2020/21 Carlo Ancelotti

[billyblue80]

Yeah I'm not denying this team have spirit because I think that's one thing we have seen this season - we saw it last night, too.

We seem to be lacking in quality, though.

Some say that's on the players. Some say it's the manager/tactics. I think most are in the middle.

But, whatever camp you're in, then there's still various people ultimately responsible.

My thing is, we need better players, in a few positions of priority, and we should be better. But, we should also be capable of scoring more goals/being more of a threat with the players we have.

It's all well and good waiting for James to come back, but he played in matches against Southampton, Newcastle, Fulham where we were soundly beaten and offered next to no attacking threat either.

So, he's not the whole answer even if we could rely on him to be fit for every game.

No I'm fine with him being flexible, The Liverpool away win was 100% down to him and his tactical nous but against the "lesser" sides I think we he tinkers too much instead of being simple.

Probably true it is a weird season though many more games in a shorter time frame. I saw someone say he isn't enacting a game plan at home or attack wise but how do we know some of these players just cannot do what's asked of them? Look at our squad for a second look how imbalanced and lacking in depth it is, lack of a right back who can get up and down energy and creativity in midfield and cutting edge on the right, even the subs are average. Yes we should be doing better with possession and at home but there are reasons. I think once he has his own team I will be more willing to be more unforgiving.

 

[GwladysBlue]

Brendan Rodgers.

Trophies won: 0

Conveniently leaving out League finishes with Leicester there.

 

[Bluestar]

100%

Issue is our attack is offering nothing and as we're seeing in recent games when teams keep peppering our defence we don't look solid at all.

We were lucky not to concede 6 against Burnley at home mate.

I don’t know what happened in that game. It was awful.

I do know we need to back Ancelotti though. He’s our best opportunity to improve.

 

[riddick]

Agree, judge him on what he does for Everton.

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It's interesting how little he's drawn here. 56 played and only 10 draws. Who was the opposite? Felt like Marintez constantly drew or an I misremembering that?

 

[Saint Domingo]

Might as well pack it in then.

You reference the 09 team - that team still managed to get to the final without Arteta, Yakubu, Saha, Anichebe (I was at that Newcastle game btw, right next to that tackle).

It's been never-ending with our injury crisis. How do we change that? Do a deal with the devil?

We didn’t win the 09 final though because we were without all our best players and Chelsea had theirs. So Drogba and Lampard made the difference meanwhile we didn’t have Arteta Yakubu. Had we had Jags Arteta Yakubu and Chelsea had been without Terry Lampard Drogba it would have increased our chances of winning that game.

Of course I don’t know what the answer is but we just keep blasting the managers. If their best players are never available for them though then they’re not going to win many games. No managers would.

 

[BlueStevie35]

Conveniently leaving out League finishes with Leicester there.

What trophies did they get for that?

 

[neil999]

Conveniently leaving out League finishes with Leicester there.

5th,woopty blomin woo, if you were a Leicester fan you would have sacked him last season for bottling 4th lol

 

[Lloydystark]

Brendan Rodgers.

Trophies won: 0

A lot of people would take 5th place etc over trophies....for me it’s trophies all day and Leicester have more chance of winning 1 than us again

 

[Lloydystark]

Brendan Rodgers.

Trophies won: 0

A lot of people would take 5th place etc over trophies....for me it’s trophies all day and Leicester have more chance of winning 1 than us

 

[Lloydystark]

In carlo we trust...

 

[BlueToff]

I don’t know what happened in that game. It was awful.

I do know we need to back Ancelotti though. He’s our best opportunity to improve.

Again, don't see anybody sensible saying that we shouldn't back him

 

[BlueToff]

We didn’t win the 09 final though because we were without all our best players and Chelsea had theirs. So Drogba and Lampard made the difference meanwhile we didn’t have Arteta Yakubu. Had we had Jags Arteta Yakubu and Chelsea had been without Terry Lampard Drogba it would have increased our chances of winning that game.

Of course I don’t know what the answer is but we just keep blasting the managers. If their best players are never available for them though then they’re not going to win many games. No managers would.

We can't really compare then and now.

Yes, our squad has been hit by injuries.

Why is that? Well, we signed James who is famously injury prone. That's fine cause the trade off is when he's fit, he's brilliant. However, it also seems that without him in the team, our entire attack falls down. Given he's only fit for, tops, half a season, that doesn't seem like a very smart tactical decision to me. Surely we could be working on other ways of crafting goalscoring chances without James? And no, I don't mean giving it to Digne to pump in from deep.

You said yourself, Silva might have kept his job if not for injuries.

It seems the one injury that has truly crocked us is Doucoure, because now our midfield is just getting carved open - hence why yesterday we had all of our players camped on the edge of our own penalty area. Well I'd say it's a poor reflection on recruitment that we don't have one other player in the squad capable of doing a similar thing.

We also don't have one player who can drive with the ball to any great impact. We have Iwobi who runs about like a headless chicken with it or does one thing well then boots a pass straight into a defender.

It needs to improve. And Carlo needs to start getting some form of identity in place now. Bielsa had League One and Champ players down to his system in months. I don't think he's a better manager than Ancelotti, but 16 months is a good while to be working with a squad. It'd be nice if we now start seeing the fruits of that work when we come back - hopefully with James managing to keep fit, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Leylo]

In carlo we trust...

Seriously tho if he can't do the biz for us I'm at a loss who can.

 

[consho]

James delivered a win at Anfield. Even if he does nothing else he’s more than paid back his free transfer. That through ball is more than just about anyone has done at Anfield for us since Kevin Campbell.

One win at anfield does not make a summer. If that is the limit if your expectations for this club I feel sorry for you

 

[Saint Domingo]

One win at anfield does not make a summer. If that is the limit if your expectations for this club I feel sorry for you

Ha where did I say it was the limit of my expectations? People have been going on like he’s missed the whole season or been a flop. He hasn’t. He’s missed some games which was always going to be likely for a player with injury issues in a disrupted season that didn’t include a pre season.