Loga explains goal drought in KPL
Courtesy of kpl.co.ke
Straight-speaking Gor Mahia coach Zdravko Logarusic is now reckoning that the lack of goals by strikers in the league is because of “tactical naivety” by his league colleagues.
The Croatian tactician, who has been managing Gor in the league over the past 15 months, says without mincing words, that top flight clubs apply the same formation tactics week-in, week-out, a move that has made the league “predictable”.
“I have faced almost each club in Kenya on three occasions, and it’s very easy to plan because the team will line up in exactly the same way they did during the last meeting, and also employ the same tactics.
“Actually, I am more scared of facing a team from the lower division in Kenya, because they might have more surprises up their sleeves. KPL coaches should work on this,” said Logarusic who has lost only once in his 20 competitive appearances with Gor thus far.
Logarusic, who has also managed in his native Croatia, Australia and Ghana added that this approach has prevented strikers in the league from delivering.
“We have talented forwards in Kenya. But you know most teams will employ a 4-4-2 system of formation, which means in most situations, the two strikers will have to beat four defenders to score a goal. There is no support from the midfield. When you look at our game against KCB (in which Gor won 2-1) I changed the team’s formation on three occasions, and the result was we won.”
KPL coaches will certainly not take this lying down.
But food for thought, The 33-year-old John Baraza has emerged top scorer in three of the last four seasons. However, he has never managed more than 20 goals in a 30-fixture season.
Also, after nine rounds of matches, the leading scorer is KCB’s Clifford Alwanga with just six goals, followed by Andrew Murunga (Karuturi Sports) and Jacob Keli (KCB) with four goals each.
Sincerely speaking, if we already know our opponent’s tactics then it should be even much easier to score. We have a big problem in the mid-field. We need to look for an attacking mid-fielder who is our previous Collins ‘Gatuso’ Okoth, Peter Opiyo, etc. The way Akumu and Njuguna are playing is just too deep to supply meaningful passes to our strikers. If our strikers have to go deep in the midfield to fetch the ball and at the same time they are expected to score, are we really being fair?
If possible, Logaurisic should now push either Akumu or Pablo just slightly behind the strikers and use both Kevo14 and Mutiso in flanks to unlock defenders from the opponent’s side and you will see goals forthcoming. If you can’t penetrate the opponent’s central defense, why are we not using flanks?
logarusic: i have supported u in gor but on this ‘explanation’ i disagree with u. what the other teams do is not what we really care about. what are u doing to score the goals? u say u know the other teams predictable tactics… then isn’t that an advantage? where is this new tactic u are employing to score goals. i am not really here to bring you down but my opinion is that what you are using, so far, is not the best. fare enough we are not being beaten like before but i thnk that with the calibre of players u have, gor should be doing 4 nil scores. it has been my belief(and still is) that when playing gor, other teams PULL UP their socks unlike when playing each other- in short gor matches are harder. i will then give my observations on the gor formation;
– GOR passing game is poor: the team can hardly string 8 passes(and i am not talking about backward passes) uninterrupted.
– players coordination while passing to strikers. the strikers hardly know what the suppliers are going to place the ball.
– supply balls should be made behind the defence walls.
– there is no plan to play locked formations.
i thnk currently gor has a good squad that probably can only be challenged by tusker. what i have posted are not instructions to anyone but merely my observations.
coaches, if u know, then where are the goals to show for it? And come to think of it, are you part of these? Anyway work on our midfield to anchor play. 2 defensive and three offensive, e.g. Akumu and Owino on defensive midfield, and Mutiso, Kevo and Kiongera/ Gaucho to be offensive. Otherwise best of luck this sunday.
if you have faced the same team 3 times and they use the same system each time how about you use your tactical nous and approach the game differently to break them down?
For me its not so much about the other team and their formation but rather our team and its formation.We have become predictable in our fielding and general system of play hence making it easy for our opponents to hold their own against us!!
Isn’t it about time we changed our approach???
Now that Pablo is suspended why don the coach try 4 1 2 3 formation with 4 defenders, Akumu as the defensive mid,rama and Gathu as attacking dieres and sserunkuma,the naija and kevo to look for goals. I believe this formation can work better than 4 3 3 or 4 4 2 we are used to.
@ 2 dinga – I echo your sentiments on passing the balls, players coordination and on plans to play a locked formation…
By the way on the issue of formation, I saw some good ideas from Amrouche (Harambee stars coach) on our match against Nigeria and we almost beat Nigeria despite them fielding a very strong squad. We palyed 4-1-2-1-2 (4 defenders, 1 person in front of defenders, 2 midfielders, 1 person in front of the midfielders and he is at the same time behind the strikers and two strikers. This pattern worked pretty well. Again you don’t have to use one pattern until completion of the match; change when need be. Us as fans we can only give suggestions/views but it’s the technical bench to decide but I hope formation needs to be well thought of every time. At times the solution is never substitution but changing the formation
Judging from the Naija game, Amrouche seems to be tactically astute especially considering he has the players for a very short time. I am still perplexed at why Loga decided to play with 3 strikers against ENPPI in Egypt. My take is that knowing the capability of Egyptians to score, he should have been more cautious and played a more defensive formation.
We lack a creative midfielder, Akumu does a good job of defensive midfielder but Pablo isn’t creative enuff for me. That’s one reason no one is stringing the passes to tbe strikers. Our game is more predicable actually. With Mutiso now we are better on one flank, though he needs to be capable of playing a number of matches without an injury. We need someone else on the other flank. Gor needs to develop tnis aspect of the game to be able to unlock defenses.
When Nigeria will come and beat us here we will all say that the HS coach is not good enough. Though we beat Nigeria we had only two chances courtesy of Kahata, he scored one and missed a sitter.
On Loga he is no longer as adventerous as he was last year. Having said that the truth is that he is still the most adventerous of them all. Which coach in the TPL will ‘kill’ a right/left back defence and employ a midfielder to handle that position? Very few. All we lack is that offensive midfielder to feed Rama/Danny/Natty and we will be there. Unfortunately both Pablo and Viera are defensive midfielders
Okoth Jabilo advised this guy to talk less; I wish he could listen. This time round there is nothing he has said. The Lord Jesus Christ had foreseen this when he asked “Why should you concern yourself with the speck in your neighbour’s eye before you remove the log in your own eye?”
I think what Loga should do is to take Rama salim to his natural position of attacking midfielder .that is where he is best suited & he did that very well while with congo utd.It does not mean that he will not score from that position as many attacking mids do score.I think u will notice that whenever salim takes the ball from midfield, he always move forward with the ball & not backwards.That Abey can be the striker in place of Rama as Rama plays at the midfield.
Exactly BB@10. Sadly I’ve noted that Mr.Loga spends a lot of energy on mind games to try and unsettle rivals coaches who are reading his bluff very well. The above is just a trick MIND GAME, and to me a feeble attempt to unsettle opponents who now know he’s panicked.
WELL MY ADVICE TO MR.LOGA
1.YOU CANNOT WIN THE LEAGUE RELYING HEAVILY ON “MIND GAMES”. YOU NEED TACTICS (as mentioned our passing is below average) AND TALENT 80% and that why we are paying you a six figure salary
2. VERY FEW TEAMS WILL PLAY AN OPEN GAME AGAINST K’GALO, ESPECIALLY IF THEY SCORE B4 US.SADLY EVERYONE KNOWS OUR WEAKNESS DUE TO LACK OF CREATIVE ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS AND INEFFECTIVENESS IN SET PIECES.
KAZI KWAKO MR.COACH
If most of them play 4:4:2 then the best formation is to attack thro the flanks which is what Loga is doing. However this requires a swift counter attack or tranairion which is not the case presently as akumu or pablo are fond of returning the ball backwards and not making a quick turn and release the strijers or wingers. Infact Seru should be deployed more to the right and attack while speedily transiting to the left thus easy for his thunderous left foot. in the mean time rama should be playing just behind the strikers. Where is Yusuf Juma ? The boy is good and can play in midfiels especially on the right side so that as he transits his lethal left foot is advantaged. He plays more kuke Ben the Breakdance Oloo or Oluoch Lule. So far so good ! Keep it Loga and The Six Million Dollarman ,John Bobby Ogolla, my namesake !
Excuse for the typos ! I am proud of my English
Bure Kabisa.