Synbad wrote:
Headplant wrote:
Synbad wrote:
Headplant wrote:
I guess if you listen to music or watch shabby sitcom replays instead of sneaking in to all the closed training sessions you could be forgiven for not knowing what happens at training.

Why sneak into closed training sessions where were preparing for the games when you can actually walk through the gate on matchday and see how the preparation has materialised???
Seems obvious to me. I'd refer to it as being better informed.
Informed about what Heady?
I dont doubt BVs insight into footy and respect it... more than most....
But.... it happens out on the field on match day... and thats where i see a dogsbreakfast on so many levels.
I see a kneejerk coach.
I see complete capitulation of structures and setups.
I see a group of confused footballers.
Are my eyes deceiving me?(yeah i know my eye sight isnt flash)
I cant find one person who can explain what were doing....... maybe everybodys eyes are flower??.... now can you explain to me the gameplan and why we cant kick out???
Lets just start with kickouts.. nice and simple... tell me.. im all ears...
Going to training could give you an insight into the possibility that some players aren't doing what they are told or are taking things too far

The more information you have the better informed the opinions. We are also not privy to what they are being taught in the "classroom" or individual instructions. I think Lyon after a game last season or the one before when he was under the pump for having a too defensive gameplan considering the attacking resources he had at his disposal answered a question with..."Do you really think I asked everyone to be behind the ball especially when we were behind"
I don't disagree that Ratts needs to improve and that some of the things that he wants to do may have to be ditched. However a few other things may be at work to explain the perceived confusion, its there at times for sure, but not as often as you seem to think it is either.
You may hate it as it doesn't agree with your theory that we should adopt the Brazilian attitude to play, but we have improved defensively as a team. Your Brazilian theory that you used in another thread is one of the reasons that I don't think you are being totally logical and emotion seems to be running away with you...at times

. I'm not sure how looking at how a team that has contained, over the years, so many of the worlds most technically gifted players can be applied to us...even in theory
Some of our confusion I think is due to some of our players not being naturally defensive. Some are having a struggle with the concepts involved and would much rather run forward of the ball. We are trying to value possession of the ball which is also a foreign concept to some

This means at times that we lack fluidity and in valuing possession especially in the back half we are being too careful at times. We have a team that has a number of individuals who are naturally inclined to attack, but are being taught to defend an adjustment period is inevitable. In the future I think we will be better at getting the balance right, although a few of our current players may never adjust to two way football and will need to be replaced. This is also complicated by our over reliance on Fev. This causes contradictions as we want our mids to be goal scoring options yet be defensively accountable. It is a tough balance to achieve and is still a work in progress.
We have only really set up a proper development program this season and a number of our players have been drilled over a number of years to play simplistic football that is the antithesis of the modern games needs in terms of decision making and execution.
Our players are being retaught how to play modern football. Is it any wonder that at times they look confused. Until we bridge the decision making and execution gap our top end talent will not be able to pull as through. Once a few players come through who are quicker with their decision making and execution skills, especially in the back half, coupled with improvement by those who are already regulars I think you will find we will become much better at transitional play (unfortunately some regulars may not be up to it)
I am willing to give Ratts more leeway simply because I have captain coached a couple of teams (although the bench coach is really the man on gameday

) and have been in management for a long time. Sometimes shock... horror...people don't do what you tell them to do

You may think they do understand what is required and they may spout words back to you that would seem to indicate that they are on board, but when it comes to implementation for various reasons, for some, it all seems to go out the window.
I've played football with blokes who you tell to pick up their man, and they do, to the exclusion of all else. They will run past contests they should be impacting on and just follow their man around. You'll sit them down after a game and explain to them that although they are accountable for their man they should also help out their team-mates. The next game they will continually leave their man to run to contests they can't impact on to help their team-mates. Their bloke will then have a field day running around unattended. You then sit down with the bloke and go through scenarios encompassing the options they have in certain situations, although you swear you have gone through these situations pre-season with the team as a whole and this bloke indicated he understood. Next game comes around and "bugger me dead" the bloke is only doing the last thing you told him and isn't using initiative. You would swear that they only have one brain cell and can only retain the last thing you have told them and intelligence doesn't always seem to be the criteria as to which individuals do this either. It's as if one concept becomes a mantra running through their mind to the exclusion of all else. Some people for various reasons just really struggle with decision making and initiative.
When you couple some peoples inability to use initiative and the rigid simple structure that Pagan seemed to favor, although he did also seem to be across the Orwellian concept that some are more equal than others, you get confusion when players are asked to play modern football which requires a great deal of decision making. Some of these guys are having their brains rewired, for some it will be too late and for others they may never have been capable, but hopefully enough will improve to make us a premiership hope in a few years time

Conversely this doesn't let Ratten off the hook. I just think it is a combination of Ratts and the players needing to improve.