Youth Development - Positional Attributes vs Individual Attribute

[Dictis]

Right gents, I have read a million different youth development posts/blogs on how to train my future young guns.

What I've discovered:

1. Invest fully in scouts/network/training/coaches etc

2. Focus on Physical Attributes when they are young (up to 21) as they will improve "quicker"

3. Tutor to have the best personalities: Ambitious, Model Professional/Professional, Model Citizen, Resolute, Perfectionist, (Determined)

4. Tutoring will vary: determination as a visible stat, but also Professionalism, Ambition amongst others

5. Professionalism, ambition, game time and luck will help achieve PA.

6. More professional players can train at heavier workloads

7. Aim for Light Coaching workload for coaches

8. Training generally in a "Balanced" fashion - but use the individual role training to differentiate the individual players skill sets (e.g. Klopp style Geggenpress will need Fitness and tactics across all players, Guardiola: Ball Control and Tactics)

9. There will be diminishing returns (i.e. 7->8 will take less time than 18->19)

10. Give the youth game time*

12. Bin off youth intake who do not have a good personality (see above) or less than 2.5 stars PA

11. Every player should be playing in one of your teams

12. Ideal squad size across your three teams (Youth, Reserve, First) should be about 50.

13. Loan players who will not get game time to a team with good training facilities, in an appropriately starred league (once they have good personalities and physical stats)

I've taken a strategy to focus on broad physical roles when players are <21 namely: GK: Sweeper Keeper, All Def: Libero, CMs: Roaming Playmaker, Wide AM: Wide Target Man and FWDs: Complete Forward.

Then... when they reach 21 I then change training them on less physical and more specialist positions and duties: GK, CD, WB, DLP, DLF, IF, RMD etc

Then if there is an attribute I really want to improve, e.g. I like Off the Ball I will specialise there.

Now my question(s) is, and forgive me if this is answered somewhere before but what is the actual difference of training a youth player on for example "Quickness" (a break down of Acceleration and Pace I believe) and training him in a position for example Inside Forward that contains both (I believe -doing it from memory!).

-Is it as simple as they can improve at [5] points per year, and if training "Quickness" these [5] points will be split between just these two categories, whilst Inside Forward will improve more than just two?

-Any other pointers?

-If my above technique sucks, which it may do. Are there any pointers to revise it? (Generally play a aggressive pressing game)

-*Is there a correlation between international game time and player development? i.e. If I am England manager and I play a youth player for England (who is inferior in terms of CA) will this develop him too?

[Cleon]

Your quickness example would mean that the emphasis for training will be higher on pace and acceleration compared to everything else. If you train an inside forward role then it makes those attributes listed for that role the emphasis. How many points each one will improve will vary for every single player as it works off a lot of factors and not just the one. All the attribute and individual training does is put a much greater focus during that time on those attributes for however long you use it for.

And no International Management will have no bearing.

[rninejr]

1. Let's say u just got a pizza with 8 slices. U gave it to 8 friends, each of them got a slice. But if gave it only to 2 friends, both of them would receive 4 slices each. Means more pizza for each of them. Training work in a similiar way, that is my understanding.

2. Youngsters are usually lacking two or more important attributes for his position (n the role u planned to give him). For example a regen who is natural in striker position, has 17 on acceleration, 16 pace, 13 composure, 7 off the ball, n 5 on finishing. Let's say u want him to be a good Poacher (a role), then u should train him using specific attribute training, in this case finishing n off the ball. After both attributes reach a reasonable value, u can train him using specific role training that contain the desired attributes focus.

Basically, train the low required attributes first using specific attribute training, after all required attributes reach a reasonable standart u can train him with specific role training to grow up those attributes together. I find this method more effective. But if the low required attribute cannot be trained with specific attribute training, use role training. focused on other attribute outside the required ones that has very low value is also considered, if that attribute is not meet the standart for that position. example: 2 value on tackling for a midfielder is not good even if that regen is planned to be an advanced playmaker with an attack duty in the future. But 3 or 4 positioning on a regen u're plotted to be a poacher is okay so u don't need to train his positioning.

3. Idk for sure if physical attributes grows faster at younger age but the main reason to train physical attributes first is because they will be the first attributes to drop when a player get past his position's peak age. So if u want a playstyle that demand physical aspect, train your regens with physical training first. It is still suggested to train regen's physical earlier before other attributes even if your playstyle, or the role you want to assign to him requires less physical advantage. Since it is not uncommon to see a regen with a very poor stamina or pace, that is something unacceptable in high level competition.

4. Physical training can be used to reduce the speed of physical attributes deteriorate for old players.

5. International games are rarely occurred. Even if it does increase CA, I doubt it can be significant compared to the club's games. Afterall a player is called to play for his nation mainly based on his CA n current performance. Maybe someone else can give a better answer. Who knows if international games give much more CA per game. I honestly don't know

That is my opinions, I might be wrong but I think not too much

[felley]

I think the whole specific attribute training vs. role training thing is mainly one of personal preference as they can both have the desired outcome.

Youngsters are usually lacking two or more important attributes for his position (n the role u planned to give him). For example a regen who is natural in striker position, has 17 on acceleration, 16 pace, 13 composure, 7 off the ball, n 5 on finishing. Let's say u want him to be a good Poacher (a role), then u should train him using specific attribute training, in this case finishing n off the ball. After both attributes reach a reasonable value, u can train him using specific role training that contain the desired attributes focus.

In this example, you could also allow him to focus on the Poacher role for a while before honing in on any attributes that aren't good enough at a later date.

My personal preference is to have players mainly on role training until they are around 21-22, then I will look to train up any attributes that are lagging behind to round off his game. If the role training is working though and there are no holes in the player's game, i'll just keep going with it. By this age, they should be becoming a regular feature of your side anyway so their ability should be exploding.

[rninejr]

I think the whole specific attribute training vs. role training thing is mainly one of personal preference as they can both have the desired outcome.

In this example, you could also allow him to focus on the Poacher role for a while before honing in on any attributes that aren't good enough at a later date.

My personal preference is to have players mainly on role training until they are around 21-22, then I will look to train up any attributes that are lagging behind to round off his game. If the role training is working though and there are no holes in the player's game, i'll just keep going with it. By this age, they should be becoming a regular feature of your side anyway so their ability should be exploding.

The way I prefer to hone the required attributes with low value first is because by using role training, the attribute I want to improve will grow slower, compared to specific attribute training since it focused on many other attributes not just the desired attributes. Let's take my example before, a poacher. He already has good speed, 17 acc n 16 pace are enough. But without decent off the ball n finishing (7 n 5) it is hard for him to give a good performance as a poacher. By focusing on those 2 attributes I don't waste many CA improving other important attributes which already decent, even good. Means he can use the benefit of both attributes as fast as possible, resulting on him to play better in an earlier age. At least he is already has the complete skillset to be a decent poacher if his finishing n off the ball can reach 10-12. Decent finishing, decent mentality, n exploding pace. Not just exploding pace.

Ofc if attribute training cant train the desired attribute, your way is more preferable. N it's all about personal preference. No one is wrong

[Dictis]

Love a good pizza analogy. Thanks for your input.

[rninejr]

Love a good pizza analogy. Thanks for your input.

You're welcome

Just remember that it was just a simple analogy. In fact when a player's CA is increased it will be distributed across many attributes, not just the trained one(s). Training is only focusing CA distribution towards specific desired attribute(s) so that means they will receive a bigger portion of CA than other attributes but like cleon said, it is vary n depends on many aspects