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Player Questionnaire from Qarabag

Spurs 3 Qarabag 0 - The Analysis Questionnaire

Spurs v Qarabag Questions

My immediate thoughts on the first-half, which led rise to me thinking a player questionnaire from the Qarabag game was required:

  • It was a red card for Dragusin
  • Spurs' throw-in problem is giving the ball to the opposition when we only have 10 men
  • Yves Bissouma simply doesn't know what to do with the ball in attacking situations
  • Dominic Solanke does a lot of work for the side
  • Heung-min Son is taking defenders on less and less
  • Dragusin and Davies caught on the ball, is there an underlying problem here
  • Brennan Johnson didn't go with his man resulting in an open goal 6 yards out
  • Good goal Johnson, but a side-foot lob shouldn't miss the target
  • Qarabag player booked didn't deserve it
  • Referees must stop tactical fouls on counter-attacks with yellow cards
  • Harry Kane used to take quick free-kicks but our mentality now is simply to retain possession
  • Why aren't more free-kicks played into the box?
Destiny Udogie played the ball back to Davies, who thought he had more time, lost the ball and had to be rescued by Vicario.

It would be nice to hand the player a questionnaire to be filled out there and then, like a second you watching yourself play so you know the thoughts going through your head.

I'm not knocking the pass or Desting Udogie, I'm merely using this as an opportunity to ascertain the mentality of the team, as while we are playing attacking football, I question whether there is still too much of a defensive, let's just pass the keep the ball mentality, rather than a let's create mentality that sees more options, something I have written about before.

Now I have not watched it back so I don't know the answers in this case, but, the idea of having a real-time questionnaire for players is about understanding their mindset and thought process during a match. 

The purpose of this exercise would be to evaluate the decision-making process and its alignment with the team’s overall strategy. 

This ties in with the vision training I wrote about in December 2015 and have updated for you here: 2 simple techniques to train a footballing brain or Players need to speed up decision making.

Onto the Player Questionnaire from Qarabag.

Situational Analysis Questions:

  1. What was your primary objective when you received the ball?
    • (E.g., maintain possession, progress play, create a goal-scoring opportunity, etc.)
  2. Why did you decide to pass the ball backwards instead of looking for a forward option?
  3. What other options did you consider before making the pass?
    • (List them if possible: e.g., pass to [player’s name], dribble forward, switch play, etc.)
  4. Did you assess the positioning of the opposition players before making the pass? What were your observations?
  5. Did you notice any movement from teammates that would have been better options for a forward pass? If so, what prevented you from selecting those options?

Technical Execution Questions:

  1. Where was your intended target for the pass (specific foot, area, etc.)? Did the pass reach that target as intended?
  2. Was the pass weight, angle, and speed deliberate, or did any external factors (pressure, lack of vision, etc.) influence it?
  3. Did you feel confident in your passing technique at that moment? If not, what technical aspects of the pass were suboptimal?

Team Dynamics and Mentality Questions:

  1. What did you think Ben Davies would do when he received the pass? Did you communicate your intention?
  2. Was the choice to pass backwards a reflection of team instructions (e.g., recycle possession), or a personal choice to reduce risk?
  3. Do you believe your decision aligns with the current philosophy of the team under Ange Postecoglou (i.e., attacking, progressive football)?
  4. If you were to be in the same situation again, what would you do differently?
  5. Do you think the team, as a whole, has fully adopted an attack-first mentality, or are there lingering tendencies to play it safe?

Mental State and Decision Impact Questions:

  1. What was your mental state (confidence, composure, anxiety) at the time of the pass? Did it influence your decision?
  2. How did the outcome of the pass impact your confidence or decision-making for the rest of the match?
  3. Did any previous event or mistake in the match influence your decision-making in that moment?
  4. What do you believe was Ben Davies’ perception of your pass? Did he appear prepared to receive it?
  5. Did you analyze or rethink this decision during the game, or did you quickly move past it to refocus on the play?

Post-Match Reflection Questions:

  1. Having watched the match back, how would you rate your decision-making in that specific moment?
  2. Is there anything you think you could improve upon in similar scenarios in future matches?
  3. How do you feel about your overall alignment with the team's attacking philosophy?
  4. Did your decision-making process change throughout the match as you adapted to the opposition?

These questions would provide a more comprehensive insight into the player’s thought process and the dynamics on the field, allowing for a better understanding of whether the team’s strategy and mentality are being executed effectively.

Right, I'd better get on with watching the second-half!

How did my detailed preview fare?

COYS

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