Read something earlier interesting today

Was on the beeb website, an article remembering the Palace-Liverpool 3-3 game from that season, with a variety of people providing their insights and recollections, including Pulis.

He was livid that they conceded a goal from a corner, and noted that it was the first goal Palace had conceded from a set piece since he had arrive. I haven't checked exact dates, but i'm guessing that must have been perhaps 5 months worth of football, and no goals conceded from set pieces. This being a team that was regularly getting spaffed on by all and sundry until Pulis arrived.

I've reflected on that today. The fact we look like a disorganised shower defensively isn't, in my opinion, just down to individual mistakes and bad choices in the game. Its tactics, positioning, training, patterns of play that really good managers ingrain in their team such that it becomes second nature. Everyone knows where they should be when, how they should react, when to push up, drop back, make a tackle, stand off etc etc etc.

I might have argued that this takes a long time to instil in a team, but apparently Pulis was able to tighten his team up more or less immediately.

Makes you think.

(Sorry to double post this - posted as a reply way down below first by mistake)

Posted By: Under soil heating, Nov 22, 19:47:59