Passing Football

[Gary 0]

Driving home in the pouring rain last night was thinking about our style of play.Everyone complains about the keeper kicking long balls up to Ernie and Leon but if the fullbacks are not offering short options what else can he do.  Even the times Gallagher did roll out to Fleming he had to hit it long as no one was looking for the short pass.The only person coming short wanting the ball is McVeigh but we all know he won''t be in starting lineup a week on Saturday.The reality is we haven''t got enough players good enough on the ball to play how we all want to

[Rossi 0]

its taken you this long to work that out?

[Citizen Journalist Foghorn 0]

personally I don''t care how we play if it is effective....  but long hoofs up to short forwards is a joke.

[Northern Canary 0]

I blame a lack of confidence and ideas (which should be sorted now with the new coach) for hoofball.

[Chris Meadows 0]

when safri doesn''t play we have absolutley nobody who comes short to pick the ball up from the defence

[jetstream 0]

actually both flem and doc offered themselves for the short ball a few times but gallacher hesitated and decided against it.

contrast that with the newcastle keeper who rarely hit the ball long and usually had at least one defender waiting to receive the short ball.

[Yellow Rages 0]

Thats all part of the confidence thing NC mentions above.

[Bury Yellow 2]

Our merry band of Bury Boys noticed this too last night, but surely this is a coaching problem and not the fault of the players.

The playing style has not changed at all from last year and why should it - same manager - new coach who appears to be a clone of Worthy  - same players who must do what their told. The usual bunch of eight players dropping back too deep and on top of one another allowing the opposition all the midfield. Why oh why do we do it? Every team that comes to Carra Road is given the gift of the midfield no matter how poor they are.

I hope I''m wrong but I can see another long sad season ahead unless coaching attitudes are changed. I''m not too sure the crowd will put up with this style of ''football'' for very long. Entertainment it aint. I also feel sorry for McSmall and Ernie. Can''t see the latter staying if he continues to get lack of quality service.

Even if Lara Croft decides to join us Worthy has a terrible habit of destroying good players.

I''ll get my coat!

[nh_ncfc 0]

At the end of the day, if all teams played the same football how boring it would be.

I''m not saying the hoofball is good, but the players surely have some sense between them and are OBVIOUSLY for some reason deciding to play safe and not play it short.

If we kept playing short and letting goals in, i wonder how many would be asking for some hoof...

[nycanary 1]

This should be a rule:  No long ball strategy if you don''t have a target man.  End of discussion.Sometimes football is that simple.  Figure out another way.  Focus on ball control and passing instead of fitness, fitness, fitness week in week out.  I don''t care if these guys can run marathons if they can''t get us promoted.

[Canary02 0]

This should be a rule:  No long ball strategy if you don''t have a target man.  End of discussion.

Sometimes football is that simple.  Figure out another way.  Focus on ball control and passing instead of fitness, fitness, fitness week in week out.  I don''t care if these guys can run marathons if they can''t get us promoted.

Couldn''t agree more. Football isn''t rocket science. If you don''t have a target man every other team has a defender of 6ft plus who will win the ball every time you hit it high and invariably you lose possession then. And the fittest people don''t always have any skill. I''d rather sign a 28 year old Jan Molby and have him wobble slowly but effectively around, than play with the ultra-fit but untalented Hughes, Robinson etc clogging up the midfield with their huge lungs and minute footballing brains.

 

[Saint Canary 0]

[quote user="Citizen Journalist Foghorn"]personally I don''t care how we play if it is effective....  but long hoofs up to short forwards is a joke.[/quote]

I think that''s about right Paul - pretty or effective?  I will take effective in the Championship because generally the teams who are effective tend to play better football after a good run of results.  Take Reading last year - they came to Carrow Road early in the season and did a "smash and grab".  They were well organised and all you could really say about them was that they were effective.  Good defending, well organised and looked to hit the big man up front.  Fast forward 6 months at the Majedski and they looked like such a fantastic footballing side with roughly the same 11 players on the pitch.  The difference was the confidence gained from winning.

Frankly I don''t care how City play for the first 10 games or so as long as the results are there.  If we win 1-0 at Leeds via a deflection of Earnie''s bottom while he''s doing his boots up - who cares?  Winning breeds confidence and with confidence comes better football.

[Chip20 69]

Agreed. Lack of confidence is a massive problem around Carrow Road at the moment. The fans don''t have confidence in the players (or the manager or the Board), and the players don''t have the confidence to try passing football. I''m sure the main reason we were promoted was the ''feelgood'' factor brought on by the signing of Hucks, Harper and Crouch and then perpetuated by the permanent capture of Hucks at Christmas. Last season started off on completely the wrong foot with bad feeling from the manner of our Premiership failure and dire pre-season showings.

Hopefully the lads can do their bit to recapture that by giving the crowd something to cheer about and hopefully the fans can do their bit by giving every player a chance before getting on their backs.

Roll on the new season!!

[Citizen Journalist Foghorn 0]

[quote user="Lincoln Canary"]

Agreed. Lack of confidence is a massive problem around Carrow Road at the moment. The fans don''t have confidence in the players (or the manager or the Board), and the players don''t have the confidence to try passing football. I''m sure the main reason we were promoted was the ''feelgood'' factor brought on by the signing of Hucks, Harper and Crouch and then perpetuated by the permanent capture of Hucks at Christmas. Last season started off on completely the wrong foot with bad feeling from the manner of our Premiership failure and dire pre-season showings.

Hopefully the lads can do their bit to recapture that by giving the crowd something to cheer about and hopefully the fans can do their bit by giving every player a chance before getting on their backs.

Roll on the new season!!

[/quote]

This is another reason I feel a return of Chris Sutton could prove a spark of genius.  It is obvious Birmingham have seen enough in him last season to warrant a move - although on far less wages than they paid him previously.  He would get more fans onside than anything else, and if he is motivated could do a fantastic job at this level.  He is a far better player than Peter Thorne and is the same age.

It aint gonna happen though - so lets hope he isnt a massive sucess if he moves to Birmingham and shows us what we have missed out on....

 

.

[beelsie 0]

Bury!! Worthy was a ball passer in his footballing days, he still tells them to do it, If they are any good presumably they will get the message.  His press statements always contain remarks aluding to poor passing and inability to keep the ball.  Presumably if they are footballers it is what they should be good at.  Arsenal and Chelsea seem to be able to do it for reasonable periods, still I suppose they are better quality players.  Perhaps you cannot expect such skills from anyone who maybe on less than £20000 a week.  I''ll certainly agree with your piece on defensive tactics.

[blahblahblah 2]

Our central midfielders have been accused of going missing for periods of the game in other threads.

Sounds to me like they are currently lacking the confidence to take control of the game.

Maybe the fans can help them out here, rather than disappearing into ever-decreasing circles of despondancy, if we treat the team as champions in the first few games, maybe they''ll start playing like champions.

[Yellow Rages 0]

They do lack confidence Blah, that is evident to anyone who understands the finer points.

Those with rougher edges will say that they can''t pass.

It''s almost a chicken and egg situation though and one that needs thrashing out in training if already not done so.

The likes of Etuhu and Robinson to some extent, hide for long periods of play. So what then happens whan say.........Hughes has the ball? He has fewer options than your average Preston player for example.

The panic sets in, the player is closed down and the ball goes long.

Confidence will shorten the passing because players will show for the ball. IE want to have the ball to express themselves. This results in more available options and an easier passing game. A good passing team always shows confidence. Robinson in particular is a very good passer of the ball over ten yards. Get him confident and get Etuhu a bit more mobile and we''ll see some more football from our midfield.

[Indy_Bones 441]

Wow,

The suggestion that someone needs to be on 20K plus a week in order to

pass a ball shorter than 50yds, is not only a fairly ridiculous state,

but if true, but suggest quite a worrying state of affairs in football

in general.

Let''s be honest about this, ANY PROFESSIONAL footballer

should be able to pass the ball short and accurately, if they were

pinging it 60yds away I can understand passes going astray, but 5

metres seemed challenging to some of out lads last season.

We can''t be compared to Chelsea or Arsenal, although I genuinely

believe that if we truly adopted Arsenal''s style of play, we''d put some

fantastic results in. We may not have ''World Beaters'' such as Henry or

Fabregas, but we''ve certainly got some talented players.

Nice to see Crofty sign from MC, he really could be the player we need

to kickstart a revolution, I want players like him and Hucks cut in

with the ball and give the defender something to worry about, rather

than swirling hopeful balls to strikers who are clearly under-strength

and under-height to compete fully for them. Play to Earnie''s and Leon''s

strong points, incisive through balls to run onto, little flicks for

them to connect with, we''d be banging goals in for fun if we followed

this idea.

We have got the team, we have got the skills, we just need Worthy to

make sure they are using them and if they insist on playing long balls,

maybe some time on the subs bench will make them reconsider their

choice...

[beelsie 0]

Indy!! I like your post and the optimism that shines through.  I admit that I was maybe a touch sarcastic when referring to the need for huge wages to promote short passing of the ball. My real feelings are that we are just not mobile enough off the ball and therefore not available for the short passes we were known for.  The players need to practice their first touch in training at speed and it will become second nature.  Perhaps the Boothroyd training regime of three sessions a day might bring it about.

[USAcanary 0]

[quote user="blahblahblah"]

Our central midfielders have been accused of going missing for periods of the game in other threads.

Sounds to me like they are currently lacking the confidence to take control of the game.

Maybe the fans can help them out here, rather than disappearing into ever-decreasing circles of despondancy, if we treat the team as champions in the first few games, maybe they''ll start playing like champions.

[/quote]

WOW, I am lost for words.

Let me get this straight..... you think........

The ability of our midfield players and their tactics are now the fault of the fans not shouting OLE` every time 2 passes get strung together.

Maybe you are right, we obviously don`t have a manager who can motivate the players so I guess its down to the fans.

 

 

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

I have to say I agree with Saint Canary that it doesn''t matter how we do it but early results are vital. As the points are accumilated the confidence to play better football will follow.

[0ridgemanddMMyyyy0Falseen-USTrue 0]

Whilst agreeing with almost all that you say the problem is sometimes Worthington in several games last season on several occassions he was shouting at Colin to get the F nn thing up and on at least one occassion when Colin booted it upfield to no one W gave him a clap. The problem may not be the players.

[Citizen Journalist Foghorn 0]

[quote user="ridgeman"]Whilst agreeing with almost all that you say the problem is sometimes Worthington in several games last season on several occassions he was shouting at Colin to get the F nn thing up and on at least one occassion when Colin booted it upfield to no one W gave him a clap. The problem may not be the players.[/quote]

2nd half against cambridge all he did was shout at Colin.....  And it has been seen many times him shouiting for players..  usually colin.. to lump it upfield.

[beelsie 0]

We meet again CJF, yes Worthy did shout to Colin to get the  ball up field.  Both you and I know that was because the off ball running of the players was so bad and they did not show themselves for a short pass which was what Colin was looking for.  We have done this so often haven''t we?  last season and the season before, the movement was and is terrible and Worthy knows it. We have a new coach and I''m hoping against hope that he will iron those problems out.

[Yellow Rages 0]

[quote user="USAcanary"][quote user="blahblahblah"]

Our central midfielders have been accused of going missing for periods of the game in other threads.

Sounds to me like they are currently lacking the confidence to take control of the game.

Maybe the fans can help them out here, rather than disappearing into ever-decreasing circles of despondancy, if we treat the team as champions in the first few games, maybe they''ll start playing like champions.

[/quote]

WOW, I am lost for words.

Let me get this straight..... you think........

The ability of our midfield players and their tactics are now the fault of the fans not shouting OLE` every time 2 passes get strung together.

Maybe you are right, we obviously don`t have a manager who can motivate the players so I guess its down to the fans.

 

 

[/quote]

He is only saying that maybe the fans could help out. I don''t see anywhere in his post that the fans are the cause.

Trying to make out Blah''s comments are pro Worthy in the extreem by being as as anti Worthy as humanly possible doesn''t wash.

It is this sort of stance that discredits some anti Wotthy posters and gives them a bad name. Please use facts and instances where applicable. I''m anti worthy but I don''t affiliate to this sort of garbage and hope any pro Worthy posters don''t look at us all in the same light.

[John Boubepo 0]

[quote user="blahblahblah"]

if we treat the team as champions in the first few games, maybe they''ll start playing like champions.

[/quote]

Lets hope the fans of all the other clubs don''t cotton on to your revelation - is there room in the Champions League for 92 English Teams?

[gazzathegreat 0]

[quote user="nh_ncfc"]At the end of the day, if all teams played the same football how boring it would be. I''m not saying the hoofball is good, but the players surely have some sense between them and are OBVIOUSLY for some reason deciding to play safe and not play it short. If we kept playing short and letting goals in, i wonder how many would be asking for some hoof...[/quote]

 

It would be better still if during the close season the new coach had instilled some basic skills into some of our less talented players.  There is no excuse for any of them to go onto the pitch unable to pass the ball to each other, though it seemed last season they were incapable of doing just that.  This was from the start of the season, long before the protests, injuries, lack of confidence etc were used as excuses. 

There might be many reasons they are being defensive, nh_ncfc, (though according to Worthy they are great in training), perhaps knowing the midfield is short of tactical ability, ball skill and filled with players who go missing is somewhat inflencing the rest, added to that the numerous times players were played out of position and places filled with loan players when equally adequate youth players were available.

I sincerely hope that Mr Hunter has put them all through their paces and instilled some basic passing skills into those who are lacking.  I also hope that Worthington concentrates on attacking football using a midfield and wingers.  We will let goals in, (but less so if we have a properly organised defence), but come on, how can it possibly be worse than the hoofball masterclasses we witnessed last year, Reading away comes to mind, there are numerous others.  How can anything be worse than that. 

I may be of a minority, I just want to see entertaining football played properly.  We used to manage it, it seems we no longer can. 

[blahblahblah 2]

[quote user="John Boubepo"][quote user="blahblahblah"]

if we treat the team as champions in the first few games, maybe they''ll start playing like champions.

[/quote]

Lets hope the fans of all the other clubs don''t cotton on to your revelation - is there room in the Champions League for 92 English Teams?

[/quote]

Apologies John, forgot myself for a moment there.  We all know that "passion" (another word for hatred), and "fan pressure" (another word for panto) are what the players will respond to.

I can just hear the fans of Arsenal and Manchester United drawing up their plans for "Arsene OUT" and "Fergie OUT", after all, the pressure will give the players the extra push they need to beat the likes of Chelsea, no ?