2020/21 Carlo Ancelotti

[Goat]

I personally think he’s looked better due to his previous crap seasons.

I think hes benefitting from having a world class manager and possibly the lack of crowds, but hes still been very good for the last 18months+.

 

[cronullasharks]

I think Sean Dyche must be the world's best manager (apart from Carlo, who struggles with Pickford, Kean, Mina, Godfrey, Coleman, Digne, Allan, AD, Gylfi, Richarlison, DCL, JR, etc.) if you look at the players he have in squad. It is not even championship level.

After all, he also made Keane appear as Cannavaro. Chris Wood as Van Basten, and Erik Pieters as Maldini.

Every year I expect Burnley to relegate from Pl, but every year Dyche performs better than expected.

He's clearly a fine manager and i wouldn't be opposed to seeing him manage our side. Hopefully bring a few of those Burnley stars with him too.

 

[catcherintherye]

Could have sworn ive just seen the Champions elect play Nathan Ake and almost certain the current Champions played 2 plasterers in defence last night.

And how could I forget United with Maguire, Chelsea with Zouma and Leicester with Johnny Evans.

But yeah, he wouldnt get games for any of them....................

I mean I get your point, and Keane is in his own way at least as good as Ake but hes not suited to a top team at all mate.

He cant defend high up, or defend in space. He would be exposed for City.

 

[Runub]

Weve been crap for 30 years, in case you havent been paying attention.

I have been paying attention and you are right.....how time flies....depressing isn’t it? Hope it is not another 30 years or I will be pushing up the daisies the next time we win something lol

 

[Gilbert..]

I mean I get your point, and Keane is in his own way at least as good as Ake but hes not suited to a top team at all mate.

He cant defend high up, or defend in space. He would be exposed for City.

Yep. He was 30m in one man eyes. The same mans eyes who saw 28m in bolasi.
I dont need to go on.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Could have sworn ive just seen the Champions elect play Nathan Ake and almost certain the current Champions played 2 plasterers in defence last night.

And how could I forget United with Maguire, Chelsea with Zouma and Leicester with Johnny Evans.

But yeah, he wouldnt get games for any of them....................

Every single name you’ve mentioned there are miles better than Keane

 

[MikeH72]

Every single name you’ve mentioned there are miles better than Keane

Apart from maybe Zouma.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Apart from maybe Zouma.

Zouma had his failings no doubt. When he was on it though he had pace and power and a bit of a leader’s mentality. I don’t know what Keane brings apart from being ok if we play a very certain limited way.

 

[Bebeto]

We had the clearer chances, apart from minges header, they never tested Pickford. Their keeper pulled off 2/3 great saves. 2 great challenges/blocks from their defence. Overall we were the better side. We just needed a slice of luck in front of goal which just didn’t come.

Apart from dcl header from the only good pass today from digne there was nothing really...the other chances were not really clear cut...

He's satisfied with the performance because it's exactly the same as it was v West Ham.

It wasn't an awful performance today, it was just exactly what we've done away from home for the past few months. Similarly, the West Ham performance wasn't some wonderful display, it just did enough.

Yes, we played better in some of those games - Liverpool, Leicester etc off the top of my head, sure there's more - but defensively today we did exactly the same as we did v West Ham, Pickford didn't have a save to make.

We just can't attack. We are so slow, so clueless. And that has to be worked on yet we're seeing no evidence it is or, whatever they are working on clearly isn't working in practice.

We aren't a counter-attacking team and we can't control games. When we try to play attacking, we are wide open, but we still don't attack very well most of the time. The only time we've managed to combine them both recently was Spurs and two defensive mistakes still cost us and, tbf, they hit the post twice did they not too?

But back to today, we're one good chance being taken away from it mirroring the West Ham game. Ultimately though we didn't create it - you could maybe say the Dom one at the end but it was a tough one with how he had to get up.

I'm not defending it, we should be better because we have to be, but ultimately this the only way we can be set up and be remotely effective, which is shocking but true.

If we have ambition of playing european football we cannot been playing like we have been for the most part of the last few months. If we have ambition of playing champions league football then we need to play actual football and try to win games. The way we have been playing will neve get it a top 7 finish...we might end up 8 or 9th as we do most seasons.

Did you want him to throw the players under the bus Jose style

No just want him to take full accountability for the way we play. He is the manager, selecting the players, system and strategy...

 

[BlueToff]

You do read this thread?

Stop and consider what has happened throughout the season though. Key players have been out injured and, in my view, come back 70%.

Digne, DCL, James. Allan even.

I'm not even convinced Richy is 100% right. He doesn't look as mobile as in previous seasons of late.

So yeah, maybe there is room to do more on the training pitch, but I'd also suggest lack of squad depth costs us.

He's gone Conservative for a reason. Before anyone starts, not THAT sort of Tory

I think, and factoring all the reasons you list, that most of us understand it and accept it in general because we are decent at it. There's nothing wrong with being conservative and it has worked, to an extent, when we need to be.

The issue has come when we've had to be slightly more expansive, or when being conservative just hasn't been enough. But it's been an issue that's been here for a good while and has shown no sign of improvement.

The worry for me is, I don't think that's all on the players. A large chunk definitely is, but there's no attacking structure to fall back on, and that to me is a bit of a worry.

 

[Moonlight dribbler]

We finished 8th with a mixture of Koeman, Unsworth and Gravy in charge and an even worse squad that included Davey Klaassen and Sandro Ramirez so its not that incredible at all really is it considering that this season we have recorded one of our worst home records in history and could actually drop down the table even further if we don't win any more games.

I am all for Carlo mate and he needs time to rebuild and the future looks promising with him at the helm but we really do need to be realistic and the reality is that we should have done better this season even with this squad and that is glaringly obvious when you look at our very good away form compared to our embarrassing home form.

Not really like for like. The league that season was horrendous, this year Leicester and West Ham are very competitive. Just chill out and let Carlo do this. 8th/9th this year will be incredible. 6th next year, then 4th, then 2nd, then 1st. 5 full seasons with Carlo will result in a trophy or 2.

 

[PhilM]

I think Sean Dyche must be the world's best manager (apart from Carlo, who struggles with Pickford, Kean, Mina, Godfrey, Coleman, Digne, Allan, AD, Gylfi, Richarlison, DCL, JR, etc.) if you look at the players he have in squad. It is not even championship level.

After all, he also made Keane appear as Cannavaro. Chris Wood as Van Basten, and Erik Pieters as Maldini.

Every year I expect Burnley to relegate from Pl, but every year Dyche performs better than expected.

What are your opinions on the maestro that is Samuel Allardyce?

On another note, sadly @MikelsGoat you're talking to a brick wall when praising Keane because for too many fans their view of him are now entrenched.

He's been one of our most consistent performers this season and in the mainstay a solid rock at the back, but that's ignored due to a few years ago.

 

[Terrarian]

The more sensible and pragmatic amongst us, can see that he knows, that due to injuries and a very limited squad, he has no choice other than to play this way - for the moment.

It ain’t pretty, but currently a necessity.

Yep, haha it's bloody awful but bigger picture and all that jazz

 

[JLW]

The more sensible and pragmatic amongst us, can see that he knows, that due to injuries and a very limited squad, he has no choice other than to play this way - for the moment.

It ain’t pretty, but currently a necessity.

Exactly this. Any other manager had this group of players we wouldn't be fighting for Europe, yes the football maybe a little bit easier on the eye but we wouldn't have accumulated as many points. Our style of football will change when the personnel changes (Hopefully in the summer)

 

[Zatara]

Who do you see us selling to get to that figure Zat?

I can see Kean £30-35 m , Mina £20 -25 m , Bernard £10m and Kenny £3 m but can't see any takers for the likes of Gomes , Sigurdsson , Delph or Iwobi.

Kean £40-45mil
Mina £20-25mil
Keane £20-25mil

I think Bernard and Kenny together £6-8mil

Zat is selling Keane. Fortunately Ancelotti isn’t.

If he doesnt then we have an overrated player playing at his peak on high wages while his sale value is at its strongest.

Keep him and we wont improve the defence or the system next season.