Subject: Joe Cole?

I am guesing you are young.

There is a reason why teams have managers and scouts and these days why the better richer teams use chalkboards and the like to scout out opponents and fine tune their own teams.

Football is a team game and when teams play as a team instead of 11 individuals they can sometimes pull huge shocks off like Greece did in the Euros while teams like Spain in the past underperformed, Germany don't have the best players in the world flair wise but always perform quite well down to the way they are organised.

"Not true.. He didn't want to risk any of the youngsters...Joe Hart for example...And now it seems he is the no1 goal keeper...I think Capello need to take more risks."

There did seem to be a fair bit of player power in that team (and the French team too) IMO but what did they achieve?

You have to be a complete fool to believe that... Why would you keep trying to do the same thing over and over again to no avail? (That these highly paid scouts and managers keep telling you to do)

yeah but when they're doing it and losing, its common sense to just adapt and play in a way that would win. The manager can get it wrong or the oppo play differently to what you expected, you can only play whats put in front of you at the end of the day. If you're told to play a high line but keep getting caught out because theyve managed to get usain bolt to play for them you dont just stand there and let them keep doing it because the manager told you to stand there expecting something resembling a scottish strikeforce.

As a counter to your arguement, I give you both Barcelona and Spain, who will continue to play the same way even when it's not working in the belief that it does/will, Barca losing to Hercules was a perfect example of not changing things.

and a perfect example of why players would be better if they had some common sense and changed the tactics themselves.

The point is that while they lost that game, they have won games even when losing because they believe in the system.

I heard that Agger said he doesn't want to play the way Hodgson is telling them to, that's your problem.

lol just because you think your approach is better than the manager's doesn't mean it actually is.

How about this scenario - you are playing on the wing in front of a crappy defender, you stay back to help him and you are out of position when the ball is played to you and it goes out of play ... who gets it in the neck? - you.

you keep playing a ball over the top and your quick guy is constantly offside...

whilst you might be able to "boss" a game in Sunday league but not in top flight footie.

And Gerrard and Torres don't change the tactics themselves, their flair IS part of the tactical set up!

well yes, but the point is the players can tell better than the manager if a plans working or not.

It's not going to be because of the tactics that spain came from behind to beat whoever, its probably down to the fact they're just better than them.

Look at Newcastle - Man City. We played a high line but city just kept getting in behind, so they stopped playing it, simple. If they'd have kept playing the high line because the manager told them to, then questions need to be asked.

In your scenario, the guy who played the ball should get it in the neck. The guy constantly offside should get it in the neck. Tactics from the manager arent everything and its ridiculous to think it is. A different player in the line-up could make the tactic go from being amazing to useless, same for subs. Players need to have a thinking mind and be able to adapt themselves, as a team out there, especially in the higher levels.

of course but saying the manager is irrelevant is a ridiculous thing to say! Better players should win on the day but we have all seen players that were sublime one week play like a drunken hamster the next and alo saying that the players know better than the manager when a plan is working is just horse droppings! If you are doing your individual job properly you cannot watch the match at the same time!

well obviously the manager isnt totally irrelevant as they can still make ridiculous subs and give the main basic tactic, but each player should be responsible for their own movement/decisions within the game.

You cant watch the game but you're still able to tell if you/your teammates are struggling with the tactics, the tactics could be great but if it doesnt suit your teams style of play and individual ability, it's not going to work and it should be up to the players to tell the manager or adapt the tactics so it suits them better.

George Gillett and Tom Hicks look set to be on their way out of Anfield, with a High Court ruling giving Liverpool power to push through a takeover.


Good riddance!

thank god for that! time to turn our fortunes around :)

Your right mate.....Lets hope the new owners have the best intentions for the club.

On radio 1 this morning they were saying that Gillette and Hicks had got some court in Texas to stop the take-over. RBS won't challenge this apparently because they are worried about them effecting their USA interests ?

link here
(edited)

when you say RBS you mean the government and therefore us...