The Poolie Bunker

Now most teams especially in the premier league seem to have various set piece routines for corners and long throws. I can remember Pools using the long throw in with Tony Bircumshaw launching them into the penalty area. then there was the corner were by central defender John Rowlands would stand about 10yards outside the penalty area and run in as the corner was taken therefore unmarked to score. Two ideas from the distant past.

Take Benn off them might help.
And for opposition set pieces leave 1 or 2 up instead of 11 in the box and no out ball.
Our set pieces record must be among the worst in the division over the last few years.

Simple math PTID

their keeper+corner taker 11-2=9
we put 2 on the half way line, They pull 3 back to mark takes their numbers to 6 to attack the corner.
we still have 9 players defending the corner.

9-6=3 we have 3 yes 3 extra players.

Of course the real reason its not used is simple its OLD SCHOOL, Instead of modern day wank shite.

It hasn't helped that McNally and Kouogun have missed so many games but we don't score many goals direct from crosses anyway, not sure why we don't just chip a ball over the wall and into that area between the line and the keeper, it's surprising how many own goals and mad deflections you get, scrappy goals win games quite often.

Vadaine Oliver has shown that he can score from crosses. His style of play is similar to Manni D's - hopefully he'll stay fit and score plenty more for us.

Most Pools' managers in recent seasons have pulled everyone back for corners and it is maddening - we play quite a few sides who do leave one or two players upfield when they're defending a corner.

That tactic has been discussed losds of time, it’s common sense but for some reason teams very rarely do it, the excuse, the striker defends corners ibecause the opposition centre back comes up for corners.

Think it's a great excuse for keepers to stay rooted to the goal line too, too many players in the box for him to come and claim the cross. But if we leave 2 up they'll leave 3 so that means more space for the keeper. But crucially it gives us an opportunity to break, let's face it Francis and Campbell in the box defending corners is a piss take.
Another thing that boils my piss is playing every free kick short, we've got height in the team so loads the box and launch it long at least now and again, we're not going to score goals with pretty passing around the half way line but a knock down could go anywhere.
We're probably paying a set piece coach, obviously not on any kind of productivity based pay though - he'd owe Raj money.

actually some of these non defenders are a nuisance for the team defending corners as they get in the way of defenders more capable of doing the job. if they cannot defend or mark from a corner leave em upfield where they can do no harm and possibly good on a quick breakaway.

yet again we see a simple game complicated by coaches and managers. cannot see much improvement in the game and players since the amount of them became the fashion. certainly not for spectators even when their team wins. that solihull game was a real good example of all that.

Like the footballers who get all sorts of qualifications, coaching badges etc but when it comes to putting it into practice they haven’t a clue

That being the case Jamie you ought to apply for one of those positions, your qualifications are impeccable.

I left school at 15 with no educational qualifications but Judging by some of the managers Pools have had in the past I think I could do a better job and that’s without any footballing qualifications.

These coaching courses remind me of all courses where the gobshites and crawlers pass out.

It’s the football hierarchy, who like to make everything comply to their way of doing things and turn out compliant little lap dogs.


Coaching can’t be learnt, you either have the ability to inspire or you don’t…you can’t learn it on a course.

That's probably confirmed by the fact that possibly the 3 best managers / coaches in British footballing history Fergy, Shankly, Clough all had basic formal education and we're pre compulsory coaching badges. But they all new how to assemble a winning team, how to win games, but probably most importantly how to inspire players to perform to the best of their ability - loads of stories of them knowing who needed an arm around them, who worked best after a bollocking etc.

They lead by a mixture of fear and inspiration, their players, in general, tried to please their boss and bad elements discarded regardless of their talents.

99% Man Management, 1% Badges.

Treat players like men!

And people at Clubs want respect, Then treat supporters with respect.
You will be found out, If not already.

Watched an Undr the Cosh on YouTube, Lou Macari, he started off under Jock Stein at Celtic then eventually Ferguson, he said Ferguson was a mirror image of Stein, he also mentioned Stein was a great friend of Shankly who recommended Macari. He was going to sign for Liverpool but signed for Man Utd as he had more chance of a first team place.The worst manager he worked under was Docherty who signed him from Celtic.

so true. coaches/ manager badges are just the same as paper qualification in the real world where dar too much is based on them. its a bit of an X factor whether you have it to be a leader or not. something that cannot be learned or ever copied.