2022/23 Frank Lampard

[Nymzee]

We have conceded 12 in 13 games, whilst the back line looks more organised this season it's far from as solid as some are making out, we still give away far too many cheap, easy goals. For me the ball is still coming through midfield way too easily at the moment, the Gana thing hasn't quite worked imo.

We do but we've also never let more than 2 goals in one match, which is good, and those were only 3 games (Spurs, United, and a Villa game before we'd even made signings).

 

[mikel_88]

Haha carry on dreaming, he will be gone before the end of the season and rightly so. He isn't improving us. Our better defence is down to 2 players Thelwell signed and not anything FL has coaches.
We are appalling going forward, away from home we play for a point at best. Only positive has been Iwobi and that was luck

Guess you didnt see the interview with Tarkowski saying frank is helping him improve as a player. Is the work of both the dof kt and frank in getting players to the club. Also the difference in midfield is massive players can actually run in cm now and tackle. With the attacking side to the team has had a half fit dcl, missing one of the best players we had last season in rich out wide and have not replaced his quality. Will be a time us fans will have questions on frank for him to get us to a higher level is far too early to say he will be out before the end of the season, who is your choice who will do better

 

[matty1878]

You are very easily pleased. I see zero progress, a manager who dishes out nice soundbites but is ultimately an empty vessel who we will never progress with

i see that you can’t see

 

[Furey1878]

What progress is this? An over reliance on 2 x 29yr old defenders to throw their bodies on the line.
Our attack is abysmal, we go to the likes of Fulham and set up to not lose. How on earth is that progress?

Coady and Tarkowski are upgrades on Keane and Holgate. They are also durable and have good injury records unlike Mina, who though a good defender, is a sick note. You point out their age does show they are short-mid term solutions, I think ideally you would want at least one defender with a bit more athleticism to allow us to play on the half-way line a little bit more.

I can't really argue with our attack being poor, DCL has had injury troubles, Gray will always be hit and miss, Gordon and McNeil are young, Maupay was a cheap option as he has a half-decent record in this league. Not sure I lay any of that at the manager's door necessarily, we lost Richarlison and he still has not been adequately replaced.

As for the small signs of progress, see the Palace game were we've played as good as we have since Ancelotti was in charge, see us being able to see out the wins we have this season. And even the Fulham game you referenced is a game we would have lost in recent years. But for me, I just track how we are doing from the death spiral last season, we haven't yet earned the right to go away to any away ground and win. It takes steady progress, especially given what a shambles of a club we've been in recent years.

If your whole point is that until we have a manager who is regularly getting away wins then no progress has been made, I would direct you to our away record over the last 10 years.

 

[Zatara]

He who laughs last, laughs loudest

This is the problem with the D.o.F role. Managers getting praise / criticism (depending on which version of the stupid role you believe Thelwell inhabits) for signings. As far as I was aware, the buck stops with KT.
Arguing over whether Myko has gone from below average to average doesn't interest me, some fans like him, I think he is stealing a living.
As for the last bit, it's nonsense. You only chop when the manager fails, the correct answer is employ a competent manager then you do not have to change, FL is not that man

Are you competing to win some kind of personal award on this forum?

 

[Goat]

Are you competing to win some kind of personal award on this forum?

Hes in a hotly contested field.

 

[COYBL25]

Are you competing to win some kind of personal award on this forum?

It’s a two way battle, between him and his follower now.

 

[Marius57]

We have conceded 12 in 13 games, whilst the back line looks more organised this season it's far from as solid as some are making out, we still give away far too many cheap, easy goals. For me the ball is still coming through midfield way too easily at the moment, the Gana thing hasn't quite worked imo.

When Arsenal and man city have both conceded 11 in 12, and only Newcastle have conceded less over 13 games than us, I'm not sure how realistic it is to expect us to be more solid than we are (in terms of conceding goals).

We need the forward line to improve and stop being so static so the midfield have an outlet and the ball doesn't keep coming back at us.

 

[MikeH72]

We have conceded 12 in 13 games, whilst the back line looks more organised this season it's far from as solid as some are making out, we still give away far too many cheap, easy goals. For me the ball is still coming through midfield way too easily at the moment, the Gana thing hasn't quite worked imo.

I just don’t agree with this at all.

 

[Simon Buttle]

I just don’t agree with this at all.

We have improved at the back but there is still far too many last ditch blocks and tackles for my liking. It will get better when we have some attacking players and can play further up the pitch a bit but I just don't think it's that hard to score against us that's all. I'm far more worried about the lack of goals/creativity than the backline at the moment tbh.

 

[MikeH72]

We have improved at the back but there is still far too many last ditch blocks and tackles for my liking. It will get better when we have some attacking players and can play further up the pitch a bit but I just don't think it's that hard to score against us that's all. I'm far more worried about the lack of goals/creativity than the backline at the moment tbh.

Evidently it is hard to score against us because only 3 teams have conceded less.

 

[catcherintherye]

Evidently it is hard to score against us because only 3 teams have conceded less.

I'm not sure people can see how bad we were last season (or at least how bad it felt). From September on, we got 29 points from 34 games. We were lucky we got off to a flyer.

Its absolutely fair to say, its not enjoyable to watch, we dont attack well, in the abstract sense we are still not very good, but also acknowledge improvements have been made.

One point doesnt counteract the other.

And honestly, I'm glad Lampard has had the sense to start at the back. Had he have tried to prioritise our style of play, we would be in a lot of trouble

 

[catcherintherye]

Haha carry on dreaming, he will be gone before the end of the season and rightly so. He isn't improving us. Our better defence is down to 2 players Thelwell signed and not anything FL has coaches.
We are appalling going forward, away from home we play for a point at best. Only positive has been Iwobi and that was luck

The thing is though mate, we are improving.

The 2 players have made a difference, but so has the work on the training pitch on shape. Let's not forget that Coady allegedly couldnt play in a 2.

I have no idea if he goes, but in my view he shouldnt go if we finish away from the relegation zone. Theres no magic solution from a managerial perspective to our problems, and sometimes you are better with continuity.

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

I'm not sure people can see how bad we were last season (or at least how bad it felt). From September on, we got 29 points from 34 games. We were lucky we got off to a flyer.

Its absolutely fair to say, its not enjoyable to watch, we dont attack well, in the abstract sense we are still not very good, but also acknowledge improvements have been made.

One point doesnt counteract the other.

And honestly, I'm glad Lampard has had the sense to start at the back. Had he have tried to prioritise our style of play, we would be in a lot of trouble

This

It would have been flashier to go after new toys in attack.

But the pragmatic approach, and the only one that made total sense for us given last year's near capitulation, was to upgrade our spine significantly

Job done there. With that as a new foundation, only now can we focus on other areas

 

[Furey1878]

We have conceded 12 in 13 games, whilst the back line looks more organised this season it's far from as solid as some are making out, we still give away far too many cheap, easy goals. For me the ball is still coming through midfield way too easily at the moment, the Gana thing hasn't quite worked imo.

All I'll say on this point is look at the very short list of teams who have conceded fewer.

Part of it is down to Pickford, but for the most part it's a much better drilled defense.