You're the Manager

[McBain]

I'm introducing 'You're the Manager' out of pure frustration of the dire pap being served up by our sides in the face of total domination. Its not a position we thrive in. We have 75% of the ball and 0% meaningful chances. Have your say and tell the squad what you think.

I'm starting with crosses, and dead balls.

Simple task really when you look at it.
Hit the ball into the middle of the park to a team mate with sufficient velocity and trajectory to your advantage.

Week in week out, the level of crossings/set plays produced by our team is not even good enough for your local league.

If I see Baines float/waft another meaningless ball in, my head will explode. He has to start hitting them with some power or let someone who can do it.

Freekicks which are out shooting rage need to be drilled into the posts, where just a glance will pop them in the back of the net. Corners need to varied so your hitting a short one every now and then, your putting it on the front post, back post, penalty spot.

Overlapping play gets you to the byline and drill it across the box. Thats how we used to get the danger men on the end of danger balls.

Sort it out DM

 

[Hayee]

Baines, no more set pieces for you boy, you rarely clear the first man. Pienaar, step up but concentrate! (to the set piece berth recently vacated by leighton)

 

[Dublintoff]

Whatever happened to pienaar taking corners and frees, i seem to remember him taking a few even when arteta was on the pitch, anything has to be better than baines or billy taking them. Think cahill being off his game this season is a big reason why we are not converting as much from crosses from wide areas. How many times in the past did we hear opposition players and management say how hard it was to mark him and how he would just ghost in to the box to get on the end of something, its simply not happening anymore. Obviously getting the unknown quantity of coleman on the pitch instead of the predictable hibbert would help also.

 

[Hayee]

Yak do some extra training, slim down and speed up

 

[MapleLeafEvertonian]

What would I do when we have all of the possession?

Simply say to the players, don't rush it. Don't immediately go for the cross, pass it around. You see top teams have a team pinned in their box they don't immediately cross it in, they pass it around until they think they have a perfect chance to score. Give the likes of Cahill, felli and Saha the time to get in the box before you take the cross, try and see if you can get that perfect pass to a striker etc. Just don't rush, as I have said. Also keep it time, too many times Sunderland had us on the counter and we don't have the fastest defenders in the world. Oh and yeah, Pienaar to take crosses, gotta love Baines but his crosses just aren't as good.

 

[TX Bill]

I recall Arteta having issues in beating the first man on set pieces so Baines started taking more of them.

Must be something in the water at Finch Farm.

 

[Brownie]

It really does surprise me how ignorant people are about free kicks and corners.

Chipping it into an area - fairly easy to do but a bit [Poor language removed] as keeper can just come and collect if not accurate to 0.0001mm.

Gently curling it in - harder than you think and still not very good as gives an easy defensive header and often just misses everyone out and goes out of play.

Whipping it in with pace - often results in hitting the first man as ball must be kept at fairly regular height all the way through flight otherwise gives attackers no chance of connecting with it.

To conclude, taking a good free kick cross or corner is REALLY ******* DIFFICULT. Hence why only five or six players in the ENTIRE LEAGUE can do it with any kind of consistency and a big part of the reason why Beckham was such a good player.

 

[TX Bill]

Very good points.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

- Cut out hoofball. As an incentive dock a players wages every time he hopelessly punts the ball upfield and gives possession back to the opposing team.

- Billy to take our set pieces, which includes corners and direct free kicks. Meanwhile have Leighton Baines practice them until he can actually complete a cross, then re-evaluate.

- Teach them how to tackle, or at least not to conceed as many stupid fouls.

- Have more shots on goal ffs! Let's face it, you won't score unless you try, and trying to walk the ball into the net still only counts as one goal.

- Move around more. I know it was the sh*te who more or less became known for the motto "pass and move.." but jesus christ for naturally good footballing sides it actually works. We're too slow out of the traps and the players simply need a rocket up their arse to get them moving with any great effort.

 

[Rook]

How about we just sign Delap? At least he can get a quality ball in the box.

 

[McBain]

It really does surprise me how ignorant people are about free kicks and corners.

Chipping it into an area - fairly easy to do but a bit [Poor language removed] as keeper can just come and collect if not accurate to 0.0001mm.

Gently curling it in - harder than you think and still not very good as gives an easy defensive header and often just misses everyone out and goes out of play.

Whipping it in with pace - often results in hitting the first man as ball must be kept at fairly regular height all the way through flight otherwise gives attackers no chance of connecting with it.

To conclude, taking a good free kick cross or corner is REALLY ******* DIFFICULT. Hence why only five or six players in the ENTIRE LEAGUE can do it with any kind of consistency and a big part of the reason why Beckham was such a good player.

Come on Brownie, its not rocket science.

Welly that ball in there and you get pandemonium. Float it in and its such a waste, as we've seen all year.

I'm a Sunday footyball player and I can take better corners than the Pap sent into the box from our team.

 

[Upper Sturry Sherbets]

If I was the manager I'd take 'em all off to Disneyland Paris for a short break, have Hibbert and Cahill go on the water chutes and Yakubu can try his hand at hook a duck or something, it would do wonders for morale.

This is a tried and tested method with former teams on their way to glory actually, don't knock it.

failing that, a bit more endeavor in the final third.

 

[Brownie]

Come on Brownie, its not rocket science.

Welly that ball in there and you get pandemonium. Float it in and its such a waste, as we've seen all year.

I'm a Sunday footyball player and I can take better corners than the Pap sent into the box from our team.

Your jaunty tone makes me not want to argue with you

 

[McBain]

Your jaunty tone makes me not want to argue with you

If you were on the end of one of my zingers into the box you'd be slotting it home, not having a cry like they seem to be doing nowadays.

Thats another thing.

How much whingeing and whineing and carrying on do they do out there. Chucking the toys out of the pram every five seconds for every decision under the sun.

Get on with it of GTFO in my book. Wah wah wah, suck it in and get back in the mix.

Rich cry babies nowadays.

 

[Hayee]

I recall Arteta having issues in beating the first man on set pieces so Baines started taking more of them.

Must be something in the water at Finch Farm.

Baines took over when Arteta got injured