Bolton Wanderers strikers have had their cards marked by manager Dougie Freedman

Dougie Freedman is attempting to take the pressure off his attacking players by letting them know exactly where they stand.

Wanderers have scored in 14 of their last 16 games but their ability to convert chances has come under scrutiny this season, particularly at the Reebok.

Freedman will be without his top scorer Jermaine Beckford this weekend at Reading and so David Ngog is likely to shoulder the goal-scoring burden alone up front.

But the Whites boss says he is trying to get more goals out of his side by giving his players prior knowledge about when they will be in the team and when they will be rested.

Asked how he could rectify the number of chances his side were currently wasting – Freedman revealed his rather novel approach.

“When you get in and around the box you have got to work on instinct,” he said.

“Instinct is a very difficult thing to coach. But what you can do is try to give players belief that you won’t be dragging them off after 50 or 60 minutes.

“I tell all my strikers ‘you will be playing the next six games at 90 minutes’ or ‘you will play the next four games at 90 minutes,’ so they feel a bit more relaxed.

“You have got to believe in yourself, you have got to believe in the style of play, you have got to believe in your training and you have got to make sure the players believe in you.

“Hopefully, that then turns into goals.”

Source

I don't believe that approach to be a good one. A striker who is having a bad day at the office will suffer for 90 minutes ans a reserve striker who wore his shooting boots that will not grace the pitch.

karlypants wrote:

“Instinct is a very difficult thing to coach. But what you can do is try to give players belief that you won’t be dragging them off after 50 or 60 minutes.

“I tell all my strikers ‘you will be playing the next six games at 90 minutes’ or ‘you will play the next four games at 90 minutes,’ so they feel a bit more relaxed.

Genius. Tell already underperforming players their place is guaranteed regardless of performance.

You couldn't make it up.

Does he believe what he's saying? Can he hear it?

I want some of what Dougie is smoking.         Or drinking.   Whatever it is it must be   

If dougie really can tell players they'll play the next six games for all 90 minutes he must own one of these  

Here's what a dictionary I found on-line says about "instinct":

"Any behaviour is instinctive if it is performed without being based upon prior experience (that is, in the absence of learning), and is therefore an expression of innate biological factors."

Therefore, Dr Sigmund Freedman's assertion that "it's a very difficult thing to coach" is indeed correct.

But I'd go a step further and say it is, by definition, impossible to coach.

And Dr Freedman is, by extension, a clueless prick for trying.

Telling players they're going to have a run in the team isn't uncommon in management, Ferguson did it at United, I've also read Wenger does the same thing. It's just a way of planning a few games in advance, knowing what players you want to be fresh for particular games and giving their replacement a run in the side.

If a striker was having an absolute stinker he'd pull them off, this quote doesnt have to be taken so literally.

bwfc1874 wrote:Telling players they're going to have a run in the team isn't uncommon in management, Ferguson did it at United, I've also read Wenger does the same thing. It's just a way of planning a few games in advance, knowing what players you want to be fresh for particular games and giving their replacement a run in the side.

If a striker was having an absolute stinker he'd pull them off, this quote doesnt have to be taken so literally.

No... It does, if his 10 minute pre match PR exercise doesn't line up exactly with what i think, i slag him on twitter relentlessly. 

might be time to reassess your priorities 1874.

He just states the obvious, says things that are inconsistent with what he does, and talks plain empty words, and it winds people up. What sort of PR exercise is that?

Breadman's already explained the "stating the obvious" part brilliantly. But, :

karlypants wrote:
“I tell all my strikers ‘you will be playing the next six games at 90 minutes’ or ‘you will play the next four games at 90 minutes,’ so they feel a bit more relaxed.

Why would he do this when only once has a striker had a run of six starts+ all season, and even he was usually dragged off before full time? Is he saying it's important that he lies to his players? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm genuinely interested about the psychological genius behind this.

And:

karlypants wrote:
“You have got to believe in yourself, you have got to believe in the style of play, you have got to believe in your training and you have got to make sure the players believe in you.

“Hopefully, that then turns into goals.” 

This is just one of those "keep talking" moments. He should have gone a bit further with "...you have got to believe in your diet, you have got to believe in your sleeping pattern, you have got to make sure your wife believes in you. Hopefully, that then turns into goals."

bwfc1874 wrote:Telling players they're going to have a run in the team isn't uncommon in management, Ferguson did it at United, I've also read Wenger does the same thing. It's just a way of planning a few games in advance, knowing what players you want to be fresh for particular games and giving their replacement a run in the side.

If a striker was having an absolute stinker he'd pull them off, this quote doesnt have to be taken so literally.

surely pulling him off would be considered a treat in certain circles   another of Dougies new age approach to coaching!