How to play away from home

[Unrecognized Genius]

Perfectly displayed by the Greeks in their wins over France, the Czech Republic & Portugal.

 

1. Identify the players who can hurt you & make it very hard for them to operate as they would like.

 

2. Ensure everyone has a job & knows exactly what it is.

 

3. Don't sit too deep, when you come under the cosh (a fatal England error against France & Portugal)

 

4. Find players. Don't just hoik the ball upfield when you win it back; otherwise you'll come immediately under pressure again. Always reacting, never feeling in control is terribly draining, physically & mentally. (Another England characteristic)

 

5. When you get the ball, you must have the ability to go positive & hurt the opposition (the reason Millwall never had a prayer in the Cup Final.) If you have players who can turn the defence or are to be feared at set pieces, you will always be a threat.

 

6. To play this way successfully, you have to be physically fitter than the opposition & have excellent levels of concentration from start to finish.

 

I'd much rather a flair team like France or the Czechs had won the competition, but have nothing but admiration for the way the Greeks did it.

 

EC

 

 

[Guest]

Pretty much sums up our away tactics for 2004 so far.

Long may they continue to bring in the results.

 

Up the Fleet , a live a live o