Gallowgate Toon

He used Obertan for genuine width in the system, tbf, and we don't know what fitness was like at the beginning of the season. I think he also came in and tried to foster a culture of belief and a clean slate, probably rewarding the best trainers at first. Like Yorkie said a while back, I could understand Colback-Anita as a tactic to allow fullbacks to get forward more and protect our central defence. He'll have seen the final game of last season and thought they could handle it but has now probably seen their real level. The build up is an issue but I don't think it's something purely tactical. More a confidence thing and something that wouldn't come as quickly. I think he wants to keep the ball and be intelligent when we need to speed play up, in part to somewhat protect us.

Messi-esque.

Lethal.

Really like watching Fernandinho. Proper all-action midfielder.

Spurs looking more confident now.

here here. Basically play Hoof ball up to Mitro with Perez playing off him. Not really, there isn't just slow based possession football and hoof ball and no in between.

I'd be amazed if he was sent off. He'll put in a Man U-esque performance, IMO.

Asking him to control games and make dribbles sounds exactly what he's all about, along with arriving in the box. Odd comments, considering he didn't play as a true 10 for PSV.

He's not alone in this mind but yeah for the most part this is fairly true. We need a serious upgrade in January if there is any hope of staying up. Might be over by then tbf mind. It's a symptom of so many of our players, I'm convinced this was a Pardew 'tactic'. Never make an actual tackle (or even physical shoulder to shoulder!) as we always had so many players behind the ball to block the shot/eventually bore the opposition to tears. The second part of this post is probably true, tbh. So many of our players don't challenge, they may well have forgotten they need to

Good read, that

I think they could if we actually pressed as a team, but coaching that into the players would take time and even if the coaches had the nous to pull it off it's something you teach the players during pre season and not after an abysmal start bordering on crisis. Don't really think we've got the players to press high at all. Too weak at the back and susceptible to longer balls. I think they could play together, if they showed any defensive appetite for the game. Sissoko defends selectively and Wijnaldum is adapting. We don't press at all though. The only player pressing and tackling back last night was frigging Obertan!! We have pressed at times this season and got absolutely shredded because our centre is so weak and slow - I don't think it's bad coaching either because I know Cathro worked with them on it in preseason. Tracking men is a problem, aye, but that's a commitment issue from players that don't seem to fancy getting stuck in for a whole game. Our defence hampers us a lot, the only 'success' we seem to have with it is deeper unit defending, but that restricts us going forward.

Anyone who think we've tried to play good football. I think he's been defensive minded from the start. That's the type of manager he is. Never a NUFC manager. I think we've set up to play decent football in a few games but it's not happened. There's been games where he seems to have been encouraging players to get higher up the pitch, full backs bomb forward, centre backs playing riskier balls out from the back - I can't imagine he's then telling his offensive players to stop playing forward passes. He even explicitly said last night that we're moving the ball too slowly up front and not taking enough risks. I think it's not happening because there's a platform there for players to take the easy option and that's what they're doing. Their mentality against West Ham is pretty indicative, IMO, Mbemba screaming for some of them to show themselves on 5/6 occasions and they all just stand around not wanting the responsibility. He's obviously not a massively attacking manager but I don't think he's wanting us to play like this, either.

Must admit, I'm disappointed in what I've heard about de Jong and Wijnaldum from last night. They're settling but they need to show the leadership they were meant to have brought. Being accused of hiding is awful Janmaat against Watford and Mitrovic against Man U are the sorts of things we need to see. I don't disagree with you man. I've seen on TV and online and read about those 2 being leaders on and off pitch back home for their clubs. Gini just won Dutch player of the year - he's an absolute stud of a football player...but he seems lost and quiet in this setup. Just weird to me. He's probably depressed

I think they could if we actually pressed as a team, but coaching that into the players would take time and even if the coaches had the nous to pull it off it's something you teach the players during pre season and not after an abysmal start bordering on crisis. Don't really think we've got the players to press high at all. Too weak at the back and susceptible to longer balls. I think they could play together, if they showed any defensive appetite for the game. Sissoko defends selectively and Wijnaldum is adapting. Why i said as a team.... if you press properly then their should be very space in between the lines and thus difficult for teams to look up and play a pass. Sure you might be susceptible to a ball over the top but if you are doing it right there should be very little space between each line ( aka defense, midfield and attack) We can't do it now obviously, but i think it could work but it would take time. If you look at say Dortmund, i wouldn't particularly say Subotic and Hummels are ideal for a pressing game either in a lot of ways but hey it works because they press properly and don't allow for much space in between each section of the team and there is rarely an occasion when there's more than 30 yards between the CB and the CF. The goals we've conceded in the last 3 games have all come from long balls, not play through the lines, which is why I don't think pressing and encouraging players to move higher up the pitch will work for us. It also requires players with a high work ethic off the ball, barely any of our lot show that. Hummels and Subotic are physical players that can win long passes, are excellent readers of the game and generally play against less physical forwards, we're a world away from that.

I think they could if we actually pressed as a team, but coaching that into the players would take time and even if the coaches had the nous to pull it off it's something you teach the players during pre season and not after an abysmal start bordering on crisis. Don't really think we've got the players to press high at all. Too weak at the back and susceptible to longer balls. I think they could play together, if they showed any defensive appetite for the game. Sissoko defends selectively and Wijnaldum is adapting. I'm not far from thinking we should give it a go. But I just can't see it working. Sissoko is too undisciplined defensively. I don't think it'll work either but it's better than having one of Anita/Colback. For all the stick the midgets do get, they actually do put the effort in off the ball. If Sissoko-Wijnaldum displayed that, it'd be a big help, even if they're not positionally any good.

Must admit, I'm disappointed in what I've heard about de Jong and Wijnaldum from last night. They're settling but they need to show the leadership they were meant to have brought. Being accused of hiding is awful Janmaat against Watford and Mitrovic against Man U are the sorts of things we need to see.

I think they could if we actually pressed as a team, but coaching that into the players would take time and even if the coaches had the nous to pull it off it's something you teach the players during pre season and not after an abysmal start bordering on crisis. Don't really think we've got the players to press high at all. Too weak at the back and susceptible to longer balls. I think they could play together, if they showed any defensive appetite for the game. Sissoko defends selectively and Wijnaldum is adapting.

No he didn't, he passed it sideways to Lascelles and Williamson and back again all night. Possession for Possessions sake. Must say the split centre backs thing is potentially suitable when you have good distributors - like Colo and Mbemba are, to be fair to them - but it's absolutely useless when the 3 taking part are Williamson, Lascelles and Anita. Only one of them can pass and he very rarely shows any range at all. If the CB's are very good at passing. Arguably better than the DM. Perhaps the DM himself moves up the pitch and leaves distribution to the defeners? The point of the tactic is about reworking space, drawing out their forward line (creating gaps) and pushing full backs up higher. It's not just for keeping the ball, it's to allow more open patterns of play higher up the pitch. Fair enough but it hasn't worked at all. I believe the team in general is mean to really push up but it doesn't happen. None of our drabs of good play this season has come as a result of the tactic. We move the ball slowly and sideways a lot. Allowing opposition to close spaces easily. I've seen no signs of it looking like it's about to work. It has actually worked well once this season, de Jong's chance against Watford was a result of it. Pretty sure Wijnaldum's chance against Southampton came from it too. Not that that's great, like. It requires some risk-takers to play it, like Mbemba did against Watford on a couple of occasions, but we don't have enough wanting to take the responsibility. Problem is, what are the other options? We just give the ball away playing a bit more direct and don't compete for second balls.

The goals we're conceding are coming from long balls and not being able to handle them at all. West Ham's first, Watford's first and second, last night. Edit: usually pissing about dealing with long balls, I should say. I'm happy to pass it out from the back from goal kicks but they shouldn't be playing it out in situations like that, we're in the position where we need to get rid.

No he didn't, he passed it sideways to Lascelles and Williamson and back again all night. Possession for Possessions sake. Must say the split centre backs thing is potentially suitable when you have good distributors - like Colo and Mbemba are, to be fair to them - but it's absolutely useless when the 3 taking part are Williamson, Lascelles and Anita. Only one of them can pass and he very rarely shows any range at all. If the CB's are very good at passing. Arguably better than the DM. Perhaps the DM himself moves up the pitch and leaves distribution to the defeners? The point of the tactic is about reworking space, drawing out their forward line (creating gaps) and pushing full backs up higher. It's not just for keeping the ball, it's to allow more open patterns of play higher up the pitch.

No he didn't, he passed it sideways to Lascelles and Williamson and back again all night. Possession for Possessions sake. Must say the split centre backs thing is potentially suitable when you have good distributors - like Colo and Mbemba are, to be fair to them - but it's absolutely useless when the 3 taking part are Williamson, Lascelles and Anita. Only one of them can pass and he very rarely shows any range at all.

Strong words. Good. Sounds like he's calling a few players out too, which they deserve.

I don't know how you can conclude that he loves the club like. He's defended everything they've done to the hilt - be that Ashley, Pardew or Carver. He's been diplomatic bordering on stupidity in order to preserve his contacts and privileges within the club. He loves what he gets from the club, once that's gone he suddenly 'loves the club' and comes out with the stuff he's oddly omitted for all of Ashley's tenure. It's absolute bollocks that he loves the club as we want it to be, and probably right that he loves the club as it has been under Ashley.

'I thought we had enough possession and opportunities... created enough opportunities and chances to score'. Really? Doesn't sound like it. It's possession for possessions sake though, all night back wards and forwards across the back four and then back again with no urgency or desire to even get over the halfwayline. He's said himself he wasn't happy about the speed of play when attacking, to be fair. I can only assume that players either aren't listening to him or are such fannies they don't want to risk it. Either way, it's shocking.

Everyone's a much of a muchness, really, it all comes down to who's actually going to dig in and show some character when they play.