Busby Urges National League

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31385, 2 June 1967, Page 11

Busby Urges National League

The urgent need to develop New Zealand soccer along specialist lines were stressed by Mr M. Busby, Manchester United’s manager, and Mr J. Schwanner, the new national soccer coach. Mr Busby stressed the importance of a national competition to bring together the best from one area into the same team or teams to play against - men as good as or better than themselves throughout the season. Mr Schwanner spoke of his intention of having one basic system on which he and the area coaches will concentrate to build future teams. Both men, specialists in the arts and requirements of successful soccer, were summing up after Manchester United’s 11-0 victory over New Zealand at English Park on Wednesday evening.

"I know very little of the financial or organisational difficulties under which New Zealand soccer is run, but I am sure that any system which prevents the top players playing together and against each other throughout the season is no system at all,” said Mr Busby. "If it means that risks have to be taken, they must be accepted and overcome. I cannot count all the risks that T and Manchester United have taken, over the years to reach the position we are in today.” One of the risks Mr Busby was referring to was when he persuaded his club directors to pay £115,000 for the transfer of the Scottish international, D. Law, from’ the Italian club, Torino. “Law might have broken a leg five minutes after his first match for United and never played again, and Manchester would have lost a huge sum of money,” said Mr Busby. "But it was a calculated risk and, in my opinion, a necessary one for Manchester.

New Zealand will have to work out its own calculated risks and go all out for those things that are vitally necessary for the advancement of the game. “I should have thought that a national league is among the greatest of all needs in New Zealand soccer; The improvement of a player’s ability from being matched week after week against players of a similar calibre would be reflected in the national team very quickly.” Mr Schwanner, who was appointed New Zealand’s director of soccer coaching only two week* ago, has yet to make his first report to the national council, but among his major suggestions will be the decision to set up one basic pattern for coaching. “It may be 4-2-4 or 444 or any other pattern, but I want all the area coaches to teach along the same lines,” said Mr Schwanner.

“When I take the national squad I do not want to find that I must start explaining

the most simple of things before I can get down to concentrated coaching. I want the players to know these basic fundamentals of the system before they come to me. “I shall ask, too, for three or four 16-day training sessions at Huntly each year and I will wapt the area coaches to be with zne andite help at the schools. The N.Z.F.A. can send to these schools aS many players as it wishes; I will take hundreds. I can then select those showing the greatest promise to become the permanent squad.” Mr Schwanner will also urge the arrangement of a series of matches for the natiaeal team against opponents Of lesser international stature than Manchester United. “First We have to build a team and bring it together for specialised coaching and then we must give the players confidence from playing against teams of similar calibre. Afterwards, we can progress

to stronger sides, building reputation and morale steadily.”