Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú

Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú BLOGS - Jack Ross
« Previous | Main | Next »

Key ingredients of a lethal strikeforce

Post categories:

Jack Ross | 14:26 UK time, Monday, 19 July 2010

Ashe will enjoy the richly-deserved accolade afforded to a golfer winning one of the sport's biggest prizes.

While viewed as an individual sport, I am sure that Oosthuizen would be the first to pay tribute to the role played by his caddy in his success.

Therefore, if a strong partnership is vital in such a sport as golf, how important and common are they in an 11-man team game like football?

It's fair to say that there have been many successful partnerships in football throughout the years with attacking duos springing most quickly to mind.

Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton formed a formidable partnership at BlackburnSome fans may recall the success of Kevin Keegan and John Toshack, or and , while others may point to lesser-known partnerships at their clubs.

For example, as a schoolboy I was affiliated to and spent holidays at Dens Park where at that time Tommy Coyne and Keith Wright enjoyed a terrific relationship and were revered by Dundee supporters.

In using the word relationship you would assume that players who enjoy such a good understanding on the park would be good friends off the pitch.

In many cases they are able to transfer the trust and confidence in each other onto the pitch and then profit from the ability they have to think in a similar manner.

However, as always with football there are exceptions to the rule - some highly-successful partnerships are based solely on a football relationship..

Probably the most high-profile example would be that of and who linked up fantastically well at Manchester United, yet, by their own admission, were not the best of friends off the park.

Therefore, if there is no guaranteed formula for success when pairing players together in a team, how do managers unearth pairings such as Willie Miller and Alex McLeish?

Is it by luck or good judgement? Probably a bit of both as undoubtedly managers will watch players in games and training and believe they are suited to playing alongside each other.

However, until this partnership is tested in competitive fixtures then no-one knows how strong the chemistry will be!

As I have touched upon, partnerships are traditionally associated with strike-forces or central defenders, but even as a full-back you can develop a good understanding with the wide midfielder who plays in front of you.

Such a position is perhaps more susceptible to a change in personnel than some others.

It may be that moves to playing one man up front and the regularity in which the modern player changes clubs could signal the end of famous football partnerships.

Yet, as a South African golfer has just demonstrated, it is difficult to achieve anything on your own.

On the subject of relationships, being a new player at a new club means that pre-season is an important time for getting to know your team-mates, both in terms of personality and playing styles.

I have been fortunate in knowing most of the Hamilton squad and therefore I have felt very comfortable becoming part of their unit.

The real test for me begins now, however, as we begin to play friendly matches, and I look forward to achieving match-sharpness and proving myself worthy of a place in a side which was successful last season.

No matter your age or experience in the game you are presented with challenges on a frequent basis and I am looking forward to overcoming the latest of these!

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    Yes first post! I think a really good parternship I remember from my younger days was the McCoisty and Hateley partnerhip at Rangers in the 90's....they were a deadly duo and even managed some good performances in Europe also.

  • Comment number 2.

    Is there much team-building exercises that go on pre-season or throughout the season? Surely these are key and looking at which players felt they communicated with in the squad but also the effectiveness of this throughout the season?

  • Comment number 3.


    For Sunderland supporters its been amazing to see the huge success of Quinn and Philips. Their little and large double act was prolific against the best defenders in the league and they were able to spring surprises even when it looked like nothing was happening. Both players deservedly enjoy legendary status for us mackems.

  • Comment number 4.

    Unless you're an exceptional individual talent like Lionel Messi or Maradona, enjoying strong partnerships throughout a team are crucial to a player experiencing a successful career and I'm often suprised how little this is taken into account when clubs make 'big name' transfers and then struggle to work out why the player they've bought doesn't seem like the one they envied from afar. Barcelona often complained how the Thierry Henry they bought wasn't the 'Arsenal Henry' - well that's because they weren't buying the Arsenal part of the equation. Similarily, the likes of Gerrard, Lampard etc don't play the same for England as with their clubs because they don't have the same team-mates around them. It's a no brainer really!

Ìý

Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú iD

Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú navigation

Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú © 2014 The Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.