I’ve been a little slack about updating or publishing game reports, apologies. When we last spoke I was apologising for my red card in the game against Lakeshore. I was still boiling over the next day and let the boys know it at practice. I very rarely feel that making the players run the day after a poor performance solves very much, however, I felt I had to vent and show them how disappointed I was. So we, or they, ran for the first hour and fifteen minutes.
We talked as a team, I opened up the floor to anyone that wanted to say something. I gave them the opportunity to comment on my decisions, or to make suggestions as to how they think we can improve. Most of them were quiet, which I took to mean that I’m doing an awesome job! I’m joking of course. I knew most would be silent. I felt that after the Lakeshore performance we, as a team, had two choices. To either spiral down and mail in the season. Or, and I prefer this option, to take this as a wake up call. As something to kick us up the proverbial backside and get us moving.
Now, the results since then have been mixed (Beat Dakota, Lost to GPS and LCN), but I, as a coach, have been happy with the performances. We seem to have more grit and have passed the ball with more purpose. We completely dominated GPS. In appalling weather conditions we limited them to one shot in the first half (a goal!). Even in the second half, when they had a gale force wind at their backs, they were still struggling to make any headway against us. But they just mention the scoreline at the end. It would be nice sometimes if the paper said: MAC WHITE, Lakeview 0 – 1 GPS. “But Lakeview were dominant and a much better team.”
Last night against LCN was a similar story with a worse outcome. I thought we were a better team in the first half, and for a large portion of the second half. But after the third goal went in we were domoralized. We made them look like superstars. To me, and as I stated in a previous post I’m probably not looking from an objective vantage point, we have gifted so many goals. The GPS goal was handed on a silver tray. At least 3 of the 4 against LCN were presented with shiny red bows!! We have some defensive frailities and lack a little hunger in the goal scoring department, but for the most part we are improving with each game. Although the results may not indicate said improvement, I honestly feel that we are becoming a better team.
Thank you for your continued support. I hope my next post will focus on dominance, both in the playing department and the goals department.
