Thoroughly enjoyable game but was sat somewhere different today so made some of different observations, mainly about the coaching team.
On the pitch, the real difference was Cahill. Yes Zemura is a real threat and probably deserved his MoM but Cahill looked capable of playing any pass when the ball was at his feet, which pretty much destroyed their press ( a real contrast to Kelly who needs to use his right foot if he will reach his true potential).
Lots of hometown bias against the Ref. Billing yellow was a definite and needless one. It's a yellow because he leaves the ground and goes airborne which makes a certain yellow regardless of winning the ball when the contact occurs. The players are too strong and fast to allow that sort of challenge. But Phil didn't need to make the challenge when others were already tracking. Kelly's yellow, again, this time so high and dangerous that I suspect the card can be given despite no contact looking to be made, the sheer need for opponent to avoid that and the need to deter those challenges makes it yellow, with a certain red if he catches him.
My final observations were on the dugout. It looked more like a group of U12 coaches at time. We have a team that includes internationals but there seems a reluctance to let the team use their brains to play, with so much puppetry from the sidelines, continual instructions. Even when you do your initial coaching badge you're taught to keep the instructions to a minimum and always off the ball, yet even 3 nil up and minutes to play we are still not trusting the players on an attacking corner so much that the coaches are still shouting at Pearson. Ironically the team looks well set up and balanced so there is a need to let them get on with it. Certainly shouting across the whole field so their opponents can hear that he wants the long ball to Christie because he's unmarked seems very naive. Save that for the debrief and training.
And finally Parker, who I am admittedly on the fence for. He selected a good team, made good subs, and had the team well prepared. When we scored at times he was like a proud Dad at his kids school play, over enthusiastically clapping at any player who got a good or bad touch in the build up. But i think he summed in one instance why I am unsure - 1st half, Dom's chance, he hits the target, decent stop by keeper, we all think it's easier and should be buried, Parker's human so thinks same. So far okay, but Parker turns to face the crowd and passed a comment to the front row where spectators are sat, I don't expect him to betray Dom by saying very clearly "He's got to score that". I don't want to get down on him, but he's as inexperienced as some of the squad. So as the players continue to learn, I think he also has a lot to learn, but if he can, there is every chance he will take us up and could keep us up.
Good performance, good result, good reasons to believe there is more to come.
