The Football.....

[PaulSB]

I used to for an org that was Blackburn's shirt sponsor for a season. My colleague was heading it up and the point of contact for Blackburn's senior staff. The Venky's don't leave home, if they want to meet with you, they fly you out to India and then fly you back pretty much within 24hrs! I remember the senior guy up at Blackburn was in constant contact until the whole thing had been signed off, once it had he literally disappeared. All felt very impersonal from what I remember.

Yes, this is precisely what happens every time major decisions are required. It makes it almost impossible for senior management to reach the best decision on anything. Decision making is about discussion, debate, exchange of views. Without this nothing can really happen.

 

[T4tomo]

Yes, there's a lot of wrestling at corners, it's all over the league, and no, I don't like it. Referees have tended to let it go as "six of one half a dozen of the other".

Kidderminster have been leaving 3- 5 players "up" ready for the counter attack when defending corners. Its remarkably effective at reducing all that grabbling crap, as the attacking team have to leave some players back to defend. yes its risky, but generally as the attacking team will sent up their centre back fr the corner, if the defending team clears the first ball from the corner, suddenly there is a break on, against a "defence" in unfamiliar positions, so a good chance of a goal.

I think Chelsea maybe copied them a couple of times.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Kidderminster have been leaving 3- 5 players "up" ready for the counter attack when defending corners. Its remarkably effective at reducing all that grabbling crap, as the attacking team have to leave some players back to defend. yes its risky, but generally as the attacking team will sent up their centre back fr the corner, if the defending team clears the first ball from the corner, suddenly there is a break on, against a "defence" in unfamiliar positions, so a good chance of a goal.

I think Chelsea maybe copied them a couple of times.

Chelsea did it to us, we beat them anyway. There's a reasonably simple countermeasure to that specific countermeasure - you leave a couple of fairly pacy players maybe ten yards outside the box - they'll gobble any loose balls up to recycle, and help cover defensively (though they could be having to chase, true). The extra space in the box is the more easily exploited by the attackers. A lot of it becomes a risk balance. Yes, you could get away with your three guys up the pitch, but the opposition have now been offered the chance to outnumber your defence. A short corner also becomes a definite possibility, as it's easier to create space when the big guys run in (Eze scored one against Newcastle - it took three attempts, but they never worked out to close that area down)

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Arms wrapped round a player - red card. Grabbing someone's shirt as they run past - red card. A few games finishing eight aside on the first day and problem solved.

And a worthwhile use for VAR instead of spending minutes debating whether an attacker's big toe was in an off side position.

 

[T4tomo]

Chelsea did it to us*,

you need to be more specific, you must play for decent 5 a side team if you're coming up against chelsea, unless it was the Chelsea Pensioners recreational side?