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Sandro Tonali


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2 minutes ago, joeyt said:

Us outrunning or outpressing teams isn't working anymore,


We don't play like that anymore by choice I think is more the reason. Howe wants us to have the ball more, rather than be happy for the opposition to have it in their half and us win it back with high pressing. 

Last year the press was being bemoaned as we had a huge injury crisis which the running and pressing was being pointed at for being the cause. And apparently it wasn't Isak's game and we were wasting him (kind of agree). We're trying to be a possession based side now and creating chances of of own, rather than stealing them off the opposition. Right way to go imo, not working atm though. 

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Just now, Super Duper Branko Strupar said:


We don't play like that anymore by choice I think is more the reason. Howe wants us to have the ball more, rather than be happy for the opposition to have it in their half and us win it back with high pressing. 

Last year the press was being bemoaned as we had a huge injury crisis which the running and pressing was being pointed at for being the cause. And apparently it wasn't Isak's game and we were wasting him (kind of agree). We're trying to be a possession based side now and creating chances of of own, rather than stealing them off the opposition. Right way to go imo, not working atm though. 

 

I don't think we have the players capable of keeping hold of the ball more.

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Just now, Shearergol said:

 

I don't think we have the players capable of keeping hold of the ball more.

 

 

We did try it early on in the season and ended up with 40% possession stats or something. Most of our players are hopeless when some pressure is applied. We are playing nicer football now, but it's leaving us wide open when we do lose it.

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3 minutes ago, Shearergol said:

 

I don't think we have the players capable of keeping hold of the ball more.


Think I agree. Tonali was definitely bought with this change in mind, though. I think him on the right of the 3 kills what is being tried a little, though. He has to be more central to our play if we're going to do that as Bruno is too erratic. I just think the midfield needs a bit of a move around, personally. Would love to see Bruno replace Longstaff on that right hand side and Tonali move in to the central role, especially at Home or "easier" away games. Joe L or Joe W on the other side as appropriate. 

 

 

Edited by Super Duper Branko Strupar

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1 minute ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:


Mostly we do, we just have to put out a side with a couple of glaring weak links at the moment. 

 

Good post in the Howe thread showing the stats on this....

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2 minutes ago, Shearergol said:

 

Good post in the Howe thread showing the stats on this....


Yep I’ve seen, I agree we give the ball away a lot. But I think we have mostly decent players. 
 

Like I’ve said before, our squad is a combination of Championship and Champions League. 
 

The problem is right now we always have a couple of error-prone players in the team and the others have low confidence. 

 

 

Edited by AyeDubbleYoo

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1 minute ago, Yorkie said:

 

Separately to the 'do we or don't we need a 10' debate, you're listing teams who have much less in the way of restrictions and a far greater margin for error when it comes to transfers. Comparisons to City, Arsenal and Liverpool is pointless at the best of times, they're so far ahead of everyone else in every metric. 

 

 

I accept that but I believe that the squad has the ingredients to make changes. The squad isn't in amazing shape but I don't believe it's a mess. 

We have higher revenues than Aston Villa. The PSR cost of Rogers, Tielemans, Kamara, McGinn, Ramsey, Onana is comparable to what we have in those positions.

Brighton have Joao Pedro & Rutter in those positions. Brighton even have the luxury of loaning out Facundo Buonanotte in that role.

 

I can blame PSR for not having a RW or CB. But not having a creative midfielder is a choice the people responsible for squad building have made. Lots of us have been screaming this for over a year and we are barely ever linked to players of that profile. JP is one (but that was more as a striker) and Szob.

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2 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:


Yep I’ve seen, I agree we give the ball away a lot. But I think we have mostly decent players. 
 

Like I’ve said before, our squad is a combination of Championship and Champions League. 
 

The problem is right now we always have a couple of error-prone players in the team and the others have low confidence. 

 

 

 

 

We've got some great players. But none of them are particularly geared up to hold onto the ball. 

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10 minutes ago, Shearergol said:

 

I don't think we have the players capable of keeping hold of the ball more.

Couldn't agree more.

 

I said it last summer - we double down on pressing, direct football in that transfer window. Tonali & Barnes signings in particular. 2 direct and athletic lads. Reupped Joelinton who is similar.

 

Only player to add significant ball playing prowess the team is Hall and he's a kid.

 

 

Edited by The College Dropout

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4 minutes ago, Shearergol said:

 

We've got some great players. But none of them are particularly geared up to hold onto the ball. 

Schar, Hall, Botman, Bruno, AG keeps the ball pretty well.  But that’s it.  In the entire squad.  The rest are best on the transition.  

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5 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Couldn't agree more.

 

I said it last summer - we double down on pressing, direct football in that transfer window. Tonali & Barnes signings in particular. 2 direct and athletic lads. Reupped Joelinton who is similar.

 

Only player to add significant ball playing prowess the team is Hall and he's a kid.

 

 

 

I agree and it's ashame we've done it tbh

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1 minute ago, The College Dropout said:

Schar, Hall, Botman, Bruno, AG keeps the ball pretty well.  But that’s it.  In the entire squad.  The rest are best on the transition.  

 

Joelinton is probably in the next tier, and he's a former striker playing midfield. That is quite telling.

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