You're the Coach: Question #3

[mjp]

Now - I guess I don't want to tell anyone how to suck eggs but the intercepts are an intentional red herring.

The TIME OF POSSESSION - Saints controlling the ball is the 'REAL' problem here. They are "controlling the ball" and "methodically working it down the ground".

[Grantysghost]

Momentum shifts in games.

If you sense it happening; shore things up, call a slow down play take the heat out of it by managing/controlling the game.

For me that's numbers back, win possession or stoppage and then play keepings off positional football. Chip it up the line, force it out worst case.
Might only be for 5 to 10 minutes or until we pull one back.
Percentage play for me.

[jazzadogs]

Now - I guess I don't want to tell anyone how to suck eggs but the intercepts are an intentional red herring.

The TIME OF POSSESSION - Saints controlling the ball is the 'REAL' problem here. They are "controlling the ball" and "methodically working it down the ground".

I missed methodically working it down the ground - that gives me flashbacks to the Freo game
at Marvel where we sat a couple of metres off everything and let them do as they pleased. That requires immediate action - has our zone broken down? Does having an extra back actually help, or just give them a loose somewhere else to attack through? I think my initial message would just be to tighten up the zone - reduce the gaps, be proactive in shutting down space, push up to stand the mark and get in their faces - put them under pressure and force the mistake.

If all they are doing is 'controlling the ball' but not progressing with it, just switching back and forth trying to find a gap that we don't give them, that's a win. A well organised side can control the ball for large periods, but if our defensive setup is good enough they still won't score consistently.

I've never coached, so these are just opinions.

[soupman]

It's hardly panic stations yet, so I'd be doing the least intrusive change which is focus on trying to break up their possession and adopt a less attacking mentality, so drop the winger back. It doesn't seem as if our attacking play is coming through them anyway and if asking Anthony Scott to play slightly more defensive hurts us then we're in bigger trouble than it appears.

Of course Jono Brown would is asking where the "tell our players to want it more" option is.

[Mofra]

Our most common reaction over the past two years is to treat our HFF as another midfielder. I voted the forward line mix as if we play two accountable running HFF types then we should be better prepared on transition from our F50