RFC vs Nottingham Forest FC 8th August - Predictions.

[Compo's Hat]

Always a nightmare predicting the opening game, going for 1-1 and a beery day.

[FiNeRaIn]

Long has his weaknesses but he has a great conversion rate of shots to goals, and of goals per minutes, so, being as young as he is, and with a coach who seems certain to improve his 1st touch,

Im staggered at this comment. Having a first touch is one of the sides of football you cannot teach, you either have it or you don't. How would you go about improving someones first touch rr?

[Royal Rother]

If that comment staggers you, you must go about in a constant daze...

A good coach coupled with willingness and unrelenting hard work can improve any and all aspects of a player's game.

[Dr Hfuhruhurr]

I think we'll win quite comfortably.
But struggle a bit more in the other 45 games.
We'll benefit from New Manager syndrome.

[Wycombe Royal]

1-2

15,453

Couple behind me continue to slag-off Harper/ Coppell

Around 3,000 out on the attendance so lets hope you score prediction is wrong as well.

[Bill Oddie's Beard]

0-0

[Seal]

If that comment staggers you, you must go about in a constant daze...

A good coach coupled with willingness and unrelenting hard work can improve any and all aspects of a player's game.

Sorry have to agree with Finerain here. First touch, much like pace, is one of those things that you just can't teach - either you have it or you don't. I played to a pretty decent level, and I've never heard of a player in his twenties 'improving' their first touch. Improving strength, left foot finishing, heading etc yes, but not that instinctive ability to control the football.

Long as a lot of attributes, which I'm sure can be developed, but there are some things with him that we'll always just have to accept.

[Ian Royal]

If that comment staggers you, you must go about in a constant daze...

A good coach coupled with willingness and unrelenting hard work can improve any and all aspects of a player's game.

Sorry have to agree with Finerain here. First touch, much like pace, is one of those things that you just can't teach - either you have it or you don't. I played to a pretty decent level, and I've never heard of a player in his twenties 'improving' their first touch. Improving strength, left foot finishing, heading etc yes, but not that instinctive ability to control the football.

Long as a lot of attributes, which I'm sure can be developed, but there are some things with him that we'll always just have to accept.

I had a touch ten times worse than Owusu's when I was younger. By playing regularly with friends I managed to improve it to almost Owusu's level.

You're talking nonsense if you think a player can't be coached to control the ball better when he receives it.

[Royalee]

I think a lot of the problem with Long is he gets nervous easily and this shows itself with his touch - there are times when I've seen flashes of brilliance from him and a good touch with close control like when he ran through and won the free kick for Davies' goal last Saturday, but he still makes lots of errors. I think these can be coached out of him in time with a consistent run in the team and the correct attitude and application from Long, but it'll take a while.

[Royalee]

If that comment staggers you, you must go about in a constant daze...

A good coach coupled with willingness and unrelenting hard work can improve any and all aspects of a player's game.

Sorry have to agree with Finerain here. First touch, much like pace, is one of those things that you just can't teach - either you have it or you don't. I played to a pretty decent level, and I've never heard of a player in his twenties 'improving' their first touch. Improving strength, left foot finishing, heading etc yes, but not that instinctive ability to control the football.

Long as a lot of attributes, which I'm sure can be developed, but there are some things with him that we'll always just have to accept.

I had a touch ten times worse than Owusu's when I was younger. By playing regularly with friends I managed to improve it to almost Owusu's level.

You're talking nonsense if you think a player can't be coached to control the ball better when he receives it.

Owusu had a first touch?!

[papereyes]

All aspects of any performance can be improved. The issue is what the limit is.

You may start with an instinctively good first touch, but you can improve it. You may start with a horrendous touch, but you can improve it.
It will probably prove impossible to improve it to a significantly high enough level, but it will still be improved.

Even things like awareness and yes, pace can be coached.

Hell, how do you think they take promising sprinters and make them good? They're not running sub-10 when they start. With sprinting. there's several things that can be improved - gait, balance, timing.

You're talking nonsense if you think a player can't be coached to control the ball better when he receives it.

The one thing I think might be more difficult is coaching him to know what to do with it when he gets it. To immediately know where his touch will put the ball for his next touch. But then - what do you think two-touch possession drills are trying to improve?

[Seal]

If that comment staggers you, you must go about in a constant daze...

A good coach coupled with willingness and unrelenting hard work can improve any and all aspects of a player's game.

Sorry have to agree with Finerain here. First touch, much like pace, is one of those things that you just can't teach - either you have it or you don't. I played to a pretty decent level, and I've never heard of a player in his twenties 'improving' their first touch. Improving strength, left foot finishing, heading etc yes, but not that instinctive ability to control the football.

Long as a lot of attributes, which I'm sure can be developed, but there are some things with him that we'll always just have to accept.

I had a touch ten times worse than Owusu's when I was younger. By playing regularly with friends I managed to improve it to almost Owusu's level.


You're talking nonsense if you think a player can't be coached to control the ball better when he receives it.

I think we're talking about different levels of football here.

I'm not talking about controlling a ball during a kickabout in a park. I'm talking real football, when a professional fizzes a ball to your feet and with you first touch you kill it dead, whilst positioning it into the space away from your opponent. Yes an average park player can get get a bit better, but this is professional football, and you can instantly tell whether a high level player has that touch or not.

You may be able to refine it, but you are not going to be able to teach a player something they inherently do or do not have. I guess ultimately we talking about different shades of grey here. I don't dispute Papereyes point that yes of course, athletes get better with training and development. However, you may be able to make someone slightly quicker, but you can't turn Teddy Sheringham into Gabby Agbonlahor. Likewise with touch, you can't turn Shane Long's into Wayne Rooney's.

Extreme examples I know, but the point is, yes I'm sure Shane Long will improve, but I do not expect that in 3 years time I will be remarking on how great his first touch his. If he manages to keep it in play a bit more I'll be happy.

Anyway. 2-0 Reading for me. Promising start at home. Real test will be the more physical away games we have coming up.

[ellpryjon]

Sorry have to agree with Finerain here. First touch, much like pace, is one of those things that you just can't teach - either you have it or you don't. I played to a pretty decent level, and I've never heard of a player in his twenties 'improving' their first touch. Improving strength, left foot finishing, heading etc yes, but not that instinctive ability to control the football.

Long as a lot of attributes, which I'm sure can be developed, but there are some things with him that we'll always just have to accept.

I had a touch ten times worse than Owusu's when I was younger. By playing regularly with friends I managed to improve it to almost Owusu's level.


You're talking nonsense if you think a player can't be coached to control the ball better when he receives it.

I think we're talking about different levels of football here.

I'm not talking about controlling a ball during a kickabout in a park. I'm talking real football, when a professional fizzes a ball to your feet and with you first touch you kill it dead, whilst positioning it into the space away from your opponent. Yes an average park player can get get a bit better, but this is professional football, and you can instantly tell whether a high level player has that touch or not.

You may be able to refine it, but you are not going to be able to teach a player something they inherently do or do not have. I guess ultimately we talking about different shades of grey here. I don't dispute Papereyes point that yes of course, athletes get better with training and development. However, you may be able to make someone slightly quicker, but you can't turn Teddy Sheringham into Gabby Agbonlahor. Likewise with touch, you can't turn Shane Long's into Wayne Rooney's.

Extreme examples I know, but the point is, yes I'm sure Shane Long will improve, but I do not expect that in 3 years time I will be remarking on how great his first touch his. If he manages to keep it in play a bit more I'll be happy.

Anyway. 2-0 Reading for me. Promising start at home. Real test will be the more physical away games we have coming up.

I agree with the scoreline, 2-0 seems fair, notts forest will take a while to gel as a team.

However, i feel your points about not learning/ improving ability are a little wide of the mark. Players, can improve their ball control through practise. Now, this doesnt necessarily mean that Shane should practise by kicking a ball against the wall, to see if he can control it on the first touch. Other factors come into play, such as how the team works( knowing where your teammate is likely to pass the ball). You are right when you say that you cannot go from Sheringham to Rooney. However, we are not looking for Shane to have the same ball control skills as Rooney, just an improvement, which is achievable.

[FiNeRaIn]

If that comment staggers you, you must go about in a constant daze...

A good coach coupled with willingness and unrelenting hard work can improve any and all aspects of a player's game.

No they can't. Why do you think players like dion dublin never had a ronaldo-esque first touch, you can bet your life he worked on it over his years of pro football.

Pace and first touch are things you can hardly improve- its instinct and an ability to react to the speed of the ball. Shane long trains day in day out, the most common part of a players game is their first touch ffs, if there was a way of improving it- don't you think the labeled donkeys from the last 25 years of football would have taken this approach?

Completely disagree with everyone who claims it can be vastly improved at professional level.

[watfordroyal]

If that comment staggers you, you must go about in a constant daze...

A good coach coupled with willingness and unrelenting hard work can improve any and all aspects of a player's game.

His first touch usually isn't the problem, especially if we kick-off, it's all the others in 90 minutes that need some coaching!

[papereyes]

All instinct can be coached into something more refined.

I don't dispute Papereyes point that yes of course, athletes get better with training and development. However, you may be able to make someone slightly quicker, but you can't turn Teddy Sheringham into Gabby Agbonlahor.

I agree - the body shape of a player is pretty deterministic - but you can add a decent % to someone's pace, likewise with their stamina. And all with relatively easy things such as looking at their balance and gait. No, you're not going to turn Sheringham into Agbonlahor but you can make a young Sheringham faster and quicker over shorter distances.

Further to that, you cite Agbonlahor. Have a look at the vast improvement in his touch and awareness from his first games for Villa to the player they have now.

However, we are not looking for Shane to have the same ball control skills as Rooney, just an improvement, which is achievable.

This.

[Maguire]

2-0 and shitfaced

[Ark Royal]

I had a touch ten times worse than Owusu's when I was younger. By playing regularly with friends I managed to improve it to almost Owusu's level.


You're talking nonsense if you think a player can't be coached to control the ball better when he receives it.

Owusu's seventh touch was oxf*rd atrocious.

[Ark Royal]

1-1

[loyalroyal4life]

After seeing the injuries and players out for us i am finding it hard to see where a goal will come from

0-0