McFaul 35 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 I'm not just on about in this country, but worldwide. There are 7 billion people alive, 4.2 billion live in Asia, probably with another 500m Asians living outside of Asia. So you're looking at maybe 70% of the worlds population are Asian. England has never produced a good Asian player ever really, Chopra is probably as good as it gets and his make up is half English anyway. If you look at Asia as well, football is generally the number sport in the vast majority of countries. China it is, places like Iran, Indonesia, Thailand it is, Korea and Japan worship the sport, even in India in terms of TV interest it is number 2 after cricket. So why is it, possibly the greatest Asian player in history is Park Ji Sung? He's not even that good neither, he just runs about and that's it. You can say it's because many Asians compared to Europeans are smaller, but look at Spain, they're hardly like Stoke. You can say the training isn't as good, possibly, but people like Gazza and Maradona didn't get their talent off coaches at 15 and 16. What do you think the reason is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manc-mag 1 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Do Australasians count? Not that that brings the average up in any meaningful sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McFaul 35 Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 Probably don't play it half as much as other countries or have the foundations at grass roots level, i doubt the kids get in from school and then are right back out the door to play footy like the majority of kids from countries who aren't bad. They might whorship it in support but actual involvement or the amount of time put into it i'd say would be vastly different. (has been some decent asian players, even in the last 20years you've the likes of Nakata, Park, Nakamura) They do though, 100% they do. When I was in Thailand (durin the wawwa) there was more kids playing football than you see over here. Nakamura was a good free kick taker and that was it, Nakata was a vastly overrated gimmick, and Park is tactically decent, very athletic but that's it. That's the sum total of Asian football excellence. You can go on about the Desert Rat or whatever he was called for Saudi Arabia with his 200 goals in 200 internationals, but as soon as they leave their countries they can't do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trophyshy 7083 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Poor eyesight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McFaul 35 Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 Poor eyesight? Never stopped Paul Power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manc-mag 1 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Whatever happened to Freddie Adu by the way? Wasn't he once s'posed to be the next Francis Jeffers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew 4748 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 he plays for benfica, he couldve done worse tbf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonatine 11378 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 he plays for benfica, he couldve done worse tbf Back playing in the MLS now iirc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hostile_statue 0 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 If you look at Asia as well, football is generally the number sport in the vast majority of countries. China it is, places like Iran, Indonesia, Thailand it is, Korea and Japan worship the sport, even in India in terms of TV interest it is number 2 after cricket. The national sport of Thailand is thai boxing. In Japan, baseball is more popular than football and sumo is the national sport. Sure football is popular in China but so are many other sports like martial arts, table tennis, basketball etc. So I think it's a cultural thing, football is not as dominant in Asia as it is in Europe or South America. India is an enigma when it comes to sports, 1,2 billion inhabitants, at the last summer olympics they won three medals... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Dynamite 7029 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 I saw the title of this thread and would have bet my house on it being Stevie who started it You say football is the number one sport in a lot of Asian countries but it isnt. India is cricket mad, Japan is baseball and Sumo mad, the Chinese love Table Tennis/Badminton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McFaul 35 Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 If you look at Asia as well, football is generally the number sport in the vast majority of countries. China it is, places like Iran, Indonesia, Thailand it is, Korea and Japan worship the sport, even in India in terms of TV interest it is number 2 after cricket. The national sport of Thailand is thai boxing. In Japan, baseball is more popular than football and sumo is the national sport. Sure football is popular in China but so are many other sports like martial arts, table tennis, basketball etc. So I think it's a cultural thing, football is not as dominant in Asia as it is in Europe or South America. India is an enigma when it comes to sports, 1,2 billion inhabitants, at the last summer olympics they won three medals... The fact is whether you dress stats up or not there are more people playing and watching football in Asia than there are in Europe. That's an indisputable fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manc-mag 1 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Sikhs are rubbish at head tennis btw. Total waste of time if you ever get an invite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Dynamite 7029 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 If you look at Asia as well, football is generally the number sport in the vast majority of countries. China it is, places like Iran, Indonesia, Thailand it is, Korea and Japan worship the sport, even in India in terms of TV interest it is number 2 after cricket. The national sport of Thailand is thai boxing. In Japan, baseball is more popular than football and sumo is the national sport. Sure football is popular in China but so are many other sports like martial arts, table tennis, basketball etc. So I think it's a cultural thing, football is not as dominant in Asia as it is in Europe or South America. India is an enigma when it comes to sports, 1,2 billion inhabitants, at the last summer olympics they won three medals... The fact is whether you dress stats up or not there are more people playing and watching football in Asia than there are in Europe. That's an indisputable fact. How is it a fact? Do you reckon China or India have anywhere near the footballing facilities or setup that European countries have? Whatever your ability at football in this country there are tons of places to play: 5 aside, 7 aside, loads of Sunday Leagues, Northern Alliance, Northern League etc. In India you get a cricket bat and a dusty strip of land to play on if you are lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 The best athletes gravitate towards the most popular sports in any given country as that's where the money is (in that country at least). That doesn't completely explain the dearth of good players coming from that part of the world though. Probably a number of factors including cultural ones. I was (sort of) thinking about this the other day with the crack about Chopra and his gambling problems as he's probably the best 'Asian' (half-Asian) footballer this country has produced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hostile_statue 0 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 (edited) If you look at Asia as well, football is generally the number sport in the vast majority of countries. China it is, places like Iran, Indonesia, Thailand it is, Korea and Japan worship the sport, even in India in terms of TV interest it is number 2 after cricket. The national sport of Thailand is thai boxing. In Japan, baseball is more popular than football and sumo is the national sport. Sure football is popular in China but so are many other sports like martial arts, table tennis, basketball etc. So I think it's a cultural thing, football is not as dominant in Asia as it is in Europe or South America. India is an enigma when it comes to sports, 1,2 billion inhabitants, at the last summer olympics they won three medals... The fact is whether you dress stats up or not there are more people playing and watching football in Asia than there are in Europe. That's an indisputable fact. Aye but that's not the decider is it? Holland is one of the greatest football nations, 17 million people live there. England, 51 million people, haven't beaten Sweden, 9 million people, in over 40 years Edited November 15, 2011 by hostile_statue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McFaul 35 Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 If you look at Asia as well, football is generally the number sport in the vast majority of countries. China it is, places like Iran, Indonesia, Thailand it is, Korea and Japan worship the sport, even in India in terms of TV interest it is number 2 after cricket. The national sport of Thailand is thai boxing. In Japan, baseball is more popular than football and sumo is the national sport. Sure football is popular in China but so are many other sports like martial arts, table tennis, basketball etc. So I think it's a cultural thing, football is not as dominant in Asia as it is in Europe or South America. India is an enigma when it comes to sports, 1,2 billion inhabitants, at the last summer olympics they won three medals... The fact is whether you dress stats up or not there are more people playing and watching football in Asia than there are in Europe. That's an indisputable fact. How is it a fact? Do you reckon China or India have anywhere near the footballing facilities or setup that European countries have? Whatever your ability at football in this country there are tons of places to play: 5 aside, 7 aside, loads of Sunday Leagues, Northern Alliance, Northern League etc. In India you get a cricket bat and a dusty strip of land to play on if you are lucky. Stanley Matthews didn't have facilities. If you ever read John Edward Thompson Milburn's book the only facility he ever ever had was a stone, that's how he learned to play football. In the last thirty years this area of 1m produced at least four players who would be the greatest ever in an area of 4,700m. That is a fact, and mentioning solely facilities, and the fact in some countries football isn't number one, is basically saying you haven't got an answer as to why this is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manc-mag 1 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 The best athletes gravitate towards the most popular sports in any given country as that's where the money is (in that country at least). That doesn't completely explain the dearth of good players coming from that part of the world though. Probably a number of factors including cultural ones. I was (sort of) thinking about this the other day with the crack about Chopra and his gambling problems as he's probably the best 'Asian' (half-Asian) footballer this country has produced. Aye, when you think about it you only have to imagine how many brilliant footballers the US could produce if that's where the money was. In fact it's best not to think about it at all. Thank fuck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Dynamite 7029 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 This should tell you how much money is floating around in the Indian game btw http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_football_transfers_2011%E2%80%932012 Compare that to the IPL where players are getting $1million for 6 weeks work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manc-mag 1 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 If you look at Asia as well, football is generally the number sport in the vast majority of countries. China it is, places like Iran, Indonesia, Thailand it is, Korea and Japan worship the sport, even in India in terms of TV interest it is number 2 after cricket. The national sport of Thailand is thai boxing. In Japan, baseball is more popular than football and sumo is the national sport. Sure football is popular in China but so are many other sports like martial arts, table tennis, basketball etc. So I think it's a cultural thing, football is not as dominant in Asia as it is in Europe or South America. India is an enigma when it comes to sports, 1,2 billion inhabitants, at the last summer olympics they won three medals... The fact is whether you dress stats up or not there are more people playing and watching football in Asia than there are in Europe. That's an indisputable fact. How is it a fact? Do you reckon China or India have anywhere near the footballing facilities or setup that European countries have? Whatever your ability at football in this country there are tons of places to play: 5 aside, 7 aside, loads of Sunday Leagues, Northern Alliance, Northern League etc. In India you get a cricket bat and a dusty strip of land to play on if you are lucky. Stanley Matthews didn't have facilities. If you ever read John Edward Thompson Milburn's book the only facility he ever ever had was a stone, that's how he learned to play football. In the last thirty years this area of 1m produced at least four players who would be the greatest ever in an area of 4,700m. That is a fact, and mentioning solely facilities, and the fact in some countries football isn't number one, is basically saying you haven't got an answer as to why this is. Uber! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewerk 30611 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 If you look at Asia as well, football is generally the number sport in the vast majority of countries. China it is, places like Iran, Indonesia, Thailand it is, Korea and Japan worship the sport, even in India in terms of TV interest it is number 2 after cricket. The national sport of Thailand is thai boxing. In Japan, baseball is more popular than football and sumo is the national sport. Sure football is popular in China but so are many other sports like martial arts, table tennis, basketball etc. So I think it's a cultural thing, football is not as dominant in Asia as it is in Europe or South America. India is an enigma when it comes to sports, 1,2 billion inhabitants, at the last summer olympics they won three medals... The fact is whether you dress stats up or not there are more people playing and watching football in Asia than there are in Europe. That's an indisputable fact. How is it a fact? Do you reckon China or India have anywhere near the footballing facilities or setup that European countries have? Whatever your ability at football in this country there are tons of places to play: 5 aside, 7 aside, loads of Sunday Leagues, Northern Alliance, Northern League etc. In India you get a cricket bat and a dusty strip of land to play on if you are lucky. Stanley Matthews didn't have facilities. If you ever read John Edward Thompson Milburn's book the only facility he ever ever had was a stone, that's how he learned to play football. In the last thirty years this area of 1m produced at least four players who would be the greatest ever in an area of 4,700m. That is a fact, and mentioning solely facilities, and the fact in some countries football isn't number one, is basically saying you haven't got an answer as to why this is. Aye and if he had only that stone today he wouldn't even be signed to a club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Dynamite 7029 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 If you look at Asia as well, football is generally the number sport in the vast majority of countries. China it is, places like Iran, Indonesia, Thailand it is, Korea and Japan worship the sport, even in India in terms of TV interest it is number 2 after cricket. The national sport of Thailand is thai boxing. In Japan, baseball is more popular than football and sumo is the national sport. Sure football is popular in China but so are many other sports like martial arts, table tennis, basketball etc. So I think it's a cultural thing, football is not as dominant in Asia as it is in Europe or South America. India is an enigma when it comes to sports, 1,2 billion inhabitants, at the last summer olympics they won three medals... The fact is whether you dress stats up or not there are more people playing and watching football in Asia than there are in Europe. That's an indisputable fact. How is it a fact? Do you reckon China or India have anywhere near the footballing facilities or setup that European countries have? Whatever your ability at football in this country there are tons of places to play: 5 aside, 7 aside, loads of Sunday Leagues, Northern Alliance, Northern League etc. In India you get a cricket bat and a dusty strip of land to play on if you are lucky. Stanley Matthews didn't have facilities. If you ever read John Edward Thompson Milburn's book the only facility he ever ever had was a stone, that's how he learned to play football. In the last thirty years this area of 1m produced at least four players who would be the greatest ever in an area of 4,700m. That is a fact, and mentioning solely facilities, and the fact in some countries football isn't number one, is basically saying you haven't got an answer as to why this is. They aren't facts, they are your opinions man. It's not hard to fathom out Stevie. Every kid in this country practically grows up playing football, it's on telly almost every night. In Asia they don't. India and China account for 2.5billion people and football is way way down on the list of their top sports. Cricket, Basketball and Baseball are billion dollar industries over there. It's like saying, why don't we produce shit loads of good baseball players? Its on ESPN every night. Plenty of people watch it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 A stone? I seem to remember reading about him in the Shoot or Match Xmas annual one year and he used to practice with a tennis ball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manc-mag 1 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 If you look at Asia as well, football is generally the number sport in the vast majority of countries. China it is, places like Iran, Indonesia, Thailand it is, Korea and Japan worship the sport, even in India in terms of TV interest it is number 2 after cricket. The national sport of Thailand is thai boxing. In Japan, baseball is more popular than football and sumo is the national sport. Sure football is popular in China but so are many other sports like martial arts, table tennis, basketball etc. So I think it's a cultural thing, football is not as dominant in Asia as it is in Europe or South America. India is an enigma when it comes to sports, 1,2 billion inhabitants, at the last summer olympics they won three medals... The fact is whether you dress stats up or not there are more people playing and watching football in Asia than there are in Europe. That's an indisputable fact. How is it a fact? Do you reckon China or India have anywhere near the footballing facilities or setup that European countries have? Whatever your ability at football in this country there are tons of places to play: 5 aside, 7 aside, loads of Sunday Leagues, Northern Alliance, Northern League etc. In India you get a cricket bat and a dusty strip of land to play on if you are lucky. Stanley Matthews didn't have facilities. If you ever read John Edward Thompson Milburn's book the only facility he ever ever had was a stone, that's how he learned to play football. In the last thirty years this area of 1m produced at least four players who would be the greatest ever in an area of 4,700m. That is a fact, and mentioning solely facilities, and the fact in some countries football isn't number one, is basically saying you haven't got an answer as to why this is. Aye and if he had only that stone today he wouldn't even be signed to a club. He took it a bit far kicking the same stone for 10 years like, sure there were plenty of other stones even back then. On a serious note though small balls (fnarr) are the key. No point kids kicking size fives around when theyre four years old just because Sports Direct sells them for £1.99, it's like a beach ball at that age and if that's all you practice with you wont be able to trap a bag of wet cement when you're older. I always used a tenniser as a kid and I use a foam ball thats smaller than a tenniser these days just kicking around the house. A size five is like a magnet after that when you're playing properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Dynamite 7029 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 I think the real answer is that English people are just plain better than Asians tbh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manc-mag 1 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 A stone? I seem to remember reading about him in the Shoot or Match Xmas annual one year and he used to practice with a tennis ball. He had the same stone for years, it's in his autobiography. He must have upgraded to a tennis ball when he signed professional forms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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