Glenswilly 0-3 St Eunan's 0-2 : The lowest scoring GAA match ever?

Started by BennyCake, July 25, 2016, 06:35:24 PM

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brokencrossbar1

Quote from: The CCCC on March 02, 2019, 07:02:23 PM
Quote from: oakleafgael on March 02, 2019, 05:44:48 PM
Quote from: From the Bunker on March 02, 2019, 05:26:05 PM
Quote from: BennyCake on March 02, 2019, 02:24:10 PM
We have a new winner.

0-2 to 0-1...

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.sportsjoe.ie/amp/gaa/make-sick-three-points-scored-u15-game-194801


I can totally understand the way Abbey were set up,  Maghera scored 6-32 in their two games before yesterday. Were abbey supposed to go man to man and get slaughtered?

This was an U15.5 colleges game not an All Ireland final. The coaches have a responsibility for player development as much as winning. There are plenty of past Abbey players on here who I'm sure are disgusted by this shite. People need to catch themselves on.

Oakleafgael, can you tell me the development points the Abbey could have gained yesterday from a hammering by Maghera? And let's remember the Abbey could have exited the competition yesterday when they would have received a hammering and this competition exit would have prevented them getting another game in the competition for further 'develoment'.

A load of shite ....simple as that. As someone who proudly played for the Abbey I'm ashamed by it. When I think back to the few sessions I did with the great Gerry Brown and his emphasis on simple direct and efficient football....he'd be turning

dublin7

Quote from: The CCCC on March 02, 2019, 09:34:14 PM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on March 02, 2019, 07:56:46 PM
Quote from: The CCCC on March 02, 2019, 07:02:23 PM
Quote from: oakleafgael on March 02, 2019, 05:44:48 PM
Quote from: From the Bunker on March 02, 2019, 05:26:05 PM
Quote from: BennyCake on March 02, 2019, 02:24:10 PM
We have a new winner.

0-2 to 0-1...

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.sportsjoe.ie/amp/gaa/make-sick-three-points-scored-u15-game-194801


I can totally understand the way Abbey were set up,  Maghera scored 6-32 in their two games before yesterday. Were abbey supposed to go man to man and get slaughtered?

This was an U15.5 colleges game not an All Ireland final. The coaches have a responsibility for player development as much as winning. There are plenty of past Abbey players on here who I'm sure are disgusted by this shite. People need to catch themselves on.

Oakleafgael, can you tell me the development points the Abbey could have gained yesterday from a hammering by Maghera? And let's remember the Abbey could have exited the competition yesterday when they would have received a hammering and this competition exit would have prevented them getting another game in the competition for further 'develoment'.

A load of shite ....simple as that. As someone who proudly played for the Abbey I'm ashamed by it. When I think back to the few sessions I did with the great Gerry Brown and his emphasis on simple direct and efficient football....he'd be turning

So you would have been happy enough to take the hammering, go out of the comp and not take the quarter final where you have a chance of winning and would go more attacking like you did in earlier matches?
Thats shocking carry on. Its a pity the ref didnt just call off the game and award it to Maghera. What do you think the Abbey lads learned playing that game today? Its hard to blame the Maghera lads. If senior players struggle against it then for young lads who never played in a match like that it must be bizzare

Chief

Unless they win the competition, the Abbey's season will be defined by this. Putting 15 men behind the back when your losing is pathetic.

There is no shame in going toe to toe and taking a hammering. Even if it means exiting the competition.

To lose like that though renders turning up almost meaningless.

From the Bunker

Quote from: Chief on March 02, 2019, 10:52:46 PM
Unless they win the competition, the Abbey's season will be defined by this. Putting 15 men behind the back when your losing is pathetic.

There is no shame in going toe to toe and taking a hammering. Even if it means exiting the competition.

To lose like that though renders turning up almost meaningless.

Yes there is! Ask any Mayo supporter about 2004 and 2006 finals!

Chief

Quote from: The CCCC on March 02, 2019, 11:14:54 PM
Quote from: Chief on March 02, 2019, 10:52:46 PM
Unless they win the competition, the Abbey's season will be defined by this. Putting 15 men behind the back when your losing is pathetic.

There is no shame in going toe to toe and taking a hammering. Even if it means exiting the competition.

To lose like that though renders turning up almost meaningless.

You obviously haven't been part of too many teams who suffered hammerings as it's not a nice place to be. Would actually love to know how many of the Abbey team were happy to go ahead with this tactic to ensure their quarter final place rather than go out. I would suspect it would have been quite high and if I was a player myself I would rather try and get into the next round, ensure another game, win it with our normal tactics, win semi with normal tactics and go defensive again against Maghera in final in order to try and win the competition. Rather that than look back and say 'ah we got knocked out in group stages that year'

Quite the opposite. I was on the wrong end of more 15+ point hammerings than I care to think about. However it's as I said, there isno shame in being beat by better opposition provided you put your best foot forward and try to win the game.

I don't mind defensive football actually - providing its ultimate aim is to win the game. Iin fact I quite admire the resourcefulness of it sometimes. If you are ahead in a game and deploy 15 men behind the ball to hold on to a lead it's fine. I even quite liked Jim McGuinness' Donegal teams style.

However to be behind in a game and just effectively concede the result is unforgivable. It betrays a lack of ambition and pride.

dublin7

So where do we draw the line? What happens in the next round or next year? If the opposition teams keep doing this to teams like Maghera then if I was one of the Maghera lads Id go play football or rugby every week rather than have to play against  that. No enjoyment in it and that is what is shoild be about at that level. Sad thing the GAA would be the biggest losers as the best players would be lost to the sport

mrdeeds

It happened in one game. If you look at all the other Ulster school game results they were very high scoring. Why always the need to attach the ills of GAA to one game every so often.

yellowcard

Quote from: From the Bunker on March 02, 2019, 05:26:05 PM
Quote from: BennyCake on March 02, 2019, 02:24:10 PM
We have a new winner.

0-2 to 0-1...

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.sportsjoe.ie/amp/gaa/make-sick-three-points-scored-u15-game-194801


I can totally understand the way Abbey were set up,  Maghera scored 6-32 in their two games before yesterday. Were abbey supposed to go man to man and get slaughtered?

It says more about your philosophy than anything else then. Fear, caution and a lack of faith in your own ability. What is the point in playing football if you are forcing players to concede that they are not good enough before a ball is kicked, ultimately that style of play is simply about keeping the scores conceded to a minimum but nothing to do with trying to actually win the game.

imtommygunn

I went to a lower division games in Antrim and saw four sweepers playing. Also the team with 4 sweepers was down by over ten points.Coaches have seen county teams setting up defensively and try to follow the model escaping the facts that the teams who play it right break at pace and have bodies back to do specific jobs not just to stand about not knowing what they are doing.

To be honest I think about 4 or 5 teams in the country can play football right these days be it club or county. The rest throw numbers back in the hope to deny space rather than by any design.

Chief

Quote from: The CCCC on March 03, 2019, 10:10:32 AM
Quote from: dublin7 on March 03, 2019, 09:35:06 AM
So where do we draw the line? What happens in the next round or next year? If the opposition teams keep doing this to teams like Maghera then if I was one of the Maghera lads Id go play football or rugby every week rather than have to play against  that. No enjoyment in it and that is what is shoild be about at that level. Sad thing the GAA would be the biggest losers as the best players would be lost to the sport

I fully agree. It's not an ideal situation. But don't blame the players or the coaches for this. The coaches are not breaking any rules doing it. Blame the GAA for this as they refuse to address the main issue with this defensive craze - bodies. They have done next to nothing to create a rule to get all the bodies out of the defence which would help to sort this problem out once and for all.

You seem to be claiming that because management didn't break any rules then they are not to blame for the way Abbey set themselves up. Pure nonsense.

The coaches are absolutely to blame in this instance.

All the GAA do is make the rules of the game, they are not in charge of tactics. The manager picks the team and gives the instructions to the team about how to play. As I understand it,  the logic was to keep the score down so they could qualify, a different set of rules would only have meant the Abbey went hyper defensive in a different way.

The spectacle we witnessed was exclusively the fault of the management.

yellowcard

Quote from: The CCCC on March 03, 2019, 10:47:50 AM
Quote from: yellowcard on March 03, 2019, 10:33:45 AM
Quote from: From the Bunker on March 02, 2019, 05:26:05 PM
Quote from: BennyCake on March 02, 2019, 02:24:10 PM
We have a new winner.

0-2 to 0-1...

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.sportsjoe.ie/amp/gaa/make-sick-three-points-scored-u15-game-194801


I can totally understand the way Abbey were set up,  Maghera scored 6-32 in their two games before yesterday. Were abbey supposed to go man to man and get slaughtered?

It says more about your philosophy than anything else then. Fear, caution and a lack of faith in your own ability. What is the point in playing football if you are forcing players to concede that they are not good enough before a ball is kicked, ultimately that style of play is simply about keeping the scores conceded to a minimum but nothing to do with trying to actually win the game.

It's easy for you to say that. But with the amount of 'experts' and 'critics' in our sport if a team go out 15v15 in a game and get hammered the coach/manager will get slaughtered too, 'hasn't a clue', 'no defensive structure in place', 'doesn't know how to set up a team' etc etc

The fact that you are defending playing 15 men inside your own 45 metre line says more about your own philosophy on the game. It was a disgrace playing that way with 14/15 year olds, I hope you're not involved with coaching youngsters. This whole system is as much about the coaches ego as it is about player development.


dublin7

Quote from: The CCCC on March 03, 2019, 11:21:49 AM
Quote from: Chief on March 03, 2019, 10:50:27 AM
Quote from: The CCCC on March 03, 2019, 10:10:32 AM
Quote from: dublin7 on March 03, 2019, 09:35:06 AM
So where do we draw the line? What happens in the next round or next year? If the opposition teams keep doing this to teams like Maghera then if I was one of the Maghera lads Id go play football or rugby every week rather than have to play against  that. No enjoyment in it and that is what is shoild be about at that level. Sad thing the GAA would be the biggest losers as the best players would be lost to the sport

I fully agree. It's not an ideal situation. But don't blame the players or the coaches for this. The coaches are not breaking any rules doing it. Blame the GAA for this as they refuse to address the main issue with this defensive craze - bodies. They have done next to nothing to create a rule to get all the bodies out of the defence which would help to sort this problem out once and for all.

You seem to be claiming that because management didn't break any rules then they are not to blame for the way Abbey set themselves up. Pure nonsense.

The coaches are absolutely to blame in this instance.

All the GAA do is make the rules of the game, they are not in charge of tactics. The manager picks the team and gives the instructions to the team about how to play. As I understand it,  the logic was to keep the score down so they could qualify, a different set of rules would only have meant the Abbey went hyper defensive in a different way.

The spectacle we witnessed was exclusively the fault of the management.
.

Of course it was the management who decided and implemented these tactics, when did I deny that? But let's be honest, Coaches have exploited and outsmarted the GAA rule book and in some ways, fair play to them as they have thought outside the box (Moreso the original introducers of it like McGuinness rather than the recent coaches who are just copying it). But the GAA have sat up and accepted it and not thought outside the box themselves in trying to counteract it. And it will continue to happen until the GAA sort it out and make a rule to stop it.

It's one thing implementing these defensive systems if you're an intercounty manager under intense scrutiny or a club manager (probably getting paid) for results. It's something else when a manager of an U15 school team sees himself as the next Mourinho and sends out a team of kids to play like that. Sad thing is he was probably boasting about it in the pub last night.

At that age group it should be about improving kids skill levels and the principal should get someone else to manage the team. What's next? Should we expect to see kids playing sweeper in mini games during half time at senior games?

dublin7

Quote from: The CCCC on March 03, 2019, 11:53:49 AM
Quote from: dublin7 on March 03, 2019, 11:41:22 AM
Quote from: The CCCC on March 03, 2019, 11:21:49 AM
Quote from: Chief on March 03, 2019, 10:50:27 AM
Quote from: The CCCC on March 03, 2019, 10:10:32 AM
Quote from: dublin7 on March 03, 2019, 09:35:06 AM
So where do we draw the line? What happens in the next round or next year? If the opposition teams keep doing this to teams like Maghera then if I was one of the Maghera lads Id go play football or rugby every week rather than have to play against  that. No enjoyment in it and that is what is shoild be about at that level. Sad thing the GAA would be the biggest losers as the best players would be lost to the sport

I fully agree. It's not an ideal situation. But don't blame the players or the coaches for this. The coaches are not breaking any rules doing it. Blame the GAA for this as they refuse to address the main issue with this defensive craze - bodies. They have done next to nothing to create a rule to get all the bodies out of the defence which would help to sort this problem out once and for all.

You seem to be claiming that because management didn't break any rules then they are not to blame for the way Abbey set themselves up. Pure nonsense.

The coaches are absolutely to blame in this instance.

All the GAA do is make the rules of the game, they are not in charge of tactics. The manager picks the team and gives the instructions to the team about how to play. As I understand it,  the logic was to keep the score down so they could qualify, a different set of rules would only have meant the Abbey went hyper defensive in a different way.

The spectacle we witnessed was exclusively the fault of the management.
.

Of course it was the management who decided and implemented these tactics, when did I deny that? But let's be honest, Coaches have exploited and outsmarted the GAA rule book and in some ways, fair play to them as they have thought outside the box (Moreso the original introducers of it like McGuinness rather than the recent coaches who are just copying it). But the GAA have sat up and accepted it and not thought outside the box themselves in trying to counteract it. And it will continue to happen until the GAA sort it out and make a rule to stop it.

It's one thing implementing these defensive systems if you're an intercounty manager under intense scrutiny or a club manager (probably getting paid) for results. It's something else when an U15 manager of a school team sees himself as the next Mourinho and sends out a team of kids to play like that. Sad thing is he was probably boasting about it in the pub last night.

At that age group it should be about improving kids skill levels and the principal should get someone else to manage the team. What's next? Should we expect to see kids playing sweeper in mini games during half time at senior games?

Well when we see school managers / schools getting abuse and pressure on social media about failing to win things (as has been the case recently on social media) then I can at least show some
Understanding as to why a manager is going out to win. Then I see things on twitter about certain managers need to be put #(InsertManagersName - Out) and then again I see why school team  managers are trying to win things when after all the teaching aspect of their job is the main priority with the GAA being second, the GAA where they give so much of their free time to outside working teaching hours being used to encourage ousting them.

And you simply say the principal should get someone in to improve the skills. You obviously have no understanding of how schools work so you really shouldn't  be spoofing on here about that. Being successful with football teams I.e winning things is used as one way of attracting pupils to enrol in schools in order to keep numbers up. Children can pick a school who provides sport and is successful at sport. So that is further pressure on GAA schools managers  to win and part of reason why matches like Friday's match occur.

I wouldn't subject my son to football like that. Obviously not everyone can be a football coach, but ANY IDIOT can stand on a sideline and tell the whole team just to stay in their own half and defend.

As the school principal he or she clearly can't tell the manager who to pick or what tactics to implement, but he or she can say I don't want our school playing such a defensive way. When I was in school the teams were coached by a teacher who didn't get paid so I'd get another teacher to do the job. He or she might not win the U15 title, but at least the kids would enjoy playing the game. I mean if you think parents are going to enroll their kids in a school to play football like that then you really have joined the cult of McGuinness and I feel sorry for you

yellowcard

Quote from: The CCCC on March 03, 2019, 12:32:34 PM
Quote from: dublin7 on March 03, 2019, 12:06:32 PM
Quote from: The CCCC on March 03, 2019, 11:53:49 AM
Quote from: dublin7 on March 03, 2019, 11:41:22 AM
Quote from: The CCCC on March 03, 2019, 11:21:49 AM
Quote from: Chief on March 03, 2019, 10:50:27 AM
Quote from: The CCCC on March 03, 2019, 10:10:32 AM
Quote from: dublin7 on March 03, 2019, 09:35:06 AM
So where do we draw the line? What happens in the next round or next year? If the opposition teams keep doing this to teams like Maghera then if I was one of the Maghera lads Id go play football or rugby every week rather than have to play against  that. No enjoyment in it and that is what is shoild be about at that level. Sad thing the GAA would be the biggest losers as the best players would be lost to the sport

I fully agree. It's not an ideal situation. But don't blame the players or the coaches for this. The coaches are not breaking any rules doing it. Blame the GAA for this as they refuse to address the main issue with this defensive craze - bodies. They have done next to nothing to create a rule to get all the bodies out of the defence which would help to sort this problem out once and for all.

You seem to be claiming that because management didn't break any rules then they are not to blame for the way Abbey set themselves up. Pure nonsense.

The coaches are absolutely to blame in this instance.

All the GAA do is make the rules of the game, they are not in charge of tactics. The manager picks the team and gives the instructions to the team about how to play. As I understand it,  the logic was to keep the score down so they could qualify, a different set of rules would only have meant the Abbey went hyper defensive in a different way.

The spectacle we witnessed was exclusively the fault of the management.
.

Of course it was the management who decided and implemented these tactics, when did I deny that? But let's be honest, Coaches have exploited and outsmarted the GAA rule book and in some ways, fair play to them as they have thought outside the box (Moreso the original introducers of it like McGuinness rather than the recent coaches who are just copying it). But the GAA have sat up and accepted it and not thought outside the box themselves in trying to counteract it. And it will continue to happen until the GAA sort it out and make a rule to stop it.

It's one thing implementing these defensive systems if you're an intercounty manager under intense scrutiny or a club manager (probably getting paid) for results. It's something else when an U15 manager of a school team sees himself as the next Mourinho and sends out a team of kids to play like that. Sad thing is he was probably boasting about it in the pub last night.

At that age group it should be about improving kids skill levels and the principal should get someone else to manage the team. What's next? Should we expect to see kids playing sweeper in mini games during half time at senior games?

Well when we see school managers / schools getting abuse and pressure on social media about failing to win things (as has been the case recently on social media) then I can at least show some
Understanding as to why a manager is going out to win. Then I see things on twitter about certain managers need to be put #(InsertManagersName - Out) and then again I see why school team  managers are trying to win things when after all the teaching aspect of their job is the main priority with the GAA being second, the GAA where they give so much of their free time to outside working teaching hours being used to encourage ousting them.

And you simply say the principal should get someone in to improve the skills. You obviously have no understanding of how schools work so you really shouldn't  be spoofing on here about that. Being successful with football teams I.e winning things is used as one way of attracting pupils to enrol in schools in order to keep numbers up. Children can pick a school who provides sport and is successful at sport. So that is further pressure on GAA schools managers  to win and part of reason why matches like Friday's match occur.

I wouldn't subject my son to football like that. Obviously not everyone can be a football coach, but ANY IDIOT can stand on a sideline and tell the whole team just to stay in their own half and defend.

As the school principal he or she clearly can't tell the manager who to pick or what tactics to implement, but he or she can say I don't want our school playing such a defensive way. When I was in school the teams were coached by a teacher who didn't get paid so I'd get another teacher to do the job. He or she might not win the U15 title, but at least the kids would enjoy playing the game. I mean if you think parents are going to enroll their kids in a school to play football like that then you really have joined the cult of McGuinness and I feel sorry for you

"As the school principal he or she clearly can't tell the manager who to pick or what tactics to implement, but he or she can say I don't want our school playing such a defensive way. " - ah here this is actually funny now. Within the same sentence you say a principal can't tell the manager what tactics to implement then say the principal can tell the manger not to a play in a defensive way - which is tactical.

Can you please answer me these

1 - This has been going on since Donegal 2011, has the GAA reacted to it properly by implementing PROPER rule changes to stop it happening in the past 8 years?

2 - do you honestly think it will change without proper rules being implemented?

3- is it right for school teachers managing teams to receive online/outside abuse about not winning things?

4-  can you see why school teachers, who previously didn't play so defensively, and encouraged more open football, decided to go defensively as a result of the abuse to try and win things?

But those tactics aren't actually about winning, they are about keeping the score down in order to avoid a drubbing. Completely negative frame of mind from fearful coaches, it's just a complete lack of faith in the abilities of their own players, if I was asked to play like that I'd sooner give up the sport but when it's 14/15 year olds they are expected to obey teachers instructions do it's no fault of the players.

dublin7

Quote from: yellowcard on March 03, 2019, 02:22:54 PM
Quote from: The CCCC on March 03, 2019, 12:32:34 PM
Quote from: dublin7 on March 03, 2019, 12:06:32 PM
Quote from: The CCCC on March 03, 2019, 11:53:49 AM
Quote from: dublin7 on March 03, 2019, 11:41:22 AM
Quote from: The CCCC on March 03, 2019, 11:21:49 AM
Quote from: Chief on March 03, 2019, 10:50:27 AM
Quote from: The CCCC on March 03, 2019, 10:10:32 AM
Quote from: dublin7 on March 03, 2019, 09:35:06 AM
So where do we draw the line? What happens in the next round or next year? If the opposition teams keep doing this to teams like Maghera then if I was one of the Maghera lads Id go play football or rugby every week rather than have to play against  that. No enjoyment in it and that is what is shoild be about at that level. Sad thing the GAA would be the biggest losers as the best players would be lost to the sport

I fully agree. It's not an ideal situation. But don't blame the players or the coaches for this. The coaches are not breaking any rules doing it. Blame the GAA for this as they refuse to address the main issue with this defensive craze - bodies. They have done next to nothing to create a rule to get all the bodies out of the defence which would help to sort this problem out once and for all.

You seem to be claiming that because management didn't break any rules then they are not to blame for the way Abbey set themselves up. Pure nonsense.

The coaches are absolutely to blame in this instance.

All the GAA do is make the rules of the game, they are not in charge of tactics. The manager picks the team and gives the instructions to the team about how to play. As I understand it,  the logic was to keep the score down so they could qualify, a different set of rules would only have meant the Abbey went hyper defensive in a different way.

The spectacle we witnessed was exclusively the fault of the management.
.

Of course it was the management who decided and implemented these tactics, when did I deny that? But let's be honest, Coaches have exploited and outsmarted the GAA rule book and in some ways, fair play to them as they have thought outside the box (Moreso the original introducers of it like McGuinness rather than the recent coaches who are just copying it). But the GAA have sat up and accepted it and not thought outside the box themselves in trying to counteract it. And it will continue to happen until the GAA sort it out and make a rule to stop it.

It's one thing implementing these defensive systems if you're an intercounty manager under intense scrutiny or a club manager (probably getting paid) for results. It's something else when an U15 manager of a school team sees himself as the next Mourinho and sends out a team of kids to play like that. Sad thing is he was probably boasting about it in the pub last night.

At that age group it should be about improving kids skill levels and the principal should get someone else to manage the team. What's next? Should we expect to see kids playing sweeper in mini games during half time at senior games?

Well when we see school managers / schools getting abuse and pressure on social media about failing to win things (as has been the case recently on social media) then I can at least show some
Understanding as to why a manager is going out to win. Then I see things on twitter about certain managers need to be put #(InsertManagersName - Out) and then again I see why school team  managers are trying to win things when after all the teaching aspect of their job is the main priority with the GAA being second, the GAA where they give so much of their free time to outside working teaching hours being used to encourage ousting them.

And you simply say the principal should get someone in to improve the skills. You obviously have no understanding of how schools work so you really shouldn't  be spoofing on here about that. Being successful with football teams I.e winning things is used as one way of attracting pupils to enrol in schools in order to keep numbers up. Children can pick a school who provides sport and is successful at sport. So that is further pressure on GAA schools managers  to win and part of reason why matches like Friday's match occur.

I wouldn't subject my son to football like that. Obviously not everyone can be a football coach, but ANY IDIOT can stand on a sideline and tell the whole team just to stay in their own half and defend.

As the school principal he or she clearly can't tell the manager who to pick or what tactics to implement, but he or she can say I don't want our school playing such a defensive way. When I was in school the teams were coached by a teacher who didn't get paid so I'd get another teacher to do the job. He or she might not win the U15 title, but at least the kids would enjoy playing the game. I mean if you think parents are going to enroll their kids in a school to play football like that then you really have joined the cult of McGuinness and I feel sorry for you

"As the school principal he or she clearly can't tell the manager who to pick or what tactics to implement, but he or she can say I don't want our school playing such a defensive way. " - ah here this is actually funny now. Within the same sentence you say a principal can't tell the manager what tactics to implement then say the principal can tell the manger not to a play in a defensive way - which is tactical.

Can you please answer me these

1 - This has been going on since Donegal 2011, has the GAA reacted to it properly by implementing PROPER rule changes to stop it happening in the past 8 years?

2 - do you honestly think it will change without proper rules being implemented?

3- is it right for school teachers managing teams to receive online/outside abuse about not winning things?

4-  can you see why school teachers, who previously didn't play so defensively, and encouraged more open football, decided to go defensively as a result of the abuse to try and win things?

But those tactics aren't actually about winning, they are about keeping the score down in order to avoid a drubbing. Completely negative frame of mind from fearful coaches, it's just a complete lack of faith in the abilities of their own players, if I was asked to play like that I'd sooner give up the sport but when it's 14/15 year olds they are expected to obey teachers instructions do it's no fault of the players.

There will always be a**holes be they fans/parents will criticise the manager when their team loses. To use that as an excuse for such negative tactics is nonsense. Id like to think the manager got far more criticism for using such negative tactics. It might not be against the rules but how you can not see anything wrong with asking 14/15 year olds to play that way?