Why does it have to be entirely one thing or the other?
Of course you have to have a strong system. If you don’t, you’ll get nowhere.
But you also have to have the flexibility and tactical sense to change things around if it’s necessary. If a particular opposition player is dominating and cutting us to pieces, or if the opposition are using a tactic that’s working effectively and leading to goals, the coach needs to be able to spot that early and identify the changes that need to be made to shut down that player or nullify that tactic.
I think Worsfold is very good at preparing players, identifying their strengths and weaknesses and motivating them to play with system and intensity. I don’t think he’s great at the matchday tactics. Eg in the Hawthorn game it was clear that our attack just wasn’t functioning all day, and yet it wasn’t until the last 10 minutes that he actually made a move — Hooker forward — to do something about it, and by then of course it was too late.
This is correct, there are tactics and flexibility built into the systems that will be implemented throughout a match. These tactics are no doubt worked on at training over months/years. I think the point Clarkson was trying to make is that you cant teach a team some magically tactic over one week before the finials. They take months/years to develop into a system.
I agree with you about the Hawthorn game, I was screaming at the TV for Hooker fwd, and the fact that we seem slow to make a change.
We kicked 16 goals with that “non functioning” forward line - one of our highest scores for the year. And it’s not like it was a huge glut after Hooker went forward, we had 12 to 3/4 time.
But we also conceded 16, one of our highest of the year. clearly, then, the tactical or setup issue was at that end of the ground, then.
We had all sorts of issues dealing with Gunston, he went through Hurley early, before they gave the job to Francis who “learnt” a lot, aka got torched. That’s a decision they made, presumably for the long term progression for A Francis.
Not sure it had much at all to do with Hooker, IMO. He may have helped pinch it for us but it wouldn’t have been deserved.
I still query this. My memory is that Gunston absolutely torched Hurley (too mobile for him) & kicked 4 of his 5 goals & had about 20 of his 25 possessions on him, but Franga kept him relatively quiet in the last qtr keeping him to 1 goal & 5 odd possessions.
I think some spectators got a bit cross eyed, as Gunston outmarked Franga in one of earlier qtrs, but he had gotten separation from Hurley who was still his opponent at this stage & Aaron came across to assist. So a lot of people say he kicked 2 on Francis, but i reckon one of those was when he was trying to cover for Hurley.
I thought the move was made much earlier than that, 2nd quarter or so.
I have distinct memories of Gunston taking 1 on Francis’ head on the goal line (which was apparently Goddard’s fault), and 1 on the lead (with Hooker coming across to help, and failing). Not sure if both were goals but they were chances. he got two early, I thought both were on Hurls.
Which I think demonstrates more than anything that he did very very well, whoever we had on him.
I thought that Roughead went to Hurley and took him out of the game? Hurley likes to run off but roughy took him to spots where he couldn’t get back to make impact.
Hawthorn and Richmond brought in players. I would say you want a backline that has played together consistently but that is debunked with Hawthorn bringing in Gibson, Lake and Frawley.
Players you want coming in are smart, selfless good players that are driven to succeed. Player looking for money probably won’t win you a flag.
The chip is down.
Lake and him landed on a heir feet.
Lake is the luckiest most undeserving peice of ■■■■ to ever win not one but three flags.
Flog of a human to boot.
My recollection was that Hooker was on Roughy, Hurley on Gunston & not too sure who Franga started on.
In the last qtr, Hooker was moved to the forward line (remember a lot on her were saying why wasn’t this move made earlier), Hurley then went to Roughy & Franga to Gunston.
But as said previously, Gunston took a mark over the top of Franga (maybe in 3rd qtr), but they weren’t directly opposed at that stage, Franga was trying to cover, so some have assumed that Franga played a greater part of the game directly opposed rather than just the last qtr.
Just reading Bellerin of Arsenal saying that the new coach Emery likes to prepare for games changing tactics depending on the opposition. Apparently this is much better than Wenger. Old Arsene reckoned Arsenal should just play the way they wanted to play every week, and be very good at it, and win that way.
Sound like someone we know ?
However, at this point Arsenal sit 2 wins behind the leaders of the table after 4 matches. It will be worth watching to see how Arsenal go this year
Has Unal Emery overestimated the ability of his playing group to change the way they play every week ?
That’s a bit like saying spears are the best tools for hunting tigers because some neanderthal did it successfully.
It’s so far back as to be irrelevant.
