By Robert Stock
January 9 2004

HOW TO NOT GET STUFFED IN EUROPE

Thomas Crockett on the way forward for Welsh clubs in Europe...

THE PROBLEM
I'm sure I'm not the only one who is heartily sick of seeing Welsh teams getting stuffed away in Europe. Again, Poland, again 5-0, again one goal just before half time, another 2 quick ones after the break, and another 2 just before the end. Again, we are caught out by the pace of the game, the technical style, the environment. Shouldn't we be learning from this annual experience?

If we want to progress, these teams, the Wronckis, the Widzew Lodzes, the Inter Bratislavas, are the teams we have to compete with and overcome. They are not going to get worse, so we have to raise our standards to match them.

Welsh teams have made progress and are now competing well at home, especially when the game is played at a LoW ground. Congratulations Bangor by the way, bloody brilliant result! But it is the away game which always knackers us. We almost never score and usually concede a hatfull. Clearly, we have to learn how to score in the away leg and how not to concede. Until we address this fact the future looks bleak. So I'd like to propose a concrete plan of action to stop this happening. Playing friendlies against Vauxhall Motors, or Millwall, or even Chelsea, is not going to prepare you for an away leg in Poland, as was made abundantly clear by the TNS result..

THE GRAND PLAN - PREPARATION CAMPS
The idea involves the two LoW teams who qualify for the UEFA Cup (and possibly the Champs Lg team as well, if the timing is feasible), getting together to go on an intensive two-week Preparation Camp in July or early August to acclimatise for the away legs.

For mutual convenience, this would take place, say in a conveniently close Eastern European country who might have teams drawn against Irish or Scottish opposition in Europe that season (so they could play against the 'British style').

I know for example that certain countries in EE are very easy and inexpensive to get to, to stay and to live in. A flight to Vienna, followed by a busride to Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, is £200 in total. You can get a decent hotel room there and eat well for £25 a day all-in. These countries would welcome our custom and good 'tourist publicity' abroad. They have coaching systems which are technically vastly superior to our own, yet I would imagine, affordable compared to our own equivalent costs.

We could then reciprocate by inviting teams from that country over during their post-winter break period in February or March.

OBJECTIVES AND METHODS
The preparation camp could have as its objective, let's say, increasing players awareness and understanding of, and ability to compete against different football cultures and environments.

It could concentrate on aspects of the game which always seem to catch us out away from home, such as:
* Counter attacks - how to score from them and how to defend them
* Fitness and conserving energy
* Coping with different tactics and fluid formations
* How to deal with 'the floating striker'
* Keeping posession under pressure
* Diet, healthy eating etc
* Mental toughness & concentration

It would test this new learning in two or three official representative games against top-class opposition from that country.

WILL IT SUCCEED?
Indicators of success would be that Welsh teams start to compete better, and say, within 5 years, that 50% of Welsh teams get through the first round.

WHO WILL PAY?
Any largish British company looking to improve its image and reputation in Eastern Europe, eg Tescos, Proctor & Gamble etc.