New year, same problems for Wanderers

Cheers JB - you nailed it. The current philosophy is well intentioned and makes all the right noises but it doesn’t always get through to parents and potential coaches at grassroots level. I still witness kids being taught to stand in front of a small sided goal whilst the star 6 year old scores a hatful of goals down the other end and everyone cheers and says how brilliant it all is. The player numbers changing from 4 v4 to 7 v 7 to 9v 9 and then 11 v 11 can be a hindrance in a small to medium sized clubs. I took on a well coached under 11 side that could play the ball,out, pass around, and begin to develop organized attacking plays. Then the switch to 11 v 11 came and I went from an 11 player squad to 16 and the five new recruits combined with the lowest ranked current players set the team backwards in that whole area. Grassroots is still about having fun and playing with friends, even game time and being inclusive so as a coach you “suck it up”. Suddenly I have 7 players out of 16 that cannot perform at the desired level and I defy anyone to hide 7 players in a squad of 16 at anyone time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m ok with it, otherwise I’d go and coach at a higher level as I have the experience and qualifications, I just don’t like the attitude I witness week in and week out from parents, some players and some teams. So, back at square one, I take a more pragmatic approach and work on playing systems and tactics that the players can both understand and accomplish and if we can take some kids a few rings up the first touch/control and pass ladder, we change again and include them in the overall philosophy!

Buddy- You are in an extremely unfortunate position when you mention the problems you have with your under 12 team. Kids in the under 11,and under 12 bracket are in fact just entering a phase of their football education where a young mind appreciates the fact that these is more to playing "team football" than "kicking the ball", or, even better 'scoring a goal". Kids between 6-12 should have spent their "training time" learning first touch and ball control, usually by playing in mixed numerical arrangements, in an enclosed area of various sizes in groups of 3v3,4v4,5-5 etc. Passing accurate balls to a teammate uses a different coaching method altogether but all these "skills" should have been learned before they enter the "big kids" football sphere. That is where the root of your problem lies, some of your charges may have experienced what I describe, but just as surely some will not,, leaving you, and other coaches, with the problem you describe so well. Cheers jb..

JB - yes acknowledged although I sometimes feel a bit in denial. I think the reason I don’t want to openly admit the shortcomings is to do with the perceived quality on offer and secondly, this obsession is being handed down in fb.ets of stone to grassroots football. So I have to teach the system to under 12’s where half the team are incapable of receiving a pass and getting the right touch to release the second phase. If I don’t persevere with it I am accused of being a Neanderthal or regressive whereas I am a realist as I try and organise the team on game days according to the overall ability. When we practice, I encourage the playing out and refining first touch, adjusting body position and playing diagonal balls that will split defences wide open. However, when you are in competition the expectation is results and goals and pretty pretty passing practice with nothing on the end of it just doesn’t cut it I tend to find.

Buddy- What you are seeing is actually a lack of quality transition from defense into attack. Lack of movement by middle and front players means that back 4 players "playing out from the back" are invariably "short" of targets into which they can play penetrative passes. When watching the higher echelons of today's game it is noticeable that the ball is usually played forward after one or two touches at the most and it this that causes more and more play to take place in team's defensive thirds. The saying "possession is useless without penetration' was first cited, not yesterday, but back in the early 1970's. That's how far our teams are behind what is termed "good football". Cheers jb.

Yep, that's the problem; when the two centre backs, wing backs plus the number sixers are too content in playing in their own half for safety, you can almost conclude that the front third are static and the strikers are too lazy to find space or not interested trying to lose their markers. So that's why you have the back third going sideways and backwards playing back to their keeper who then hoofs the ball long and in most cases handing over possession.

Maybe I misrepresented my case! It isn’t the playing out from the back as such, it is the unwillingness of players to find good space quickly and for the defence to play an incisive pass. Therefore it goes backwards and forwards, mainly side to side and back to the keeper and then at the third attempt goes into touch or straight to an opponent. We see it time and time again. Therefore if the team isn’t any good at playing out and developing an attack, try some different tactics. During 90 minutes of a fixture isn’t really the time to be practicing.

I disagree, I love teams playing out from the back and holding possession as long as possible to draw out tight defences. What I hate are lazy strikers who can't move into space---are so static they can't play off wall passes or strike the ball first time and keep it on target. Too many A-League target men have no confidence and need too many touches before they pull the trigger. So lacking in confidence, so scared to take on the responsibly of striking the ball first time, and hit the target. Although Muller, is looking like he could be a handy forward in the back end of the season.

Yes boring football is the right description although the playing out from the back, going across the field and back again and then back to the keeper and start all over again is a malaise that affects the whole of the A League. Whilst some teams are slightly better at it than others, none play out with any real sense of purpose. It is more like “look at us, we can control possession” and all in a part of the field that matters little. It is more interesting watching the last minute or so of a game when players head to the corner flag and try and hold the ball there...I thought that was bad enough but I find this far worse to watch week in and week out.

Inham's goal was a beaut (world class). I wonder if this could be the turning point for Bris Roar and Robbie Fowler's men---most probably not. WSW are so disjointed and play boring football---I am amazed Babbel hasn't been shown the door by now. Bring on the next Sydney derby :silly: .

Babbel got a stay of execution with that lucky result last week!!, how duke didnt get 2 or 3 games for that blatant kick out and then scores in the following match really grinds my gears :boxing: :boxing: :boxing:

Is that it? An empty paragraph!

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I walked past Mr Bosnich and Ms Rushton at the end of the game and pleaded with them to report it like it really was - an absolute pile of rubbish. Brisbane were just as bad although the actual shot for the second goal was quality in what was a totally uninspiring game and Roar fans would be happy that their team finally scored in first 45 minutes and also won the game but honestly, it was dismal. Glad to say Bozza didn’t hold back!