Scouting dossiers on the opposition | Vital Football

Scouting dossiers on the opposition

PhilK66

PhilK66

Vital 1st Team Regular
Has anyone ever been lucky enough to see one? I would love to see one of ours leading up to a match.

One experience that showed me just how knowledgeable managers can be happened to me many years ago on a flight to Dublin from Brum, sitting next to Jim Smith and Tommy Docherty. They had an encyclopaedic knowledge of all league teams and their players and to prove it asked me to name a Gills player and then they proceeded to tell me everything about him: left or right foot, height, speed, heading ability etc etc. It was very impressive and very illuminating.

In the same vein seeing our dossier on the Cobblers for example would be extremely interesting.
 
I worked in the hotel in Cardiff where the German national team were staying when thy were playing Wales in a World Cup Qualifier. Was odd having the likes of Ballack, Lahm and Schweinsteiger walking around the place.

Anyway, I had to help turn down a meeting room they'd been in when they were clearly discussing the opposition. On a white board they had the Welsh team written down, and one Craig Bellamy was circled up front, as if he was a threat. I found it funny at the time that they'd even bother planning what Wales would do tbh, as surely they could just rock up and win.

In hindsight, it turns out Bellamy didn't even play as he was injured, and the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale were on the teamsheet too, but a little bit before they turned in to worldies.

Germany won 2-0, Ballack 30 yarder and an Ashley Williams own goal.
 
I remember talking to Micky Adams after a reserve game under Stimpson he attended scouting us out .Albert Jarrett was on trial I believe .I said to him that Jarrett had done OK and might be worth a punt .He said he had been knocking around for years and clearly didn't agree .Strange that a few years later he signed him .However I think his first opinion was spot on .
 
This is only rumoured, but apparently this was Newport?s dossier on Spurs. Very interesting and accurate according to my Spurs mate.
 
I've seen a Gills one believe it or not. During the title winning season Martin Allen had me in with him for a day which was organised for my birthday, and when in the coaches room Patto gave me the scouting report for Cheltenham away to look through, which was the game after we'd secured promotion.

It was all pretty interesting, but quite funny that the report made a big thing out of Cheltenham taking lots of short corners, then we lost the game 1-0 through a corner punted into the box!
 
Speculation on my part but I feel that SL prefers to concentrate much more on how we will play and then adapt durng the match if necessary. Obviously certain opposition playmakers or scorers (like our own Eaves) will need a defensive plan to minimise their threat. Likewise corner and freekick routines can be prepared for if already seen by a scout. However SL is very good at switching things mid game. Last night as our dominance faded he brought on Martin and Waggy, went 4-4-2 and immediately we were more comfortable and able to see the game out.
 
I would guess that the scouting reports are much the same .So it has to be down to the homework done on the report by Lovell and Patto .It was always said during our championship days that Patto was the intellectual one in the dressing room .But undoubtedly whoever is doing it is doing a great job .Working on other teams weakness's .My guess is that Lovell concentrates on us all all things Gillingham .Making the team and tactics ready including possible switches in formations .While Patto does the dirty work on the opposition .
 
Steve Lovell has shown us, repeatedly, that he is tactically good and well aware of the make-up of opposition teams.

Martin was 50/50 for a start last night but, I believe that, as hinted at in other posts, SL knew exactly what he was doing when he chose to start the game with with 5-3-2 formation, knowing that he could switch if necessary. Why would he start 5-3-2 ? The Cobblers have been in pretty good form recently. The only real "slip-up" was the 0-1 home reverse a couple of weeks ago v Rochdale. On that day Rochdale played a 5-3-2 formation at Sixfields and the feedback was that Northampton found the going very tough. SL had clearly been briefed accordingly.

In the event, Cobblers couldn`t deal with our style in the first half. But, come the second half, they`d cottoned on and the game changed. A game of two halves, until, that is, SL changed us to 4-4-2 bringing Martin & Waggy into the action and getting the Gills firmly back into the game.

This was a very savvy win for SL and his management team and a superb effort from the lads on the pitch.

Roll on Saturday and Wallsall, and the chance for another double.
 
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