Brown Nose
Well-Known Member
In his post match interview, NP referenced how remarkably a number of his players had improved this year.
This could have happened as a result of excellent coaching on the training ground, but I don't think it has. The sports science department appear to me to be key to us getting more out of the players. This department of the club is excellent as shown in the Late Kick Off feature last week. The players watch their performances and are shown technically what is good/bad etc and they are encouraged to learn more about themselves. They're also superbly prepared physically for matches.
What I think is missing is decent actual coaching. A couple of examples to illustrate my point. Chris Wood recently said how much he feels he's learnt from sitting on the bench with Kevin Phillips who has been talking to him about things like positional play and technical movement for a striker. The total void of this from the actual coaches being the thing that was unsaid but obvious.
The second example would be the appallingly useless set pieces both in attacking and defensive perspectives. Last night, we again conceded to a bog standard cross into our box. Craig Shakespeare is apparently in charge of organising us defensively from set pieces and he's making a pretty shoddy job of it. We have players with a physical presence but they are so often not where they're supposed to be. It's rank poor coaching. Likewise, Mike Stowell (remarkable but true) is in charge of our attacking set pieces in training. If we'd relied on goals from set pieces this season, we'd be relegated. Only Barnsley have scored less than us. Since NP returned, I'd venture a guess that we've scored fewer goals from corners than any other team in any league. Why people shout and clap when we get a corner is beyond me. We've more of a threat from a goal kick.
I think we're missing technical coaches that can organise and improve what we've got both in terms of the sort of thing KP talked to CW about and simply being prepared and rehearsed when attacking or defending a corner/free kick. Chris Powell could be an answer as he was notably good as first team coach under NP before moving to Charlton. Could he be tempted to return? Whatever we do, I think we'll be found out at the higher level without better coaching and it is the only significant problem we've got at the moment. As I say, aside from this we've got pretty much everything else covered.
One or two more coaches working with the first team squad could prove to be more important than any signings this summer.
This could have happened as a result of excellent coaching on the training ground, but I don't think it has. The sports science department appear to me to be key to us getting more out of the players. This department of the club is excellent as shown in the Late Kick Off feature last week. The players watch their performances and are shown technically what is good/bad etc and they are encouraged to learn more about themselves. They're also superbly prepared physically for matches.
What I think is missing is decent actual coaching. A couple of examples to illustrate my point. Chris Wood recently said how much he feels he's learnt from sitting on the bench with Kevin Phillips who has been talking to him about things like positional play and technical movement for a striker. The total void of this from the actual coaches being the thing that was unsaid but obvious.
The second example would be the appallingly useless set pieces both in attacking and defensive perspectives. Last night, we again conceded to a bog standard cross into our box. Craig Shakespeare is apparently in charge of organising us defensively from set pieces and he's making a pretty shoddy job of it. We have players with a physical presence but they are so often not where they're supposed to be. It's rank poor coaching. Likewise, Mike Stowell (remarkable but true) is in charge of our attacking set pieces in training. If we'd relied on goals from set pieces this season, we'd be relegated. Only Barnsley have scored less than us. Since NP returned, I'd venture a guess that we've scored fewer goals from corners than any other team in any league. Why people shout and clap when we get a corner is beyond me. We've more of a threat from a goal kick.
I think we're missing technical coaches that can organise and improve what we've got both in terms of the sort of thing KP talked to CW about and simply being prepared and rehearsed when attacking or defending a corner/free kick. Chris Powell could be an answer as he was notably good as first team coach under NP before moving to Charlton. Could he be tempted to return? Whatever we do, I think we'll be found out at the higher level without better coaching and it is the only significant problem we've got at the moment. As I say, aside from this we've got pretty much everything else covered.
One or two more coaches working with the first team squad could prove to be more important than any signings this summer.
