So, the coaching....

[DaveInSA]

This is one of the most informative OTIB threads ever.

I’ve said this a million times. Football is a very simple game. All you need to do, is score more goals than your opponent. 

It becomes complex, when you have players who cannot implement instructions. And you concede silly goals through poor organisation and individual mistakes. We’re top of the league on all three.

If you take our squad, lovely bunch of lads. But where are the leaders, the organisers, the communicators. The ones who can carry out the instructions. I don’t see them. Those Barnsley goals shine a light on it. Total and complete shambles. Where are the leaders?

I’ve changed my mind about the players not being good enough. They have the talent. They don’t have the application as a collective. Take them individually into other championship teams and they will dissolve into that system and be good. 

We need 6 seasoned championship players in the summer. I just don’t see where they’re coming from? RB, CB, CB, DCM, ACM, CF. 50 million. :laugh:.

We’ll be 16-20 position again next year if we don’t get them. And that is hoping that teams are worse than us or have points deductions.

[Davefevs]

45 minutes ago, DaveInSA said:

I’ve changed my mind about the players not being good enough. They have the talent. They don’t have the application as a collective. Take them individually into other championship teams and they will dissolve into that system and be good. 

Been saying similar for a while, I like your use of the word “dissolve” though. Overtime the number of players needed to dissolve has grown and grown, to a point where the team is not what it used to be.  Those players have no one to lift the team overall, because those players good enough to do so are few in number and can’t do it every week.

[Clutton Caveman]

On 15/03/2022 at 22:20, steveybadger said:

What do I think of the coaching? I’d welcome it!

With thanks to Fry and Laurie.

I agree, we look like a Sunday league team where you pick the 11 most sober and let them sort out the rest. I think NP and his mate are years behind the modern game and think that the old ways are best. How refreshing to hear the Barnsley manager talk about training all week to exploit our weakness. When you watch City it is impossible to see any sort of plan in general play or set plays. Our fullback gets roasted against Forest and we play the same formation with the same result. For me NP is like a guy used to windows 3 and suddenly being presented with windows 10. He does know what buttons to press and does not understand most of the options.

[Clutton Caveman]

1 hour ago, DaveInSA said:

This is one of the most informative OTIB threads ever.

I’ve said this a million times. Football is a very simple game. All you need to do, is score more goals than your opponent. 

It becomes complex, when you have players who cannot implement instructions. And you concede silly goals through poor organisation and individual mistakes. We’re top of the league on all three.

If you take our squad, lovely bunch of lads. But where are the leaders, the organisers, the communicators. The ones who can carry out the instructions. I don’t see them. Those Barnsley goals shine a light on it. Total and complete shambles. Where are the leaders?

I’ve changed my mind about the players not being good enough. They have the talent. They don’t have the application as a collective. Take them individually into other championship teams and they will dissolve into that system and be good. 

We need 6 seasoned championship players in the summer. I just don’t see where they’re coming from? RB, CB, CB, DCM, ACM, CF. 50 million. :laugh:.

We’ll be 16-20 position again next year if we don’t get them. And that is hoping that teams are worse than us or have points deductions.

I agree Klose looked great at first, now he has come down to the level of the rest

[David Brent]

On 15/03/2022 at 23:40, David Brent said:

Isn’t Pat Mountain responsible for our set piece coaching? I’m sure I read that on here. Sorry if that’s wrong

Nigel confirmed I was wrong in his latest press conference. Pat is the GK coach, not responsible for set pieces. 

[chinapig]

6 minutes ago, David Brent said:

Nigel confirmed I was wrong in his latest press conference. Pat is the GK coach, not responsible for set pieces. 

Indeed he did.

He also said we have unreliable markers at set pieces who tend to lose their designated men. So it is not a question of zonal marking as some have said.

Which means, in his view, that we have to find an alternative approach or eventually replace those concerned.

All of which seems self evident to me. You can coach players until you are blue in the face but if they keep losing their men then it is ultimately down to them.

 

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, chinapig said:

Indeed he did.

He also said we have unreliable markers at set pieces who tend to lose their designated men. So it is not a question of zonal marking as some have said.

Which means, in his view, that we have to find an alternative approach or eventually replace those concerned.

All of which seems self evident to me. You can coach players until you are blue in the face but if they keep losing their men then it is ultimately down to them.

 

Yes, it was quite interesting to hear.

[chinapig]

41 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Yes, it was quite interesting to hear.

One of his better press conferences I thought. Didn't feel the need to dig journalists out for starters. Even when he said to one of them if they wanted to ask a blunt question just ask it he had a smile on his face.

Also confirmed his preference for a back 4, we just don't have the right players at present, especially at right back.

Clearly wants defenders with more nous.Though seems very happy with Jay these days.

[ExiledAjax]

8 hours ago, chinapig said:

Indeed he did.

He also said we have unreliable markers at set pieces who tend to lose their designated men. So it is not a question of zonal marking as some have said.

Which means, in his view, that we have to find an alternative approach or eventually replace those concerned.

All of which seems self evident to me. You can coach players until you are blue in the face but if they keep losing their men then it is ultimately down to them.

Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but the first goal v Barnsley is scored by the man Semenyo is marking at the beginning of the set piece. I've seen and read a lot of complaint about our back 3 failing on Tuesday, but can someone explain why he dose what he dose in this series of stills.

1. Antoine (number 18 of course) is goal side and tight to his man (number 14). They're contesting the area 10 yards out, just in front of the penalty spot. I presume this is his designated man, and from here he looks to be doing his job and defending well. James has his man, Martin is front post, Klose back post. Atkinson is central 6 yard box. Massengo is protecting Bentley. Scott and Cundy are tracking their runners. To me this looks like a fira set up if you are going for a man marking system. My one thought to improve this would be to move Atkinson tighter to the guy in front of him, but I may well be very wrong about the wisdom of doing that.

2. 3 seconds later we see the below. The ball has just come in, and Scott has missed the clearance...ok shit happens. But look at James and Semenyo, both of their men are now goal side of them. Semenyo has stayed tight, but his man is behind him. That means Klose has moved off of the post, presumably to cover this. My other issue here is that BOTH Atkinson and Massengo have moved to mark number 6. Why? Is it to give Bentley space, or is it because they don't know what they should be doing? Shouldn't one of them stay centrally? That is ultimately where the goal is scored from.

3. Finally, a still as the goal is scored - 2 seconds after picture number 2. WHAT is Semenyo doing all the way over there on the left? He's moved across 8 yards in 2 seconds, and left his man in the middle of the 6 yard box, unmarked. I can only think he decides to help James out...but James' man has just chested the ball back across, and actually James has his man still (although he couldn't prevent the flick back to the middle). So why does Semenyo abandon his man to go and help James? Scott is recovering from missing the clearance, fine as his man is no threat any more. Klose has stuck to the post/line - doing his job. Massengo has ****** right off and is walking away from the goal already. Atkinson is desperately trying to cover the hole he has left.

Matching this to Pearson's "They are unable to stick to their man" remark, I have to think that he is pissed off with Semenyo and HNM for this goal. 

Now, Barnsley did show some good movement here, 14 the goalscorer had some good agility, and wrong-footed Klose and Bentley to finally tap the ball home. Their cross runners took Cundy out of the picture, and Martin moved from his post to cover his man. Actually, should he do that? Or is the wisdom that he should stick on the post?

I don't do much of this sort of post, so genuinely interested in what others might think. I may be way over the mark, and underestimating the chaos of a corner.

Borrowing @IAmNick's clip https://streamja.com/QO4AR for the full thing in motion.