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2020/21 Carlo Ancelotti

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I seriously think its our player attitude that makes them sit deep ... how many times we heard carlo saying push up on the speakers ive heard it 4 times this season without the crowd noise
 
I seriously think its our player attitude that makes them sit deep ... how many times we heard carlo saying push up on the speakers ive heard it 4 times this season without the crowd noise
Thing is though, that’s a bit like a boxing trainer shouting ‘hit him back’ when his man’s getting pummelled with body shots and can hardly stand up. It’s one thing wanting it to happen, it’s another thing to create the conditions that make it possible.
 
I'm not saying my way is 'right'. Carlo has forgot more about footy than I'll ever know.

But, what I am seeing with my eyes is backed up by facts. We have created the fourth lowest amount of chances in the league. That has hurt us in games like Newcastle and Fulham, as very recent examples.

A big part of that, imo, is that we are so reliant on one or two ways of attacking - and both of those ways rely on one player (usually Digne or James) to get everything spot on, and then one player (usually Dom) to be on the end of it.

It's not sustainable.

We need goals from elsewhere in the team. We need creativity from elsewhere. We've seen flashes, but not enough of it.

Why does Carlo keep insisting Doucoure plays right side of midfield, where he just ends up playing right back? When he's far better going forward than any of our other midfielders?

Why is his go-to when we're chasing a game to push Gylfi back, when it clearly doesn't work?

I don't see why you find it so baffling that I think our manager who has been here 14 months should have the team playing in a way that we create chances in a variety of ways rather than just crosses into the box? And a big factor in that is set-plays, and we don't win enough of them.
You're spot on. there's very little variation or imagination in our attacking play. It's one dimensional, get the ball to Digne or James and hope dcl gets on the end of one of their crosses, or big yerry or Keane get their heads on a corner. We're not the most difficult team to predict. We sit far too deep for large parts of games which is putting unsustainable pressure on our defenders/midfielders. I think we've been lucky this season and our finishing place in the league will be 9th or 10th.

Even with the very limited attacking options he is working with, and that can't be underestimated, is it too much to ask of a world class, highly paid coach to come up with a more sophisticated and varied attacking plan than what we have seen so far? I hope we stay near the top of the table, but I just see mid-table mediocrity coming our way unless things improve, especially against the so-called weaker teams.
 
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If we don’t get Europe this season, what was the point of breaking Brands’ policy of trying to sign younger players in favour of signing older players for instant improvement?
 
I'm not saying my way is 'right'. Carlo has forgot more about footy than I'll ever know.

But, what I am seeing with my eyes is backed up by facts. We have created the fourth lowest amount of chances in the league. That has hurt us in games like Newcastle and Fulham, as very recent examples.

A big part of that, imo, is that we are so reliant on one or two ways of attacking - and both of those ways rely on one player (usually Digne or James) to get everything spot on, and then one player (usually Dom) to be on the end of it.

It's not sustainable.

We need goals from elsewhere in the team. We need creativity from elsewhere. We've seen flashes, but not enough of it.

Why does Carlo keep insisting Doucoure plays right side of midfield, where he just ends up playing right back? When he's far better going forward than any of our other midfielders?

Why is his go-to when we're chasing a game to push Gylfi back, when it clearly doesn't work?

I don't see why you find it so baffling that I think our manager who has been here 14 months should have the team playing in a way that we create chances in a variety of ways rather than just crosses into the box? And a big factor in that is set-plays, and we don't win enough of them.
It's not that baffling when you see how crap/ raw our defence is. Hence attacking play being sacrificed hence Doucs playing the way you mentioned etc. We need better players. Carlo isn't the issue. He might get it wrong some matches but ultimately he's not the issue. We'll get there. A good window this summer and we'll breeze top 6
 
Have a read back on loads of your posts, many of them read exactly like that. It’s not saying I think maybe he’s got it wrong there and it might’ve been better doing this or that....it is literally stuff like he got that totally wrong and he SHOULD be doing this. Reads to me like what I said. Lots of I’m right, Carlos wrong posts about

and the rest of the post doesn’t answer my question toff. Your main quibbles with him, why do you think he is doing what he is doing and do you think he will be doing it next season?

I don't know why he's doing what he's doing. I don't see what he sees in pushing Gyfli back. I don't see what he sees in restricting Doucoure by having him cover right-back. I don't see why we are so reliant on one outlet. I don't know why he thought it was sensible to have Gomes, James and Sigurdsson all in the same midfield against Fulham, and then he said afterwards that were outmatched physically.

it's not just about players, it can't be, because he's a manager that tends to try to play to what he's got - which is what has got us this far.

I don't know if he'll be doing it next season. I hope not. But he shouldn't be doing it right now, either. We should not look so blunt, whether it's against City, Fulham or Newcastle. We should not, with the quality of players we have from a technical viewpoint, look so clueless and attack in such little numbers most of the time (the one time we did today, we scored - and I appreciate that is hard to do against City).

I feel I can fairly say all that, because he's 14 months into the job. I can also fairly say that he's done wonders with a lot of players - DCL especially.

I don't want him gone, but given we know how good he is, his decisions lately have been a bit bizarre.
 
It's not that baffling when you see how crap/ raw our defence is. Hence attacking play being sacrificed hence Doucs playing the way you mentioned etc. We need better players. Carlo isn't the issue. He might get it wrong some matches but ultimately he's not the issue. We'll get there. A good window this summer and we'll breeze top 6
Other teams will buy good players.

They might even try and buy some of ours.
 

Not so sure.

He's showing loyalty to all the players thats his style.
I'm convinced he will have his own keeper next season.
Same with Siggy , he was willing to let him go to Saudi in the summer.
Needs must atm , another window as these will be gone or at best on the bench.

Don’t think this was the case, in fact I’m certain it was Ancelotti that stopped that transfer from happening.

I like your optimism, but Pickford and Sigurdsson will both still be here starting most games next season unfortunately mert.
 
We need to be really busy in the summer
Midfield with pace and aggression is needed.
Also 2 quick centre backs. We will be able to push further up the pitch if we are quick at the back. Keane and Mina are not good enough.
The difference this would make would be big as we would be able to contest the game in the opposition’s half rather than our own box.
Also another keeper
 
Thing is though, that’s a bit like a boxing trainer shouting ‘hit him back’ when his man’s getting pummelled with body shots and can hardly stand up. It’s one thing wanting it to happen, it’s another thing to create the conditions that make it possible.

Half agree. There's been plenty of times in games that Carlo has wanted the team to do something and they've either not done it or aren't capable.

But... they do train nearly every day...

I don't have an issue with us defending in a low block - we're better at it than we are not. But, we have to strike that balance of being able to attack too. That has to be worked on. We can't keep being reliant on the same thing over and over again, because teams figure it out.

Also, I don't get why we all just accept that it takes time and transfer windows for a manager to get across ways of playing.

Bielsa took a pre-season. Rodgers took half a season. Klopp took half a season.

Yes, better players help and yes, I can't wait until Carlo gets another £60m to spend. But... it doesn't mean we can't expect a bit better than what we're getting. Just actually trying to play through teams would be a start.
 
There has been one game out of fifty one that ancelotti hasn’t got sigurdsson on the pitch in. He has made him captain, started him, brought him on when we’re ahead, behind, and level, and shoehorned him in in positions he clearly can’t play. The idea that he doesn’t rate him and just has his hands tied is honestly one of the weirdest arguments I’ve seen on here. He clearly really rates him, the evidence is pretty indisputable I’d have thought.
 

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