Training

[zuricity]

So just maybe the things that get said and done in training are being ignored by some of the players. Doug watches them train, but none of us are partial to what gets said in the dressing room or at the hotels in their match preparations.

Going one up so early I thought that this was going to be the day we take a team to the cleaners. However lack of concentration on Micahs behalf , played them all onside for the first goal. ( Holding the line is so important, like john68 says
pub teams can do this , so how come the profis can't ?). It is that simple.

I doubt if Doug will have seen Mancini giving Tevez strict instructions about that.

Re holding the line etc, I referred to it in an earlier post; if you keep swapping players, you'll struggle to have a solid back 4. Before Micah did that, Kolarov did an even worse one in open play which led to a Brum runner being totally free on goal if they'd got a simple pass right. It was like Huddersfield in their 1-10 at Maine Rd. Jerome was winning header after header & should have scored, not because he suddenly became Joe Royle in the air but because nobody picked him up.

When Micah played them onside, who was in charge of the line? Did anyone even bother to look to remind everyone to be careful? They all did what they always do; watched the ball. If they were a settled back 4 they would all be shouting at each other & if it happened, there'd be an inquest & big barney after the game.

Fooitballers can't be trusted to do their jobs defending at anything btw, you have to brainwash them & it often takes time & a settled defence. We've had the time but not the settled defence.

I still don't think the problem for that first goal was Micah not holding the line. A free kicj from that angle should never be allowed to reah the keeper.They practice/train with a player in that line every day but for some reason for that free kick nobody was there.

Well Doug, I can't accept that one! Micah is in the left back position and starts moving towards our goal playing them on side. He has a view of all players, but moves towards goal instead of away from it. Unforgiveable at this level of the game.

[brite blu sky]

Haven't read the thread in detail, so apos if this is repeating anything. Is there anything in the idea that Mancini arrives.. concentrates on shoring up the defensive duties of the team... slowly but surely we get to be pretty mean, but the play is defensive in nature. Then he gets the players he is wanting and we look to attack more and slowly but surely we have lost the meanness. Are we just swerving out of a skid.. overreacting both ways?

As this is Doug's thread on training, then the question has to be asked if there is any difference in the training routines now from the earlier part of Bob's time here ?

Anyway, expect Bob to go back to basics and start grinding out results. Get the 1-0 and then wait for other chances but dont worry if they dont come.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Haven't read the thread in detail, so apos if this is repeating anything. Is there anything in the idea that Mancini arrives.. concentrates on shoring up the defensive duties of the team... slowly but surely we get to be pretty mean, but the play is defensive in nature. Then he gets the players he is wanting and we look to attack more and slowly but surely we have lost the meanness. Are we just swerving out of a skid.. overreacting both ways?

As this is Doug's thread on training, then the question has to be asked if there is any difference in the training routines now from the earlier part of Bob's time here ?

Anyway, expect Bob to go back to basics and start grinding out results. Get the 1-0 and then wait for other chances but dont worry if they dont come.

I think that's the way Mancini sees it! In his pre WBA interview he basically says he would like three 1 nil wins.

[Nige]

nice one doug.

do you think you'll still 'up the ladders' when City finally move to Clayton?

[Douglas Higginbottom]

nice one doug.

do you think you'll still 'up the ladders' when City finally move to Clayton?

Certainly hope not.

[Ted Hughes]

So just maybe the things that get said and done in training are being ignored by some of the players. Doug watches them train, but none of us are partial to what gets said in the dressing room or at the hotels in their match preparations.

Going one up so early I thought that this was going to be the day we take a team to the cleaners. However lack of concentration on Micahs behalf , played them all onside for the first goal. ( Holding the line is so important, like john68 says
pub teams can do this , so how come the profis can't ?). It is that simple.

I doubt if Doug will have seen Mancini giving Tevez strict instructions about that.

Re holding the line etc, I referred to it in an earlier post; if you keep swapping players, you'll struggle to have a solid back 4. Before Micah did that, Kolarov did an even worse one in open play which led to a Brum runner being totally free on goal if they'd got a simple pass right. It was like Huddersfield in their 1-10 at Maine Rd. Jerome was winning header after header & should have scored, not because he suddenly became Joe Royle in the air but because nobody picked him up.

When Micah played them onside, who was in charge of the line? Did anyone even bother to look to remind everyone to be careful? They all did what they always do; watched the ball. If they were a settled back 4 they would all be shouting at each other & if it happened, there'd be an inquest & big barney after the game.

Fooitballers can't be trusted to do their jobs defending at anything btw, you have to brainwash them & it often takes time & a settled defence. We've had the time but not the settled defence.

I still don't think the problem for that first goal was Micah not holding the line. A free kicj from that angle should never be allowed to reah the keeper.They practice/train with a player in that line every day but for some reason for that free kick nobody was there.

Well Doug, I can't accept that one! Micah is in the left back position and starts moving towards our goal playing them on side. He has a view of all players, but moves towards goal instead of away from it. Unforgiveable at this level of the game.

Think back to every single game we've played this season & try to remember one single occasion where our players have not moved toward our goal in that situation & have successfully played the oppo offside. If you can think of more than one occasion, I'll suspect you're telling porkies!

Every single one of our defenders does what Micah did, on a regular basis as do most teams. You can't just the hold up your hands & let the oppo score because someone moved a bit too quickly. From a straight ball you have a chance but from a diagonal? It's Russian Roulette playing like that. What if someone makes a late run? They'd be totally unmarked.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

That's about the way I see it Ted. I am pretty sure Mancini organises them to all do what Micah did but that kick should not get through to the keeper.It was a crap free kick which could have been cleared by a 12 year old doing his job.

[the_georgian_genius]

Zonal marking is designed for you to not worry about the man, you concentrate on the ball and the ball only, so that means if the ball is heading into your zone YOU deal with it, if it is heading towards the zone behind you but you can deal with it YOU deal with it unless you get a shout from the man behind you. Zonal marking and man marking cannot stop a great timed run with a beaitifully timed ball into the box.

First half of this season zonal marking was never mentioned, because we never conceded from set pieces because the players were doing their jobs, second half of the season it has happen more frequently because players arent doing their jobs.

[Ted Hughes]

Zonal marking is designed for you to not worry about the man, you concentrate on the ball and the ball only, so that means if the ball is heading into your zone YOU deal with it, if it is heading towards the zone behind you but you can deal with it YOU deal with it unless you get a shout from the man behind you. Zonal marking and man marking cannot stop a great timed run with a beaitifully timed ball into the box.

First half of this season zonal marking was never mentioned, because we never conceded from set pieces because the players were doing their jobs, second half of the season it has happen more frequently because players arent doing their jobs.

We were lucky earlier as Chelsea for example, should have had 4 goals from free headers from corners etc. So should Spurs.

It's true that the players are not doing their jobs but your description of zonal marking is totally inaccurate. You're not all supposed to watch the ball at all & you ARE supposed to worry about the players, in fact some are supposed to mainly worry about the players & block them. This is the kind of stuff that keeps coming up re zonal marking & it's all old wive's tales (will I get sacked for that?)

Also; who said we were all marking zonally for that free kick? How do you know that? Presumably we were all marking a zone at the edge of the penalty are then?

It's not about zonal or non zonal it's about organisation. Doing this stuff right is Bob's job as well as the players & BOTH are failing.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Interesting listening to Graeme Souness on tv today talking about the training regime at Liverpool when he went there. Sounds very like City now with warm up's ,stretches and lots of 5 a side play but nothing on tactics , nothing on set pieces,no time spent on the oppositon etc.

Liverpool were decent then weren't they?