The College Dropout

Chill out fella, I would beat you up irl.

Also teams are leaving their attackers up and exploiting the space that Trippier vacates - so he's sitting deeper. Likewise teams have been giving Burn all the time in the world on the ball on the left - he's not going to do owt with it. The recipes need evolution.

Fully agree. The first time a team did the box midfield to us was the 3-0 Villa game. Killed us. Arsenal beat us with it. Brighton tried but they couldn't beat our press consistently although they had some success with it which lead to the goal. At home, the intensity of the press is better and more effective. Villa had some success with it when we beat them 5-1 but the quality of the press won out that time and Villa didn't make the most of it. We need a Plan B for when the press isn't working so well - especially away from home where teams have more confidence. Once you beat a press 2-3 times, our team loses confidence and composure and the other team gains it. The cost of it is that teams number 10's have the ball, their able to feed wingers 1v1 with fullbacks or make it tough for CBs and have loads of options on the ball. Then momentum goes the other way.

I agree. But it is useful. Especially for a team that doesn't dominate possession - it's more important as you need to run and close down players. Bruno is a little slow but it's not a massive issue. He's aggressive, has great work rate, good anticipation etc. When players do well it's like you can't talk about their limitations. And when they do badly, people act like it's only because of these limitations. Neither is the correct approach. in the right setup when he's in the zone, he's a fantastic player. Great at passing it through the lines. Controls a game. Plays with real character. Can score a goal. But sometimes his tackling is late and bad, sometimes he takes too long on the ball and loses it in bad positions, he's not the quickest across the ground. It's all true.

Not a fault. Just an observation. He was nice and composed when it mattered. There were just a couple moments a touch with his right seemed the easier move. I'm just downloading the info that I've seen.

Aye with Pope - he is what he is. Aye. Burn is such a massive drop off from Botman. Botman is so composed.

Agreed. We've double-downed on hard running and force which I guess is what Howe wants but I look at this team and think it lacks quality going forward. At some point, we need to play with all of our most talented forwards because there's a lack of it out there. I also think at points we'll need to tell a couple of the midfielders just to sit in and protect the defence. I agree with this to a point. We've signed "flexible players" but game to game - the team and tactics are largely the same. Barnes has played exclusively at LW. Isak had 15 minutes at LW, Gordon 30 minutes at RW. We have 4 wingers and their profiles are similar. We have a number of CMs - most of them are "overallers". I think we've built a team for a specific tactic. There's no 10.

Nice goal. Almiron levels of not wanting to use his right foot though.

There is a difference between CMs and CBs in a defensive and midfield 2 as compared to a 3. Azpilicueta and Reece James can play as RCB in a defensive 3. But neither are CBs in a defensive 2 / back 4. Likewise Howe seems to like Willock in a midfield 3 at LCM. But doesn't seem to play him when in a midfield 2. He has played Joelinton and Bruno as a 2 before iirc.

Aye and he's aggressive which mitigates the lack of athleticism to some extent. I agree with this as well. Most of the issues in the last 3 have been down to (1) quality opposition and great coaches and (2) tactical issues. The approach is not working. But he is slow like.

Don't read my posts. I won't be reading yours.

What’s unnecessary stick? People are actually being kind to him and giving him grace. The clearance people are giving so much grace. It looked like a lazy half asses attempt but everyone is giving him the benefit of the doubt that it was simply a Miskick and a mistake. We are saying the lack of effort and application to block the shot is unacceptable. People make mistakes in every walk of life that’s fine. But a lack of effort and desire deserves to be called out.

Scoring goals doesn’t meaning you have guile though.

Klopp does it all the time too. I mean it’s fairly standard. Unless the manager thinks you’re the type to crumble after criticism. You make a mistake that costs a goal - especially a mistake caused by a lack of effort and application. The manager will dig you out at the earliest convenience and you would deserve it. It was spineless.

Think we are not using the word in the same way. Literally you are correct. In an English footballing context guile is used to mean ‘cuteness’, real footballing ability, skill, the ability to open up a tough defence with ‘a bit of guile’. You put guile and football into google and it talks about players like Mahrez and Ginola. A silky player like Isak or Bruno.

Do you not have an opinion on Harvey Barnes or Anthony Gordon? I don’t think guile is a word either would be described with. The young lads have it. But they are barely playing so it doesn’t really matter.

Shouting at him at half time about it would be shaming him like. Or any comment in front of the other lads.

I don’t think it was Howe’s decision to buy 2 teenagers for 70m and atm he doesn’t seem to rate or trust Barnes anymore than he did ASM. The one he seems most fond of is the forrin.

I’ve been impressed with Gordon but he’s not a player with guile. Neither is Barnes. There’s an article and comp of Barnes just calling him efficient. The other 2 do have a bit of guile…. For fullbacks. We’ve not added much guile to our playing team. None of them are Bruno G or Isak in terms of guile.

Botman is so composed man. Burn in there is a massive drop off. I like Targett but after spending £70m on fullbacks I was a bit shy to see him start. Are our wonderkids only for injury crisis? Whats worse - I think Howe might start Lascelles and Burn at LB against Brentford. I want to see a wonderkids start. Targett was ok.

You hear stories of that happening all the time. Players getting digged out in front of the group. These aren’t middle aged IT professionals. These are young men in a highly competitive environment most of which are accustomed to being shouted at by their managers.

He deserves a bollocking for that for sure. I would hope he did at half time. Don’t know outside of half time if doing it in front of the squad is the go to. But we are a team that needs committed players. Say what you like about Longstaff. He does way better in that situation. All newbies should play with the same application as the lads they’ve taken the shirt from. I give Miggy a lot of stick but whoever we sign to replace him needs to sit and watch his Miggy applies himself. That’s the standard. We can’t outspend our rivals. We need to be smarter but also work harder. We did that last season. Sandro needs to play to that level.

Tbf Pep continually evolves what City do. SAF always evolved it. Prime Wenger evolved it.

One thing I first noticed about that first Simeone side. They would constantly put it into touch. No risk. Put it into touch and then get back into shape and reorganise. We have a bit of that in us but we need to go back to basics. Fans need to get on boats too. No fancy bullshit. Pope kicks it into touch. Everyone cheers. Team organises.

and Brighton do this every week. We needed a better plan for it.