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Author Topic: Austin MacPhee  (Read 57278 times)

Offline algy

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Re: Austin MacPhee
« Reply #135 on: September 29, 2021, 06:55:39 AM »
A small observation but before Smith and during the preceding 5-10 years appointing a set piece coach such as MacPhee would’ve made minimal difference.  Marginal gains such as this can only really work once the team already has a structure and organised base to build from.
I'm not sure about that.  I would have thought improving set pieces (both attacking and defending) with a potenial 5-10 goal swing in a season would improve any team, whatever lever they're playing at.   

I'm not sure either. Our set pieces have been absolutely dire for years. Corners failing to beat the first man more often than not, free kicks into the stratosphere, no movement at throw ins etc. McPhee hasn't fine tuned these, he's gone straight past making them competent and actually made us a threat and dangerous.

Okay, I may be wrong.  My point was more along the lines of ‘paralysis of analysis’ where the day to day clusterfuck of changing systems and individuals means the player’s brains are too full to absorb new (arguably peripheral) information.   I think a certain amount of stability give you the time on the training pitch and the players have the head-room to absorb it.
I agree with you, by the way. I think a big difference is that this season we've fielded sides that look very similar to ones we could've put out last season. That stability is something I'd guess Dean hasn't had before (either at us, or to a large extent any of his previous clubs).

Offline Dave P

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Re: Austin MacPhee
« Reply #136 on: September 29, 2021, 12:25:44 PM »
Totally impressed by the addition of MacPhee to the team. He's made a big, big difference already.

You have to wonder if other teams have noticed? Not the specifics of the set-pieces themselves, but that having a specialist set-piece coach has demonstrably improved us so much in such a short space of time.

Should we expect to see other teams employing set-piece specialists in the very near future?

Danny Murphy says no.

Who the fuck is Danny Murphy  ? Is he a national hunt jockey?


One of those words rhymes with what he is.

You're right, he is cocky.

Offline Risso

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Re: Austin MacPhee
« Reply #137 on: September 29, 2021, 01:24:22 PM »
And he is certainly irrational.

Offline LeeB

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Re: Austin MacPhee
« Reply #138 on: September 29, 2021, 01:29:36 PM »
Irrational cocky ******. Seems fair enough to me.

Offline Percy McCarthy

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Re: Austin MacPhee
« Reply #139 on: September 30, 2021, 05:18:46 AM »
A small observation but before Smith and during the preceding 5-10 years appointing a set piece coach such as MacPhee would’ve made minimal difference.  Marginal gains such as this can only really work once the team already has a structure and organised base to build from.
I'm not sure about that.  I would have thought improving set pieces (both attacking and defending) with a potenial 5-10 goal swing in a season would improve any team, whatever lever they're playing at.

Houllier could have done with one. We went from conceding one goal from set-pieces in MON’s last season, to 28 in Houllier’s season. With the same defenders we went from the best in the league at defending them to the worst.

Offline WassallVillain

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Re: Austin MacPhee
« Reply #140 on: September 30, 2021, 08:01:00 AM »
A small observation but before Smith and during the preceding 5-10 years appointing a set piece coach such as MacPhee would’ve made minimal difference.  Marginal gains such as this can only really work once the team already has a structure and organised base to build from.
I'm not sure about that.  I would have thought improving set pieces (both attacking and defending) with a potenial 5-10 goal swing in a season would improve any team, whatever lever they're playing at.
Houllier could have done with one. We went from conceding one goal from set-pieces in MON’s last season, to 28 in Houllier’s season. With the same defenders we went from the best in the league at defending them to the worst.
Ah yes I remember those days. Didn’t someone on this site refer to them as cornalties.

Offline Lastfootstamper

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Re: Austin MacPhee
« Reply #141 on: September 30, 2021, 10:26:39 AM »
I think it was a bit later, Millwall away in the Cup under Lambert rings a bell as when we first saw 'cornalty' enter our lexicon.

Offline London Villan

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Re: Austin MacPhee
« Reply #142 on: September 30, 2021, 12:40:42 PM »
Even the poorest team can rehearse and practise taking corners. Set-pieces should create chances - the team taking are in control of the situation and can deliver the ball into the right areas. It was one of SGT's tactics.

Remember the buzz around the ground when Cowans used to take the corners. It's been a long time since that happened...

Offline Hookeysmith

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Re: Austin MacPhee
« Reply #143 on: September 30, 2021, 01:16:29 PM »
I also loved the period with BFR when the fashion was to hit front post man and he would get "Eyebrows - tm BFR" on it for a thundering 2nd header to pile it in

Very difficult to defend against

Arsenal were masters at it

Offline Footy-Vill

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Re: Austin MacPhee
« Reply #144 on: October 03, 2021, 10:32:51 PM »
Noticed he was very involved and barking orders and instructions with Smith looking a bit sheepish behind him

And I'm wondering how much alternate there is with the long throw which needs to be flatter as well as several corners first half that were all put to the near post.

I think he's introduced some extra vantages with some of our play but I don't know how much of this is a Dean Smith philosophy of football
It's certainly not mine.
The long throws are too much of thing. And a thing which didn't cause enough issue today from what I saw.

Offline pauliewalnuts

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Re: Austin MacPhee
« Reply #145 on: October 03, 2021, 11:46:05 PM »
The long throws today looked very much as harmlessly high and floaty as Ashley Westwood corners used to.

Offline wittonwarrior

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Re: Austin MacPhee
« Reply #146 on: October 04, 2021, 07:18:17 AM »
He failed in his contribution today to be honest.  Everything we did after the first 15 mins when we were fantastic was predictable, from the throw ins, to the near post corners, to the high balls forward to the wings (rugby style) - needs to offer alternatives to the team in every game

Offline Hookeysmith

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Re: Austin MacPhee
« Reply #147 on: October 04, 2021, 09:08:08 AM »
I said to my mate when watching, that now the media have picked up on it we could fall into the trap of thinking we have to try new inventive stuff all the time and the moves become more style over substance

Variation is good but effectiveness is better
« Last Edit: October 04, 2021, 09:09:50 AM by Hookeysmith »

Offline Risso

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Re: Austin MacPhee
« Reply #148 on: October 04, 2021, 09:11:01 AM »
There was one moment yesterday when we had a throw in their half. All of the Spurs players were in the area, as were most of ours, and another useless long throw came in. I thought then that a short one would have worked really well because there were no opposition players near Cash at all. We should be mixing them up, because when things become predictable they stop working.


edit: I am a twat!
« Last Edit: October 04, 2021, 09:53:47 AM by Risso »

Offline p_ad

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Re: Austin MacPhee
« Reply #149 on: October 04, 2021, 09:39:06 AM »
Well no wonder we lost if man u were there too 🙂

 


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