The extension of Singapore football’s technical director Michael Browne for an additional year has not gone down too well with certain members of the Singapore football family.
On 16 August, the Football Association of Singapore announced that Browne would be able to hold his job for another year as his two-year term was up.
The FAS said that he “spearheaded key projects as part of the Unleash the Roar! (UTR!) initiatives to gear up youth development programs across the nation.”
It also said that under Browne’s tenure, several “landmark initiatives have been successfully implemented” like the Junior National Development Centre (JNDC) and the National Development Centre (NDC) and along with FAS Head of Planning (Technical) Baihakki Khaizan, he developed the Academy Accreditation System (AAS), which “aims to empower and encourage clubs and academies to provide a high-quality learning environment for young athletes in Singapore”.
Browne believes that significant benefits can be seen “in two to three years” from the Junior National Development Centre and National Development Centre which provides regular high-level training for the best players aged between eight and 16.
It is unsure what these benefits are, or what would be the measure of success but he did go on to say that Singapore needs to make it to the finals of the Asian Football Confederation tournaments.
And while he said that benefits can be seen in two to three years, he then went on to say that “in the next two to four years, we have to be in a position whereby our teams… go to these qualifiers and can have a realistic expectation of qualification.”
He does not say they will, but they have to.
A LOAD OF POPPYCOCK
Former national goalkeeper Yakob Hashim, a youth coach with Anza and a former council member, questioned Browne’s extension citing poor results at the youth level.
“Since he was appointed, what has he done to clearly improve us in the regional standing?” Yakob was quoted in The Straits Times.
“The results at youth level have been shocking and when I chat with my colleagues at the youth level, there has not been much on-field engagements with the youth coaches.”
Yakob also asked about Browne’s blueprint, “because I don’t think anyone here knows.”
Yakob also said that the SYL project was not Browne’s alone but a collaboration with multiple parties.
MAIN PHOTO: FAS
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