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Showing results for tags 'Keep the press'.
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The main concern I have is with the game plan. Too often a new coach comes in and tries to establish a game plan that was previously successful to win a Premiership at their old club but does not match to the strengths of the list they have inherited. Bailey did this with the Port style but recruited a list to play it. Now Neeld is wanting us to play a Collingwood style. The truth is that niether these styles will win Melbourne a premiership. A new game style must be developed that plays to the strength of the players on the field rather than their weaknesses. The problem with Baileys plan is that it was absent of defensive pressure and was easily defeated by a well executed press which the better, bigger sides could easily apply. It required excellent foot skills and players were recruited who were supposed to deliver this. Unfortunately the pressure of a good press put these young, skilled players under too much pressure and the game plan failed. However our players do have these skills. It was more that Baileys game plan was superseded by the press and Bailey failed to adapt. Weaker clubs that did not have a good press were absolutely smashed by Baileys game plan yet strong clubs could easily counter the style with a press and as such the roller-coaster developed. Neeld has already lost my support because he is trying to implement a plan that does not suit that younger bodies and natural talents of our list. Simply it is far too defensive and lacks any sort of flare, spread or run and carry. Believe it or not our players do have the skills and flare and our players must be given freedom to play to their strengths. They have been playing on at all costs for 4 years, taking the game on and players who would be good at this were recruited. Playing on is their strength. Now confidence is at an all time low. Players are too scared to take the game on, have a too defensive mind set to run and spread and always kick conservatively down the line to a contest which is their weakness. They don’t use the corridor, run or carry. Playing a game plan that exposes our weakness will always result in thrashings. A game plan must be developed that suits our list, a game plan that incorporated a good defensive press and the run and carry that most of our players have been recruited by Bailey for. Players will learn when to go defensive and kick down the line and will learn when the opportunity exists to take on the game. At the moment we are far too predictable and thus easily countered. Every club knows Collingwoods Premiership game plan inside and out and just copying it will inevitably fail as other clubs know how to beat it. They know where the ball will be kicked especially when played by players less experienced, younger and less proficient at it. Currently our movement to the forward line is so slow our forwards have little chance. Kicking down the line to a contest 90% of the time is crap football. Bombing into the forward line to a contest 90% of the time is crap football. However our defensive press has been good. Our game plan should more resemble West Coasts, defensive press yet aggressive run and carry once past half back. Our current game plan is dumb football which is past its used by date and does not match the strengths of the list. It will not beat any club outside GWS and GC (maybe). I note that Neeld was happy with the execution of our game plan against WC for 2 and a half quarters yet we were still thrashed during this time. I have seen enough, our game plan urgently needs adjusting/overhauling. Keep the press dump the rest.