RICHARD

Scout || Talent ID || sports performance specialist || Grassroots football || Academy Scout ||

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

Tonight’s office! ⚽️📚💻

Brentford kick-off routines

Brentford have used two main routines from kick off, depending on the opponent's pressing style.

The first routine which they scored against Tottenham and Man City who used zonal pressing when defending kick-offs.

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

One teams that has become synonymous with exploiting marginal gains is Brentford.

Not only do they surprise us with their innovative free kicks and corners.

But they also catch opponents off guard right from kickoffs.

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

only to lose to a lack of
clinical finishing and late-game lapses in concentration.

-tactical approach

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

That goes to say that African teams at the World Cup often struggle to convert chances due to rushed preparations, tactical conservatism, and administrative chaos.

-Nerves and game Management, NT players (mostly west African contingents) sometimes suffer from a lack of composure

[Richard Kankam-Boadu🇬🇭🇨🇮 @KankamB24]

One thing that has bewitched African teams at the World Cup is the inability to take moments. African teams miss so many chances at the World Cup especially against tougher opponents.

That Senegal-Netherlands game at the last World Cup makes me sick.

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

in the final third, over-relying on
individual brilliance rather than structured team play.

Prime example is Senegal v Netherlands (0-2) 22’ WC

Senegal were defeated, the game perfectly illustrated the issue of an African giant matching an elite European team tactically,

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

In this DRC 🇨🇩set up, Ngal’ayel Mukau is an oasis of good football.

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

-invasion and Humiliating
-traumatic experience
-it’s unreliable and subjective

Ajax/goldfields should never be proud of this exercise.

No child/youth player should go through this process in the name of age verification.

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

Not the first time I’m watching this footage, it really upsets me every time I see it pop up.

The process shown in the video was not the right or best way to conduct such sporting talent identification exercises, even for its time.

[CDR AFRICA @cdrafrica]

🇬🇭 Throwback to the 2000's when Ajax in partnership with Goldfields conducted player scouting in Ghana.

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

It was a pragmatic but flawed, invasive, and unreliable approach driven by real challenges like poor birth registration in parts of Africa.

Lining up shirtless boys for close facial/teeth/body inspections by adults lacks competency, dignity, privacy, & child protection standards

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

Middle league playoff 🇬🇭

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

competitions. That's where Kanu, Amuneke, Okocha came from.

-Corruption and poor admin
Former sports minister Solomon Dalung said it's "administrative decay, corruption and impunity" Political interference replaced technical planning.

What's gone is the effort, structure etc

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

For Nigeria, it’s never about lack of talent, however, the system around the talent collapsed.

Also, godfatherism and selection by connections. (Management/agency)

Selection is now based on “who you know” not what you can do, coaches and officials get picked by connections too.

[MO @MOLARORS]

15-20 years ago we were dominating nearly every age grade competition in Africa,what happened to us??

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

Age cheating and short-term thinking
For years we Nigeria chased U-17 trophies with overage players.

That wins you a trophy but kills development. When those players hit 20, they're done.

Grassroots structure died
The old pipeline was YSFON, school sports, inter-school

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

And i recently facilitated a move for 7 Nigerian midfielders to join Ghanaian academies.

Man it’s fascinating what I’m realising each time I watch/monitor them.

Haha I only changed their postcode not their operating system.

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

I read a tweet on here recently about why Nigeria can’t produce players/profile like Alex Iwobi in Nigeria.

Omo go to the Maracana stadium in Lagos, spend a full day watching footie and you’ll find your answers.

It’s a great invitation for an article, I’m fully versed for it.

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

Long-term mediocrity trains supporters to see the world in binary: "savior" or "waste of space."

The middle ground - players who are solid, functional, improving - gets erased because it doesn't feel like enough, and it doesn't feel like a problem to solve.

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

When a team or league has been mediocre for years, the fan lens gets warped. Nuance dies and everything gets pushed to the extremes.

[Scout Africa - Uroš @UMFtblScout]

Just need nsuo, kwadu, aburoo, yam, football pitch & local grassroots scouting can begin 🇬🇭

This country is special 🇬🇭

I have to learn Twi fluently man.

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

Man I have had one of the best regional tours with Uros @UMFtblScout basically scouting and testing/trying our ideas out we have been able to cover 3 regions in Ghana.

We are route to Techiman tonight, the next few days would be fascinating man

So many untold stories.. LMAOO

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

Today’s office

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

Today’s office

[RICHARD @NOR_SCOUT]

Biblical..