My 5 a side team gets battered week in week out.
We started to get a little better, so we weren't the worst in the league, but our best player has moved to Aus and his replacement is the worst I've ever seen.
Back to the bottom.
Is it a competitive league or more of a social league? Does your team play as a team (for each other) - or rely on individuals to score enough goals or defend etc?
Simple things like formation, shape, communication - moving up and down the pitch as a unit (not having the forward slacking off and letting men run through to give them an overload, or the defender who has to beat the 3rd/4th man instead of laying it off and playing through them - and then can't get back to defend when countered on).
Even simpler stuff like getting the gk to roll the ball out along the floor - NOT throw or bounce it to you - a simple rollout is easier to control which gives you more time to look up & around and see what is going on and what options there are - get the ball moving quicker. Having to control a bouncing lazy throwout can put you under pressure from the opposition - and gives you less time to get any passing move going.
Follow up shots (both in defence and attack) - as soon the lad is going to hit the shot look to follow up for the rebound / split shot from the gk/walls. A lot of players don't anticipate - they just react and react too slowly (especially as we get older) after the gk has spilt it or off the wall. You don't have to bust a gut to go clear - but do enough to get in front of the opposition - and it'll give you enough time to get back if you do have get back and defend quickly.
If you can get your lads to stay for a pint after the game - some time chatting about the game you've just played itself, some time about footy in general or whatever. The bonding helps create teamwork - to work that little extra for each other for your mates. Arrive 10 mins earlier if you can - watch some of the game before you, you may learn a trick or tactic you can use (or what not to! lol) - or just see who the good players are and what they like to do for when you play them the next week - as well as the bad players too!
Stay positive - hard to do when you're being beat 8-0 by 25year old superfit and superior players who are on £40 a game at the weekends but annoyingly playing in Division 7 of the local Powerleague... but set the team achievements (ie keep the score down early on and frustrate them by denying them space by getting more people behind the ball - play more on the counter and if you have a lad with a powerful shot use it - some keepers at decent teams get bored when they have little to do or the ball is at the other end of the pitch a lot, and so test them out).
Don't give the ref shite. You don't have to love the ref - but if you give shite out to him he'll remember (subconsciously or not) and it's human nature that he may not be giving you many 50/50 decisions if you've been calling him a cnut for 7 weeks running. Show him a little respect, have a little chat or joke - they are human too - honest! You may just get that penalty decision or close call that can change a game - or just your team a goal. Plus, he won't be thinking 'its that bunch of moaners/wankers again' - he may actually pay more attention to the game itself, and not let Harry 'The Hacker' Hackerson foul/abuse you constantly for 20 mins whilst claiming 'not to have seen anything'
Failing that - get your team to move to Aus close to that good player you had
