Coach Desk

At times some good passing, man marking and tackles, but overall not good enough — no structure and positioning not good enough. Ratings: Adam 8 (good game, excellent decision making with zero hesitation, very good outfield too; Man of the Match and Parents' Player of the Match), Arthur 7 (good tackles and passing, started dribbling round players instead of giving the ball away — needs to learn when to run), Daire 7 (first game back, attitude better; too far upfront in the last quarter and lost interest a little when he saw we weren't going to win; passing improved and he scored), CJ 7.5 (committed to every tackle, good teamwork; in goal for 10 minutes he made every save apart from an own goal), Isaac 6 (defensively good; Matthew agreed to play him at 6, which was a mistake — he is best in defence), Varun 7 (strong tackles, running more, positionally unaware; good passing lifts him to a 7), Louie 4 (positionally unaware, doesn't want the ball, poor passing across our own box, own goal — his poorest game of the season). Main takeaways for training: positioning, the responsibilities of each position, movement (especially after passing), and scanning on and off the ball to pick the best option. "We have some work to do!"

Frustrating — a 7-2 scoreline, with positioning all over the place. Everyone played okay in patches, but when nobody sticks to their position, or the strikers drift forward while the ball is in defence, it's very difficult. Adam was outstanding: so many proper saves, and a very good final ten minutes on the pitch as well — parents clapped, the opposition coach said he was Man of the Match, and he gets both awards because we couldn't pick anyone else for the second. A shame, as he doesn't want to stay as goalkeeper when he's this good. Daire came back with a much better attitude — started on the bench without moaning, put the effort in and even defended — though Matthew said his attitude started slipping again in the last ten minutes. Ratings (Geoffrey): Adam 8.5 (held at that because we conceded seven), CJ 7, Daire 7 (pending whether the attitude holds), Isaac 6.5, Varun 6, Arthur 6, Louie 4.5.

Both coaches agree the problem was structure rather than effort: no shape, poor positioning and players out of position. Both rate Adam's decision-making and shot-stopping very highly and gave him both awards, and both saw Daire's attitude on his return as better, with a drop-off in the last quarter once the game was lost. Both say Louie had his poorest game of the season (Geoffrey 4.5, Matthew 4), and that Isaac is a proper defender who shouldn't be played at 6 or 9 (Matthew agreed to the move and calls it a mistake). Geoffrey and Matthew differ most on Arthur (Geoffrey 6, Matthew 7: out of position and not running vs good tackling, passing and dribbling instead of giving the ball away) and Varun (Geoffrey 6, Matthew 7). CJ made every save in his ten minutes in goal apart from one own goal.

Matthew's training priorities: positioning; the responsibilities of each position; movement, especially after passing; and scanning on and off the ball to pick the best option. Geoffrey adds: strikers helping when the ball is in defence; Isaac stays a proper defender; Varun and Louie asking for the ball and picking an actual pass (no clearing across our own box); Louie's awareness and responding when spoken to; Arthur's effort and positioning; and keep an eye on Daire's attitude through a full game after his return.

Not received yet.

Geoffrey refereed this one, so this is his read from the pitch. Very frustrating — the game itself wasn't bad and for 20 minutes we were very solid and heading for a draw, but 5-0 is a terrible score, and a second loss in a row with nothing scored in the last two games is concerning. Missing Adam cost us most: with no recognised goalkeeper the rotation weakened either the defence or the attack at every stage. Awards: Isaac was Captain; Parents' Player of the Match went to Varun for his activity (positioning still needs work); Coach Man of the Match went to Arthur — not his best game, but a deserved reward for his work and good games since the start of the season, and a good moment to give it with nobody else standing out. Ratings: Verity 7.5, CJ 7.5, Varun 7.5, Arthur 7, Isaac 7, Louie 6.5 (fine defensively, but passive and reactive — he doesn't move or show for the ball in build-up and needs to build his confidence).

To follow once Matthew's feedback is in. Geoffrey's read so far: solid defensive start, then the goalkeeper rotation unpicked it — we need a goalkeeper plan that doesn't cost us an outfield player's quality when Adam is away.

Proposed from Geoffrey's note (to confirm with Matthew): agree a back-up goalkeeper plan for when Adam is away, with some goalkeeping practice for the others; work with Louie on confidence and on moving and showing for the ball in build-up; work with Varun on positioning; and rebuild attacking confidence after two games without a goal. Agree the Daire return plan and who carries the Captain armband.

Overall a poor performance compared to what we've been seeing. Isaac was missing, but I don't think that's the only reason we played poorly — lack of finding space, poor passing, and not looking up so we gave the ball away constantly. I had to tell them several times not to pass across the net and they still didn't listen. Daire's attitude came to a head today; his dad has removed him for one game and one training session to speak to him. Ratings: Adam 7, Arthur 7, Verity 8, CJ 7, Varun 6, Louie 7, Daire 5 for football and 0 for attitude.

Held 0-0 for the first 20 minutes against a very strong side, then conceded two in the third quarter and one early in the fourth. We didn't get many chances and couldn't convert them, and without Adam's saves in goal it could have been a lot worse. Awards: Coach Man of the Match Louie, Parents' Player of the Match Verity — Varun would have been Geoffrey's pick had it not been Louie. Louie and Varun both had very good games; Verity was impressive going back and forth everywhere and tackling; CJ was okay but not at his best — playing with his feet, not looking up, and losing quite a lot of balls; Arthur did as well as he could in defence but really missed Isaac as the last defender. The really negative point was build-up from the goalkeeper — very, very poor, we lost pretty much every ball. Daire (Captain again, as Isaac was away): even the warm-up was a nightmare, he did whatever he wanted and didn't listen. Okay in the game, but taken off for the last 5 minutes for not listening or putting in the effort, and afterwards he refused to shake hands with the other team when both coaches told him to and didn't stay for the Man of the Match presentation, even when called. A terrible representation of the team. His dad has since messaged that, because of his attitude, he won't be coming to training or the next game — Matthew confirms he's been removed for one game and one training session so his dad can speak to him. Ratings: Daire 5, Verity 8, Adam 8, CJ 6.5, Arthur 7, Louie 8, Varun 7.5.

Both coaches agree it was a poor performance against a strong side, with passing and build-up the main problem: not looking up, not finding space and giving the ball away constantly — and Matthew had to say several times not to pass across the front of our own net. Matthew doesn't think Isaac's absence was the only reason. Daire's attitude is the other shared concern, now serious enough that his dad has pulled him for a game and a training session. Matthew also sees Louie and Varun starting to get the hang of the game, though he scored them lower than Geoffrey did.

Work on passing and looking up before the ball is played, and on finding space off the ball — we lost it too often across the squad. Reinforce not passing across the front of our own net. Work on build-up from goal kicks and the goalkeeper's options (continuing the compact build-up work from 27 Sep), and finishing the few chances we get. Adam: more movement and confidence reading shots. Arthur: building up to long, powerful passes to get the ball up the pitch. Varun: listening and looking up before passing. Daire: the handshake and Man of the Match talk, warm-up and listening, and choosing the pass over a speculative shot — his dad has removed him for one game and one training session to speak to him, so plan his return with Matthew and his dad, and decide who carries the armband for the next game. Isaac back when well.

Individual reads and ratings only — Matthew sent no team-level write-up for this one (full reads in the Player's Feedback tab). Defence and goalkeeper stood out: Adam amazing in goal (8.5), Isaac a strong 9, very calm under pressure and taking the front post on corners automatically, Arthur 7.5 for lots of tackles and blocks. Passing let down Arthur, Louie and Varun, who all got 7 or 7.5 for it, and Verity's could be better too (8.5, an absolute machine again). CJ 8.5 — scored a great goal from Adam's pass, but didn't use the short corner once despite training it on Tuesday. Everyone showed a 100% positive attitude except Daire, who got a 2: reverted to staying too far upfront, didn't try to win the ball back or support the defence, said he didn't care, rolled his eyes at talk from either coach, and didn't congratulate teammates or Isaac on Man of the Match.

A very, very tough game and a defence-and-goalkeeper victory — a reference game for that part of the team. We'd have taken a draw at one point, the opposition were that good. Adam was absolutely amazing in goal, at least three or four proper saves, and the defence stopped a lot of attacks too. Once we scored in the third quarter the opposition attacked even more and left the gaps that let us get the second; we conceded one late. Both teams very well organised, and a lot of suspense throughout. Awards: Parents' Player of the Match Adam, Coach Man of the Match Isaac. Daire was Captain but forgot his armband and behaved nowhere like a captain — a very poor game from him, not helping out, with a terrible attitude (rated 3/10, first given as 0 and raised on reflection, but my view of his match is unchanged). More detailed individual feedback to follow.

Both coaches agree on the shape of the day: Adam and the defence carried us against a very good side, and Daire's attitude was the problem (Geoffrey 3, Matthew 2 — his effort off the ball and his sportsmanship after the game, not just the performance). Matthew adds that passing under pressure let down several players, and that the short corner we trained on Tuesday wasn't used once. On the positive side, Isaac now takes the front post on opposition corners without being prompted. Organised defending and a strong goalkeeper can carry us through long spells against the best opposition, and the goals came once they committed forward and left space behind.

Raise Daire's attitude and sportsmanship (and the Captain role — forgotten armband, not acting like a captain) with Matthew, and write up Geoffrey's detailed feedback on him. Passing under pressure for Arthur, Louie and Varun, and Arthur learning from giving the ball away. Varun to support the ball carrier from the side or in front. Revisit the short corner from Tuesday so it actually gets used on match day. Individual feedback for the rest of the squad still to come from Geoffrey.

Overall not a bad game — the win helps forget the games where we haven't played as well. As a team we need to establish more actual tactics: Adam rolling the ball out to Isaac, who then kicks it long up to Daire when he's too far away, isn't going to work going forward. We got the ball much further up the pitch when we went up the right side using the midfield player and/or Verity — that's where our goals came from.

Best game of the season for team spirit — we were 2-4 down and could easily have folded, but the players kept believing and it paid off. Verity was outstanding, involved in 3 of the 5 goals (2 assists, 1 goal) and unanimous Man of the Match from both coaches and the parents. Daire scored a hat-trick but his influence outside of scoring is still minimal and he doesn't put in the defensive effort — an ongoing issue alongside some genuinely good passing today. CJ's first 10 minutes at #6 were poor (badly out of position), but he was a different player up front alongside Daire, and then did well covering goal for the last 10 minutes when Adam couldn't continue. Isaac was strong defensively again, still loses the ball too often carrying it out from the back. Arthur had a good game, quiet in spells but excellent when called on — one clearance off the line saved a certain goal. Adam had some good saves but conceded a lot and came off with 10 minutes to go, in an average game and with an average attitude too. Varun's first-ever match — great attitude, still learning where to position himself. Louie really struggled up front (not moving for the ball) but did his job well once moved into defence; his mum messaged afterwards that he wasn't happy up front, and his attitude about it wasn't great today — worth a proper conversation with him about playing where the team needs him.

The build-up play needs work: when we win the ball back from a goal kick or similar we're too stretched — defenders sitting right in front of the goalkeeper, strikers 30 metres away on the other side — and we lose the ball almost every time, most often on the default long ball from Adam through Isaac up to Daire. What actually worked was building through the right side using the midfield player and/or Verity, which led directly to goals — that's the route to repeat. Need to be more compact as units generally, defenders pushing up towards the centre line and/or strikers dropping back into our own half to support, rather than playing in two disconnected blocks. Arthur and Isaac both need to get back to using the funnelling technique from training instead of standing square on to attackers. Team spirit overall is much better than earlier in the season, but Daire still needs real work on his, especially defensively. Also confirms the squad plays better 6-a-side with a 2-1-2 shape than 5-a-side — the second match running this has come up (see 20 Sep).

Work on compact build-up from goal kicks — defenders and strikers playing closer together as units instead of 30m apart, with clearer passing options besides the default long ball to Daire. Build on the right-side/midfield-or-Verity route that created our goals today. Retrain the funnelling technique with Arthur and Isaac — both stood square on to attackers instead of showing them one way. Sit down with Louie about accepting a position other than his preferred one when the team needs it there. Keep pushing Daire on defensive effort and team-first play, on top of his attacking quality. Continue giving Varun position, passing and finding-space work. Remind Adam (and the squad generally) to always have spare boots and shin pads to hand in case of a mid-match position change.

Really pleased with this one. Adam played the full 40 in goal and didn't have much to do, but did what came his way very well — including one great decision to come 10 yards out of his box for a clean clearance. Picked up a knock to his foot but it eased off quickly. Arthur showed a really good understanding of positioning today, moving forward and back well, made some strong tackles and defended several attacks from the opposition, and stamina wasn't an issue for him at all. Daire was almost the opposite of what we've come to expect — made some good passes and strong runs, still a touch more selfish than I'd like, but he more than made up for it with 4 goals, and it was great to see him tracking back when he needed to as well. A solid performance from him. Isaac played reasonably well but struggled a bit with the pace of the game — I think he relaxed a little too much knowing we had an extra man on the pitch. Got a lot more vocal once we told him to call for the ball, especially at corners, found good space at set pieces, and made some good tackles and clearances. CJ was, as every week, committed to everything he went for — never scared of a challenge, often winning it, with excellent passing and genuinely selfless play: if a pass is the best way forward he makes it, if it's a shot he takes it. Excellent teamwork from him as always — some corner tactics as a squad would help us get even more from his delivery. Verity had great stamina and attitude for the full 40 minutes, committed to her tackles and constantly covering ground wherever we needed her — she's definitely found her position in centre midfield. She didn't pass anywhere near as much as she could or should, and needs to look up instead of at her feet, but it's a shame she didn't get a goal today because she deserved one. Louie, in his first ever game after only two training sessions, looked very stiff for the first couple of minutes and didn't want to move from his position, but soon loosened up and started moving around the pitch. He needs some position training so he's sure what's expected of him, but made some excellent tackles and great clearances that killed off their attacks — a very good showing for a first game.

Amazing performance, very strong defensively and a really good level of team play from everyone. We play a lot better with six players than with five — less running for the same group, and our technical quality showed with the extra space. Daire continues to make real progress on his passing and crossing — still shoots more than he should when the pass is on, but a clear improvement, and he scored four today. CJ was excellent — three goals and an assist, but just as important for what he did without the ball: his tracking back and tackling were a big part of why we only conceded once, on top of the way he kept bringing it forward. Adam didn't have much work to do in goal, but did the few things he faced very well. Arthur, Isaac and Louie (once he came on) were very disciplined at the back — good positioning, good tackling, went for the ball — and made light work of the few chances Howden Clough had. Verity held the middle on her own between two defenders and two strikers, covering huge ground and doing a lot defensively, but she still loses the ball almost every time she tries to beat someone alone rather than looking up for the pass — the next big step for her, same as Daire's passing. Louie's first match — quiet with the other team, but when he went for the ball he went fully and won a lot of it for a first game. Once he settles in and builds his confidence, he'll be a really important player for us.

First win of the season, and a genuinely dominant one. Worth noting the 6-a-side format suited this squad much better than 5-a-side — less running, more room for the technical quality we have — which may be worth raising with the league or for future fixtures where the format is our choice. Coach MoTM was a genuine split decision — Matthew wanted Daire (a lot more passing than usual, on top of 4 goals), Geoffrey wanted CJ (a third excellent game running, goals plus real defensive work) — so with just one trophy, they agreed to share it: Daire holds it until Tuesday's training, then hands it to CJ, who holds it until the next match. Parents MoTM and the peer-to-peer Captain Armband were explained to players and parents at today's post-match brief and team photos; both start properly from the next match/session. Adam (holding the armband since 6 Sep) will hand it to a teammate of his choosing at the end of Tuesday's training — the first peer-to-peer handover under the new system.

Keep working with Daire on choosing the pass over the shot when a teammate's better placed. Keep working with Verity on getting her head up and picking an option rather than trying to beat players alone. Give Louie extra one-to-one time to help him settle in and build confidence and combinations with the rest of the group. Watch Tuesday's Captain Armband handover — the first under the new peer-to-peer system. Matthew's also flagged that agreeing some corner-kick tactics as a squad would help make the most of CJ's delivery — worth building into a session soon.

Some strong individual performances (full detail in Player's Feedback), but as a team we couldn't find a way through a well-drilled, disciplined side that didn't give us much to work with. The goalkeeping errors were the costliest part of the afternoon — four of the six conceded came down to handling rather than being beaten by good play.

Isaac's goal aside, we never really threatened — White Rose were organised and patient and didn't give us the space we had last week. Goalkeeping told the opposite story to last week: today it was mostly errors and hardly any saves, so almost everything that came in went in. Last week we really only had the one keeper error — Adam made a lot of good saves and the score would have been much worse without them. Some good individual moments in defence and in midfield, but not enough of the team playing to a consistent structure at once.

We need a settled goalkeeper policy — not because it's the same problem two weeks running, but because today's keeping had almost no saves to fall back on, unlike last week's strong shot-stopping. The three-tier award system (Man of the Match / Captain / Effort) still hasn't been agreed between us or explained to players and parents — nothing awarded this match while that's unresolved.

Dedicated goalkeeping technical work — handling under pressure specifically, given how costly today's errors were with so few saves to cover them. Keep working on possession and patience against a well-organised opponent rather than forcing it. Settle the goalkeeper policy and the awards system with Matthew before the next match.

No real expectations of the kids for this one, just wanted to see how we worked as a team. Arthur and Isaac worked very well together in defence for the first half, but both tired in the second and it showed in their speed and willingness to get forward and back — we need more stamina and fitness work across the whole squad. Verity and Daire didn't work as a pair up front at all, more like two players going it alone, and I think that's mostly down to Daire not passing enough — something to work on at training. CJ played very well outfield, constantly worked the line and fed the ball through the middle, and worked well with everyone — assisted both goals. Adam was excellent in goal for his first ever game of football; a much better keeper than outfield player at the moment, though he gave full effort outfield too. We can play really good football when we're working as a single unit, and we score clean goals when the ball's fed through properly, like today. All the players behaved brilliantly — a positive, happy experience for everyone. Even with the loss, I'm happy with how we played in the first half, and the second-half dip is something we can fix with stamina-based training.

Watching as referee rather than coaching: the first 15 minutes were excellent, the whole team played really well. Once Verity came on (8') the shape and positional discipline slipped, particularly Daire and Verity both taking too much freedom rather than holding their positions, and that's when the goals started going in. Adam was excellent in goal all game and was even recognised by the opposition coach for his saves; CJ was also very good in his outfield role but struggled once he went in goal for the closing stretch, making a couple of mistakes that led to goals — with hindsight Adam probably should have stayed in net.

We need a clear, agreed goalkeeper policy rather than deciding on the day — either a settled 1st/2nd choice keeper or an explicit split (e.g. a half each) every game. Also: Charlie has left the squad — fixture clashes with his rugby commitments, and he's chosen to focus on rugby instead. Squad is now down to 6. Isaac picked up a knock during the game and had to come off the pitch a couple of times, cutting into his minutes — worth checking in on. At full time Matthew wanted to give Adam Man of the Match despite the loss; after talking it over afterwards, we agreed MoM should only be given on a win, so we reversed it — instead introducing a new "Captain for the next match" recognition for the standout performer when we don't win. Adam gets that armband for the next game.

Agree the goalkeeper approach (1st/2nd choice vs. split by half) before the next match. Reinforce positional discipline, especially for subs coming into the game, off the back of today's second-half slip. Discuss the squad-size impact of Charlie leaving — whether to look for a replacement or continue with 6. Matthew's flagged two more for the next block: build in stamina/fitness-focused work off the back of the second-half dip, and work on Daire's passing and link-up play with Verity up front.