Coached as a team?

[Dr Balls]

After another generally poor performance but an important win, one aspect that frustrated me yesterday was our inability to understand and predict where the ball might be going from one player to another. This was particularly the case with the long balls to Fam. Even when he did get his head to it and play it forward or lay it off, there was usually no one there to go for it. It was a large part of the reason why Barnsley had so much possession, as we didn’t even make the second balls 50/50 challenges.

So if we know that teams are going to come and play a high press against us at AG, and our only other option appears to be  long balls for Fam to try to head, why doesn’t anyone play off him? Surely if that is “Plan B” then the players need to practice it in their coaching sessions? After yesterday if we continue to play that way, the coaching surely needs to work on how we play as a team and support our main/lone striker.

On Match of the Day last night there was a similar analysis on how Bournemouth fail to score as Callum Wilson gets no support or real service. At times, Fam could claim something similar, with high balls hoofed forward for which he is supposed to do something all on his own.

[Cowshed]

42 minutes ago, Dr Balls said:

After another generally poor performance but an important win, one aspect that frustrated me yesterday was our inability to understand and predict where the ball might be going from one player to another. This was particularly the case with the long balls to Fam. Even when he did get his head to it and play it forward or lay it off, there was usually no one there to go for it. It was a large part of the reason why Barnsley had so much possession, as we didn’t even make the second balls 50/50 challenges.

So if we know that teams are going to come and play a high press against us at AG, and our only other option appears to be  long balls for Fam to try to head, why doesn’t anyone play off him? Surely if that is “Plan B” then the players need to practice it in their coaching sessions? After yesterday if we continue to play that way, the coaching surely needs to work on how we play as a team and support our main/lone striker.

On Match of the Day last night there was a similar analysis on how Bournemouth fail to score as Callum Wilson gets no support or real service. At times, Fam could claim something similar, with high balls hoofed forward for which he is supposed to do something all on his own.

What do you want or expect? 

Bristol City have found it difficult to pass the ball through the thirds whether teams press them or not for large parts of the season.

If you want the team to just win then going back to front, not over committing, playing % balls is fine. The team won. The team is just outside the plays offs. Launching it when you can't keep it, and they can't makes sense.

If you want something else say lots of fluent passing and movement well that will require a lot of change in how Mr Johnson approached the football, and some new players.

Ability to understand and predict where team mates are comes from consistency of approach and familiarity of other individuals skills. With respect to the CB's they are not particularly good at playing out to .. A? There is no pivot or player who is very good at receiving the ball from the CB's. There is frequent change in the centre of the pitch, relationships do not flourish. City's poor movement and poor/sloppy passing is hardly a surprise, or should not be.

 Bournemouth - Eddie Howe has gone through multiple formation changes, it is something like seven. The passing game they had is not functioning. Bristol City's passing game is not functioning well either, the number of formation changes is multiple, it is seven or eight. That is a simplistic way of highlighting something but perhaps valid. 

 

 

[Sixtyseconds]

Wigan passed it better. So did Shrewsbury and Barnsley.

Wondering if this is it.

This is the way.

He is going with that.