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Will we stay up? (We need c. 40 points from 30 games.) on 13:42 - Nov 16 by BrianMcCarthy
I don't get the concept that goalscoring can't be improved from coaching; that you either have it or you don't. It's something even some players and managers say, and certainly some commentators, and it's lazy. Some commentators go on like goalscorers are born fully formed like Buddhist reincarnations.
Why should goalscoring be the only football aspect that can't be improved through the acquisition of knowledge, through the practicing of technical skills, through increased strength and conditioning? There's no logic to that, in my book.
If we look at all the truisms of recognised goalscorers:
"One run for the defender, then one for yourself" "Attack the spaces where the defenders aren't" "Head hard crosses back in the direction they came from"
They will all improve goalscorers' ability once learned, but they all have to be learned at some stage. Great goalscorers don't come out of the womb lecturing to the doctor about near-post runs.
When we look at our strikers, I see very little improvement in their knowledge or skills. This could be down to insufficient coaching, they might not be very coachable compared to others, they might be nervous, lacking in confidence or resistent to change. But I don't buy that their craft can't be improved if the conditions aren't right.
Otherwise, for instance, how do we explain Les Ferdinand's transformation before our very eyes.
Of course coaching should help Brian, but that would be getting the player into the correct positions to score goals. That is no guarentee that the player will then be able to finish! Our problem is that our "strikers" are poor at penalty area movement as well as finishing, but improving that should increase the likelihood of converting.
I can't recall anyone apart from Geoff Hurst that became a year after year goalscorer solely through coaching. He was a very average midfield player until West Ham converted him, just in time for 1966! Perhaps he always had the ability, but never played in the position?
Hopefully our trio will improve. We badly need them to!
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Will we stay up? (We need c. 40 points from 30 games.) on 15:15 - Nov 16 with 1318 views
Will we stay up? (We need c. 40 points from 30 games.) on 13:42 - Nov 16 by BrianMcCarthy
I don't get the concept that goalscoring can't be improved from coaching; that you either have it or you don't. It's something even some players and managers say, and certainly some commentators, and it's lazy. Some commentators go on like goalscorers are born fully formed like Buddhist reincarnations.
Why should goalscoring be the only football aspect that can't be improved through the acquisition of knowledge, through the practicing of technical skills, through increased strength and conditioning? There's no logic to that, in my book.
If we look at all the truisms of recognised goalscorers:
"One run for the defender, then one for yourself" "Attack the spaces where the defenders aren't" "Head hard crosses back in the direction they came from"
They will all improve goalscorers' ability once learned, but they all have to be learned at some stage. Great goalscorers don't come out of the womb lecturing to the doctor about near-post runs.
When we look at our strikers, I see very little improvement in their knowledge or skills. This could be down to insufficient coaching, they might not be very coachable compared to others, they might be nervous, lacking in confidence or resistent to change. But I don't buy that their craft can't be improved if the conditions aren't right.
Otherwise, for instance, how do we explain Les Ferdinand's transformation before our very eyes.
I agree with your premise to an extent, but I do believe there is an instinctual element to it. I believe it is something some people are better suited to than others. For all his faults, Austin had that instinct, even when he was crap for us, you could see he was still looking for the goal. I don't see that with Dykes, but I do see that with Armstrong, who I believe could be coached, because when he does pick up the ball, he at least heads in the right direction! Dykes is never going to be a prolific goal scorer for us, but he has attributes to his game which we can use to our advantage, but he's not an instinctive goal scorer.
What you describe as a lack of confidence/nerves I think is part of that 'instinctual' element you can't coach.
Might seem lazy to you, but if it really was all down to coaching then it would be the coaches that were being sold in the transfer window for hundreds of millions and not the players!
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Will we stay up? (We need c. 40 points from 30 games.) on 16:32 - Nov 16 with 1241 views
Will we stay up? (We need c. 40 points from 30 games.) on 10:19 - Nov 16 by NorthantsHoop
Our key to staying up will be going ahead in games, especially at home where the real problem lies. Think Marti will get us playing but our weakness is not getting anything to hold into, we he have looked very nervous at home and for the past year watching QPR at home as soon as the away side score you see the heads visibly drop and it falls apart. This is the mentality that Marti has to change and he may be the one to get them in the right place again to compete. Positive signs from both Rotherham and Bristol games we were actually passing to each other and playing more through the centre of midfield, still think we need to get Chair in a more central midfield role. Getting players to unleash more shots early around 18 yard box is an opportunity for Chair, Colback and Dozell to up the goal tally as we are going to need these type of players to deliver.
Agree with your points,
I too believe Chair as a CAM in a 3 playing in that space behind a narrow front 3 of Willock/Dykes/Smyth will bring the best out of Chair,
I think Chair has a better range of passing than Dozell (who only tends to pass short with the inside of his foot, very rarely passing long or lifting the ball over the defensive line) and Chair can also shoot from distance (remember Stevenage worldies) and think this change may lead to us creating more chances which for me is our most pressing priority.
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Will we stay up? (We need c. 40 points from 30 games.) on 19:36 - Nov 16 with 1110 views
Will we stay up? (We need c. 40 points from 30 games.) on 13:42 - Nov 16 by BrianMcCarthy
I don't get the concept that goalscoring can't be improved from coaching; that you either have it or you don't. It's something even some players and managers say, and certainly some commentators, and it's lazy. Some commentators go on like goalscorers are born fully formed like Buddhist reincarnations.
Why should goalscoring be the only football aspect that can't be improved through the acquisition of knowledge, through the practicing of technical skills, through increased strength and conditioning? There's no logic to that, in my book.
If we look at all the truisms of recognised goalscorers:
"One run for the defender, then one for yourself" "Attack the spaces where the defenders aren't" "Head hard crosses back in the direction they came from"
They will all improve goalscorers' ability once learned, but they all have to be learned at some stage. Great goalscorers don't come out of the womb lecturing to the doctor about near-post runs.
When we look at our strikers, I see very little improvement in their knowledge or skills. This could be down to insufficient coaching, they might not be very coachable compared to others, they might be nervous, lacking in confidence or resistent to change. But I don't buy that their craft can't be improved if the conditions aren't right.
Otherwise, for instance, how do we explain Les Ferdinand's transformation before our very eyes.
Les scored goals albeit in the Non-League before he came to us. He was getting acclimatised to the level of football we were at. Always looked sharp before he went to Turkey, but never really given the full run in the team.
But when he came back - WOW! I think once he got used to the quality of the First Division and then the Prem, those natural instincts* kicked back in.
*or God given talent or youth coaching whatever you prefer.
The best goalscorers have always been that at whatever level they graduate through; as earlier posters have said, it is extremely rare that someone goes from a mediocre scoring record to a fantastic one and as per my earlier post, those that do tend to be a one season wonder.
I agree with you though that instinctively this is not right, but the evidence I see is that there is some truth in the fact that it can't be coached.
Will we stay up? (We need c. 40 points from 30 games.) on 15:01 - Nov 16 by terryb
Of course coaching should help Brian, but that would be getting the player into the correct positions to score goals. That is no guarentee that the player will then be able to finish! Our problem is that our "strikers" are poor at penalty area movement as well as finishing, but improving that should increase the likelihood of converting.
I can't recall anyone apart from Geoff Hurst that became a year after year goalscorer solely through coaching. He was a very average midfield player until West Ham converted him, just in time for 1966! Perhaps he always had the ability, but never played in the position?
Hopefully our trio will improve. We badly need them to!
Fair points, Terry, Joe and Davman.
I'm not measuring any of our boys for the Golden Boot just yet, but Rangers should be able to coach improvements into them.
"The opposite of love, after all, is not hate, but indifference."
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