To the next level

FrankGrimes

Alright lads, we’ve improved no end since those days hoofin a ball round the phoenix, but we’ve a fair way to go if we’re gonna win this league. We’ve already seen teams who are better skillwise man for man than us so we need to keep delivering more than the sum of our parts. That’s not to put us down at all: we’re defending very well and moving the ball well when we get it – if them lads wanna overcomplicate things good luck to em. Thought it would be a good idea for a thread with suggestions on how to improve the team as a whole. No ‘jimmy is muck get rid of him’ type stuff, looking to keep it generic, though if you feel we need to make better use of our fullbacks going forward (and for me we do), refer to the positions, not the specific players.

It’s our organisation that’ll be the key to progressing – playing as a unit makes it difficult for their flicks and what have ya to come off. The two first things that come to mind is that we need our wingers can make sure they give the fullbacks plenty of protection by tracking back when we don’t have the ball. You don’t notice this when you’re winning, but it will cost you dearly as soon as you’re under pressure if you don’t do it.

The other thing sounds pretty simple but has a major effect – there should be a call for every ball. If you’re claiming a ball shout your name for it if there’s even a slight chance another one of our players thinks it’s his. Even if there’s none of our players around a defender roaring for a ball can put a meek striker off. There are plenty of times we’ve had mix-ups cos either 2 people called for one ball, or, worse, 2 people backed out thinking the other had it. The player facing opposition ball should always be the one to take it in those cases where two of our players go for the same ball so he should never back out.

Before you make a pass call the player’s name that you’re hitting. It gives him that split second extra to get up on his toes to be ready to take it and to decide what he’s gonna do when he does take it. Better than this though is that the player looking for the ball should call it – helps the fella in possession know he’s there and he wants it. In our half the fella with the ball should decide which is the safe ball, in their half we can take chances and it’s the attackers that should know which is the best ball to open something up, so the fella with the ball should give it where the attacker wants it.

It happens a lot (in general, not just our team), that a defender playing a ball out of defence decides that the attacker is under too much pressure to take the ball so he gives it to someone else. That’s not the defender’s responsibility – if the attacker calls the ball he should get it, unless you see another attacker calling for it who is better placed. The attacker calling the ball might like nothing better than turning on the ball, and might reckon he has the beating of his man. If our left winger has a man at his back but calls it from the fullback he should get it (in their half), cos that’s what hes there for – to take on the man. If he turns that man he’s in acres of space. He can also play it back to the fullback who should’ve pushed on, he might be fouled, or worst case he loses the ball in their half. For the poker players out there, the potential benefits of the pass versus the risk make it a positive eval call

We also need more shouts to let a player know whats around him. A few games back a long ball was played to me and a defender that I didn’t even know was around got ahead of me to it (my marker was well behind me). I said to one of our players what about a shout and he said ‘you should’ve known he was there’. That’s absolute boll*x. Yeh, we should know whos there, but a simple call from him would’ve made it certain and cost nothing. A simple shout to make sure your teammate knows whats around him will improve us big time cos at times we’re sounding very quiet.

The lads who’ve played competitively are all making their calls, and the defence are calling defensive balls, but adding in more calls all over the park and not just for defensive balls should be our next step. Good calls across the park build understanding and confidence and it just makes things run more smoothly.

For lads who don’t know: you can’t call ‘my ball’. It’s gotta be ‘anto’s ball’, ‘keeper’s ball’ or whatever. Shout ‘House’ or ‘man on’ to let a fella know hes about to get hit.

KdjaCL

Our 2nd biggest asset is also our biggest problem.
The fullbacks offer nothing going forward but cover the Cbs very well, tbh its the reason we havent conceded noone gets behind us, noone gets in crosses, the opposition forced into the middle where our DMF and CMF and CBs lap everything up.

We have played silky skilled wingers but forced them inside everytime, as a defensive unit its perfect BUT offers nothing going forward. Luckily our CFs are carrying us we all know between the 4 we have, any ball to their feet or decent cross will create a chance as the 4 CFs are very very good.

The lack of fullback attacking, forces our wingers to not be wingers and more inside right and lefts and they always cut inside as its the only option, if the fullbacks pushed on they would have the option to either side.

Im not thinking about winning anything but sundays game and neither should anyone else, play as we are as a team and we will move on from there. This thread should highlight any issues we have to address.

Our biggest asset is teamwork we work for each other, we havent mastered flowing football but our workrate for each other is top notch.


kdjac

Savman

From what I've seen, which isn't alot admittedly, we're stong in defence but reliant on 2-3 players to score goals and get forward. Although you can't argue with 6pts from 6.

'spose I could offer better opinion in a coupla weeks but I wouldn't always encourage radical changes to a winning formula