Craig short

[robinrover]

What does this guy do?
I thought he was our defensive coach yet we look poor at the back STILL
last season we shipped goals which ultimately cost us play off/promotion ambitions
2 players scoring 40+goals and we end up mid table we potentially could lose both of those players yet we still ship goals for fun
Gary bowyer will take all the flak for this but our defensive coach isn't doing his job if this continues the axe must fall on him before Gary bowyer.

[AucklandRover]

But is it a matter of coaching, Robin? I'm not sure. It's very frustrating that I get to see so few whole games now. From the highlights, though, it appears that what often costs us are individual blunders. Admittedly, that is partly a result of low confidence, but it must irritate the coaching-staff as much as it does us.

[robinrover]

Individual errors aside aucks
We just don't clear our lines we mess about and pay for it when under pressure get rid of it nothing pretty just get it away.

[Bobcrompton1896]

Well i think a new defensive coach is called for - forget about the playing staff. I know if Id performed at work like that,Id have been sacked years ago. Partly its the weak central midfield in our ranks which gives the defenders too much to do,but every body knows that,especially the oppositon.


Its very rare for Rovers to have majority of the possession in any game,irrespective of the opponents..last night against Shrewsbury proved the point..

[Howie5o]

But is it a matter of coaching, Robin? I'm not sure. It's very frustrating that I get to see so few whole games now. From the highlights, though, it appears that what often costs us are individual blunders. Admittedly, that is partly a result of low confidence, but it must irritate the coaching-staff as much as it does us.

Well Auks if its just down to individual errors for the last two seasons we must be the unluckiest side in all the divisions.

We concede for fun..did the last two-three seasons and have started off again in the same manner.

I would think that the coaching and the system they are asked to play is mostly to blame. As for the individuals? are they not now all GBs picks ? If they are nt good enough again this has to come back to the manager.

This conceding poor goals isnt something we ve just started doing ,we ve been blighted with it for over two seasons.

[AucklandRover]

My apologies, Howie. I wasn't trying to make excuses. I accept that this is a long-established pattern. (Mind you, it is also a pattern in football - amongst fans AND managers - that all the goals you concede are defensive errors, and all the goals you score are created!)
What I'm uncertain about is whether it is as simple as changing the defence-coach.
It's a bit like the manager issue. There is a perfectly good case for arguing that GB has had his chance, has failed, and should now be sacked. That's the cruel reality of football managership. What I feel uneasy about are the simplistic answers. For example, on the other fan-sites, there are lots of posters saying what we need is a "proven manager". It's a glib phrase, but I honestly don't think some of them go beyond the surface of the words.
Last season, on Roversmad, I kept asking people who put forwards to look up their candidate's record on Wiki. In almost every case, the man in question had just as many instance of failur

[robinrover]

The issue is if you look at our defence and the midfielders that are supposed to support the defence as individuals they are good players but as a team they look like a circus outfit
that should come down to management/coaches the positioning of the players as a unit is down to the coaches
we are failing in defence and things have been that way from the kean era to the present we have to change that statistic otherwise when Rhodes departs so will we straight to league 1

[joinerpat]

Not so sure Short is to blame robin, you could be the best defensive coach in the world, but what happens in training does not always reflect in a game, inexperienced players (Nyambe) combined with slow on the ball (Williamson) is a recipe for disaster,,we bring players in who have been coached at their respective clubs and obviously need time to adjust, it all boils down to that one factor 'finding our best 11'.

It is down to Bowyer at the end of the day, if we had won he's a hero, but if he dosent tinker with the squad and take a gamble he will never find a settled team.

He has said in the LET he will be taking a different team to Huddersfield, although I am getting fed up with him I hope he can pull it off.

[robinrover]

That's the thing pat I wish it was individual errors
however as howie touched on its something a lot more underlying this isn't something that has just reared its ugly head this season it's 3-4 seasons of shipping goals
is it bowyers tactics possibly so
is it the defensive coaches lack of coaching also possibly so
one things for sure if this is not corrected we are in huge trouble

[joinerpat]

I do think the buck stops with Bowyer, some of his tactics amaze me at times, maybe he is being too defensive in some games and that can have an adverse effect on the team.

Lets face it we have not had anything like a settled team during the period that howie mentioned and so it goes on, maybe after the transfer window shuts hopefully we can right all the wrongs, with FFP hanging over our heads and all the unrest throughout the club all the management and coaching staff will start to get their act together and get us playing as a unit.

COYB.