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My fellow RedNation Online contributor Ian Clarke recently asked me what I thought Toronto FC’s most important initiative was over the course of the last five years. Which initiative would bring Toronto FC the most success in the long run? I must admit, it had me stumped for a moment, but I think it’s safe to say, one little detail of Toronto FC’s academy will end up being the most crucial structure for future success.
Aron Winter said two things in his end of season press conference that really resonated with me. The rest of the soccer media glazed over it but I think it’s so important, so vital, that it needs to be addressed.
The first thing Winter said wasn’t too important; it was the hesitation in his voice that sold him out. Winter used the words “Toronto FC reserves” before stopping and correcting himself. He then referred to the second string as “Young Toronto.”
Meaningless to many, but for those who understand the reference, the connotations are huge.
Yong Ajax is the name of the fabled Ajax youth academy in Holland. Winter’s using the same naming scheme here. It may just be the change of a name, but it signals the change in club philosophy. Toronto FC’s younger players are being treated with the respect of comparison; by using the words “Young Toronto,” Winter is instilling in his reserves the kind of faith and expectations Ajax has in their youth academy. A change of name that changes the way Toronto FC treats its younger players.
The second thing Winter addressed was his formation tactics with the academy program. He said he’s categorizing our academy players into set positions, bumping them up and down the age ranks as his coaching staff sees fit.
Seems irrelevant, but it’s immeasurably important, and here’s why: can anyone accurately tell us where Ryan Johnson plays? If you were asked to put him in one position for the entire season, and define his spot on the field, where would he slot in? Many people will say he’s a left-winger and should be slotted there. Simple enough. But that’s not how Toronto FC operated at all over the course of their existence – players slot in and out of positions like a 7 year old on a sugar high.
One minute, we’ve got Johnson on the left, the next game, he’s playing as an attacking midfielder, and then after that, we’ve got him as a center-forward. Say what? My poor father, who doesn’t know all the players off the top of his head, is convinced we have 4 players named Johnson on this side. He remembers Javier Martina well though, (possibly due to his hairstyle), and it utterly perplexed as to why Winter puts him on the left when he scored those two incredible goals on the right.
His was a time where each player knew one position. Utility men were seen as expendable. If you were a striker, you were a striker in every match.
Of course, times have changed, and now, a player who lacks dynamic skillsets is seen as a burden rather than an asset (Maicon Santos anyone?)
Ryan Johnson is just one example of the enormous amount of players Toronto has employed who simply don’t fit anywhere. It’s the reason that free-scoring Maicon Santos was traded away; there was no position for him in a 4-3-3. Eric Avila, on the other hand, is your traditional top point attacking midfielder. Like they say, you can’t fit square pegs through round holes.
So when Aron Winter addressed the academy system, what he was really telling the press was that he would no longer produce square pegs. He would cease production entirely, and groom only round pegs, the kind that will fit in the system he’s employing. Simply put, our academy players are being made into a very specific type of Toronto FC footballer.
In the short-term development of these selected kids, this is huge. The ability to develop a specific set of skills, and then apply them immediately to the first team when given a chance, makes the transition period much easier for younger players to grow in.
Young players require guidance. If a player doesn’t understand his role, he won’t understand the system and in turn, the project fails. When a young midfielder is told “you will be playing the role that Julian de Guzman now plays,” not only does he have a clear understanding of the skills and positioning required from him, he also has an idea of the level he needs to reach before becoming a starter.
As mundane as it may seem, a player who knows his role can at least tell people what he is. Whenever I’m asked what position I play on the field, I’ll answer honestly; I only play FIFA 12! However, run into the likes of Matt Stinson and tell him he’s an excellent right-back, and he’ll tell you he’s a midfielder. But is he, truly? He’s played at right-back more than he’s played in the middle of the park. It’s complicating an issue. Giving these young players a labeled, lasting title makes their job a lot easier. Give your players a title, and at least they know what they’re supposed to be doing.
In the long-term this poses a bit of a hypothetical problem, and also reveals parts of Winter’s overall plan. If we’re grooming little 4-3-3ers, what happens if and when Winter packs his bags and heads back home to the Netherlands? We’re grooming the next generation to play a very specific style of football that our next coach may or may not want to employ.
Imagine, for a moment, a new manager taking the reigns at Barcelona and changing their formation from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-2-2. Suddenly, David Villa is a striker again, Lionel Messi is either too up front or too wide, and the midfield group of Cesc Fabregas, Xavi, Andreas Iniesta and Sergio Busquets is reduced to two. So we know, that for the foreseeable future, Barcelona will be playing their 4-3-3.
Toronto FC looks like they’re planning to do the same. By grooming our academy players into a specific mold, we’re developing them to play well within our system, but the 4-3-3 is so specific that it’s very difficult to transition out of it. Should Toronto FC realize that a change in direction is necessary, can our academy players handle the new way of playing? Only time will tell.
Winter is making all the right moves for his tenure to be successful, but in turn, he is ensuring that the system he is setting up will be in place for generations after he has gone. It truly is a culture shift for Toronto FC, and it all comes down to a couple of names; Young Toronto and the clearly labeled.
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