Same ball, Different Game?

[Gigersaint]

With so many varying opinions on the same games we all watch together I was wondering what everyone looks at in particular when they are watching that can make us all see the same game so differently.

 

Admittedly I tend to mostly ‘ball watch’ and follow the immediate area of where most of the action is and sometimes miss a few of the ‘off the ball’ incidents that others notice that I only become aware of when coming on here and seeing other peoples opinion of a game and what they have seen.

 

Other times I might watch a certain player for a while but then miss ‘that tackle’, ‘that header’, ‘that pass’, ‘that turn’, or ‘that run’ or at worst ‘that goal’ that came out of nothing!

 

Over a single game some people seem to have the ability to watch and remember, every player, every tackle, every pass, every run, every header, and every kick of the ball for both teams and name every player of the opposition at the same time, including every mistake they made!

 

Between, home fans, away fans, the papers, and TV each reports something different, so this surely dispels that one person can take in everything of a single game without being challenged on what they have seen.

 

Is it the difference of which aspect of the game we watch that causes the divide of our opinions and what do you all watch in particular to form the opinions you have on a game?... as there is so much to keep your eye on!

Edited 26 January, 2010 by Gigersaint
Grammar...

[Saint_clark]

This is why it's best to sit behind the goal IMO as you can keep your eye on the entire pitch.

[saintsforlife7]

This is why it's best to sit behind the goal IMO as you can keep your eye on the entire pitch.

 

Agree with that, sitting in the Northam and the ball at Right Back, you can still see the switch to either Harding or Holmes is on, but can also see Antonio wanting it down the right etc.

[SamKimish]

Or sit with people who don't ball watch. That way you get to keep your eye on all of the 'real' action whilst still getting updates about a player's 'off-the-ball run' or 'good positioning' etc.

[Gigersaint]

Or sit with people who don't ball watch. That way you get to keep your eye on all of the 'real' action whilst still getting updates about a player's 'off-the-ball run' or 'good positioning' etc.

 

That tells me that I definetely have to move from the seats I'm currently sat in where the atmosphere lacks somewhat.

[oxfordshire_saint]

If you don't follow the ball then you're either not human or possibly a scout.

 

That said, I've always got one eye on the shape of the back four (I'm a goalkeeper, so used to criticising defender's positioning!), through all the changes of managers we've always seemed to have fullbacks who stay compact and allow the opposition wingers to wander into space when the play is building up with the opposition. They only seem to want to go to the man once they've had time to control the ball, turn and run at them. Can't help thinking it'd cut out a lot more danger if they were up their backside and ready to pounce on their first touch.

[shurlock]

Is it the difference of which aspect of the game we watch that causes the divide of our opinions and what do you all watch in particular to form the opinions you have on a game?... as there is so much to keep your eye on!

 

Nah simple prejudice - people will always find some evidence to justify their preconceptions about players and teams.

 

Im interested in watching the movement around the player with the ball - does so much to determine what he can or can't do. Usually not hard to keep an eye on both as the best option/pass will be the one closest to the ball.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

I must admit to being somewhat 'one eyed' at a football match - I tend to concentrate on Saints players and after a game I hardly have anything worthwhile to say about their opposite numbers - unless their were particularly good or bad that is .

 

Whenever some lower league player is linked with a move here I'm always surprised at just how many fans already have a firm opinion about them - more often than not to me they are just names and sometimes I've never even heard of them !

[Legod Third Coming]

I must admit to being somewhat 'one eyed' at a football match - I tend to concentrate on Saints players and after a game I hardly have anything worthwhile to say about their opposite numbers - unless their were particularly good or bad that is .

 

Whenever some lower league player is linked with a move here I'm always surprised at just how many fans already have a firm opinion about them - more often than not to me they are just names and sometimes I've never even heard of them !

 

I always know when an opposition player has either had an outstanding game or a mare for exactly that reason. Because 99% of the time I'm paying them no attention whatsoever!!!

[SNSUN]

At St Mary's, if the action is in an area I can't see, I'll watch the big screens.

 

I tend to ball watch a bit, but I'm 100% concerned only about the Saints players. At the end of some games, if you asked me to name 6 of the oppositions players, or how good they were, I couldn't. How our players are doing on the field is the only concern for me. (Weirdly though I'm not a manager, I'm guessing that's what managers do).

[Whitey Grandad]

I use to watch the ball until I became a refeee but now I tend to scan the whole pitch. At corners and goalkicks I watch the players since 'Nothing can happen to the ball whilst it is in the air'. I still miss a lot, though, especially when I'm daydreaming.

[Legod Third Coming]

Tell you one thing, I did tell Thomas to shoot and he did. So glad I was paying attention at that point...

[Jez]

If you don't follow the ball then you're either not human or possibly a scout.

 

 

More proof for my theory that all scouts are robots.

[Toadhall Saint]

This is why it's best to sit behind the goal IMO as you can keep your eye on the entire pitch.

 

Great position for assessing off sides as well.

[Wes Tender]

As I get older, my eyesight is not as good, (like most refs ) so it is more difficult to recognise players when we have been constantly changing the team around andI haven't been able to recognise players by their general appearance or style.

 

It occurred to me recently that it might be good idea to listen to the match on a radio whilst simultaneously watching it. Then one would not only be able to know which players were instrumental in the build up play, but also to make one's own judgement independently.

[Window Cleaner]

With so many varying opinions on the same games we all watch together I was wondering what everyone looks at in particular when they are watching that can make us all see the same game so differently.

 

Admittedly I tend to mostly ‘ball watch’ and follow the immediate area of where most of the action is and sometimes miss a few of the ‘off the ball’ incidents that others notice that I only become aware of when coming on here and seeing other peoples opinion of a game and what they have seen.

 

Other times I might watch a certain player for a while but then miss ‘that tackle’, ‘that header’, ‘that pass’, ‘that turn’, or ‘that run’ or at worst ‘that goal’ that came out of nothing!

 

Over a single game some people seem to have the ability to watch and remember, every player, every tackle, every pass, every run, every header, and every kick of the ball for both teams and name every player of the opposition at the same time, including every mistake they made!

 

Between, home fans, away fans, the papers, and TV each reports something different, so this surely dispels that one person can take in everything of a single game without being challenged on what they have seen.

 

Is it the difference of which aspect of the game we watch that causes the divide of our opinions and what do you all watch in particular to form the opinions you have on a game?... as there is so much to keep your eye on!

 

It's like most situations, some people can look at a room for a few seconds and remember it virtually completely, some can look at it for half an hour and then ask themselves if there were 4 walls or 5.Some people have incredibly

analytical minds some have to ask the same question 5 times before they grasp the answer.I once did a stretch at some awareness institute or other,on the first day they put you in room with thousands of objects none of which were particularly extraordinary, they told you to mentally list all the red objects or all the white objects,2 hours later you had to remember all the square things or all the black things or whatever.Sounds easy but it sure sorts the observant from the rest.

Edited 26 January, 2010 by Window Cleaner

[Legod Third Coming]

As I get older, my eyesight is not as good, (like most refs ) so it is more difficult to recognise players when we have been constantly changing the team around andI haven't been able to recognise players by their general appearance or style.

 

It occurred to me recently that it might be good idea to listen to the match on a radio whilst simultaneously watching it. Then one would not only be able to know which players were instrumental in the build up play, but also to make one's own judgement independently.

 

So long as you don't listen to Solent, half the time their view seems worse than mine!!!!!

[polegategavin]

Tell you one thing, I did tell Thomas to shoot and he did. So glad I was paying attention at that point...

 

As did a few thousand others, it was quite funny hearing the shoot request drift from behind the Chapel goal and around into the Kingsland stand, followed by Thomas deciding to do just that and let fly!

 

It was just as if the crowd had forced the ball towards the goal.

 

This did not come out in the ITV highlights, you couldn't hear this request from the crowd!

 

Had us chuckling after the game when we talked about it.

[londonsaint1604]

I'm usually quite drunk so don't tend to remember a lot.

[Window Cleaner]

So long as you don't listen to Solent, half the time their view seems worse than mine!!!!!

 

Having listened to only the Ipswich commentary last Saturday I was quite surprised just how more factual it was than the usual Solent effort. I'm not a fan of Whispering Dave and his interventions often seem totally pointless to me, the bloke on Suffolk was certainly sharper (and less biased) in his analysis.

[Window Cleaner]

As did a few thousand others, it was quite funny hearing the shoot request drift from behind the Chapel goal and around into the Kingsland stand, followed by Thomas deciding to do just that and let fly!

 

It was just as if the crowd had forced the ball towards the goal.

 

This did not come out in the ITV highlights, you couldn't hear this request from the crowd!

 

Had us chuckling after the game when we talked about it.

 

Radio Suffolk certainly picked it up in their commentary,

[simondo]

sitting high up, rightin the middle, like i did, is a very good view you can see the whole game unfold...

however, i have sat all over the place in the past and it amazes me the different perspecitive you get from the different heights, almost a different games sat at pitch level opposed to high up. (not that wenger has any excues for his ' i didn't see it line!!)

[SNSUN]

My missus is short sighted, so I got my arse handed to me when I booked tickets for us at the back of the Kingsland. I'd rather be high up, but she needs to be sat towards the front. Against Exeter I tried the Family bit in the Chapel, but my personal favourite was on Saturday, sat in the second row of the Itchin. I'll sit at the back of the Kingsland again If I'm on my own, but with her in tow, it looks like it'll be the Itchin.

 

Incidentally, you can't beat the viewpoint of sitting in the middle, but then that's why you pay more.

[Charlie2008]

I'm usually quite drunk so don't tend to remember a lot.

 

LOL!

:drinkers:

[saintds]

I sit in the Kingsland and used to be a ball watcher. More recently and now we have a tactically astute manager for the first time in some seasons, I've been watching with interest the formation changes over the course of the 90 minutes.

 

What have I learned from this? Very little, I can identify a 4-4-2 (check my bad-self), but ask me to identify a 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1 that becomes a 4-3-3 when we have the ball (is there a difference?!) then I'm completely lost.

 

Think I'll go back to ball watching...

[derry]

Whilst I see where the ball is, I am watching the players on both sides to see how the move is developing and pick out runs or lack of, marking or lack of, with players off the ball. I continually check the blind side and watch ahead of the move to see if there is offside developing. I'm really interested in balance, width and shape and am continually aware of it in an overview.

 

In effect this sounds complicated but it is purely scanning a wider area than following the ball and as I've always done it, it is no effort.

[Scummer]

I watch the opposition goal for the entire match. I'm only interested in when we score.

[Whitey Grandad]

I watch the opposition goal for the entire match. I'm only interested in when we score.

Last season must have been a bit dull?

[Window Cleaner]

Last season must have been a bit dull?

 

Like watching paint dry I suppose, still paint eventually does dry, which is more than you could say about our scoring record last season.

[Scummer]

Last season must have been a bit dull?

 

Sometimes a fairy sat on the crossbar.

[Whitey Grandad]

Sometimes a fairy sat on the crossbar.

You saw that too! I thought it was just me.

[Gigersaint]

Interesting to see how others view games on here, I guess we all see something different and all look at different area's of the game while we are watching, many not being much different to how I view games in my own way too. I have an even greater respect now than I did before for anyone who would want to be a football manager to have the ability to see everything that happens during 90 minutes of 22 players in front of huge crowds.

Several years ago before we had the benefit of web forums, discussions in the pub about games we watched and things that happened on the pitch could be open to quite a lively debate about what we had actually seen and who agreed with it.

Quite funny that the same still happens on a larger scale with different fans seeing different things in greater numbers maybe with a beer in hand at the computer screen further to our ongoing footie discussions when in the pub with our mates and still discussing the same points.