Lee blames clubs for GB performances

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[Grumpy]

Heard today that GB will start their build up probably next year and that clubs will see little of their players until after the next Olympics.

They better do well

[silky]

Heard today that GB will start their build up probably next year and that clubs will see little of their players until after the next Olympics.

They better do well

For real?

Surely... then the clubs will see their players when they retire from international hockey as the cycle will just start again.

[gunit]

More professional players?


maybe that would give more players a goal to work at?

[silky]

More professional players?


maybe that would give more players a goal to work at?

Does seem an odd way of doing it... unless they are giving decent money they will practically live in poverty until they retire. And how fair/easy will it be for club players to break into the team if every week they are only playing against national league players.

[NE14HOCKEY]

it concerns me they are sticking with what they have and ingnoring the talent on the fringe of the team.

We have england under 18's at our club who would be prime for making 2012? but sounds like their work will be cut out for them?

[John]

There always seem to be players who should be selected but aren't, for example I could never work out how Warren de souza (Reading HC) never makes it into the squad, he has always looked like a quality player to me.

Having said that you have to trust the management team to do the job and pick the best squad, I know I've played in enough teams where the superstar often upsets the balance of the team and they perform worse as a whole.

Lets hope that young players are brought up to the level they need to be at and then selected on merit for 2012.

[phil]

Very few U18's will reach their peak at 2012. The current U18's should be aiming to push the squad in 2016 IMO. We will not win Olympic medals with a squad full of 21/22 year olds.

[John]

Very few U18's will reach their peak at 2012. The current U18's should be aiming to push the squad in 2016 IMO. We will not win Olympic medals with a squad full of 21/22 year olds.

I don't agree. 

Record books are full of players winning olympic medals in their early twenties some examples here and this list is by no means exhaustive:

Olympic gold medal for Teun de Nooijer at 20, Guus Vogels at 21
Olympic Bronze for Timo Wess at 22, Christopher Zeller at 20

Additionally these players were all playing international hockey in the years before they won these medals whether it was champions trophy or world cups or other competitions

22 isn't exactly that young in hockey terms either, sounds like the average age of a lot of National League teams to me.

If the best squad of 16 players from all four countries in 2012 all happen to be 22 then they are the players that should be selected, the same applies if they are all 30.

[phil]

I am not suggesting there should be NO players from this age group. And I am sure the 'favourites' will be fast tracked into the senior set up. But I don't think the core of the side will come from the current U18's.

[John]

fair enough, bet the sweeper is the oldest player regardless.

[NE14HOCKEY]

we're not saying they have to be young but a teams going to be good if they play together for the best part of 7-8 years. But surely 3 years playing together is enough if you have the ability. We want the best 16 players playing, regardless of age, age may come with experience but im 25 with 15 years playing Mens hockey so 12-14 years at 22 should be enough?

It just sums up selection policies its who you know when it should be what you can do