Boys U16 (2010) Major 1 - Arlington AFC

EFFORT & ATTITUDE

Effort: Many lads gave 100% effort, especially Luke in Centre Mid, who ran his socks off. Shoutouts also to Ryan O'Rourke, Kyle, and Oscar. Rian, Tony, and Chris did well at the back, and Jamie gave 100% when he came on.

Positivity: Once again, there was no negative talk on the pitch or bench. The lads were supportive, talking to each other, and reminding each other when they had time or were in a good position. We'll focus on improving this communication though as some lads got into good positions yet didn't get the ball passed to them.

Area for improvement: Some players didn't seem as fired up, and a few seem to fall short of 100% effort. This can be down to not understanding what's expected of them, not knowing how to actively receive a pass, or lack of confidence from worrying about making mistakes (more on that later). Effort improved after a stern half-time talk, but that shouldn't be needed. We'll focus on getting the attitude right in training and in pre-match warm-ups.

ADMIN REMINDER: To help everyone get mentally as well as physically ready, please ensure the lads are down in time for the full warm-up and team talk.

GAME REVIEW & TRAINING FOCUS

Positional play looked better overall. In the first 5-10 minutes, we were passing the ball around and through them, and it felt like we were set for a great day.

Arlington won because we lost the ball too easily. This was less down to shape and more down to intensity and passive receiving.

AREAS TO FOCUS ON IN TRAINING:

Active receiving: Players were waiting for the pass rather than stepping forward to meet the ball. This passiveness let the opposition press us immediately.

1v1 attacking: We were through on goal a few times but got easily pushed off the ball. We'll practice running across the defender to shield the ball and draw a foul.

Decision making: There were too many attempted flicks or drag-backs when a safer pass was the better option. We need to reinforce safer decision-making under pressure.

Headers: We let too many of their goal kicks bounce. Heading is a skill that also needs confidence. We'll do more drills on this.

Growth mindset

"Mistakes are mandatory": The only way we don't make mistakes is if we do nothing, and mistakes are just opportunities for learning anyway.

"Effort over results": We'll encourage the lads to put in their best effort, even if it leads to what they consider a mistake. Hopefully this will help those who might be lacking confidence or being too passive.

RESULT

Lost 3-0 against the league leaders.

We've every chance of coming out on top when we meet again in two weeks if we up our intensity, and we'll use that for motivation for training.