Wild Blue Yonder wrote:
Thanks for the earlier posts mojo - enjoyed those.
Regarding coaching tactics, I read in the Age that Sherman from the Lions had said Mathews instructions had changed to backing the players to run and carry. Said that Mathews wouyld back them every time doing that, mistakes or not.
Now, I'm not sure that has made, or will make a massive difference to the Lions prospects over the coming years, but it is a positive response to a team that has fallen sharply. Sherman, for one, seemed to be enthusiastic about the tactic and I'm sure he represents a lot of the younger Lions.
I would love to see our kids given actual ground time and get similar instructions. Enough of this "run as F@%&#! fast as you can to the backline."
Sherman is one of those front running ponces who a coach like Matthews could play him in the back pocket to learn the defensive side. Nope.
What he does is play him on the wing and let him go. Run and carry. 1 dimensional kid. But he is 19. They play Adcock and real goers like that back who are great man on man and let a kid like Sherman play as well.
So they are playing to there strengths. No doubt at some point Sherman will round out his game as well. But everyone is different. I dont mind a kid going back. But all of them? 3 years after getting drafted they still need to do it? No midfield but the talenetd kids play on the hbf.
I wathc the Dogs and how Cooney is used. Ray plays wing. Griffen plays back but also runs and carries. He takes blokes on. Higgins comes in last week and plays midfield. Straight away.
Ray is not in the back pocket learning the game. He is a ball runner and is on the wing, running and carrying. He squibs a bit and a hard man like Rocket brings him off. Benches him. He plays again on the wing. Improves. Not benched for 3/4 of the game anymore. He gets more and more ground time and you can see the kid coming along.
By the end of the year they will have a player.
What will we have? Clayton so good as a recruiter is he? Maybe. But unless a player is Marc Murphy and coaches themselves we dont know how to develop them. Treat each player on there merits but sometimes all they need is some confidence and a chance and not to be benched for the slightest infraction.
Of course if they squib a contest then bring them off. But for a turn over or trying something that does not come off then let them go.
Or we can do what we have done with Carrazzo. Never have I seen such a natural ball winner redcued to a sniffling mess so quickly. Gets the ball and immediately stops and chips sideways. You can almost see him thinking of for gods sake dont turn it over. 20m chips sidewayds are great for the stats and wont casue a turn over. We get a lot of those.
No run from behind because young players are scared of an error.
No structure up forward either. So AW turns it over and we get some real "experts" potting him because of his kicking. Turover merchant. Of course he needs to work on it but if you saw the games live you would realize he had no easy option. The thing to do is to stop and chip sidewayd snad not run hard from behind.
Right?
Then no turnovers. But what will we kick? 4 goals in a game.
Surely not?
You want goals then you need to take chances and you need to show flair and initiative. That will mean more mistakes. Playing safe will only cause an inevitiable loss and no development.
Anybody who does not spot the sarcasm I do apologize.