What was going to be a difficult game was made even harder by the this week not so Mighty Weekenders. City Development are a young pacey side, and were strengthened by a couple of players from City Seconds. While these players had a large influence on the game the Weekenders themselves also played a major part in the result. By that we dont mean individual errors, as we arent the most skillful team in the league and will make bad passes or have poor touches. It is meant as in the way the Weekenders played, or didnt play as this case is, as a team. We need to play to our strengths. Too often players would run in to the corner with their heads down, away from support, only to lose the ball and give City chance after chance to counter attack in numbers, which they excelled at. Mazy dribbling belongs on the Xbox or Playstation, not in the Weekenders. Perhaps a big part of our performance was the lack of warm up before the game. We need to get back to passing the ball to each other, concentrating on teamwork rather than smashing shots at an empty goal. A few points to make things easier in future:
1) Obviously we need to play as a team, both on attack and defence. Short early passing has worked well for us against good teams, but it needs to be early, and to feet not hanging on to the ball until everyone, ball carrier included, is shut down. Once you have passed the ball, move a couple of metres in to space to open options up. One-two passes are ideal.
2) Stop playing the long ball against pacey teams. It isnt going to work, we need to move the backline around to create space. We had chances on Saturday by doing this.
3) Running in to dead-ends by the corner flag not only isolates you, but also drags our midfielders out of position, opening up our team to counter attack. Dont do it. Again, use one-two passing to get in behind.
4) Support players need to want the ball. You cant receive the ball by running behind an opponent. All you are doing is forcing your team mate to lob a ball over the top, which as we have discussed wont work against fast teams. Come to the ball, you dont have to turn with it but can lay it off, and continue the move.
5) If you lose the ball, try your hardest to get it back
Perhaps Saturday was just a bad day. Personally I dont think so, and I am not alone in this. Lets make sure it wont happen again by playing as a team. We have always had a great team spirit in the Mighty Weekenders, lets keep playing for each other rather than ourselves. We lose as a team but we also win as a team.
MOM
3- Paddy Mullins
2- Kane Thomas
Scott Allan
1- Mike Hogan
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