Playing from the back

[AWetFlannel]

I think they'd have been better off by not trying the same thing every single time when it failed time and time again. They will have known about how we played. They could have had a plan B to counter us if they couldn't beat the press. They got themselves into trouble time and time again.

They didn't have to turn into Cambridge United circa 1991, but a bit of variety would not have gone amiss.

Coaches should never just sit there and lose. That's what Martin did. He made no attempt to address the problem he was faced with.

Your making the assumption that playing to their strengths is "sitting there and losing". They spend all day training how to beat the press, look at how we play specifically and tweak it to give themselves the best chance.

If it's not working after 20mins, they bottle it and change tactics. They've not trained in these tactics and don't have players that suit it, but presumably this will work better?

They could have coached a plan B. Every minute spent doing this is a minute not spent coaching plan A. He'll have spent all pre season telling the players "this is us, this is how we play, this is our best bet, you can all do it". What does it do to the player's mentality and the clubs philosophy if it's scrapped whenever they have a bad half an hour?

I assume this is why his team stick to plan A. Maybe a plan B would give the a 10% better chance of getting a result away at the 2nd best team in the league, but it would make the players lose confidence in plan A. They become scared of making mistakes, scared of the press.

 

[Tickhill Blade]

Preferred the 80s style of playing out from the back myself: