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My thought on NTs within Japan is that we are going to have to be innovative. Creative. We are going to have to roll the dice on trying something different.

We are a small nation, with only a few trainers (most within the JBBL) willing to spend the money to train elite homegrown talent.
That means that for the foreseeable future, we are going to have a small talent pool to draw on. We simply won't have the players to compete on the world stage, as we don't have the population of players.
I think we need to go away from building teams in a similar vein to other nations, and focus entirely on something new.

It could fall flat on it's face, but I'd be interested in focusing on new skills - skills which normally fall outside the parameters of what's normally done within an NT.

On a very basic level, when I was coach of the Welsh U21 team (10 active members when I was there, only 3-4 actually *active* on the level that a national team/U21 manager wants!), we had some success focusing on Driving as something we wanted all players to have, beyond what the team manager would normally try. Now, we didn't win a whole lotta games, but the team enjoyed success beyond that which it normally did.
Of course... that's a pretty basic example, but it interests me. And it's what I think we should be doing on an NT level here in Japan (both U21 and the big boys)... we're not going to compete with bigger nations otherwise.

It's an interesting thought.
Getting the 2-3 to work would be a worthy goal to me, and since I know some of the builds of our younger guys...with insite we coudl make the 2-3 work for us....we will need a lot of OD though.....in a 2-3 against Canada I am sure we lose by more with the players that we used.

The reality is that we're never going to go toe-to-toe with the bigger nations (or even middle-sized nations) using the same tactics as they do. Got to get an edge somewhere else, and work on that.
And a lot of the bigs currently being trained are managed by owners who have a desire to have a more 'well-rounded' player than the traditional PF/Cs for NTs.
Hell... if a motivated NT manager decided that we were going to go hell for leather on a 2-3 program and have s**tloads of SB (over ID perhaps?)? I'd go for that.

I'm fine with BB. I have absolutely no issues with what he's doing. I'd *like* him to come up with some innovation... but if he does - he'll probably have my vote.

@ Malice back off & just stay out of this one.

@ BBKing By your own admission our team is weak, it lacks players of the top standard. So how can the player who has the 10th top salary in Nippon, who is one of only 2 in the top 10 under 25 & 1 of only 3 under 28, who is 1 of only 2-3 in the top 10 still being trained not be on the team? He has virtually identical skills to the starting PG but is getting better every week. Besides just punishing a manager you don't like please explain. While you are at it maybe explain how you also leave off the #9 on the list as well who was frequently the 2nd or 3rd best player on the team the last few seasons.

@ everyone The GM has said there is nothing we can do about this sabotage of our team. We could get a 10 year old to just put the 18 top salaries on the roster. Select the top 12 DMis each week, play a blank/LI/M2M on normal each week & it would be much much better. Some people think he is doing a good job, how?

@ BBKing Sure you want to punish Wolph & me but why do you hate all of Nippon? Why do you want to bring the entire team down?

@ Malice back off & just stay out of this one.

Thanks chief, but I'll choose where & when I comment. You raise some valid points, but here's an idea: do it via BBmail.
Doing it ad infinitum on a public forum merely comes across as overtly aggressive towards the NT manager... which, I guess is an accurate appraisal of what you are towards him.

@ everyone The GM has said there is nothing we can do about this sabotage of our team. We could get a 10 year old to just put the 18 top salaries on the roster. Select the top 12 DMis each week, play a blank/LI/M2M on normal each week & it would be much much better. Some people think he is doing a good job, how?

You've asked for a please explain, so I'll do the same: beyond being focused on your players, how is the NT being sabotaged?

I'll answer your question with a question: in relation to other seasons, how well did the NT perform?

@ BBKing Sure you want to punish Wolph & me but why do you hate all of Nippon? Why do you want to bring the entire team down?

Dude... that comes across as incredibly self-absorbed.