Bonnyrig Dec 12 - A Game of Two Halves

Gentlemen,

we turned up to play football at Bonnyrig with some players trialling, some out injured/away but the all of you ready to perform.

What was clearly displayed, is the fact that:
1. We have the players and are capable of matching any team in the league (0-1 half time)
2. We can easily forget what we are learning and implode to disastrous effect (4-1 full time)

In short, it was a game where we displayed the best and worst of our game.

FIRST HALF
I had a brief chat with all of you before the match and it seemed that for 45 minutes you remembered and followed instructions.
You held the ball when and where you had to (for the most part), and we played within a solid shape where we pressured the opposition as a unit.

Don't get too carried away with the first half scoreline because as I remember it, it took us 15 minutes to get competitive and they missed at least three very good chances to score.

Knowing your place within the team structure and having the discipline to adhere to shape will be our main strength. This takes concentration, trust and confidence in yourself, your teammates and your coach. The defence should not play too deep, the midfield should not hold the ball too long and the strikers should not be isolated. We move and play as a unit with each player having sufficient cover and options so as to keep the opposition guessing as to what we are going to do next.

During this half, we played quick passes when they were on, we dribbled high in their half and the defenders placed themselves well to intercept passes. It all comes from the initial team effort to place the opposition under pressure from the outset, forcing loose or bad passes from them.

Strikers must close early as a unit, midfielders must take position and be alert with defenders knowing exactly where their strikers are. We did this most of the time and they had no answers. This is how we must play.

I will not go into individual performances here, but I have had a chat with you all and discussed the good and bad. Please work with me by listening, discussing and putting a strategy together which will improve your individual game for the benefit of the team.

Finally, the few real opportunities we had have to be converted. Set plays have to be aggressively used to our benefit and shooting must be quick, firm and accurate.

SECOND HALF
My failure at half-time, was that I didn't go around and emphasize how hard they were going to work to overcome us. I also didn't stress enough our need to continue pressing as a team, passing and playing as one. It only took one goal for us to change the way we were playing and totally destroy what we had.

The main problem was that unlike the first half, the defence sat too deep and the midfield did also. This isolated the strikers who reacted by dropping deeper and giving us no avenue to advance quickly. They could play unhurried passes from the back and placed us under pressure. We let them play and they took full advantage.

You must understand that when we have the ball, as often as possible, the first pass must be forward. We can break through the opposition lines more easily by leaving as many of their players as possible on the wrong side of the ball. This pass must be accurate and to feet. Players must be ready to receive and ready to move quickly into support. It's called the transition and we are working on it at training.

The worst thing I saw, was the decision individuals took to carry the ball instead of passing. We have players who can dribble, but beating three players and getting tackled by the fourth serves no purpose. Shooting too early serves no purpose. Arguing serves no purpose. We got sloppy and discipline disappeared. We paid the price.

A summary of the goals:
1st goal - too much space inside the box. The striker was facing away from goals and we should keep him that way by staying tight. Not so tight that we can be turned, just tight enough for him to offload backward.

2nd goal - classic display of players not pushing up quickly enough (to catch strikers offside), and not reading play (to see that a flick header would drop into a moving strikers path). We could have easily prevented by reacting earlier and forcing the opposition to work the ball and not just play hopeful passes (which is what they did to get the goal). It was well taken by their striker.

3rd and 4th goal - lack of concentration and our constant turnovers were too much for our defenders to cope with. This is the result of poor fitness and players following their own path rather than listening to me.

I implore you to work harder at training and work harder on your fitness. A few of you will not make the grade if you continue the way you are going and I will replace you if the team suffers. No-one is safe from expulsion. It's in your hands and I trust you will do the right thing.

Trial Match v Bonnyrig - 9am Sunday Dec 12

Guys,

the match at Bonnyrig Kicks Off at 9am. Please be there at 8am. Here is a link to the Google map page: http://www.google.com.au/maps?q=bonnyrigg+white+eagles&fb=1&gl=au&hq=white+eagles&hnear=Bonnyrigg+New+South+Wales&ie=UTF8&hl=en&view=map&cid=13210413743187656624&iwloc=A&ved=0CEcQpQY&sa=X&ei=t0EATfa0BsfykAXvsdi8Aw

We are trialing some new players and let me be quite frank. Some players will have to show their willingness to listen and play as instructed. If not, I will replace them.

Nestor

Passing and Movement

The exercise in this video you will be familiar with. It was shown at a coaching clinic with the players from NSWIS.

You will notice that they don't do everything perfectly, but they do move and anticipate to receive the ball after a few passes and not first time every time.

This means that they move and make runs, create space and options even though they may not receive the ball.

Passes are firm and not under hit.

The better moves and passes are toward the end. This shows that it takes a little time to work out how to move and play well when the game is introduced and that over time teams get it and improve.

We are capable of this and much more.

Fundamental Errors in Judgement - Loss to Bankstown

The good news is that as footballers, we have a team equipped to do what we set out to do. Individually, you have the basics which we will sharpen and add the missing ingredients. We also improved on our last outing and I expect that we will continue to do so.

What went wrong on the night?

• passing was underweight and inaccurate
• three touch instruction was not followed
• flat footed and static
• failed to move early into position or to challenge
• gave up ball trying to control ball when attacking it was the correct option
• forwards did not create space by running angles and displacing defense
• shooting was non existent due to previous point
• some players were doing too much and others not enough with the ball
• players expected to do things with the ball when the majority of the work is done without the ball
• switching of play was too slow

What went right?

• we attempted to pass as often as possible
• when we pressed as a team, we forced early errors from the opposition
• we were dangerous from set pieces
• we were a collection of better individuals who when combined were the better team
• no one failed to show their true capabilities (although not consistently)
• we showed improvement

I will continue to write about the match and add to this preliminary report. It is important that we learn from every match, every session and improve. Otherwise we will never get to where we want to go. 

Match on tonight 8pm KO

Hi guys,

be there at 7pm for the match tonight.

Pizza afterwards at Jailhouse Pizza 115 Grand Parade, Brighton Le Sands. it's 2 minutes away from the ground.

Jailhouse Rock Pizza Restaurant

http://maps.google.com/?cid=8385850252991873250s=7715430658630275649 -  10 reviews - Place page
www.jailhouse.com.au - 115 The Grand Parade, Brighton-Le-Sands - (02) 9599 0333

Nestor

Training is off - Wed Dec 1

Hi guys,

the grounds are closed today which means no training.

At this stage we are still on for Friday 8pm KO at our new ground. Be there 7pm and pizza afterwards at a nearby restaurant.

Note: During the season we will be road running when grounds are closed.

Training Calendar Nov - Dec - Jan

We train twice weekly (Wed 6.30 and Sunday 10am) from now until mid December.

November 17, 21, 24, 28
December 1, 5, 8, 12, 15

Some (hopefully most) of the Sunday sessions will be organised matches. there will also be some Friday night matches.

In January, training will commence the week of the 17th.

Please follow your fitness program and add ballwork in order to be ready for a good season.

How Fit Do I Have To Be?

 A few of you have asked me give you a fitness program that you can follow. The one I have outlined is for you to complete on days that we are not training. So basically, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday until mid December (when we stop training).

After that it's Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday until training starts in January.

Warm up 500m (two laps)
Stretch
3x30 push-ups
Run 4km in 18 minutes or less
50 Stomach Crunches - opposite knee and elbow touch
50 Stomach Crunches - left side
50 Stomach Crunches  - right side
50 Stomach Crunches  - leg lifts
Cool Down Lap
Stretch

If you keep to the routine and add 1hr of ball-work/dribbling a day, you will be a better player than when we began.

Good football in our own backyard!

It's happening...
There is a definite pathway to good football though our own system. You guys are just one level down from the A-League and this season, the Hyundai A-League has brought us some wonderful stuff.

Look what brisbane did on the weekend: http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/jesse-fink/blog/1030773/Roar-lights-up-the-A-League

Don't take notice of Reinaldo getting a red, that was stupid and we should avoid that. Just look at the running, the defensive work done in groups of two and three which gave adelaide no time at all on the ball.

This is what we are trying to get to. Press early, work together and counter quickly.

The last goal 8:46, shows a forward making a diagonal run to make space. The pass went to the scorer and the shot was brilliant.

Can we do this? Yes we can.

We need to be fit, we need to get together and learn how to play asa team. Take chances and back each other to the end.

See you on the park.

N

Session 1

Ten players present for the first session of the new season.

A decent session with a few rules and expectationa laid out. All players were in fair shape with all requiring intensive fitness sessions.

The questions to all players are:

Do you want to be part of the squad?
Will you commit to getting fitter and more stamina?

If we are all on the same page and we push each other, we will get results.

Remember that our aim is to improve as players, as a team and be competitive every match.

Next Season - What is expected?

We can easily split expectationsfor next season into two sections: Mental and Physical

Physical
Personal skills - touch, accuracy of passing, tricks and skills

10,000 hours to become a potential professional. Practice, juggle, dribble at every opportunity.

Mechanical - speed, stamina, balance and strength

Do not go to the gym and bulk up. Strength comes from the core and from the ability to time your movements that suit you best.
Speed omes from your alertness (reaction time) and your foot speed combined with an efficient running style. Watch the sprinters in this video and you will see that each is taylored to their different bodies, but they all share some common attributes (power through the hips, use of arms, knees high)


Stamina will come from your commitment to run 4-6km four times a week. I expect each of you to be able to run 10-12 laps of a field in 15 minutes. If you can, if we can, we will beat teams on stamina.

Balance will come from you being able to perform on with both feet and adjust on the fly. Trust your eyes and learn to find your centre of balance quickly.

Strength comes from the most basic exercise. Push ups, sit ups, squats and step ups. Sprinting in sand, running up hills.

Mental

You probably haven't given this much thought, but there are a few basic things which we will make our mantra.

1. Focus on you want to happen. Forget the past and don't think about the future. It's about the now.

2. Control the controllable. We can't do anything about the weather, the referee, the pitch, but we can control what we do. we control how we train, how hard we train and how we communicate. That's all we will focus on.

3. No negative comments. No arguing and no dropping your head. It's the inner drive which will help you stand apart.

I expect the highest standard at every training session.

N

Training Wednesday Nov 3 is ON

For those who are afraid of the recent rain, fear not.

Training is on at the old Rockdale Field - Barton Park. Entrance off West Botany Road (across from Spring St)

Use this link to find it:
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=12466078701677214993&q=barton+park+rockdale&hl=en&cd=1&ei=S3jPTNyfDYOguQPGiJzhBg&sig2=rmOguIJM0j-aD3rVNarLOg&dtab=0&sll=-33.9435,151.156341&sspn=0.022216,0.038418&ie=UTF8&ll=-33.937948,151.142478&spn=0,0&t=h&z=16

So you wanna be a football star?

I can fully understand what you guys are dreaming of, and I hope I can assist.

Persist, practice and put in.

The best I can do is try to pass on what I've learnt and help introduce you to modern football. It's a fast moving, physically demanding sport which also requires intelligence.

The most important tools for learning, is your acceptance of other's experiences as you try to build and adapt what you see and learn to suit your style. There are many ways to play and having your own style is very important.

Equally important is the ability to connect with your teammates and create a unit that is greater than the sum of its parts.

So, what's our style going to be for next season?

It's hard to say at this stage, but a high pressing fast moving game is what I hope we can achieve. Use what has been shown by the best over the last years and try to emulate. Read the FIFA Technical Report for the 2010 World Cup and you will see that the game has changed and we are in a position to go with it. Here's and article on it with a great summary:
 http://au.fourfourtwo.com/Features/6727,2010-fifa-world-cup-technical-report.aspx

Focus on the 9 points made and together we will work on how to get our game to the highest standard possible.

Now that we have an almost full squad, it's time to write on what characteristics each position will have to have.

Firstly, every player should be prepared to play in the middle. As I have stated, three positions witth one specialisation is what I expect from each of you.

1. The Spine - these are the central positions on the park: 2 x Center Backs, 2-3 Centre Mids, 1-2 Strikers
Must be able to keep a cool head at all times. Never panic and a high completion rate is expected when passing. Avoid getting caught wide and work quickly together to suffocate the opposition by eliminating their space and time on the ball. Center Backs and Strikers should be strong in the air with the ability to offer something extra in set plays.

2. Back Wings - Intelligent players who can read the game. Consistently win one-on-one battles with a combination of speed, anticipation and makes strong challenges when called to do so. Must be able to support and overlap in attack, but must understand when not to push and be caught out of position.

3. Wide Mids/Wingers - Tricky, fast, tough. Take players on, deliver accurate crosses and support the striker by helping shift defenders and pulling them out of shape. Know when to shoot and when to pass. Take responsibility for swinging into attack and getting into the 18 yard box.

Finally,  prepare to be the fittest you have ever been. Prepare to toughen up without bringing stupidity to your game. Tough is not dirty. Prepare to be better than you opponent because you will never give up, never drop your head and never take a backward step. Back your teammates, encourage and get the best out of each other.

At training, give 100%. I have had the good fortune to play with four Socceroos and I can honestly say that they trained harder than anyone. They never let their talent get to their heads and always lead by example. It's what you should also strive for.

More Teamwork on Display

This may be the re-occuring theme over the next twelve months, but visual examples performed by the world's best is a great tool for explaining what we will be trying to achieve.

Firstly, I have absolutely no issue with individual goals or individual efforts from players. In fact, all players should aspire to continue their individual development every chance they get. It is written that players who aspire to greatness, put in over 10,000 hours of time with a ball at their feet. That's 20 hours a week, every week for about 9 years (without a week off). This is what they've done BEFORE becoming full-time professionals. 

Some of you may become professional footballers one day and I will do my best to help in any way.

So where do we start?

We start with you vising http://www.soccer360.co.uk/chelsea-vs-wolves-live-stream-highlights-23-10-10/ and watching the Chelsea vs Wolves EPL highlights from last Saturday night.

Two well worked team goals which show that if everyone does their job on the training pitch, it pays off during the competition.

The first goals shows sharpness of foot and mind by moving the ball quickly in small triangles. It's followed by a simple cutback cross which goes straight to the striker. He was in the position that was expected and a goal results.

The second shows what one does when they commit to completing the attacking move. Kalou moves forward and passes to Drogba. Drogba angled pass back to Essien  who slides a diagonal pass back to Kalou who had continued his run. Goal.

Too often, we see players who do not receive the ball back immediately just give up their run. They expect only wall (1-2) passes, but a move with three passes (such as this one) is harder for defences to deal with.

Why? Because players can see and read one move ahead yet two moves ahead is too much for defenders to cope with. It's hard to defend against runner that may or may not get the ball, so they let them go after the ball seemed to move the other way (Drogba to Essien pass went away from Kalou). Look carefully at the Wolves' defender tracking Kalou. He sees a pass go in the other direction and slows just a fraction. That's enough in the EPL to cost you a goal. His slowing made it impossible for him to stop the pass reaching the goal scorer.

So in conclusion, we will use our sessions together to become a good team. There will be opportunities to hone individual skills (shooting, dribbling, heading etc), but you will all be expected to do work on your own at home or in the park with your friends. Try not to leave it to coached sessions because the "spark" that great players have is found and developed without coaches watching. It's in the backyard or in the park with friends that you should try out the ridiculous. You have nothing to lose.

See you next session.

N

Trials at Rockdale City - Day 4

A ridiculously difficult job of selecting just 15 players from over 100. I can understand the disappointment felt by the players and it was something I really didn't enjoy.

However, I have total confidence in the players chosen because I gave them several opportunities and they consistently performed. Now the work really begins.....

Teamwork v Individual Brilliance

Guys, I'm not expecting us to hit the lofty heights of these footballers, but there are tips we can take from the best in the world.
Firstly, the two team goals by Torres and Cambiaso display what coaches are always trying to point out.

Puyol makes a great run and delivers a pass, he then continues his run. This is done regardless of wether or not he will recieve the ball. This keeps the defence guessing and gives another option to the attackers. There are a few more examples of that on this video. (point them out)

Cambiaso's goal for Argentina is teamwork at it's best. Notice how often players show for the ball and how many diamonds are formed. The diamond shape gives the ball carrier three options. Short passes are made to players who seem marked and no-one takes on a player stupidly or makes a needless turn. Eventually the goal is a simple finish with a very patient build up.

As for the individual goals, technique, technique, technique. We will try and get as many hours as possible to work on that and hopefully we can all improve together.


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