Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx exclusive interview Time for a review of the Academy set-up for our kids
BARRY SMITH has played, coached and managed at different levels for almost 25 years.
Now back home after a season with Aldershot Town, the 42-year-old has voiced his concerns for the grass roots of the Scottish game, and would love a blueprint to be introduced to give our promising teenagers more time playing football.
The former Dundee manager told The Sunday Post: “I have an opinion to offer and some will agree, but some will disagree.
“Nobody has all the answers because there is no such thing as perfection. But I do believe there are some things we can change at youth level in Scotland.
“We need to examine the way we try to develop players at Academy level. I think we have problems there.
“Quite simply kids are not playing as much football as they should be. A lot of that is down to the guidance from the sports science department.
“They pretty much dictate how many of hours youths are allowed to play and how many hours of training they can do.
“I’m not criticising sports science people. That’s not my style. They absolutely have an important role to play in our game and they have broadened the outlook on football in the past 10 years.
“I appreciate we need to protect our kids’ muscles and bones. But the youths need to be more involved, and play in more games, if they are develop and be ready to step up to the next level and ultimately play for the first team.
“I didn’t have a full-time sports science person when I was in charge of Ross County’s Youth Development programme. But I know many clubs at Academy level do.
“From speaking to other coaches, I know they found it frustrating not being able to play kids as often as they wanted to. Coaches are being told what’s right and what’s wrong, and it’s frustrating.
“I also think there are too many kids being signed by clubs. Too many become jersey fillers and are being assessed when they are 13 and 14 – then quite a few end up being released.
“That leads to their confidence taking a real hit and they end up walking away from the game because there is no level of enjoyment.
“That’s quite a sad situation. So I believe we need less players in the academy system.
“I’d welcome a review and for some new ideas to be put forward for consideration.
“I’m not exactly sure where former SFA Performance Director Brian McClair got to in terms of implementing the ideas he had for our game. But I hope his replacement reviews things and sees if we can tweak one or two things.”
Smith came through the youth system at Celtic and went on to play for the first team. He then had a career with Dundee and two years in Iceland before he hung up his boots.
He wants youths to be given the best possible chance to sample what he got in his career.
“I enjoyed my time down south in the Conference League with Aldershot. We achieved some good things and improved the team despite the budget being cut and the club offered me a new managerial contract,” he said.
“But I felt it was time to go back to Scotland, mainly for family reasons.
“I’m doing some scouting for clubs and that’s been enjoyable. Ultimately I want back into a level of management, whether that’s as a boss or an assistant manager or coach.
“In an ideal world, you get a job with a big budget and a chairman that will allow you a five-year plan. But that, unfortunately, is not the real world.
“No job is easy, but I enjoy challenge.
“It’s not about complicating things, it’s about making players feel comfortable, to feel wanted and to be getting enjoyment out of their work.
“You only need to look at what Leicester City achieved last season under Claudio Ranieri and his backroom staff.
“They allowed their players to play and express themselves within a system, and you could see every week that the players responded to that because they showed no fear and they deserved to be Premier League champions.”
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