The facts behind the youth development myth

It is the festive season and one should be joyful until one keep seeing the direction of Singapore football.

First off, let go off track with the biggest story recently and that is the resignation of Winston Lee and for me it was years too late.

The media can keep hammering in his defence (Also the PAP no doubt as PAP never appoint wrong personal according to media) he is hardworking and always has Singapore football is his interest but it is already bullshit according to news reports back in 2015.

What happened in 2015. FAS was kicked out by FAM once again and to rescue face for the under-pressured worst-ever FAS president Zainudin Nordin the media released quotes from 2011, from those who really care about Singapore football, like former Geylang Patrick Lim telling FAS in a meeting that going back to Malaysia mean playing Cambodian standard within 5 years. (His words came true)

Yet they were ignored because Winston Lim care more about his own interests or should I say his six digits annual salary (which is not wrong if the media were truthful)

Then the use of hardworking as defence, which the media is using a lot now when so many elites are failing in the jobs (not just football), is a joke. If that the case then security guards should be earning up to $400k like FAS general-secretary and there are many more jobs with hours that matches Winston Lee hours so why is he the exception!

His job description mean he is worth it only if Singapore football had moved forward under him which it did not so he will be remembered along with Zainduin and Lim Chin as the 3 scourges of Singapore football.

After that let return to the header on the myth of Young Lions aiding Singapore football youth development.

Their defence center on the fact it is for SEA Games 2019 but excuse me, does it mean without Young Lions there is no team for SEA Games.

We know the answer to that.

Then they claimed the period of 2004-2006 to showcase the Young Lions can be successful but they forgot during that period the Cubs were never a youth development team. It was filled with Foreign Talent Scheme players like Agu Casmir, Itmi Dickson, Shi JiaYi and Precious etc and the youngsters they pointed out as success were not greenhorns as Baihakki and Hassan had played for Geylang for 1 whole year before Cubs came calling because they were that good.

So Cubs success story was build by butchering clubs especially 2003 teams of Geylang and Woodlands.

Therefore delaying the inevitable is wasting more time and efforts which Singapore football cannot afford.

We are possibly the only Association in the world still demanding all youth players come together to play in one team in the league. And the reason is not difficult to note why because FAS want glory and levels below senior and at times Under-23 go unnoticed thus they do not care.

Yet Singapore football cannot develop without developing level below under23 first.

So FAS should no longer care about Under23 level and formed a team for it because it is too late to develop most players by then and the focus should be under-21 and below but we all know without glory the top brass do not care and that is why the future is still as dark as the sky in December.