2020/21 Carlo Ancelotti

[Goat]

Because we sit at a different financial table to United.

Of course.

 

[Goat]

Wind the clock back a few years and in real terms Sigurdsson was close to that. We've wasted enough in the last two seasons to have bought a couple.

When we paid 45m for Iceland, Bruno was moving to Porto for 8.5m.

 

[catcherintherye]

My two thoughts are one that no Godfrey is not good enough progressively because even if he's average at carrying he's well well below that passing forward. It's handicapping us with the ball.

And the other is that I don't think we're defending at a .5 goals per game level. I think we're defending at a 1 goal a game level which is very different in terms of what results you are getting. We were on a hot streak.

Well with that back 4 we conceded 1 goal in 4 games. With variants on it, its 2 in 5/6 games. So say 0.7 is certainly attainable. Would you concede that such a defensive performance is worth persevering with?

On the first, I just gave you a key attacking aspect of the game Godfrey was good at. So he has some strengths.

I think we can get dogmatic in football in assuming what we like/prefer has to be right, even when evidence suggests the contrary. This feels like one of those moments.

 

[catcherintherye]

When we paid 45m for Iceland, Bruno was moving to Porto for 8.5m.

And if we would have signed him, he would have gone the same way as Vlasic unfortunately.

 

[davids]

When we paid 45m for Iceland, Bruno was moving to Porto for 8.5m.

And our scouts in Europe? But my point was more that two seasons ago's 45m is today's 70m.If we want to play with the big boys it costs.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

I think playing 4 CB's works against the stronger sides who will have a go at us but doing so against the likes of Burnley and West Ham will often see us drop points as they'll often be happy sitting back for a point from the off meaning its on us to try break them down which is easier with attacking fullbacks who'll overlap the wide players.

Long term im fine with Holgate staying at RB as Coleman offers little going forward but Digne has to come back in for Godfrey once fit he offers too much going forward to leave out.

 

[Goat]

And if we would have signed him, he would have gone the same way as Vlasic unfortunately.

Same with the likes of Maddison and his ilk, they don't do what they do now playing for Cursed FC.

 

[catcherintherye]

Other teams seem to manage the odd one. Man U picked up a decent one recently for around the price we pay for the mediocre.

Well United paid 65m for him, and he would never have come here mate.

James is on Fernandes level too, which just have to keep him fit.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Well with that back 4 we conceded 1 goal in 4 games. With variants on it, its 2 in 5/6 games. So say 0.7 is certainly attainable. Would you concede that such a defensive performance is worth persevering with?

On the first, I just gave you a key attacking aspect of the game Godfrey was good at. So he has some strengths.

I think we can get dogmatic in football in assuming what we like/prefer has to be right, even when evidence suggests the contrary. This feels like one of those moments.

No I don't agree because for example bringing Lucas Digne back is going to make us a little less good defensively and we all are for that right? So at best it is worth persevering with for now.

But as I've said I am looking beyond results here. So saying we've conceded two in six, ignoring the United game in which we were so bad defensively that this entire theory could be thrown out on it alone, is not what I'm trying to do.

I'm not trying to be dogmatic. In fact if Carlo could actually produce a team capable of conceding only 20 or so goals then I'd be fine with it. But I do not think that we are playing so well defensively that this is where we are at.

This is what I mean when I say something has to change. My suggestion is to improve the attack but honestly if he found a way to just make us that much more secure then it really is fine with me. But it can't be nothing.

 

[davids]

Well United paid 65m for him, and he would never have come here mate.

James is on Fernandes level too, which just have to keep him fit.

And there is the conundrum,to attract the top players we need regular European competition to get that we need to buy better quality players. But wasting money on the Iwobi's Tosun's and Sigurdsson's isn't the way forward.

 

[catcherintherye]

I think playing 4 CB's works against the stronger sides who will have a go at us but doing so against the likes of Burnley and West Ham will often see us drop points as they'll often be happy sitting back for a point from the off meaning its on us to try break them down which is easier with attacking fullbacks who'll overlap the wide players.

Long term im fine with Holgate staying at RB as Coleman offers little going forward but Digne has to come back in for Godfrey once fit he offers too much going forward to leave out.

What you do with Digne is interesting. He has to play.

Until hes back, fitness aside I'd have that same back 4. If we continue to keep goals out, then Digne could play down the left with Richarlinson moving inside in a 4-4-2. If we start conceding a few more, Godfrey from Digne for me.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

What you do with Digne is interesting. He has to play.

Until hes back, fitness aside I'd have that same back 4. If we continue to keep goals out, then Digne could play down the left with Richarlinson moving inside in a 4-4-2. If we start conceding a few more, Godfrey from Digne for me.

I imagine Digne will be back for Villa if not Wolves earlier - I imagine the back 4 of CB's would benefit us more against Villa than it would Wolves who naturally play it tight themselves.

Spurs fell into the trap of keeping it tight against Wolves who got that late equalizer - I hope we go the happy medium for that one with 3 CB's but atleast one attacking fullback preferably on the left to give Richarlison the space to effect the game.

If Richarlison isn't on it then often neither is DCL so it becomes a ripple effect in terms of our attack.

 

[Drico]

I've had people tell me we need to stick with the 4 CBs because of the security it brings so that viewpoint is out there.

My feeling is if you don't think you're good enough to make CL than you shouldn't be scraping out results. Instead this season should be used to develop the system you're going to use when you do think you're good enough.

You should be looking to get the result in every game. If that means scraping, scrape away. Needs must.

 

[catcherintherye]

And there is the conundrum,to attract the top players we need regular European competition to get that we need to buy better quality players. But wasting money on the Iwobi's Tosun's and Sigurdsson's isn't the way forward.

I think Iwobi is doing quite well. But yes we need to get into Europe hence why some short termism works.

 

[GwladysBlue]

Three simple changes against Wolves will make us a much better team than what we seen against West Ham:

James for Sigurdsson
Holgate for Coleman
Iwobi for Bernard

Wolves aren’t all that and it is a game we should be aiming to take 3 points from.