Hi everybody! We won significantly with
Hungary (59499) yesterday...but unfortunately current season is over for us. I owe summarise this season and my choices.
The key turned out game vs
Israel. Israel has very strong inside offense, what they proved yesterday winning easily with so powerfull Italy, which is well-known as very well defending team. Even well guessed GDP (inside) hadn't helped Italy to be close to Israel at least. Of course, Israel played with higher attitiude....but still.
I think that propably many of you hugly uderestimate Israel (for sure one guy:D). Israel keeps all key players in 5-6 Israeli teams. They train them and keep game shape every week. They have really great player. When I saw e.g. Kushmero
(45843640) on TL last time (at the beginning of this season), he had TSP 156 (probably more now), and was bought for 9M by Israeli. I don't know if they have more players like Kushmero but I guess that yes, because Israeli train very well, what I see on example of our Liobikas, who is one of our the best players now.
Coming back to our game vs Israel...I was conscius of huge power of Israel's inside offense. Adding theirs great game shapes (14 out of 14 were 9), theirs GDP inside (it was sure too), and our worse shapes...we were in huge troubles. Unfortunately our outside offensive players had worse shapes, what with theirs worse inside defences actually excluded using outside offense (I doubt we would be able to win with them playing outside offense with so bad shapes, while even Italy wasn't able to do it with much better shapes and much better inside defending players).
Situation was really tough. Many options were closed. In front of us was two very difficult games (very strong Italy and CT of Hungary). I was thinking what to do and decide to save enthusiasm on Italy (I hoped our shapes will be better and Italy with it's strength will want to save enthusiasm), and use players with best shapes and better inside defences. Patient seemed be nice idea, because Israel's center don't have high OD, but it wasn't good ide at all. That many closed options forced me to make mistake. Happends. It was actually only one mistake this season...but decisive.
Then was Italy, which unfortunately played normal, and even our strongest LI wasn't enough. So we got normal, normal and CT in last fhree games:/
How I see our situation? I start from the draw....It was very tough group. I have no doubts. I still can't understand why we was drawing from lower position than teams like: Poland, Israel, Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, Greece, while we was eliminated from EC at the same stage, and we was higer or significantly higher in Consolation Turnament...
Players? We have much better players than in previous seasons: 6 player above TSP150, 3 players close to 150, a lot of above 140, while we had few players above TSP140 in previous season...but training was hugly changed by additional facilities, trainers etc., what also could changed strength of teams. For sure nations using additional facilities properly could make big progress.
What we can improve? First of all management of minutes and keeping good game shape. Our key players should play in top teams (e.g. B3 members), which fight for succeses, have high abilities to keep shapes, have psychologist and/or doctor with massage.
Last seasons were worse for us...but we make progress too (involved staff will help I believe)...and I believe will come back on medal path soon. I will do my best to do it. Next season Consolation Turnament, which we want to win. This season unfortuantely only scrimmages...but we will test a lot, which should help us in the future.