For God's Sake Hit The Net!!!!

Liverpool's attacking troubles

Shot conversion rate

·       2011-2012: 9.13%

·       2010-2011: 13.59%

·       2009-2010: 13.32%

·       2008-2009: 13.46%

·       2007-2008: 12.52%

·       2006-2007: 10.56%

·       2005-2006: 10.59%

·       2004-2005: 11.61%

Suarez's conversion rate at Liverpool: 9.26%

Av conversion rate in PL 2011/12: 13.30%

Quite frankly what you see above, sucks. If you want to win, you have to put the ball behind the keeper and in the net. Liverpool, in all their wisdom and "money ball" calculations, do not have a true finisher since "El Nino" left. They loaned out Carroll this year, got rid of Kuyt, sold Peter Crouch three years ago etc etc. They were all finishers (Carroll is in my opinion getting back to form, my opinion remember ). For heaven's sake they could have signed Berbatov, a true goal poacher if there ever was one.

Now I suspect John Henry and Fenway Sports Group won't listen to me, or read this Blog, but if they would this is what I would tell them:

1. Be patient and learn the game.Just as Kenny Dalglish couldn't manage the Red Sox, you can't expect to understand the nuances of a completely foreign sport in two years.

2. Keep the manager. Someone has to have a plan, and Brendan Rodgers has a few clues.

3. Buy low, sell high. Remember how money is made. Nothing worthwhile is quick.

4. Find Steven Gerrard's replacement. Not now, YESTERDAY!!! For this you will have to spend $$$$$$ I like Iniesta.

5. Invest at the grass roots. Make Liverpool a destination of choice for youth and academy aged players.

6. Sell Anfield and buy Messi.

Match Winning Goal!!!!

TRAINING STUFF

Over the last season my youth squad moved from a strong defensive side to a more balanced attacking side. The big reason was more emphasis on shooting and encouraging players to shoot. Every practice contained a component that encouraged the players to take chances and to shoot. As the season progressed every other training session had a penalty shoot out, which allowed players to experience the pressure of a shoot out and allowed the coaches to observe shooting technique of all the players.


One game that we used frequently was "King Louis".  This game requires two full sized goals, and a keeper in each. Mark out a 25x35 field with a half line. Place an attacker in the offensive half. In the defensive end place three defenders. In effect it is 1 v. 3 in each attacking zone. the game is designed  for the three players in the defending half to move the ball and either thread a pass to the striker to poach a goal, or ideally, have the defenders shoot and the striker pick up any rebounds. 

This game allows for lots of shots, passing and shot stopping. I usually play to five goals and switch the teams or keepers. The coaches should be on the sideline and feed balls in if they go out of bounds, and to encourage  passing and taking chances to shoot.

Why is it called King Louis, I have no idea.

Hey Brendan, you may want to use this.

YNWA

Hal White

Torres o Saurez o Ambos

Saurez or Torres or Both?

So we got him. Ajax has 25 million euros, and we have Saurez. What is brought to the table?

If it is to have a second lone striker, then so what. If it is to set up the sale of Torres, then we are back to a lone striker and, then so what. But if they want to exploit yhe advantage of two strikers then the team would be effecting a real change.

Torres has been and will continue to be a true threat on goal. Saurez is a known threat as well, but not yet in the Premier League. My suggestion is pair him up with Torres until the end of this season (unless Chelsea ponies up the 50-60 million to buy him now), to gain some experience. Then if Torres still wishes to go, sell him, and start using N'gog as a regular second striker. I don't like him yet, but I also thought Berbatov was of no value, and I may stand to be corrected in N'gog's case as well.

So change things up to 4-4-2 or maybe go nuts with a 4-3-3

Training to Shoot

Avoiding the issue of technique, which in the case of shooting is a modification of passing techniques by passing in to the net, how do we encourage players to shoot?

As a coach my principle concern is to create situations where the player does the task without thinking. Boys are very easy, in that they don't think at all. Girls, well. they think too much, in shooting situations, this is bad and leads to passes when striking should occur.

I use one game in particular to encourage shooting with good results . It is called "wide pitch" and is played on a 20x 30 pitch with 1/2 to full size nets on the long sides of the pitch.

The teams are 4 v 4 plus keepers. Nothing special, but the field design encourages shooting from range, and crosses into the front of the net. if they aren't shooting add restrictions to encourage shooting such as maximum three touches, a goal from range is worth double, or that shots on target count for a point. With girls it is important to encourage and compliment the act of shooting, so look for an opportunity to stop the game and heap praise on the shooters instead of the playmakers.

Let them play, and make them shoot.

Walk On

Hal White