31 Mar 2024 14:10:04
Two questions:
1.) Has anyone been able to make sense of our tactic of letting the opponent have 30 shots on our goal every game? Has Ten Haag even been asked about it at a press conference lol.
2.) Ten Haag pushed for us to loan Andrew Tate from Fiorentina for a huge loan fee but never plays him, another odd signing.
31 Mar 2024 14:41:54
1 Eth says he does not mind us conceeding so many chances as long as we win. So he has perfected making us porous we just have to wait for him to get the hang of the winning part of his philosophy.
2. Eth got his man. Same as Anthony and weggy and erikson etc.
31 Mar 2024 15:33:23
Yesterday we still have to play with wan Bissaka, lindelof, mcguire, mctominay. Bruno, rashford. We need to realise what we are and move all these players out and rebuild. It is shocking how little value our players put in possession. No effort or energy to win the ball through pressure, no commitment in 50 50s, when we have the ball we simply hoof it away. If we are not dealing with the terrible playing staff we still have at the club, then we are not moving forward. With these players jn the team we are where we deserve to be in the league. If we had martinez, cassemiro, shaw, varane fit all season, I suspect we would be challenging for top 4. But it is still not good enough, and Fernandes and rashford, our two stars, are synonymous with how poor we are compared to other top 6 teams.
31 Mar 2024 16:41:50
I fully agree DB.
However, where I do sympathise with some of the EtH outers is his team selections, although it would be remiss of me to just dismiss the injuries he’s had to contend with, I just can’t fathom the over reliance on some players.
If he continues to play Rashford and Bruno he’ll almost certainly lose his job, if he hasn’t already.
Hoijlund up front, Mount at No10, Garnacho left, Ahmed right, Mainoo and Casemiro in midfield. Hopefully Varane and Martinez at CB but he might just have to rely on whoever is fit and available at CB.
We simply can’t get any worse than what happened last night so EtH might as well roll the dice and reward young Ahmed with a run in the team for not only his impact and performance against Liverpool but his work rate and intensity. Now Mount is fit again, he might as well give him at run at No10. He might at least try and look after the ball a bit better.
What’s the worse that can happen now?
I’m not suggesting that team will suddenly start playing fantastic football but at least it has more players aligned with how EtH wants to play and to be honest I just can’t stand the same underperforming players being selected all the time.
Wishful thinking but do we really want to see another game of Rashford not trying, Bruno giving the ball away and Mctominay playing hide and seek?
31 Mar 2024 17:24:58
All those players did quite well last season. 2 Cup finals and 3rd. They are hopefully going to have another cup final this season.
They are consistently inconsistent.
To my amateur eye they're is no obvious game plan. That is not the players fault imo. A man leading that nobody knows how to follow is just a man going on a walk on his own. If he can't get everybody follow him every week then you get what we have.
No doubting we have players not up to following anybody and they need to be weeded out too.
There is no quick fix no magic wand.
If anybody has any doubt about eth then now is the time to change imo.
For me it's not a case of whether he has been a failure it's more the question do I think he will be much better or a success?
I genuinely can't point to 1 thing that leads me to believe that no matter what the circumstances he will get things right.
31 Mar 2024 18:28:01
Last season we sat deep and played long ball (counter attack) all season.
If everyone wants better with these players then we can do that, get ole back. We might get UCL some seasons.
You don't challenge playing like that. And these players can't play any other way.
Could rash and bruno be better if the back four could squeeze up and play a high line? Maybe. But I think we all know that they can't play like that. We have always been poor against a low block with those two I the team.
Mctominay is terrible as a midfielder. He is plan d, when chasing a game in the 80th minute.
31 Mar 2024 20:28:44
Ken, do you think that perhaps the players are incapable of sticking to a game plan?
Jose had a game plan.
Van Gaal had a game plan.
Both, at various points, said the players weren’t doing what they were asked to do on the pitch.
ETH looked like he had a plan during the first few months at the club. There was more pressing, a higher line, and evidence of the team moving in the right direction. Since then it has reverted to the style these players seem to like to play. Sit deep, break fast, and hopefully win by nicking a goal.
I’m far from convinced by ETH. He has made some dubious decisions in regard to transfers and keeps picking underperforming players. But. I think he came into the club with a plan and is now in a position of abandoning it in the hope that it panders to the players and saves his job. There is obviously something rotten in the culture at the club and in the dressing room that results in successive managers being unable to implement any sustained footballing approach. Every time the team reverts to sit and break. Not sure if ETH can solve it, but somebody in the new footballing directorate needs to.
As for Arambat. A few clubs were looking at him as someone who could be a good fit in the EPL. It hasn’t worked out. At least we didn’t sign him permanently.
31 Mar 2024 21:55:43
Sack ETH and bring in Roy Keane. At least the run in would be entertaining?.
01 Apr 2024 14:31:24
A couple of wins will quite the crowd and we will be well in for a top4/ 5 finish. It will not be easy but doable. Chelsea away game harder to win than Scousers at home imo.
Finally watched the game yesterday and Mainoo, Garnacho, rash, Hoiland, Bruno, mc and plenty more had either poor or stinkers. Personally thought Bruno and awb had stinkers and both defensively Just awful and offensively nothing.
Team looked slow, gassed early and no legs and if I am not mistaken we have done this after every break.
Onana is starting to show he is a top keeper and must be a nightmare to be a keeper with this bunch in front of him.
I might not be popular opinion but playing any combination of midfielders with Bruno is a defensive weakness, he does nothing defensively and makes everyone else look awful whether its cas or mc or mount or name whatever combination you put out there. dilemma is what you lose offensively if you don't play him and maybe mount can do a better job playing as a 10 but he has hardly played with this team and this group of players this year and not match fit and it takes time to play that role properly.