That’s the conclusion of 110-cap Australia great Joey Peters after watching Ante Milicic’s team’s high-risk, high-line defensive structure, and all-round disconnect elsewhere, brutally exposed in their last-gasp 2-1 upset loss to unfancied Italy in France.
Defensive howlers from Clare Polkinghorne and keeper Lydia Williams gifted Juventus striker Barbara Bonansea a double in the Group C opener in Valenciennes, leaving the sixth-ranked Matildas with headaches aplenty going into Friday’s duel with familiar foes Brazil in Montpellier.
But it was more the manner in which the team stuttered and spluttered than the two isolated errors which have caused the most consternation.
Peters believes a “special group of players” have been over-coached and over-burdened with instruction, rather than being allowed to “do what they do best”.
“The girls need to be allowed to play within a structure that they’re comfortable with, rather than being exposed to an overload of information,” Peters told The World Game as the inquest into the shock defeat began to unfold.
“It’s not just that defensive high-line that’s a concern, you can see that higher up the field where we used to be pressing we’ve now seen the girls dropping back a little.
“It’s understandable Ante wanting to impress his way of playing on the team the further he goes with them.
“But sometimes coaching methods can get in the way and you expect too much from them with the details, as opposed to giving them the basic principles and letting them to go out and do what they do best.”
Mililic showed little inclination afterwards at recognizing the perils of a high-line high wire act, a tactic not employed under his predecessor Alen Stajcic.
“It was unfortunate we couldn’t learn from the Netherlands match (a 3-0 loss) and just carried on with the same mistakes,” added Peters.
“Our defensive set up needs to be addressed but I’m not sure it will though. Ante has said he wants to play this way - stepping up in defense rather than dropping.
“You don’t want the players thinking ‘oh what has the coach told me to do again?'
“I’d like to see them go back to what they’re used to and the girls given the freedom to play.
“Hopefully that comes back in the next couple of games because we do have amazing quality players who have played together for a long time.
“Against Italy, there was probably too much thinking and not enough playing.”
Peters believes the coaching protocols in Australia - both under Stajcic and now Milicic - have been superseded by what’s been happening in Europe with the likes of France, Netherlands, England and Germany forging a path which gives players greater freedom.
“There are certainly questions about the coaching methods in Australia,” she added.
“I feel we should be looking to Europe which had set the standard and is really going to another planet in terms of how they’re playing.
“We don’t seem to have that. We’re used to having coaches who are all about instruction and directives.
“I keep hearing from the Australians that they are just focusing on themselves while the other the other teams are adapting to whoever they are playing.
“It’s starting to show up in our culture that we have become limited in our football intelligence.”
Peters would like to not just see a change of approach against Brazil but some tweaks in personnel, with Lisa De Vanna and Elise Kellond-Knight starting.
“Hopefully against Brazil we can settle into a groove a lot earlier and lot easier,” she said.
“The back line and the build up are two very important areas for the Matilda‘s to improve on. If we can clarify things on those issues we will see a different team come Brazil.
“I’d like to see is not over-thinking things and playing more with our hearts.”
