Coaching and lack of movement

[SheepdipBlade]

This is mostly a question for those on here with coaching badges and the like - cos the lack of movement of our players bewilders me!

I know we've not seen movement at the Lane for decades - but yesterday seemed to really highlight the issue.

I don't really buy the "hoofball" arguement - and think that at times the team are trying to keep the ball on the floor and pass it around. However this failed badly yesterday as -

Scunthorpe closed us down very quickly meaning that passes made to static players were either intercepted (as our lads stood waiting for the ball to arrive) or the defender did enough to break up the move.

I can't understand why we didn't play the ball into space. If their lads were so intent on marking our players, then a ball into open space could have caught them off balance and caused real problems (like Monty's pass to the edge of their box did half way through the first half)

I spent some time in New Zealand and their rugby coaching emphasises that when in contact the ball should be made available. If there's no-one running on the shoulder to receive the pass then that is perceived to be the fault of the supporting players - not the man who made the pass. Why is there not the same attitude in football - if a ball is played into space and there's no-one running onto it isn't that the fault of the runner, not the passer?

I welcome the fact that we're trying to play passing football - but why are we so static - and why so few balls for runners into space, especially in situtations like yesterday? (or am I reading in wrong?)

 

[Beighton_Blade]

Chicken and egg here i feel - players will not play the through balls into space as they have experience that we rarely have runners supporting forward play, so know that its likely to give away posession (and p*ss the crowd of royally!), and players don't get forward due to an idea that the ball will likely never be played or our experience is that we don't play like that, but instead pump balls from deep or from the by line hoping for a header or set piece to attack.

As someone pointed out in Deadbat's thread, a good example yesterday of Harper hiding behind Quinn when he had acres of space infront to run into, as Quinny picked up a pass and had made a good run to take the defender away and could've played an easy ball forward into space had he made the run - but instead he just stuck behind Quinn and hid away from recieving the ball.

UTB!

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Speed is the midfield mastro!

Ask him.

But then it's not down to him is it, all Blackies fault, Speed's just a genius in waiting?

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Watching United it seems that our whole game is geared around creating crosses and set-pieces rather than anything else. Warnock was often the same - as was Bassett.

The main issue I have is that we've done away with the niceties of getting the ball there and are quite happy to settle for a throw-in. Watching at Blackpool away, Blackwell claimed that we were much the better side in the first half before we got tonked in the second. In terms of where the ball was, he was loosely right - but instead of it being played around on the edge of their penalty area it was more that we physically pinned them back in their half.

There was a spell in that game where we had them within 30 yards of their goal for close to 2 minutes. The only problem was that in that 2 minutes not one player on their side or ours could have laid claim to have controlled the ball once. The ball had been launched forward from right back - Cotterill prevented the full-back from making a clearing header by jumping into him. What followed was a painful series of half-clearances and blocks on both sides until it eventually went out for a throw-in on the opposite side. The throw-in then resulted in a further series of scuffs, blocks and jostles until we gave away a free kick.

Total football it was not - but it summed up our tactics completely. Had our harrying or jostling resulted in a mistake we might have got a cross in - believe me it was the only way we were going to create a chance.

Whenever I have to endure a game on BBC's live text commentary it amazes me how often the only names I see are the opposition defenders but how we have a pitiful amount of possession.

 

[mattbianco1]

What ever happened to actual training at half time? Now we're even playing hoofball at half time.

One player stands in box, other in centre circle then they just drill it to each other. Seip came out at half time y'day with his hands in his pockets

 

[Bramley]

Speed is the first team coach. Ask him why we play like this.

 

[raul]

Basically, they all need name tags on like at some sort of conference because they're not even on first name terms yet, let alone bantering nicknames like Kallio-o.

Hardly conducive to free-flowing passing and moving.

 

[Bergen Blade]

When you line up with this....

Yeates Harper Monty Quinn
Henderson Cresswell​

.... I don't think the best coaching in the world can make them play with great movement. No pace up front, nor wide and not one player whose off the ball movement is more than average.

They are not rubbish players, but when two such vital attributes are missing completely it's no surprise that we struggle to score from open play.

 

[Micalijo]

Totally agree Bergen. We did start the game fairly well yesterday and Quinn was involved in a couple of lovely one twos and flicks which got people free in great positions on left side of penalty area. It was good to watch but so unusual and so rare. It soon stopped and then you have a complete lack of ability from that to beat a man and create some space. It's just very, very hard to watch at the moment. Little came on and you had a few more nice passes and a bit of invention but overall the movement is painfully slow and as you say it is bound to be. HAd he bought a few centre-backs - the loan system can be used to get pace in.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I don't care how many badges they might have got but a second/third division goalie and a donkey centre half can't tell footballers how to play.

That is also why I think Speed is a failure cus he's not taken the bull by the horns and sorted it.

It's all so wrong.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I have got a cycling proficiency bage but can't tell Sir Hoy how to ride a track well.

 

[beightonblade]

grannygert used to say liquorice was good for movement.