Keegans Export

It makes sense if the women's team isn't really a priority. Did they close that PSR loophole? It's a shame because the funds required to potentially do something special are pennies compared to running the men's team but it was obvious last season that they aren't interested in throwing (relatively) substantial money at it.

Depending on what metric you use we have the 7th or 8th most expensive squad so it's probably fair to call that par. After a few seasons of overachieving that might feel a bit of a backwards step but that's where we find ourselves. Some better recruitment in the summer might have moved the needle but the evidence so far is that we fucked it.

What website/app is that?

Stick Bruno in as a #10 with Miley and Tonali behind.

Transfermarkt have us 7th in terms of how much the current squad cost and fbref put us 8th in terms of wages so I'd say you're probably right. The issue for Howe there is that he's no longer over-achieving, just matching expectations.

I've posted this before but it's worth bearing in mind; That's from Luke Edwards who, like him or not, is fairly well-connected. Top 8 and progress in the rest, that's what he's going to be judged by and I wonder if that's part of the reason that we aren't looking to invest much in January - either he or people above him (or all of the above) think the squad is good enough to achieve that.

I can understand not playing them together regularly seeing as they're supposed to be #1 and #2 CF but it could at least be an option? If not, let Bruno play #10 with Miley and Tonali behind him.

That pass map from earlier shows the issue - we just pass side to side, almost exclusively. Absolutely nothing being played into an area where a striker can do something with it

I thought watching it that we only ever try to work it out wide and that shows it - one, maybe two forward passes into a promising area.

If it wasn't already obvious enough why these lads aren't being used to give Thiaw, Tonali, Bruno etc a break. Yes, in an ideal world we'd have three or four young lads ready to play 30mins here or there but we don't. And it's not because Eddie is too cautious, it's because they're absolutely miles off Premier League level.

That's what's frustrating me - he seems to be able to do all the difficult stuff. First touch, vision, general technical ability. It's the things you'd assume were a lot easier to pick up that he's lacking. How hard can it be to say "if the ball goes out wide, get your arse in the box as quick as you can". Wasn't it SBR to Shearer, basically told him he was playing facing away from goal too often, turn around and focus on getting into the box? Then he scored five in the next home game!

It'll be 4-3-3 with Wissa & Barnes out wide, Woltemade CF. I suppose it gives us the option of putting Willock or Ramsey wide in a 4-2-3-1 but it'll be 4-3-3

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Ah but he didn't play "The West Ham Way" though did he? "The West Ham Way" of course, judging by the majority of my 38 years on this planet, is absolutely fucking shit.

Well I'd like to retract my previous statement that Midgley was a know-nothing twerp with a meaningless title who has overseen some baffling recruitment decisions that have made no noticeable difference to the quality of the U18 squad and that Man Utd are welcome to him. Turns out he's actually brilliant so I'm glad he's staying. Well, if PIF say they're going to do something we can be absolutely positive it will happen so that's good news.

No I don't think they were but as it stands you're sixth, short of 5th on goal difference, so on course to meet those expectations? Suggests that perhaps the expectation from above is more than that, he wanted a certain amount of investment in January to achieve it, the club either disagreed again on targets or didn't want the outlay and the short term vs long term debate inevitably reered it's head. You sign players in two key positions needing "some time to grow" then give your coach about four months to work with them? Again, I'm not specifically making this about Amorim/Man Utd but the general point holds - can a club prioritise long term thinking but judge a coach on short term results/performances?

That's kind of what I was getting at with my post earlier. I understand the clubs more long-term view, but if you're going for two younger players with no PL experience instead of two tried-and-tested options that has to be reflected in the expectations on the coach doesn't it? It's not exclusive to those transfers or Man Utd in general obviously but there's a clear disconnect there in two strategies that can rarely exist simultaneously.

The Head Coach/DOF dynamic seems so tricky, very few teams seem to have cracked it. Man City I suppose but with Pep there and the amount of money & talent at their disposal it should be expected. Will be interesting to see how it looks once he goes. Brighton have been fairly consistent over multiple managerial changes. Many more cases where the relationship has caused more problems than it's solved. Us and Villa are in a situation where our success seems almost entirely on having hired the right guy but what happens when the right guy moves on? I don't really know what the answer is tbh. There's always going to be the understandable short-term thinking of the manager (who knows he'll be first out the door if results aren't deemed good enough) conflicting with the longer-term view of the DOF. Assuming we don't do much business in January, we'll be in a tricky situation in the summer. If Tino or Tonali go, we'll have a lot of leeway financially but we'll have to do a fair bit of rebuilding - do we go mostly down the U24, overseas route? If so the board will have to adjust what they expect Howe to achieve accordingly, but football is inherently short-termist at the top level.

Sounds like Fletcher is getting the reigns until the summer (Ornstein)

Aren't England comfortably top of the UEFA coefficient as it stands?

There was one point where he raced back to make a covering tackle/interception, then carried the ball upfield and ended up being the furthest player forward

Second half was better and an overall improvement on midweek. Definitely deserved to win the game, they were garbage for the most part. Miley outstanding, Joelinton considerable improvement on recent form which is encouraging. No idea what's happened to Tonali but as soon as we have two fit fullbacks I'm putting Miley at CM. We just have to keep grinding out results and hope that the form & confidence will follow.

Miley looks so comfortable, obviously doesn't want to over commit going forwards which is probably fair enough. Obviously Thiaw is playing well and Hall has been pretty decent too. The overall performance though, Jesus. We've had opportunities to play the ball in behind, a decent gap between defenders and the keeper and we either hold onto the ball too long or fluff the pass. Once again no idea what our plan or "identity" is now.

Me neither, I just assume every post in here is either tongue-in-cheek, WUM or TBG (which I think is both at the same time)

True. Sometimes we line up 4-3-3, other times it's three forwards, three in the middle and four at the back and occasionally we go with a flat back four, three CMs and three attackers.