Time to Scrap the 2.4 Test

Welcome to 2016! Starting January, the S.League will be going into preseason. For the players, it means passing the dreaded 2.4km test. This year, the passing time for the 2.4 has been reduced from 9min 45sec to 9min 30sec. But is the 2.4 even useful? And why are we doing it year after year? Here are 3 reasons why the 2.4 should be scrapped for good. 

1. The game of football is about football.

Standardised testing has an obvious purpose in the army. It allows the armed forces to keep track of troop's physical fitness and maintain a minimum standard across the board. But the S.League is not Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), and 20 players in a team is a far cry from the size of an SAF company.

Let us not forget the very basic fact that football is about football. There is not a single measurable factor that determines a team's success, and footballing talent is next to impossible to quantify. The job of a footballer is to outplay, outwit and win. A fitter footballer is not a better footballer, a better footballer is a better footballer.

It takes a combination of physical, mental and technical abilities to achieve that. Football is not a game which victory is determined by aerobic fitness alone. The 2.4 is only one test in a sport that requires one to excel in more than just a single area of fitness. The current implementation of the 2.4 test greatly limits player selection and further choke our talent pool. 

Perhaps Lim Chin can gather a group of marathoners and place them in a football team. They would ace the 2.4, but they would not be playing football, neither will they be winning. Remember, for footballers, they need to be fit for football, not plain fit, and definitely not just aerobically fit.


2. Interfering with Pre-Season

The job of a head coach is to assemble the best team and win games. The job of a strength coach is to prepare the players to their physical best. The most important period of time for both coaches is the pre-season. This is the time when the football coach irons out tactics and finalises his first eleven. The strength coach works to the requirements of the head coach to sharpen the physical abilities of players to win at football. At all time, all other coaches should be working towards the requirements of the head coach.

But here in the S.League, the association says, "No pass, no play." And this means instead of focusing on preparing the players for the game of football, we are preparing them for a long distance running. Here in Singapore, the league can interfere with both team preparation and players selection.

If a player performed unfavorably in an aerobic test. The coach would perhaps work with the strength coach to improve said player's aerobic capacity, while keeping everything else on track. But in the S.League, due to the very fact that a player's contract can and will be revoked in the event that he fails the 2.4, the team goes into panic mode to ensure every player passes the 2.4. It's time to throw out the kitchen sink, because there won't even be a kitchen left when the player's contract is revoked.

And thus, whatever plans that the coaches may have is gone. Perhaps the preseason plan for player A is to increases his muscular strength and sprinting ability. But since he cannot pass the 2.4, instead of working on what is his clear weakness and then getting him to be football fit, all plans are thrown out the window and he ends up doing laps just to pass the 2.4.


3. It does not Improve the Standard of the League

The question is: have the S.League and Singapore football improved as a whole since the implementation of the bleep test and then the 2.4? The answer is a resounding NO. We have fallen to new lows in the FIFA World rankings, our clubs are not performing at the regional level, and attendance just keeps dropping. Why should we keep a test that had failed its purpose?

The S.League justified the usage of the 2.4 test by pointing out that the aerobic fitness of local players "is still far short of the standard set in the elite global leagues." Perhaps we should implement minimum height and weight too? For our players too, fall short in these aspects! 

To be frank, players should not have issues passing the 2.4. But the 2.4 and its passing criteria has became a double edged sword. While less aerobically fit players would be fighting to pass the test, the fitter ones can now sit on their bottoms and forget about progress as they have reached minimum standard.

Fitness testing is a great tool, because they serve to give coaches a gauge of the physical fitness of their players. Coaches can use the results as a gauge to confirm a player's deficit in the various aspects of fitness, to track improvement over time and even to detect and prevent overtraining. Currently, the 2.4 is merely a pass/fail test taken before the start of the season to determine whether a player is even allowed onto the playing field. It has failed its original purpose of "improving the standard of the league" and serve merely as an "aspiration to reach global standard."

Parting Notes

If the league is serious about improving fitness of players, a battery of test should be implemented and conducted throughout the year for the coaches to evaluate their players with. Clubs should also be required to engage qualified strength and conditioning coaches to work with the players daily. 

To truly improve the standard of the league, we need to start even before players turn professional and join the league. In a bid to increase the educational level of Singaporeans, the government recruited more qualified teachers and have built better facilities in schools to prepare Singaporeans for the workforce.

For the standard of the league to rise, we need better coaches and facilities from the ground up. By training and producing a good crop of youth players who enjoy their football, they will eventually funnel into a group of talented players who can compete at the highest level in the S.League and beyond. 

Written by our contributor Lin Yimian, CSCS

A Collection of George Quek's Finest Moment

Jose Raymond dug up a few more letters from George Quek. We decided to share the links here.

Will our Cubs roar? Only Time will Tell

It seems that he might not have caught up with recent developments. Otherwise, why would he suggest that there is a need to install a proper youth development structure? Is he unaware that the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) runs three Junior Centres of Excellence (COE) - the target is eight by 2015 - and has mandated that all S-League clubs run COE programmes for the Under-14s up to U-18s?

FAS will learn from French, now to sell its products here

While I am excited about the advantages of the MOU, I am most heartened that the FAS acknowledges that there is much room for improvement in various aspects and is taking steps by inking MOUs with the likes of Japan and France.

Foreign interest in our players augurs well for Singapore football

The fact that our coaches and players, ranging from emerging stars such as Fandi Ahmad's sons and seasoned professionals like Baihakki Khaizan, are wanted by foreign clubs would reasonably suggest that the Football Association of Singapore has played a pivotal role in their development.

We Saw it Coming...

1. Toothless Lions

Much to our surprise, Shahfiq Ghani was named in the starting line-up. We quickly termed him 'Zero Fighter,' after a disappointing season in which he made 9 appearances (MSL only; 4 subs)) and scored 0 goal. He was joined by Faris Ramli, who made 17 appearances (5 subs) in the MSL with 4 goal to his name. Coming on half-way was Gabriel Quak, who too made 12 appearances (2 subs) and scored wow! JUST ONE! And on the bench there's Khairul Nizam. Guess how many goals he scored throughout the season. And Stange dare called his strikeforce 'potent'?

Of the 5 goals scored by Singapore prior to this match, 4 was scored by defensive players, Shaiful Esah and Hariss Harun. Khairul Amri lived up to form and expectations, scoring against Thailand, and placing one more in against Malaysia.

But the rest of the strikers? Toothless, and not in a cute dragon-y way too.

2. The System

In the 2012 team which beat Malaysia 3-0, there were 3 players who had never left the system. The system being what the FAS termed their development squads. Players who made their professional debut in the Courts Young Lions, progressed to LionsXII, and never quite left the comfort of their mother's breast. In the 2014 team, this increased to 4.

In addition, there are 4 players who came up through the system and made their debut in FAS's development squad, who then go on to play for other clubs. There was only 3 in 2012.

Only 3 players in the 2014 team made their debut outside of the FAS developmental squad system, in contrast to the 5 from the 2012 squad.

Lets remember that LionsXII finished 8th in the MSL this year. And then lets gasp in horror as a majority of these players are selected for the national team! Besides the toothless ones mentioned above, there are other players who played minute role in the 3 matches. Superior players existed in the S.League, players who may well have been overlooked because they are not part of the system. 

3. Smaller Squad

We are talking about physical size here. Raddy had always selected physically superior players for his team. In 2004, we had Goh Tat Chuan and Hasrin Jailani keeping the opponents in check. In 2007, Noh Alam Shah terrorised opponents in their own half. In 2012, Mustafic Fahrudin and Isa Halim heckled opponents left, right and centre. And let's not forget Aide Iskandar and Subramani, who provided much muscles in defence in 2004 and 2007.

In 2014 Faris Ramli was pushed around like a little boy in a packed MRT train. And with Baihakki suspended, and Shahdan injured, the team was lacking both height and aggression. Something a single Hariss Harun cannot provide. Without muscles in the team to protect the smaller speedier players, they simply were unable to shine.

4. Why are we even in the MSL?

Yes! Why do we have a team there? Week-in, week-out. Playing against Malaysian teams. After 3 years, they would have figured us all out by now. And it showed, with LionsXII finishing 8th this year. Does Stange expect the carbon molecules in the graphite to miraculously turn into diamonds for the Suzuki Cup?

Never forget that Singapore won 4 AFF championship since the S.League was established, and never won any senior Asean tournament in the 'good old' Malaysia Cup days. Focus on the domestic league, and the national team will flourish.

5. The mind game

Just why do you need to post up that photo Jose Raymond? As if our players are any more innocent than them. And bad news travel fast, they were soon making the rounds in Malaysia's social media too! Surely now Safee Sali have something to prove. And he did. As Mark Richmond said, 'he smoked it in!'

And guess who is the first guy to start the S.League blaming?

Suzuki Cup 2014: Win or Lose, the League Suffers

Let's put it down on record first. We expect nothing less than at least a semi-final spot from our Lions. No matter what Mr Zainudin Nordin or Bernd Stange said about rebuilding a young team, the least we expect from the 4 times AFF Cup champion is a semi-final spot.

But the bigger issue is, how will this result affect the S.League? No matter how we look at it, the forecast is gloomy.

If the team wins the Suzuki cup, this would prove to be the perfect opportunity for Stange to denote the S.League. The President of the FAS would also take the chance to reinforce that the path taken thus far is correct, and that the 'developmental' squads are bearing fruits for Singapore football. The final straw on the camel's back for the S.League? 

If the team gets knocked out at the group stage, the biggest victim would also be the S.League. Following the 1812 incident (how many of you remember that?), in which Singapore was whacked 4-0 by Malaysia, the S.League was blamed. And yet again in 2010, after exiting the group stage of the AFF Cup with only 3 goals scored. The S.League was blamed. Players were 'fired' (and rehired for the WCQs in 2011). And in 2012, Singapore rejoined Malaysia league football with the LionsXII. 

The S.League has never been given its due credits. Singapore has never won a SEA games gold medal prior to 2001 when it is an open age event. The closest Fandi and Co. managed was silver. Since the formation of the S.League and the start of the AFF Cup (SEA games football is now an under-23 tournament), we have won it 4 times. And yet when the opportunity arises, the league is blamed. 

Well we wish the best for the Lions as they embark on a journey to what they are hoping to be a 5th championship at the ASEAN level. We are wondering if our short-sighted football development will come back and haunt us years later. The S.League is between a rock and a hard place, and only the fans can save it. 

I learnt alot from my senior players - Anonymous Letter

This letter was sent to us by an anonymous S.League player who wishes to share with us his own personal experience learning from senior players. Once again, because we hate to edit things (dilutes the writer's intended message), we present to you this letter, unedited in its original form. Thank you Anonymous Player for sharing this inside perspective with us!

Almost a decade ago, I was given the opportunity to work with the most prestigious club in Singapore. Working with alot of senior players who are way older than me, really fazed me.

Working with Noor Ali, Shahril Jantan, Alexandra Duric, Razif Mahmud, Therdsak Chaiman, Ahmad Latiff, Aidil Shahrin are just some of the very senior players that was in that team. There was also uprising players in the national that was in the current squad - Hafiz Osman, Razaleigh Khalik, Mustaqim Manzur...

On the pitch, I received many pointers from all the players because of their vast experience in this field. They will shout at me but I know their intention, to groom me and make me a better player.

Off the field, I was also never told off but I have seen boys of my age getting the stick from the senior players. Things like not carrying the cooler, ball bag and the physio bag when we go for away game. We were also learnt how to respect our senior players. The team is like a family and they are like our elder brothers, guiding us along the way.

The reason they do all this is because they faced the exact same thing when they were growing up in this industry. It is like a tradition to make the younger players respect the senior players. The respect that they earn throughout the years for giving back to local football scene.

Nowadays, it is very different. Senior players are not respected enough. When we go for away games, younger players don't carry out duties and they complain at the slightest reprimandation they receive. During games, when the senior players tell them off, they would argue back with something to say.

Senior players plays a really huge part in Singapore. It is like they are the head of the family just after the coach. They ensure that the team is in harmony and try solve it within the changing room. How can a family without a tradition do well?

This ruling will not only make alot of people out job. It also make Singapore football lose its tradition. A tradition that has groomed players like Noh Alam Shah, Shahdan Sulaiman, Indra Shahdan Daud, Noh Rahman to name a few. A dying art that will soon be extinct.

Till today, I have always remembered what my seniors taught me. The values I learnt is also useful in outside life. I am thankful for what my seniors have taught me throughout my football career.

Anonymous Player