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Lovely sunny day to greet the 24 players who came out in their bright yellow training tops.Well 23 of them anyway with just Vinnie in sky blue.They gathered for the Pellegrini pre training briefing which was another one of those long ones so clearly important stuff to say before the Hammers game.When they broke off a couple of players didn't stay with the group.Micah we knew about as he tweeted on Saturday about being a "little stiff" plus one of Saturday's team but nothing much there as he was doing extra running with a physio.

And yes Jovetic was working fully with the group and I am pretty sure Rodders was too.A bit of jogging followed by stretches and a few short simple exercises and then a couple of keep ball circles took up the first 20 minutes or so and everything was fairly low key.Always less noise when Micah isn't fully involved.Then Pellegrini got them all organised for some corners and free kicks from all sides and all angles.

He clearly takes them very seriously as I see them worked on most times I am there and he tends to stay close to the player who takes the kick.It's a full range of kicks too which we have seen through all the games so far.They can be short with more than one variety of short ones, or near post,penalty spot or back post.The players seem to know exactly what is going to happen with nothing obvious being shouted as instructions.I think there were 3 goals scored from all the attempts with the first being from an unexpected source.

It was funny watching Yaya trying to do a Skrtel on Kun.Not easy as Kun just ducked a little and wriggled away but very funny to watch.One or two of the players will have headaches from repeatedly heading balls away. It will be interesting to see what the team will be tomorrow. When this part ended the Saturday team went in leaving the rest to play a passing game and probably finish with some shooting but that's where I called it a day as they went to the far end of the pitch for the final part.

I hope you brought a cushion for that tree.

carl_feedthegoat wrote:I hope you brought a cushion for that tree.

That's my tree, fucker!

Cheers Doug.

Beefymcfc wrote:

carl_feedthegoat wrote:I hope you brought a cushion for that tree.

That's my tree, fucker!

Cheers Doug.

Just wish I could get up it.I had a long look today but decided I didn't need a hospital visit later on.

Were Huws and Lopes there Doug or any other kids training with the 1st team??

ruralblue wrote:Were Huws and Lopes there Doug or any other kids training with the 1st team??

Lopes was but I don't think Huws was.There was one other tho but I am keeping quiet till tomorrow :)

I wonder if this means we'll see Boyata at RB tomorrow.

Douglas Higginbottom wrote: Lopes was but I don't think Huws was.There was one other tho but I am keeping quiet till tomorrow :)

That and Jovotic are about the most interesting things about this game.

Has a semi final ever been so lacking in I excitement up both teams? At least it's in a good way for us.

Great read. Cheers Doug

Great read when get home from work.

don't know what you think, Doug but for me the biggest tactical improvement over he who shall not be named for fear of neo Christian self flagellation breaking out is that we have worked on crossers and attackers having a clear idea of where to be. How often under the aforesaid did two strikers appear at the near post and the ball at the far. How often did Zab break into the box and no one apparently have a clue where it was going.And, as somesay, it aint rocket science.

getdressedmctavish wrote:don't know what you think, Doug but for me the biggest tactical improvement over he who shall not be named for fear of neo Christian self flagellation breaking out is that we have worked on crossers and attackers having a clear idea of where to be. How often under the aforesaid did two strikers appear at the near post and the ball at the far. How often did Zab break into the box and no one apparently have a clue where it was going.And, as somesay, it aint rocket science.

Funny, I often saw Vinnie making that near post run at corners when he who shall not be named was in charge.

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

getdressedmctavish wrote:don't know what you think, Doug but for me the biggest tactical improvement over he who shall not be named for fear of neo Christian self flagellation breaking out is that we have worked on crossers and attackers having a clear idea of where to be. How often under the aforesaid did two strikers appear at the near post and the ball at the far. How often did Zab break into the box and no one apparently have a clue where it was going.And, as somesay, it aint rocket science.

Funny, I often saw Vinnie making that near post run at corners when he who shall not be named was in charge.

At corners you saw it once or twice, but nothing like the kind of planning we are seeing now. You didn't often see many strikers making near post runs or crosses finding their man near post far post on the ground or in the air, & you didn't see strikers stepping over the ball when one runs in behind etc etc etc.

Last year, when we played Watford. Their shit strikers had more idea of how to combine together than our world class ones did.

Doug.

Is your 'secret' extra player Denayer & are we going to play 3-4-3 like the U16s apparently did yesterday ?

Ted Hughes wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

getdressedmctavish wrote:don't know what you think, Doug but for me the biggest tactical improvement over he who shall not be named for fear of neo Christian self flagellation breaking out is that we have worked on crossers and attackers having a clear idea of where to be. How often under the aforesaid did two strikers appear at the near post and the ball at the far. How often did Zab break into the box and no one apparently have a clue where it was going.And, as somesay, it aint rocket science.

Funny, I often saw Vinnie making that near post run at corners when he who shall not be named was in charge.

At corners you saw it once or twice, but nothing like the kind of planning we are seeing now. You didn't often see many strikers making near post runs or crosses finding their man near post far post on the ground or in the air, & you didn't see strikers stepping over the ball when one runs in behind etc etc etc.

Last year, when we played Watford. Their shit strikers had more idea of how to combine together than our world class ones did.

Doug.

Is your 'secret' extra player Denayer & are we going to play 3-4-3 like the U16s apparently did yesterday ?

I saw it quite often in fact. The problem being lack of variation and also poor deliveries. The variation part has definitely been adressed by Pellegrini and when those near post runs are being made they're not just being made by the same player every time with Demichelis, Kolarov and Garcia getting in on the act this season.

I wonder how long it will be before the opposition study our corners? On Sat against Cardiff Navas went to take a corner and Silva strolled over and stood on the edge of the area and not one Cardiff player moved towards him. It was obvious it was a training ground routine and that Silva would be recipient on the floor.... If many of us can see it, I dont understand why the Pro's dont.

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

getdressedmctavish wrote:don't know what you think, Doug but for me the biggest tactical improvement over he who shall not be named for fear of neo Christian self flagellation breaking out is that we have worked on crossers and attackers having a clear idea of where to be. How often under the aforesaid did two strikers appear at the near post and the ball at the far. How often did Zab break into the box and no one apparently have a clue where it was going.And, as somesay, it aint rocket science.

Funny, I often saw Vinnie making that near post run at corners when he who shall not be named was in charge.

At corners you saw it once or twice, but nothing like the kind of planning we are seeing now. You didn't often see many strikers making near post runs or crosses finding their man near post far post on the ground or in the air, & you didn't see strikers stepping over the ball when one runs in behind etc etc etc.

Last year, when we played Watford. Their shit strikers had more idea of how to combine together than our world class ones did.

Doug.

Is your 'secret' extra player Denayer & are we going to play 3-4-3 like the U16s apparently did yesterday ?

I saw it quite often in fact. The problem being lack of variation and also poor deliveries. The variation part has definitely been adressed by Pellegrini and when those near post runs are being made they're not just being made by the same player every time with Demichelis, Kolarov and Garcia getting in on the act this season.

Agree. But there are always players making runs to the near post at corner kicks everywhere. The difference is that now they are doing it for a reason & there is a decent chance the ball may be involved. Rarely in the past did the ball actually have anything to do with it, that's what I mean by my 'once or twice' comment.

What mctavish is talking about though, is more purpose from open play & players going near/far post in the expectation the ball may go there (still not doing it enough yet imo, but getting there).

I used to sit in line & watch our overlapping fullbacks run through, dither, then pass the ball to the nearest defender or back to a player stood trying to cross on his wrong foot with nobody to cross to, whilst our strikers stood on the edge of the box or at the far post & it drove me mental. It was such a waste of talent.

And we NEVER hit a first time cross, & on the flukey occasion we did, none of the strikers was expecting it because it never happens.

We had one wide move, the one we did v the rags with Milner/Richards etc. Everyone saw that on the day, & that was half our attacking plan sussed for the next two years.

It's great that we have a lot of variations from corners but always the bottom line for me is that there is real intent with lots of aggressive movement.Too often we sort of lumped it in and hoped and of course tried that near post routine where we didn't clear the first defender.

Of course I must not disclose exactly what they do but as Ted says it's not real rocket science as they do it time and again in actual matches for all to see.The beauty of course is they don't have one idea but plenty.The short one will be used a lot if the defence don't move into position to stop it.If they do it takes a player away and another option will become apparent.Exactly who decides on which one to go for and how it's communicated is another interesting aspect.

As for whether it's Denayer and we might play 3.4.3 the answer is no it's not Denayer and I don't have a clue if they will play 3.4.3.I very much doubt it.Not sure Rusnak would fit into a 3.4.3 :)

How would you rate Micah's chances of starting Doug? I'm guessing if he wasn't fully involved the day before a game they would be slim.

Ted Hughes wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

getdressedmctavish wrote:don't know what you think, Doug but for me the biggest tactical improvement over he who shall not be named for fear of neo Christian self flagellation breaking out is that we have worked on crossers and attackers having a clear idea of where to be. How often under the aforesaid did two strikers appear at the near post and the ball at the far. How often did Zab break into the box and no one apparently have a clue where it was going.And, as somesay, it aint rocket science.

Funny, I often saw Vinnie making that near post run at corners when he who shall not be named was in charge.

At corners you saw it once or twice, but nothing like the kind of planning we are seeing now. You didn't often see many strikers making near post runs or crosses finding their man near post far post on the ground or in the air, & you didn't see strikers stepping over the ball when one runs in behind etc etc etc.

Last year, when we played Watford. Their shit strikers had more idea of how to combine together than our world class ones did.

Doug.

Is your 'secret' extra player Denayer & are we going to play 3-4-3 like the U16s apparently did yesterday ?

I saw it quite often in fact. The problem being lack of variation and also poor deliveries. The variation part has definitely been adressed by Pellegrini and when those near post runs are being made they're not just being made by the same player every time with Demichelis, Kolarov and Garcia getting in on the act this season.

Agree. But there are always players making runs to the near post at corner kicks everywhere. The difference is that now they are doing it for a reason & there is a decent chance the ball may be involved. Rarely in the past did the ball actually have anything to do with it, that's what I mean by my 'once or twice' comment.

What mctavish is talking about though, is more purpose from open play & players going near/far post in the expectation the ball may go there (still not doing it enough yet imo, but getting there).

I used to sit in line & watch our overlapping fullbacks run through, dither, then pass the ball to the nearest defender or back to a player stood trying to cross on his wrong foot with nobody to cross to, whilst our strikers stood on the edge of the box or at the far post & it drove me mental. It was such a waste of talent.

And we NEVER hit a first time cross, & on the flukey occasion we did, none of the strikers was expecting it because it never happens.

We had one wide move, the one we did v the rags with Milner/Richards etc. Everyone saw that on the day, & that was half our attacking plan sussed for the next two years.

I've just read mctavish's post again and I hold my hands up, I thought he was referring exclusively to set pieces, apologies.

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:How would you rate Micah's chances of starting Doug? I'm guessing if he wasn't fully involved the day before a game they would be slim.

I agree with you.I am sure Pellers would have wanted to play him but it would seem an unnecessary risk.