2020/21 Carlo Ancelotti

[Preki]

Give him cash to spend and find creative suitors for our 4 or 5 crap artists and we will be fine.

 

[hallamblue]

Like "why are we starting Alex Iwobi in matches we want to win"?

Who would you play instead. We had about 13 fit outfield players, if that. Allan isn't fully fit, neither is Coleman, nor Siggurdson and King isn't much use. Basically if you're fit you play.

 

[Leylo]

Sack him. What an absolute joke. Played off the park by Burnley.

Dave I really hope your on the wind up,if your not go and boil your head

 

[mrb85]

Not good enough with the team selection. Not pragmatic enough with his approach to the game.

A bad day for him IMO.

Again.

 

[mrb85]

In no way calling for his head here but we've had more disgusting home performances under Carlo than we did under fat Sam Silva and koeman combined.

This is a massive issue, can't keep saying this everytime we play at home but here we are

Indeed. Am losing faith.

 

[mrb85]

how many Burnley players would you put in our first 11? We can’t keep making excuses for these dismal performances. We are one of the worst teams in the league going forwards and that is a fact.

Well, I've been shouting McNeill's praises for some time.

 

[BlueToff]

The biggest issues for me are the right hand side and the midfield / tempo they set.

One issue I've noticed though is we seem to be stuck in a bit of a halfway house tactically with Richy/DCL - the former thrives being in the middle having those through balls put in to make those curving runs and slot like against RS/Saints whereas DCL is obviously more suited to the ball going out wide and the cross thrown in.

I think both work better with just being the one central and for me Carlo has to build the team/tactics around one of them.

I imagine he'll stick with DCL going forward but I do think we would (with the right additions in the summer) be a stronger side certainly counter attacking if we had Richy through the middle, two pacey wide players either side with James (and maybe someone like Rabiot) in behind pulling the strings.

Yeah it's definitely a bit of a worry. One takes away from the other - even though they both combine well together.

Last year, it was all about Rich being the main man and Dom playing the flick ons etc, and then obviously he started popping up with a few himself.

But he's improved so much that we're wasting him if his main role is to play second fiddle.

Honestly, to me, the solution is simple enough if we had a fit squad, but we don't. It would be 4-3-3, but a proper front three, and that means a proper, workmanlike midfield but all with energy and the ability to get the ball to our front three, who can just concentrate on attacking. We saw it working well at the start of the season, because Rich was pushing in alongside Dom.

Something's got to change, though. The season's now gonna be about muddling through, and hoping we have enough to get Europe, which is as much on the manager as it is the players tbh, because he's had some dismal days at the office this year.

Honestly, we need one more good run of 4-5 wins on the bounce to get us in with a chance, I think.

But we are the eighth-best squad in the league. So, we have to hope that Arsenal put all their eggs in the EL basket, and that West Ham drop off.

Reality is, we're very likely to be 8th by the end of Monday night.

 

[BlueToff]

If we don't get Europe, he's failed. He's said it himself.

He won't be sacked because of it, but him, Dunc, Davide, Brands, and the players, will have failed, because Europe is the target for this season.

If we don't get it, then we're going to have to sell someone, because we won't have the money to go on and build the squad.

In an ideal world, that's going to be Kean, Iwobi, Bernard etc - but they all are hopefully going to go anyway.

But in a realistic world, Richarlison and Dom are our major assets. The draw to keep them is Carlo, but financially, because of the impact of COVID, we need Europe. It really would be abysmal not to get it, especially given the chances we've had.

That's on Carlo, Brands and everyone involved.

 

[billyblue80]

I'm not sure they are.

We don't press. We aren't a pressing team. It's crap, because we should be able to a bit, so again a bit of a worry, though do think it's a result of bad recruitment from Walsh and Brands in the past that we have so many one-paced players with no energy. Gomes can't press, Iwobi runs around like a headless chicken. Digne, as good as he is, isn't quick. We don't want Dom and Rich doing all their work defending. We rely massively on Doucoure which again shows up just how bad our recruitment has been in that area.

The main issue for me is how we attack, though.

Doucoure doesn't add loads on the ball, so missing him isn't an excuse. We just move the ball so slowly, and you can actually hear Carlo and the coaches asking them to quicken it up. That, again, comes down to the squad, but we should also have an attacking structure or system in place. A few tried and tested moves, that they know like muscle memory, that can be done by any player dropping into a certain bit of space and playing the ball in the right way.

That's basic level stuff. Sunday league stuff. That you can apply across the board. We don't seem to have that, because if we did, we'd score a lot more goals than we do, because our forwards are generally very good.

Agree. But maybe the coaches are working on things and these players can't or aren't able to implement? Look at the first ten games this season. We were doing it then difference is now we became a more defensive team because of injuries it's not so easy to switch it off and on especially when two of your best midfielders are missing and we lack a winger of genuine quality. So I agree Carlo and the staff need to do better but so do the players and it's clear where we need to recruit and clear where. RB, Box to box player, RW and if I'm being greedy another creative player for me. All of them need pace, physicality and guile.

 

[BlueToff]

Agree. But maybe the coaches are working on things and these players can't or aren't able to implement? Look at the first ten games this season. We were doing it then difference is now we became a more defensive team because of injuries it's not so easy to switch it off and on especially when two of your best midfielders are missing and we lack a winger of genuine quality. So I agree Carlo and the staff need to do better but so do the players and it's clear where we need to recruit and clear where. RB, Box to box player, RW and if I'm being greedy another creative player for me. All of them need pace, physicality and guile.

These two in the main two. Because pace and physicality get you far in this league.

I've said it before, it's Brands' biggest failing. He's signed too many players simply not suited to playing in an intense way. Yes, some of them are, but Gomes, Bernard, Iwobi, Delph, Kean etc, not got the energy.

 

[Rooney_Tunes]

Agree. But maybe the coaches are working on things and these players can't or aren't able to implement? Look at the first ten games this season. We were doing it then difference is now we became a more defensive team because of injuries it's not so easy to switch it off and on especially when two of your best midfielders are missing and we lack a winger of genuine quality. So I agree Carlo and the staff need to do better but so do the players and it's clear where we need to recruit and clear where. RB, Box to box player, RW and if I'm being greedy another creative player for me. All of them need pace, physicality and guile.

Sad inditement when something a coach wants you to do cannot be done by a player paid many millions because he should be able to do just that. No heart no fight no bottle. Disgrace one and all...some more so than others.

 

[Bob Elstone]

Pathetic that performance. Outplayed by cavemen.

 

[dave n]

Dave I really hope your on the wind up,if your not go and boil your head

I don't get the support for Carlo mate. The home form is awful . I have been at some bad home games including Ipswich 3-0 and Charlton 4-1.
He is getting off lightly as there are no fans.
This is our chance for top 4 with the red [Poor language removed], Tottenham and Chelsea being poor.

Leylo he instructs them players. They don't run or sweat. I don't get the lack of basic energy.
You explain it to me. It's not fitness. It is just poor horrible football.

 

[Rooney_Tunes]

These two in the main two. Because pace and physicality get you far in this league.

I've said it before, it's Brands' biggest failing. He's signed too many players simply not suited to playing in an intense way. Yes, some of them are, but Gomes, Bernard, Iwobi, Delph, Kean etc, not got the energy.

Actually as skillful as they are at times you can add James and my favourite Gylfi Siggy to that list as well.

 

[Rooney_Tunes]

I don't get the support for Carlo mate. The home form is awful . I have been at some bad home games including Ipswich 3-0 and Charlton 4-1.
He is getting off lightly as there are no fans.
This is our chance for top 4 with the red [Poor language removed], Tottenham and Chelsea being poor.

Leylo he instructs them players. They don't run or sweat. I don't get the lack of basic energy.
You explain it to me. It's not fitness. It is just poor horrible football.

Absolutely... No running no sweating no intensity or physicality... No pressing...