Post by Rangers on Oct 4, 2003 21:28:05 GMT 8
Why youth development will remain the S.League's Achilles heel
By Mathew Salleh
As nine nails were being hammered into a fast-perishing Sembawang's coffin at Bishan Stadium on Friday night, it was perhaps ironic to note that two of the nine excruciating goals for Home United were put away by young Imran Sahib.
20-year-old Imran is currently serving his national service with the Protectors, having been nurtured at Sembawang's stable by Stallions coach Vorawan Chitavanich.
Ammunition perhaps for the critics who cry foul at Sembawang's impending departure from the S.League, barring a late miracle or show of the club's stable finances from chairman Charles Siahaan?
Much of the criticism leveled at the S.League's decision to axe three local clubs from next year's lineup has revolved around the argument that the noose around the pipeline young Singaporean talent will tighten even further, damaging an already sputtering youth development system that struggles to find another Fandi Ahmad or V Sundramoorthy.
Sembawang fans have been particularly strident about this. Where will your Noh Alam Shahs, Razif Mahamuds and Sevki Sha'bans come from when the Rangers are gone, they say.
But it's worth noting too that another player who bagged a double in that 9-2 defeat, current Prime League topscorer Zuhaily Suib, has been with the Protectors since he was 14.
While Zuhaily is unlikely to get much S.League playing time when the likes of Indra Sahdan and Egmar Goncalves are around, it's a bit of a stretch to suggest that youth development will choke without the trio of Sembawang, Sengkang and Tanjong Pagar around.
Yes, around 20-30 local players will have lost their jobs. Some will find another club, whilst others will undoubtedly leave Singapore football. Players that could have been discovered and nurtured by the Stallions, Dolphins and Jaguars might be lost to the Lions forever.
How much can any club claim to have 'developed' a player though, arguments about natural talent always rising to the top aside. Alam Shah is considered to be a Sembawang product but was at Woodlands Wellington as a kid, while Sevki shone last season after honing his trade with the U-18 team in the National Football Academy.
Fadzuhasny Juraimi, an SAFFC boy since 16, joined Tanjong Pagar last year and had his first season as a first team regular. But Fadzu, one of Singapore's most elegant strikers, has stagnated at Queenstown this year and his progress as a player has been miniscule, if he has not indeed regressed with the struggling Jaguars.
And why is this so, considering that Sembawang, Sengkang and Tanjong Pagar provide many youngsters with first team action in the S.League? These three teams chuck raw talent into the first team mix because they cannot afford more established players, aspirations of a noble youth policy aside. If Sengkang could afford Egmar Goncalves they certainly would have bought him (and nearly did, back in 1998).
The coaching setup is far from exemplary at any S.League club, and the situation at these three clubs is made even worse by their financial instability. Vorawan at Sembawang is a fine trainer by the accounts of many players, but he has to work with his team in the gloom of dusk with half of Yishun Stadium's lights off, as does Moey Yok Ham at Tanjong Pagar.
Can these clubs and indeed the S.League lay claim to even coming close to being a footballing breeding ground like Ajax Amsterdam when they can't even afford to switch on all the lights?
The likes of Baihakki Khaizan, Hassan Sunny and Shahril Ishak, all of whom have impressed in the S.League this season after being developed at the National Football Academy compare favourably to the local talent that have emerged from the clubs.
They are stronger physically, tactically more aware and mentally tougher. They have taken to life in the S.League like a fish to water and been regulars in their respective teams in their debut season, while other young talents often show only flashes of their potential.
The sad fact is that Singapore's young players get a raw deal when they sign on with most S.League clubs. They are not learning all that they can, unprofessional habits are quickly picked up from the slack environment and their talent is wasted simply because the clubs are not set up to develop young players properly.
So while the S.League is trying to improve the quality of the game by inviting foreign clubs and culling the weaker members of their so-called 'Band of Brothers', they should remember that they do that in the short term - but the future looks bleak unless Singapore football's coaching and youth development systems are given a major rehaul.
By Mathew Salleh
As nine nails were being hammered into a fast-perishing Sembawang's coffin at Bishan Stadium on Friday night, it was perhaps ironic to note that two of the nine excruciating goals for Home United were put away by young Imran Sahib.
20-year-old Imran is currently serving his national service with the Protectors, having been nurtured at Sembawang's stable by Stallions coach Vorawan Chitavanich.
Ammunition perhaps for the critics who cry foul at Sembawang's impending departure from the S.League, barring a late miracle or show of the club's stable finances from chairman Charles Siahaan?
Much of the criticism leveled at the S.League's decision to axe three local clubs from next year's lineup has revolved around the argument that the noose around the pipeline young Singaporean talent will tighten even further, damaging an already sputtering youth development system that struggles to find another Fandi Ahmad or V Sundramoorthy.
Sembawang fans have been particularly strident about this. Where will your Noh Alam Shahs, Razif Mahamuds and Sevki Sha'bans come from when the Rangers are gone, they say.
But it's worth noting too that another player who bagged a double in that 9-2 defeat, current Prime League topscorer Zuhaily Suib, has been with the Protectors since he was 14.
While Zuhaily is unlikely to get much S.League playing time when the likes of Indra Sahdan and Egmar Goncalves are around, it's a bit of a stretch to suggest that youth development will choke without the trio of Sembawang, Sengkang and Tanjong Pagar around.
Yes, around 20-30 local players will have lost their jobs. Some will find another club, whilst others will undoubtedly leave Singapore football. Players that could have been discovered and nurtured by the Stallions, Dolphins and Jaguars might be lost to the Lions forever.
How much can any club claim to have 'developed' a player though, arguments about natural talent always rising to the top aside. Alam Shah is considered to be a Sembawang product but was at Woodlands Wellington as a kid, while Sevki shone last season after honing his trade with the U-18 team in the National Football Academy.
Fadzuhasny Juraimi, an SAFFC boy since 16, joined Tanjong Pagar last year and had his first season as a first team regular. But Fadzu, one of Singapore's most elegant strikers, has stagnated at Queenstown this year and his progress as a player has been miniscule, if he has not indeed regressed with the struggling Jaguars.
And why is this so, considering that Sembawang, Sengkang and Tanjong Pagar provide many youngsters with first team action in the S.League? These three teams chuck raw talent into the first team mix because they cannot afford more established players, aspirations of a noble youth policy aside. If Sengkang could afford Egmar Goncalves they certainly would have bought him (and nearly did, back in 1998).
The coaching setup is far from exemplary at any S.League club, and the situation at these three clubs is made even worse by their financial instability. Vorawan at Sembawang is a fine trainer by the accounts of many players, but he has to work with his team in the gloom of dusk with half of Yishun Stadium's lights off, as does Moey Yok Ham at Tanjong Pagar.
Can these clubs and indeed the S.League lay claim to even coming close to being a footballing breeding ground like Ajax Amsterdam when they can't even afford to switch on all the lights?
The likes of Baihakki Khaizan, Hassan Sunny and Shahril Ishak, all of whom have impressed in the S.League this season after being developed at the National Football Academy compare favourably to the local talent that have emerged from the clubs.
They are stronger physically, tactically more aware and mentally tougher. They have taken to life in the S.League like a fish to water and been regulars in their respective teams in their debut season, while other young talents often show only flashes of their potential.
The sad fact is that Singapore's young players get a raw deal when they sign on with most S.League clubs. They are not learning all that they can, unprofessional habits are quickly picked up from the slack environment and their talent is wasted simply because the clubs are not set up to develop young players properly.
So while the S.League is trying to improve the quality of the game by inviting foreign clubs and culling the weaker members of their so-called 'Band of Brothers', they should remember that they do that in the short term - but the future looks bleak unless Singapore football's coaching and youth development systems are given a major rehaul.
