while the bowlers sometimes get drowned in the sea of fours and sixes. However, there is an old adage in football that we can adapt to cricket to show our appreciation for the bowlers. Legendary football manager Sir Alex Ferguson once famously said, "Attack wins you games; defence wins you titles." Similarly, we can say, "Runs win you matches; wickets win you titles." So, on that note, let us take a look at the top 5 bowling performances in IPL finals between 2008 and 2024. The following bowlers were the pick of the performers in their team's summit clash. Bowler (Team) Opposition IPL Final Year (Venue) Result Bowling Figures Anil Kumble (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) Deccan Chargers 2009 (Johannesburg) Lost 4/16 Dwayne Bravo (Chennai Super Kings) Mumbai Indians 2013 (Eden Gardens) Lost 4/42 Karanveer Singh (Kings XI Punjab) Kolkata Knight Riders 2014 (M Chinnaswamy) Lost 4/54 R Ashwin (Chennai Super Kings) Royal Challengers Bengaluru 2011 (MA Chidambaram) Won 3/16 Hardik Pandya (Gujarat Titans) Rajasthan Royals 2022 (Ahmedabad) Won 3/17 The IPL 2025 final is set to be a historic showdown between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, June 3. The cash-rich league is set to crown a new champion as both teams are vying for their maiden IPL title after having endured 17 fruitless IPL seasons. The final will be a repeat of the Qualifier 1 game as RCB stormed to the final with a dominant eight-wicket victory over PBKS. However, Shreyas Iyer lead the redemption for PBKS as he top-scored in the thrilling win against Mumbai Indians in the Qualifier 2 game on Sunday. He smashed an unbeaten 87 off 41 balls and helped the Punjab side get to their target of 204 with six balls to spare. Tuesday promises to be an exciting clash between two teams who are eager to end their title droughts. Stay updated on all the action from the IPL 2025. Check the IPL 2025 Schedule, track the latest IPL 2025 Points Table, and follow the top performers with the Orange Cap and Purple Cap.
South China Morning Post
27-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong, Malaysia could be new dawn for Manchester United
An upbeat Ruben Amorim said Manchester United were entering a new dawn on their post-season tour of Malaysia and Hong Kong. The club's decision to jet to Asia immediately after they lowered the curtain on a dismal campaign has attracted criticism, amid prevailing concerns over player welfare. But Amorim and midfielder Mason Mount did not appear reluctant tourists as they spoke in a packed, sweltering function room at Kuala Lumpur's plush W Hotel. The Portuguese boss fixed his gaze to the floor as dignitaries lauded celebrated former Old Trafford bosses Matt Busby and Alex Ferguson. Amorim said the matches against Asean All-Stars on Wednesday, and in Hong Kong two days later were 'to improve the team'. Harry Maguire is set to skip Manchester United's game in Hong Kong after playing in Malaysia. Photo: Reuters 'It's a pleasure to be here, and it's really important to have the connection with our fans – it's what makes this club one of the best in the world,' Amorim added. 'Every game we play, we have a big responsibility, because fans around the world are watching.'
