Coaching report: Rovers v Portsmouth

[The Red Baron]

http://www.insidefutbol.com/2011/02/14/coaching-diaries-tactical-report-of-doncaster-v-portsmouth/37360/

He makes some interesting points in here, particularly about how we set up, and how it restricted our ability to create meaningful attacks.

As for arguing with the ref, Nugent can feel himself unlucky to be singled out. I don't think Lawrence stopped arguing for the whole 90 mins!

[Snods Shinpad 2]

what is admirable is how the Pompey boss has always presented himself to the public in a professional and positive light

Eh?

[The Red Baron]

Snods Shinpad 2 wrote:

what is admirable is how the Pompey boss has always presented himself to the public in a professional and positive light

Eh?

Maybe in some circles behaving like a ranting imbecile is presenting oneself in a professional and positive light!

Just re-read his analysis of Pompey's tactics. You could just say \"they decided that the best way to defeat Donny was to hoof it forward at every opportunity- and it worked.\"

[benaldo]

Reading that, for me, it says we beat ourselves with poor tactics.

[River Don]

Says to me we needed to get our act together, cut out the sloppy passing and be more patient in moving the ball up through midfield.

[keyser_soze]

i didn't see Martin Woods come on in goal?

[BillyStubbsTears]

That is an excellent article. And this image explains in a nutshell our problem with the formation we played.


We frequently come up against this situation when a team closes down our build from the back.

Chambers here had only two options. Knock it 50 yards to Sharp or play a dangerous short pass to Keegan or Hird.

When we okay our usual formation it would be STOCK in the Hird position. And then we frequently CAN knock a short ball into him - he us composed enough to take a pass in that pressurised position and quickly switch play to where we gave space over the other side of midfield.

Classic example of hamstringing our own game by setting ourselves up to nullify the opposition.

[River Don]

Agreed Billy, wouldn't it be nice if more football reporting was like this.

I think the thing is we need to have the confidence to play the dangerous short pass, which requires skill, confidence and composure. The challenge for O'Driscoll is to keep finding and nurturing the talent to play this way.

[Superspy]

River Don wrote:

Agreed Billy, wouldn't it be nice if more football reporting was like this.

I think the thing is we need to have the confidence to play the dangerous short pass, which requires skill, confidence and composure. The challenge for O'Driscoll is to keep finding and nurturing the talent to play this way.

the problem with having the confidence to play that pass is that if it goes wrong, the crowd gets on the players back, in turn knocking their confidence again... catch 22.

[benaldo]

BillyStubbsTears wrote:

That is an excellent article. And this image explains in a nutshell our problem with the formation we played.


We frequently come up against this situation when a team closes down our build from the back.

Chambers here had only two options. Knock it 50 yards to Sharp or play a dangerous short pass to Keegan or Hird.

When we okay our usual formation it would be STOCK in the Hird position. And then we frequently CAN knock a short ball into him - he us composed enough to take a pass in that pressurised position and quickly switch play to where we gave space over the other side of midfield.

Classic example of hamstringing our own game by setting ourselves up to nullify the opposition.

Problem is, I can see the same thing happening tonight. What the feck is up with SOD?? Is it true that the players are taking over tactics a little?? If it is, they need to shut up and concentrate on doing what they are paid to do. No-one in their right mind would play sam hird in midfield. His ball control is poor and he's a hoof merchant. What was wrong with playing oster, Keegan, Stock, Coppinger in midfield? I'm starting to lose a little faith in SODs tactics. And I have the uneasy feeling that the players have more say than is healthy in what happens off the pitch.

[River Don]

I think S'OD has always encouraged players to have an input and take responsibility. I think you can see that in how for instance during a break in play on Saturday they all gathered together in the centre of the pitch to discuss what was going wrong. Personally I like to see it and think it's a very positive thing.