Source: Northern_Echo
Staunton turns to video analysis with players
ANYONE who has witnessed Steve Staunton's touchline antics will be aware he is a manager who easily becomes frustrated, sometimes with referees but more often with his own players. His ranting and raving has made for an entertaining sideshow during what has otherwise been a dismal season. However, the Darlington manager has this week attempted a new method in an attempt to teach his players a thing or two. Today Quakers are at home to Barnet and Staunton prepared his players by holding a team meeting, during which a video of last Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Northampton Town was shown. Faults were pointed out and the players asked for their opinion as the manager picked over the bones of what was Quakers' sixth defeat in their last eight games. We had a good meeting and went through a few things on the video of the last game, said Staunton. Sometimes it's good to watch a game on video because it's there right in front of you, it doesn't lie. The top clubs all do video training now and maybe it's partly because society has changed. It's not that it's harder to talk to players, I just don't think they listen as easily. But when they see things visually and you're talking them through it the penny drops. They take it on board. Although when we watched the video there wasn't a lot wrong other than the two bad goals that were given away by the team, it wasn't just about individuals. When you win it is as a team, unfortunately when you lose individuals get picked out. That's the nature of the game, but we're men enough to accept criticism and give it. The meeting wasn't about pointing the finger. It was about pointing out little faults that can help stop the big things that might happen. It was a constructive meeting and the players had their say, which is a good thing. I'm a firm believer in that because you have to find out what they think. Although it was a productive meeting, Staunton feels that conducting a pre-season with his players would be more beneficial. It is then, he says, that formations can be tried and tested. Having previously stuck to 4-4-2, different formations have been used in each of the last three games, and Staunton said: We went with three at the back against Torquay in the last home game and it worked well aside from their only two shots in the first half that made it 2-0. We played well and had so many shots. It wasn't down to the system. It doesn't matter whether you play two at the back, ten at the back or whatever it's 11 versus 11 and it's all about cutting out the little problems across the park that ultimately cut out the big problem. What I really want is a preseason with the team, that's the most important time of the year at a football club. It's five or six weeks' hard graft, it's a time when you get your ideas across and the players know where you're coming from. That's where you try things on the training ground, there's no uncertainty or confusion. Pre-season games are vital as well. You try things out and try to get the right formula for the players that you've got. All credit to the players we've got because they've been fantastic. We've tried different systems and they've taken to them very well in the short space of time we've had to work on them. The injured Stuart Giddings apart, last week saw Staunton stick with the same players who drew four days previously at Bury. But having lost at Sixfields, the manager is contemplating changes today. We kept the same team and it was reward for the team that drew at Bury, he said. They put in a great shift and could easily have won. Hindsight is great, but maybe we should have changed things around. I changed the formation to try and give us an advantage and at Bury it worked. But we used the same system at Northampton and I'm thinking a couple of days ago this worked like a treat, what's going on'. Barnet are 19th and have twice beaten Quakers this season at Underhill, in the league and again in the FA Cup. Staunton played down suggestions of revenge, saying: Other than Rotherham we've got a score to settle with everyone! Morritt Arms are new sponsors DARLINGTON'S new shirt sponsors were last night named as the Morritt Arms. They will have their logo emblazoned on the front of the club's shirts next season after winning a raffle to find a new sponsor. Earlier this season Quakers invited local companies to enter the draw at a cost of £5,000 each. At a sportsman's dinner at The Northern Echo Arena last night comedian Kevin Connolly pulled the Morrit's name out of a hat.