Mourinho decimated by Matthew Syed

Matthew Syed wrote a great book called bounce, essentially looking into the argument of talent versus environment and hard work, not a bullshitter in any sense of the word. He feels that there is no such thing as talent, which when you logically look into, is completely right! Think he has a new book coming out, but Bounce is easily one of the top sports books ever written.

Originally Posted by tetrisblock

Matthew Syed wrote a great book called bounce, essentially looking into the argument of talent versus environment and hard work, not a bullshitter in any sense of the word. He feels that there is no such thing as talent, which when you logically look into, is completely right! Think he has a new book coming out, but Bounce is easily one of the top sports books ever written.

smells like total bullshit to me. the nature v nurture debate can't logically come down in total favour of nurture. every football team could potentially have it's own messi if it was all just down to practice\hard work. yet on a planet of 7 billion people there's only one other who even comes close (tries hard enough )?

Syed may or may not be a great writer (as far as sportswriting can be 'great'); however, he IS a bullshitter, or at least he was once; he's a Gooner, and several years ago, after a game Arsenal lost (LOST) at Spurs, he wrote about being in the Spurs end and hearing Spurs fans murmur "My, but they play beautiful football!" (exact quote iirc) all throughout the game.

Originally Posted by Grimson

Syed may or may not be a great writer (as far as sportswriting can be 'great'); however, he IS a bullshitter, or at least he was once; he's a Gooner, and several years ago, after a game Arsenal lost (LOST) at Spurs, he wrote about being in the Spurs end and hearing Spurs fans murmur "My, but they play beautiful football!" (exact quote iirc) all throughout the game.

Sorry Grimmers, I should have added that I think you are a great writer too.

Originally Posted by teflon_terry

I don't think he went to public school. Not that it matters you inverted snob.

you're right. I'll find another reason hate him though.

ah, here it is

and his mother is Welsh

Originally Posted by irk

you're right. I'll find another reason hate him though.

ah, here it is

I started reading his book 'bounce' but it was £#%&!ing so boring and self congratulatory that I put it down

Originally Posted by Rhodzy

State of the presenters in this. :shakehead:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmCtci6cen8

Horrendous.

Journo: "He's a corrupt, shady, ruthless business man, who stole from the Russian people and bought Chelsea as protection"


Jim White: "But....but...but....he's grown to love the club"

Originally Posted by tetrisblock

Matthew Syed wrote a great book called bounce, essentially looking into the argument of talent versus environment and hard work, not a bullshitter in any sense of the word. He feels that there is no such thing as talent, which when you logically look into, is completely right! Think he has a new book coming out, but Bounce is easily one of the top sports books ever written.

Hi Matthew.

Originally Posted by Rhodzy

State of the presenters in this. :shakehead:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmCtci6cen8

£#%&!ing wasting his time trying to bring reality into the equation in that company. Look at tony cascarino sat next to him. The confused look on his face when syed starts talking about where he got his money from. He's so out of his depth he's embarrassing.

Originally Posted by elephantstone

I started reading his book 'bounce' but it was £#%&!ing so boring and self congratulatory that I put it down

did it end up back in your hands straight after?

Originally Posted by Jack Duckworth

did it end up back in your hands straight after?

no that was 'bouncing back'.

Originally Posted by Camel

smells like total bullshit to me. the nature v nurture debate can't logically come down in total favour of nurture. every football team could potentially have it's own messi if it was all just down to practice\hard work. yet on a planet of 7 billion people there's only one other who even comes close (tries hard enough )?

Agree 100%. Coaching at the academy level with kids who have all had the same amount and level of coaching, the variance in ability is staggering. You look at video footage of pros when they were kids, and they were miles and miles ahead of the other kids, despite not yet coming anywhere near the magical 10,000 hours training 'law.' A ton of factors play into all this, but there is such a thing as natural athletic ability.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2IAsgJXP4U

Originally Posted by teflon_terry

Sorry Grimmers, I should have added that I think you are a great writer too.

Originally Posted by Jack Duckworth

did it end up back in your hands straight after?

yes mate I had to throw it behind a door and close it very quickly

Absolute twaddle. You could take any ten random kids and have them practice sprinting three hours a day for ten years, and not one would get within 20 metres of Usain Bolt in the 100. And he eats chicken nuggets all day.

Thankfully football is more than just being 'athletic'.

Obviously not american football which is literally just about either being big and fat or athletic. No skill at all.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

Thankfully football is more than just being 'athletic'.

Obviously not american football which is literally just about either being big and fat or athletic. No skill at all.

It helps though. Those same ten kids playing three hours a day for ten years would be good players at age 19, just unlikely to be Prem standard and almost certainly not elite.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

Obviously not american football which is literally just about either being big and fat or athletic. No skill at all.

You going on 10 years of saying this doesn't make it true.

American Football depends a lot on athleticism; there is just as much skill. Otherwise, every great athlete in the US would be a multi-millionaire NFL player.

To give just one example - the Strength & Conditioning coach at my club is a former college football receiver. He is a freak athlete and runs the 40 meter sprint at near-Olympic sprinter speeds. He tried to make it in the NFL and couldn't - he wasn't good enough at reading defenses, running his routes (the QB often throws the pass before the receiver has turned around to look at it - if you're not good at routes, you won't catch passes), or disentangling himself at the line from defensive backs (receivers use 'moves' just like a footballer dribbling).

Lineman use all kinds of spins, feints, and moves to deal with their opposite number - otherwise, the bigger man would win every time. But he doesn't. This is true of linebackers too, and most players, really. American football is about being isolated 1v1 with an opponent. Being big and athletic is not nearly enough to win enough of those battles to stay in a job. You need moves, tricks, skills.

Obviously, a QB has to have enormous skill. Some of the best are barely athletes at all, i.e. Manning and Brady.

Originally Posted by Grimson

You going on 10 years of saying this doesn't make it true.

American Football depends a lot on athleticism; there is just as much skill. Otherwise, every great athlete in the US would be a multi-millionaire NFL player.

To give just one example - the Strength & Conditioning coach at my club is a former college football receiver. He is a freak athlete and runs the 40 meter sprint at near-Olympic sprinter speeds. He tried to make it in the NFL and couldn't - he wasn't good enough at reading defenses, running his routes (the QB often throws the pass before the receiver has turned around to look at it - if you're not good at routes, you won't catch passes), or disentangling himself at the line from defensive backs (receivers use 'moves' just like a footballer dribbling).

Lineman use all kinds of spins, feints, and moves to deal with their opposite number - otherwise, the bigger man would win every time. But he doesn't. This is true of linebackers too, and most players, really. American football is about being isolated 1v1 with an opponent. Being big and athletic is not nearly enough to win enough of those battles to stay in a job. You need moves, tricks, skills.

Obviously, a QB has to have enormous skill. Some of the best are barely athletes at all, i.e. Manning and Brady.

you're saying 'rowtes' not 'roots' arent you?

Originally Posted by irk

you're saying 'rowtes' not 'roots' arent you?

Generally I'm very fond of our American brothers and sisters but it drives me radio £#%&!ing rental when they do that.