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2020/21 Carlo Ancelotti

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BlueToff said:
I do tend to think that we'll see us go on another run of 3-4 wins in the league, and that might be enough to secure top 7/8.

But, it could and should have been much better.

With the money spent, and the money Carlo is on, we should be having different ways of creating threats on a consistent basis. We should be able to build spells of pressure in games and move the ball quicker.

I know we need better players, but how many overhauls can the squad go through?
Click to expand...

I think we’ve needed revolution every single summer since Moshiri took over, but this next summer is more evolution for me.

A couple of players out, 3/4 players in.

I still think we should be getting minimum top 6 this season especially if we can get any luck and have a fully fit squad for a run of game (or even just one game at least!).

If we get top 6, Europa and make the right moves, I’m convinced we’ll be playing like we were early in the season.

Since the Liverpool game we’ve had at least two of our best players out for every game. Our squad depth doesn’t allow for this and it shows.
 
Carlo pre Everton:

1613604535083.webp


Carlo post Everton:

1613604624791.webp
 
TheBigIguana said:
The bigger problem is in 15 months here Ancelotti has yet to develop a consistent midfield system that both shields the backline and provides an avenue to score goals. Sure we could sit in 4 CBs and try and hold on for 1-0, 0-0, 1-1 every week, but I don't think trying to move past that was all the way the wrong move. But by not laying the groundwork in the middle we've been unable to do it. DCL has been a blessing and a curse as his super ability to win aerial balls gives us an easy out, but has also let us get complacent and not realize the level of dysfunction in the middle.

I've said this a few times but people have thought greater defensive solidity would have been the move to not lose to Newcastle and Fulham but we created nothing so is playing a 0-0 in both those games really any better? The balance has been completely wrong since that run where we played bad against Saints and United after which Carlo never went back to what had been a working team.
Click to expand...

We have looked more threatening in games with that back 4 as well. We would be 6 up across those 2 games and likely 10 up when you factor in Leicester and United. Would have been ugly, and not massively enjoyable but effective. But maybe Mina goes down earlier if we do that?

As for the 2nd part. Theres lots he hasnt done. He took over a team who were 18th under the previous manager. Weve made massive improvements, to be in a position where we are turning our nose up at 7th, with a game in hand, having played disproportionately harder fixtures, in little over 12 months.

The broad picture is fine and very good. There are some specifics that are not and hopefully we are working on them as we move forward.
 
BlueToff said:
I do tend to think that we'll see us go on another run of 3-4 wins in the league, and that might be enough to secure top 7/8.

But, it could and should have been much better.

With the money spent, and the money Carlo is on, we should be having different ways of creating threats on a consistent basis. We should be able to build spells of pressure in games and move the ball quicker.

I know we need better players, but how many overhauls can the squad go through?
Click to expand...

Have we spent that much money? It's under 80m and we are well off the top 6 spenders since hes arrived.
 

Deco said:
I think we’ve needed revolution every single summer since Moshiri took over, but this next summer is more evolution for me.

A couple of players out, 3/4 players in.

I still think we should be getting minimum top 6 this season especially if we can get any luck and have a fully fit squad for a run of game (or even just one game at least!).

If we get top 6, Europa and make the right moves, I’m convinced we’ll be playing like we were early in the season.

Since the Liverpool game we’ve had at least two of our best players out for every game. Our squad depth doesn’t allow for this and it shows.
Click to expand...

I just don't see us as being the 6th best team in the league - even one capable of getting into it mate.

All it takes is for Kane and Son to carry on scoring and Jose to sort their defence back out, and they'll be rosy enough. Chelsea aren't dropping out, and were always gonna get into it. Arsenal are only a point or two behind us, and have a world class forward who is starting to hit form again. Liverpool, Leicester, City, United - that's already seven.

West Ham are managing to win the types of games that we're losing and that's given them a head start on us too, even if I expect them to drop out.

We simply had to be picking up points in the two home games before tonight.

It's still doable, but a lot of things are going to have to go well. And one of them has to be that we start finding other ways to score goals mate. It doesn't need to be free flowing, but there has to be variety.
 
catcherintherye said:
Have we spent that much money? It's under 80m and we are well off the top 6 spenders since hes arrived.
Click to expand...

I mean over the course of the last few years, yes.

I know the squad inherited has been a bit of a mess but technically they're good players. They should be capable of playing with zip.

For example, that starting xi tonight

Pickford - £25m
Holgate - £1.5m
Mina - £30m
Keane - £25m
Godfrey - £20m
Iwobi - £28m
Doucoure - £20m
Davies - n/a
Digne - £18m
Sigurdsson - £45m
Richarlison - £40m??

That's massive, massive money.
 
catcherintherye said:
Post Martinez I thought we had put this to bed. You can play the best type of football you want. What matters, is how many you score, and how many you keep out. The rest is just guff.
Click to expand...

That's fine, I fully agree.

as i've said in my reply to Deco, I'm not arsed about looking pretty. I'm arsed about us being able to scare teams more consistently than we do. We need to better at keeping the ball, we need to find more variety in our attacking play, and that in turn allows the defence to breathe.

I appreciate the above is extremely difficult against this monstrous City side. However, we attacked the same way today as we have done in all of our league games since early October...
 

We were always going to lose tonight, I can’t really criticise him for that. It’s starting to look very much like a season in keeping with most in our recent history though, and that’s very disappointing.
 
catcherintherye said:
We have looked more threatening in games with that back 4 as well. We would be 6 up across those 2 games and likely 10 up when you factor in Leicester and United. Would have been ugly, and not massively enjoyable but effective. But maybe Mina goes down earlier if we do that?

As for the 2nd part. Theres lots he hasnt done. He took over a team who were 18th under the previous manager. Weve made massive improvements, to be in a position where we are turning our nose up at 7th, with a game in hand, having played disproportionately harder fixtures, in little over 12 months.

The broad picture is fine and very good. There are some specifics that are not and hopefully we are working on them as we move forward.
Click to expand...

Disproportionately harder fixtures? I think our harder fixtures are still ahead, we still have to play Villa twice, City again, Liverpool, Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea. Weve lost 3 games to 2 of the bottom 4 teams!
 
catcherintherye said:
We have looked more threatening in games with that back 4 as well. We would be 6 up across those 2 games and likely 10 up when you factor in Leicester and United. Would have been ugly, and not massively enjoyable but effective. But maybe Mina goes down earlier if we do that?

As for the 2nd part. Theres lots he hasnt done. He took over a team who were 18th under the previous manager. Weve made massive improvements, to be in a position where we are turning our nose up at 7th, with a game in hand, having played disproportionately harder fixtures, in little over 12 months.

The broad picture is fine and very good. There are some specifics that are not and hopefully we are working on them as we move forward.
Click to expand...
We haven't. You'd say we were more threatening today, I disagree. We were able to take a single decent attack.
 
BlueToff said:
I mean over the course of the last few years, yes.

I know the squad inherited has been a bit of a mess but technically they're good players. They should be capable of playing with zip.

For example, that starting xi tonight

Pickford - £25m
Holgate - £1.5m
Mina - £30m
Keane - £25m
Godfrey - £20m
Iwobi - £28m
Doucoure - £20m
Davies - n/a
Digne - £18m
Sigurdsson - £45m
Richarlison - £40m??

That's massive, massive money.
Click to expand...
Compare to city its peanuts...with ffp we will never be able to catch city...
 
BlueToff said:
I mean over the course of the last few years, yes.

I know the squad inherited has been a bit of a mess but technically they're good players. They should be capable of playing with zip.

For example, that starting xi tonight

Pickford - £25m
Holgate - £1.5m
Mina - £30m
Keane - £25m
Godfrey - £20m
Iwobi - £28m
Doucoure - £20m
Davies - n/a
Digne - £18m
Sigurdsson - £45m
Richarlison - £40m??

That's massive, massive money.
Click to expand...

It is big money, but most was spent and wasted before he arrived.

We havent spent loads since hes come. Or he hasnt spent loads.
 

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