2020/21 Carlo Ancelotti

[BlueToff]

Don't disagree we definitely need to improve and training and patterns of play come into that. But remember it's been a weird season no preseason, no fans, contracted schedule. Not making excuses just saying.

It isn't just on the players yes it's also on the coaching sometimes we are too cautious its an Italian way but Carlo is known to be adaptable I'm sure he would rather play on the front foot as we did at the start of the season. But it's a mix isn't it you need the right attributes in the team and squad and we don't to play that way, when we push up we get played around. We have a huge hole down our right and a lack of dynamism and pace in midfield and out wide. It's glaring. So whilst I will criticise him for the home form along with the players who didn't turn up in various games I will also give him credit for a tactical set up that got us many victories away from home including at Liverpool and Arsenal two losing records we have had round our necks for year's. I think there has been progress this season even if it might be small.

Oh I know mate. All my points, I'm taking those caveats into account, really am. Just think we could have expected better is all.

I'm not against over caution. I'm not against playing conservative if it gets results but the performances haven't really been there mate and that's where the issue comes.

Then it's like they've genuinely forgotten how to play and until today, when we basically just played like we do away from about the 40th min onwards (fine, we're decent at it) our home games have been atrocious and every single thing we've tried pretty much hasn't worked. I think there's simple possible solutions which have been ignored and have helped contribute to this, along with not changing things quickly enough in some of those matches too.

Anyway, it's nearly over, but from where we were after Xmas, we can't look at this last-ditch scramble as anything over than a failure really, when you throw in on top of that that we're not exactly developing any semblance of a philosophy, so we don't have that excuse.

Big onus is on Brands now, they have to get the deals done.

 

[AussieToffee11]

A couple of extra ball playing midfielders (both central and wide) and a pacey RB to provide balance and Carlo will be able to get this side playing a more 'dominant' style.

We have clearly nailed the 'soak up pressure' tactic and if we can balance that with a more offensive style, with the right players, at H and against the lower sides, then an extra 10 points next season is a logical next step. 10 extra points would have us in the Top 4 fight.

Carlo has a plan, let him execute it FFS

 

[Charles Hawtrey]

If you had said to me, before a ball was kicked this season, that we would be in with a chance of Europe with one game to go I'd have said you were dreaming. Winning the first set of games gave us a false sense of reality. Last season we finished 14th, we have clearly improved.

 

[Igrok]

A couple of extra ball playing midfielders (both central and wide) and a pacey RB to provide balance and Carlo will be able to get this side playing a more 'dominant' style.

We have clearly nailed the 'soak up pressure' tactic and if we can balance that with a more offensive style, with the right players, at H and against the lower sides, then an extra 10 points next season is a logical next step. 10 extra points would have us in the Top 4 fight.

Carlo has a plan, let him execute it FFS

We could easily have got these 10 points this year...next year will be other excuses...

 

[AussieToffee11]

We could easily have got these 10 points this year...next year will be other excuses...

And I look forward to seeing this forum blow up when it occurs again.

It's a ball with air in it...relax fellas.

 

[Baggzio]

If we draw, we're 9th at worst and 7th at best. We can't finish 10th with another point.

True. I think though that it’ll probably end up being a case of us really going for it meaning we either win or get battered. I think if we played for a draw there’d be outrage.

 

[ADT]

Yes, we are a bit crap, but whatever happens against City we would still have accumulated more points this season than 7 of the last 9.
Carlo is the man. Progress

 

[carolinablue232]

If you had said to me, before a ball was kicked this season, that we would be in with a chance of Europe with one game to go I'd have said you were dreaming. Winning the first set of games gave us a false sense of reality. Last season we finished 14th, we have clearly improved.

12th but I don’t think that changes what you’re going for much.

 

[Baggzio]

Yes, we are a bit crap, but whatever happens against City we would still have accumulated more points this season than 7 of the last 9.
Carlo is the man. Progress

It is also worth noting and not to make an excuse but most teams in the league have been utter crap this year, even the top ones. City didn’t start going until about December and still walked the league and they don’t even have a striker

None of the relegated teams will even get to 30 points.

We got 75 points under Martinez and finished 5th, United won’t even reach that and they’ll conformably finish second. Leicester mightn’t even make CL having thrown it away after being 3rd since August.

Yes we’ve obviously been poor at home and should have done better but realistically this squad is on paper at best probably 9th in the league and really all in all we’ll finish roughly where we deserve to be, had we gotten 5th/6th or even pushed for CL like we looked for a stage it would’ve been an enormous overachievement.

The only team that’s really consistently performed above their best hunting Europe this season has been West Ham and they’ll probably finish 6th/7th which is obviously good but nothing to write home about.

The league outside of literally 3 or 4 teams is very poor. Next season City will walk it again, Chelsea, United and Liverpool will probably sign a few in summer and cement the rest of the top 4 but outside of that literally every other team is bang average. I’d say Leicester but they’ve bottled it 2 seasons in a row with CL qualification.

 

[TheBigIguana]

If you had said to me, before a ball was kicked this season, that we would be in with a chance of Europe with one game to go I'd have said you were dreaming. Winning the first set of games gave us a false sense of reality. Last season we finished 14th, we have clearly improved.

We've improved from where Silva left us. We've not really improved very much from last season under Carlo to this season. 1.5 points per game last year. 1.6 this. It's better but a slim margin and even slimmer if we don't win Sunday.

And that's just results. When you talk performances it isn't better.

 

[MikeH72]

Man city is a cup final now.

A cup final in which the reward is 7th and a place in the Europa Conference League rather than a trophy.

 

[Shibbywiggles]

Remember, Carlo wasn’t brought in to manage this bunch of losers, he was brought in to build a squad that can challenge the best in the country.

Unlike all the managers post Moyes I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t stay at least five years and given how good his first summer transfer window was, I’m optimistic to see how our squad looks in a few months time.

 

[MikeH72]

Remember, Carlo wasn’t brought in to manage this bunch of losers, he was brought in to build a squad that can challenge the best in the country.

Unlike all the managers post Moyes I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t stay at least five years and given how good his first summer transfer window was, I’m optimistic to see how our squad looks in a few months time.

I hope the cracks aren’t going to be papered over by a couple of decent results in the last two games. We can’t let these players cling on for another season. We were still abject last night.

 

[Death]

A cup final in which the reward is 7th and a place in the Europa Conference League rather than a trophy.

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And as an Evertonian I've become so accustomed to having a cup final at the end of the season this comes as a massive disopointed we are only playing for a European spot.

 

[JobForTheMoyes]

If you had said to me, before a ball was kicked this season, that we would be in with a chance of Europe with one game to go I'd have said you were dreaming. Winning the first set of games gave us a false sense of reality. Last season we finished 14th, we have clearly improved.

With the money we've spent?!?