Once again posting on behalf of El Capitan:
Another win last week, with several excellent performances, particularly in the first half. We looked a lot more compact and difficult to break down when we didn't knock it long, which unfortunately we did revert to a little in the second half. For those of you who are unsure, the point about playing quick balls into feet is that not only will it make us more effective going forward, it will also make us more solid defensively. For example, when we play the ball short and it gets lost, for whatever reason, our formation is not compromised and disrupted as players are scattered all over the pitch chasing after a speculative ball. We will then be much more difficult to break down as we will be still relatively compact, with our midfield and defence in two close lines of four. This is essentially why I wish us to play this way, and, I have to say, the signs are encouraging. I'm certain the more we do this the more comfortable everybody will become in this system, and that ultimately it will make us a much better team.
Another encouraging sign is that quite a few players are adapting to several positions during the course of a game, although with the type of football we are aiming to play this really shouldn't be a problem. Therefore you may get asked to play in a position you feel unfamilar or uncomfortable with. I can guarantee I will only ever do this if I feel it is in the interests of the squad/team. Most people seem happy to play wherever they are asked, but if you do have any positional issues I am always available to discuss them. Or anything else for that matter.
Finally, after three wins it's probably worth mentioning the issue of complacency. It's vital that we look to improve in every game, both individually and as a team. Sometimes it can be helpful to set yourself particular targets during the course of a game. One that iI find quite useful is to try to focus on not giving the ball away as many times as I did the previous week - OK, I don't always manage it, before anybody says anything! Anyway, rather than basking in the glow of the previous week's success we do need to keep focused on the game in front of us. Personally I'm convinced we can improve our levels dramatically in the coming months. Looking at some of our upcoming fixtures I suspect we will need to do this! Anyway, a very positive start to the year with some pretty impressive football being played. More to come I hope, so let's maintain the positive collective spirit we seem to be tapping into, keep winning games and continue to have fun.
Up the Accies.
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