I mentioned on another thread that our biggest single failing this season has been the losing/wasting/frittering away possession of the ball.
Who, in the backroom staff, is responsible for this basic failing?
It is not customarily the manager’s job – so who is doing a really poor job of preparing footballers for matches in terms of their skills?
Although I have coached a little across three different sports, I have never done any football. But you show/demonstrate techniques to people – don’t you? Or is football a different entity?
One of my beefs is that so few players are trained to turn 180 degrees when in possession. Only Gilliead has done this over the last season.
It is a fairly basic skill to impart – it’s hardly a Cruyff turn. The thing is that games turn on 180 degree turns.
It is common in Championship level matches. Many years ago, I remember Lawsy pushing this at one point (League Two?) and the side immediately improved in CM and up front.
Who is not doing the fundamental coaching? – I really don’t know which of the ‘coaching’ staff to blame and whose head really should be on a silver platter.
You can coach skills until the cows come home. In fact I could argue there are too many Cruyff turns, rabonas etc.
None of this has any relevance if you don’t have a game plan. You could have players capable of hitting a 70 metre cross-field ball in the style of Beckham, Scholes, Gerrard et al, and a winger who can kill a ball dead first touch. But if you’ve been told not to do this their skills are wasted.
Our problem would seem to be that Cox, like Wilcox before him has put defence first. Nothing wrong with that of course, but often if you are trying not to give away possession by attempting such long range passes, the opposition can close you down quicker and force you into errors, which in the games I’ve watched is all to common.
Cox is no master tactician. That’s where his weaknesses lie.
.
