To blame our gameplan for yesterday's loss is just rubbish. Do you think that's how Hird wants the team to play?
A footbal team is a bunch of moving parts. The very best teams move in unison, and with an economy of effort. Now it takes a lot of science to configure a team to that optimal level, where everyone moves to where they’re meant to move, disposes of the ball when and how they’re supposed to, to team mates who have moved to the designated position. It’s hard to get that right when you’re dealing with human beings, and not cogs. This is why we have training drills, to make it instinctive.
Unfortunately we have a team that has been demoralised by the ongoing saga and the looming WADA appeal. Anyone who denies that has their head up their ■■■■, a heart the size of a pea, or both. They’re suffering mentally, and no doubt some would be classified as being depressed.
What happens in that state is your mind gets clouded. You don’t think as quickly or as clearly as you do normally. Your decision making is all over the shop, your ability to follow instructions handicapped. On top of which it takes a physical toll, and destroys motivation.
Now, you tell me, what do you think that does to a gameplan? That’s right, ■■■■■ it up completely.
I was watching yesterday and it was clear right from the start just from our set-up around the stoppages that we were well off. The players know better. The coaches know better. The problem is that they no longer function effectively, and so structures, team disciplines, decision making, sheer want, all go out the window. That’s what you saw yesterday, the perfect storm of mental impairment.
Now I think there are some valid criticisms of the coaching staff - team selection for one, and often matchday tactics - but I can attribute little blame to them regarding the performance yesterday.
As it was there was little the coaching staff could do. No point ranting or raving. I smile when I read exhortations to work harder. That’s not going to work. It’s gone beyond standard coaching. This is about man management, and it’s very tough from here on in.
Unless they pick up mentally I’d be inclined to simplify our gameplan to something that the players don’t need to think about too much. Back to basics. The players already have information overload dealing with the implications of the WADA appeal. Keep it simple.
Right now the club as a whole is in survival mode. Everyone just needs to hanfg tough because panicking isn’t going to help. Need to stabilise and if needs be make the hard decisions at seasons end. Stay strong, and support our boys.
it's all well and good to say the saga is affecting them, blind freddy could see that.
it's how you handle it that's the issue.
if a warning light comes up in your car and you do nothing about it and the engine blows up, who’s fault is it ?
There’s been warning signs most of the season that players, even ones who aren’t affected directly by the saga, have been struggling, but what’s changed in the 2 hours it matters most ?
Hird could be holding them together behind closed doors to which none of us see, and it’s prolly true, but ultimately it’s not making any difference again in the 2 hours it matters most.
so if they can’t perform what they are supposed to, them remove them from the equation. Sell it however you want but get them away from the starting 22 every weekend.
this is the issue though, how does a guy who’s mostly/at least half to blame for putting them in this situation, turn around and tell them they aren’t doing enough or shouldn’t be in the side ?
he’s in a compromised position where he can’t go too hard on them because of guilt, which leads to a meek approach of allowing sub par performances which turn into what we saw yesterday.
the club atm is in self pity mode. they don’t want to hurt the poor players more by simply telling them they aren’t doing enough, nor do they want to remove the players from the team incase that makes them feel worse.
the players have the right to feel whatever they are and suffering what they are. but the club also has the right to say that’s fair enough but we still need to be focussing on improving and trying to win, if you can’t do that at present that’s fine but don’t be here and hold everyone else back.