I told the players before Saturday's match that I might kick myself for a decision in my post-match bath, but I wouldn't be changing my decisions, so they needed to concentrate on getting on with the match instead of going on at me. I might as well have saved my breath.
It was a top of the table clash and all went well until the home team felt a free kick I had given that led to them going 2-0 down should have gone the other way. From then on, every decision that went against them was met with grumbles and complaints, especially from a centre forward who felt I was penalising him every time he went near the ball.
Three-nil down and clearly fed up, the home team's complaints eventually reached the point where they were being converted into nasty challenges and players squaring up to the opposition. I clamped down with a couple of yellow cards that saw us through to the end of the game.
It's clearly difficult for me to say how much was down to my performance and how much was down to the fact the home team was soundly beaten. I try to examine these decisions after matches to see where they could have been better but I honestly feel I didn't get many wrong yesterday.
3 comments:
Maybe don't say anything negative before the game. I know what message you were trying to get across but straight away they'll assume you will get something wrong cause you've admitted it. Sounds like they were just frustrated with themselves as well, and there's only person out there to let off steam to and that's you.
Fair point anonymous. Basically I doubt whether there's a lot of point to the pre-match chats anyway as it all goes out of the window once things start to warm up. I think I was just getting bored with the jewellery/studs blah blah and trying something different.
I agree. What's said at the start goes in one ear and out the other. You've got to hope the captain is willing to work with and help you as well and normally they're the worse. I normally just introduce myself by first name and get their names so you can keep using it during the game. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
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