Lack of pace..

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Melton Blade

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When you watch (and admire) the success story of the Foxes in the Premiership - how they work so hard and then burst forward so quickly - it brings home to you just how pedestrian it is how the Blades play.
It doesn't help when NA's recruitment (??) this year to a bloated squad has been solely "experienced" (slow) players he knows from the past.
Well done to the U21s on their good run this year - but where has been the opportunities given to youth (and pace) in the 1st team? If this season is going to peter out (as most of us now predict) - thenat least give some of the young lads a go - who have a future and build for a team next year with more energy and pace.
Or, have Leicester just been lucky?
I don't think so.
 

Or, have Leicester just been lucky?

You make your own luck in life they say -in their case proper financial backing, a decent set-up and an accountant who knows his way around FFP. Not saying don't give the kids a chance though, but it won't happen until we are mathematically certain not to make the play-offs.
 
You make your own luck in life they say -in their case proper financial backing, a decent set-up and an accountant who knows his way around FFP. Not saying don't give the kids a chance though, but it won't happen until we are mathematically certain not to make the play-offs.
Or be relegated.
 
Perhaps I might go back to watching this. I'm sure I never came away hurt inside like I do now.
Poor advert though as that ball looks about size 5 and they should be on size 3.
http://wearescl.co.uk/saturday-soccer
I was a qualified youth coach and ran these sessions. The one thing that annoyed me was the lack of one skill from the list
  • Warm-ups
  • Dribbling
  • Goalkeeping
  • Heading
  • Passing
  • Shooting
  • Turning
  • Match play
Anyone spot the missing skill?
 
I was a qualified youth coach and ran these sessions. The one thing that annoyed me was the lack of one skill from the list
  • Warm-ups
  • Dribbling
  • Goalkeeping
  • Heading
  • Passing
  • Shooting
  • Turning
  • Match play
Anyone spot the missing skill?

Actually turning up on match day?
 
I was a qualified youth coach and ran these sessions. The one thing that annoyed me was the lack of one skill from the list
  • Warm-ups
  • Dribbling
  • Goalkeeping
  • Heading
  • Passing
  • Shooting
  • Turning
  • Match play
Anyone spot the missing skill?
There are many things that you could potentially add to that list. Not remembering my level one, I cannot say if that is some sort of set FA list but RWTB would be one real basic.
 
When you watch (and admire) the success story of the Foxes in the Premiership - how they work so hard and then burst forward so quickly - it brings home to you just how pedestrian it is how the Blades play.
It doesn't help when NA's recruitment (??) this year to a bloated squad has been solely "experienced" (slow) players he knows from the past.
Well done to the U21s on their good run this year - but where has been the opportunities given to youth (and pace) in the 1st team? If this season is going to peter out (as most of us now predict) - thenat least give some of the young lads a go - who have a future and build for a team next year with more energy and pace.
Or, have Leicester just been lucky?
I don't think so.

The way I see it pace isn't the issue: it's complete footballers.

We have players with pace (relatively) Bash - and Scoogs even - but they lack creativity (or upper-body strength in Scoogs's case).

On Satdi Bash did try some more adventurous passes (nothing spectacular) albeit with mixed results, but it was some sort of progress as his distribution is often dreadful. (Then he blazed that chance miles wide, then he gave away that penalty. A mare.)

We have players with creativity but they lack in pace, Baxter is the most obvious.

(Coutts is a real mystery here bc at times he can burst past opponents with real speed, but as has been pointed out he was knackered after literally five minutes on Satdi.)

The one player who does have pace and creativity is the Beard. And maybe Billy who's not graceful but covers the ground quickly.

We need more complete, rounded footballers.
 
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Last season Done was like a whippet, racing all over the field and generating goal scoring opportunities from his pace.

Similarly, Adams showed real pace on the wings.

If you look at these two now, they have lost at least a yard of pace.

Why?

Is it that they can't be arsed or have we trained it out of them?

Every team we see at BDTBL this season is fitter, more skilful and a lot more determined.

Why?
 
Well I do think we should be more accommodating to the younger/ academy players, this team isn't good and isn't likely ever going to get better, so I would really like to see more younger players given a chance.
If the first team were playing out of their skins then yes I could understand younger players getting snubbed but that's simply not the case.
Also yes pace is a problem as I said in another thread the midfield of Coutts, Hammond and Basham are far to immobile.
 
I was a qualified youth coach and ran these sessions. The one thing that annoyed me was the lack of one skill from the list
  • Warm-ups
  • Dribbling
  • Goalkeeping
  • Heading
  • Passing
  • Shooting
  • Turning
  • Match play
Anyone spot the missing skill?
Running the channels?
 
Last season Done was like a whippet, racing all over the field and generating goal scoring opportunities from his pace.

Similarly, Adams showed real pace on the wings.

If you look at these two now, they have lost at least a yard of pace.

Why?

Is it that they can't be arsed or have we trained it out of them?

Every team we see at BDTBL this season is fitter, more skilful and a lot more determined.

Why?

I disagree with a lot of that but one reason we don't play like a team of pacy nippers is we are not a team of pacy nippers.

Frustrating to see it in the opposition though.
 

The one thing that annoyed me was the lack of one skill from the list -

Anyone spot the missing skill?

Note found on Shirecliffe Lane last September ....

To Andy C from the "Gaffer"

  • Warm-ups - excused - James Wallace, Flo Cuvelier - risk of injury. Don't let Couttsy warm up or he'll be shagged out in the first five mins. No point bothering with Baxter - he won't feel the benefit with what he is on. McNuts won't need it as he has a pullover.
  • Dribbling - JCR excused as he only does this - put him on crossing duty instead, Defenders excused as they'll only be passing square and they frighten the life out of me when they have the ball- encourage them to get rid. See the medical staff about Collo's nosebleed problem if he gets more than 5 yards from our area (it may be psychological). Suggest you get the midfield to wear a bib when you try to sort out their dribbling. If McNuts dribbles take the lolly out of his mouth. Fit the stabilizers on Che to stop him falling over.
  • Goalkeeping - get the basics annual out for both of them - use the one with lots of pictures of me in it (don't worry about it being in Welsh) - careful with George - one wrong word and he will be back to square one and we have only just got him to be able to put his own gloves on. Don't mention Hodgy or Gillingham or George will go into his shell again.
  • Heading - Conor has a note from his mum and is excused again. No point bothering with the players under 5 foot 9" - yes I know that's most of them. Is Bash's head actually round ? - looks more like a 50p. Have it checked.
  • Passing - god my heart sinks when I see this - start out with square passes five feet apart - see if they can manage not to lose it. Remind them it has to go right to Couttsy's feet or he won't get the pass. Tell them to be on their toes when Bash tries passing as even he doesn't know where its going. Make sure George finds touch with his goal kicks and clearances as he never finds our players. Remind them all we are playing in white this season.
  • Shooting -they all need shooting, except Jose as he has already shot himself. I've had a set of Barn doors brought down - let me know if Conor actually hits them.
  • Turning - remind them this is not an arrestable offence and is nothing to do with paedophilia - try to convince them they are allowed to do it - except Wallace, Coutts, Cuvelier and Scougs (injury risk). See if you can get Higgy's turning circle down to less than 20 feet and work on JCR knowing which way we are kicking after he has got himself dizzy turning too much. Work on the concept with Jose for now - do it over a beer and he might listen but don't mention Everton (btw use plastic glasses)
  • Match play - confiscate all matches - lighting farts in the changing room can be dangerous and sets the fire alarms off. I'm off to watch Scunny and re-live the good old days with Turnbull - he has nowt to do. Remember to tell them I said they are an honest bunch of professionals who worked hard in training. Suggest one or two might want to collect the odd win bonus before we get rid of them.

  • Good look mate - see you at Endcliffe Park later - same bench. Got a great inspirational book for coaches for you - " The Wisdom of Ostriches"
 
Well I do think we should be more accommodating to the younger/ academy players, this team isn't good and isn't likely ever going to get better, so I would really like to see more younger players given a chance.
If the first team were playing out of their skins then yes I could understand younger players getting snubbed but that's simply not the case.
Also yes pace is a problem as I said in another thread the midfield of Coutts, Hammond and Basham are far to immobile.

Snubbed?

At this stage of the season unless we've given up on promotion then the only question should be are the other players better than the first team - NOT are the first team playing out of their skins.

I think it would be very hard to make that case. Especially given how we are setting up atm.
 
Yeah I believe a lot of younger players are being "snubbed"
At this stage of the season unless we've given up on promotion then the only question should be are the other players better than the first team - NOT are the first team playing out of their skins.
With recent home performances I would say the players have given up on promotion, just no effort at all in games.
WHF there is only one way to see if the younger players are better, lets get them played!
I personally can't see them doing any worse then the so called "first team wonders" we currently have.
I'm not saying we should be putting a full 11 of youngsters in but we surely can start fitting them into more games now.
 
Correctimondo, we don't teach kids to tackle! Basics or what?

Seems standard. If you teach them accurate, creative passing, how to control the ball, how to outskill the opponent and how to finish, you probably won't need to tackle ever
 
I was a qualified youth coach and ran these sessions. The one thing that annoyed me was the lack of one skill from the list
  • Warm-ups
  • Dribbling
  • Goalkeeping
  • Heading
  • Passing
  • Shooting
  • Turning
  • Match play
Anyone spot the missing skill?

I know you picked out tackling - which I fully agree with - I used to coach my lads the basics in that at U12 level.
However, the other one on there for me that is missing, is crossing. I don't include that in "passing" - it's an altogether different skill.
There is an art as well as a technical ability in crossing. Curling a ball in, floating one over, drilling it in hard and low, the pull back, how much room you need to get a cross in, from where - getting to the by line. There's a stack of it - but nobody seems to coach it or learn it. It's all about short passing through the centre of midfield and walking it into the net these days.

Give me a decent cross and a bullet header any day of the week over a walked in, tappy goal.

Swooosh ........... Thump!...............Roaar!
 
When you watch (and admire) the success story of the Foxes in the Premiership - how they work so hard and then burst forward so quickly - it brings home to you just how pedestrian it is how the Blades play.
It doesn't help when NA's recruitment (??) this year to a bloated squad has been solely "experienced" (slow) players he knows from the past.
Well done to the U21s on their good run this year - but where has been the opportunities given to youth (and pace) in the 1st team? If this season is going to peter out (as most of us now predict) - thenat least give some of the young lads a go - who have a future and build for a team next year with more energy and pace.
Or, have Leicester just been lucky?
I don't think so.
Agree!! I would give youth a chance before getting mercenarys in.
 
I don't see anything about 'sitting on the half way line, playing cards and generally chillin'.

I'm pretty sure those habits were drummed into Marlon King, the potomous, salmon and most of our other recent forwards.
 
Yeah I believe a lot of younger players are being "snubbed"

With recent home performances I would say the players have given up on promotion, just no effort at all in games.
WHF there is only one way to see if the younger players are better, lets get them played!
I personally can't see them doing any worse then the so called "first team wonders" we currently have.
I'm not saying we should be putting a full 11 of youngsters in but we surely can start fitting them into more games now.

Front of the queue would be Reed.

He obviously has potential but his most recent contributions have been wandering out of position and exposing our right for Swindon's equaliser, and before that not making a challenge on the edge of the box for Shrewsbury's first.

We're set up, with our consistency of team selection, ;-) for 1-0 grinds. This requires discipline application and repressing any youthful sense of adventure.

I think it will be ugly football till the end of the season - though Adkins has spoken about loosening things up a bit.

Che might get a start Satdi. The only other nipper might be DCL. It'd be interesting to see him.

Last season he wasn't strong enough. Has he learned at Northampton where he wasn't a regular starter.

Maybe.

(May be harsh on Reed but that's what I remember him for.)
 
Correctimondo, we don't teach kids to tackle! Basics or what?

I'd imagine it's probably a legacy of that upstanding chap Mr Platini, he never liked tackling and was known to be trying to get it removed from the game:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-outlaw-old-fashioned-thunderous-tackles.html

An interesting interview with "Big Sam" on the subject, admittedly a few years ago whilst in charge at that London club:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/west-ham-barely-coach-tackling-1535952
 
I'd imagine it's probably a legacy of that upstanding chap Mr Platini, he never liked tackling and was known to be trying to get it removed from the game:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-outlaw-old-fashioned-thunderous-tackles.html

An interesting interview with "Big Sam" on the subject, admittedly a few years ago whilst in charge at that London club:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/west-ham-barely-coach-tackling-1535952

In the Secret Footballer Xabi Alonso is quoted as saying he doesn't understand how tackling can be held in high regard as it generally is a last resort and indicates things have gone badly wrong.

The Numbers Game (or Soccernomics) talks about how Maldini was a low rated player by some measures because he averaged 1 tackle every two games.

The decline of tackling is part of modern football which I think is more about manipulating space: the attacking team try to open up spaces, the defending team try to keep them closed.

Coaching junior footballers parents were enthusiastically shouting for the kids to tackle but I found myself thinking it was the last thing I wanted them to do.

Jockey, show them the inside, or outside, but commiting to tackles meant you'd lose or lost control of the situation.

Not against it and I think Freeman made tackle of the season (away at Bradford?) but it's not what it used to be.
 
Well I do think we should be more accommodating to the younger/ academy players, this team isn't good and isn't likely ever going to get better, so I would really like to see more younger players given a chance.
If the first team were playing out of their skins then yes I could understand younger players getting snubbed but that's simply not the case.
Also yes pace is a problem as I said in another thread the midfield of Coutts, Hammond and Basham are far to immobile.
They've got to be good enough.

Not sure that we have anything like the quality in depth at the mo, although I understand that there are one or two youngsters coming through who could be promising.

It's a long term strategy though, certainly not a quick fix. All depends on how long and how prepared you are to remain in this league?
 

In the Secret Footballer Xabi Alonso is quoted as saying he doesn't understand how tackling can be held in high regard as it generally is a last resort and indicates things have gone badly wrong.

The Numbers Game (or Soccernomics) talks about how Maldini was a low rated player by some measures because he averaged 1 tackle every two games.

The decline of tackling is part of modern football which I think is more about manipulating space: the attacking team try to open up spaces, the defending team try to keep them closed.

Coaching junior footballers parents were enthusiastically shouting for the kids to tackle but I found myself thinking it was the last thing I wanted them to do.

Jockey, show them the inside, or outside, but commiting to tackles meant you'd lose or lost control of the situation.

Not against it and I think Freeman made tackle of the season (away at Bradford?) but it's not what it used to be.

I agree, but the jockeying etc should be part of the process to tackle. By tackle I mean get the ball off the opposition, not neccessarliy by sliding in and taking man and ball

Out of curiosity whats is your definition of tackle and what do you think the parents definition was above?
 

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