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...I agree with @GwladysBlue when he says you don’t need great players to ensure your team is hard to breakdown. There are plenty of managers with inferior players who set their teams up to be hard to beat. It’s not only about the goalkeeper and back four, it’s about what the whole team does when the opposition has possession.
Saying that, we haven’t had pace, power or aggression in central defence since Zouma left and only Godfrey can fill that void. Injuries to Coleman & Digne haven’t helped but if Ancelotti was happy to go into the season with Kenny & Nkounkou as back-up then he should back his judgment and play them.
Saying that, we haven’t had pace, power or aggression in central defence since Zouma left and only Godfrey can fill that void. Injuries to Coleman & Digne haven’t helped but if Ancelotti was happy to go into the season with Kenny & Nkounkou as back-up then he should back his judgment and play them.
toffee-L
Player Valuation: £20m
Whilst I was happy/content with the signings of both Allan and Doucoure in the summer, looking back I don't think that they added the best balance to our midfield, which probably still needs another new player but that's another point.
Allan played his best football for Napoli as a box to box midfield runner, he was very comfortable playing intricate triangles on the edge of the opposition box with the extremely intelligent flair players he was surrounded by. I find it curious that we've bought him to play a midfield anchoring role. Whilst his tackling and pressing is top class, his positioning to block off the angles for forward passes and his ability to screen the back 4 is not his strongest quality.
Added to that is Doucoure who has always been seen as someone who contributed far better work going forward than he does the other way. Despite looking like he should possess every attribute needed for defending, he's quite lethargic when the other team have the ball.
Then when you add in either Sigurdsson or Gomes as the third man, both of whom are little more than statues when we aren't in possession means we have a very poor blend when it comes to the defensive side of the game. I know this thread has raised questions of the defence, and there are problems there no question, but I would say how easy we are to play through is the biggest weakness we have at the moment and that stems from the midfield.
Allan played his best football for Napoli as a box to box midfield runner, he was very comfortable playing intricate triangles on the edge of the opposition box with the extremely intelligent flair players he was surrounded by. I find it curious that we've bought him to play a midfield anchoring role. Whilst his tackling and pressing is top class, his positioning to block off the angles for forward passes and his ability to screen the back 4 is not his strongest quality.
Added to that is Doucoure who has always been seen as someone who contributed far better work going forward than he does the other way. Despite looking like he should possess every attribute needed for defending, he's quite lethargic when the other team have the ball.
Then when you add in either Sigurdsson or Gomes as the third man, both of whom are little more than statues when we aren't in possession means we have a very poor blend when it comes to the defensive side of the game. I know this thread has raised questions of the defence, and there are problems there no question, but I would say how easy we are to play through is the biggest weakness we have at the moment and that stems from the midfield.
MikeH72
Player Valuation: £100m
I honestly think we would’ve bought a new keeper if Southgate wasn’t a wet lettuce and had just dropped him a year ago. Honestly believe we feel obliged to play him because he’s England’s number 1, for some inexplicable reason.
The obsession we have with signing midfielders who don't score goals and can't protect the defence is definitely a major issue.
Gomes offers zero threat. Allan offers zero threat. Doucoure offers only a slight threat. Delph offers zero threat. Davies offers only very minimal threat. Sigurdsson hasn't looked like scoring for about 18 months and offers virtually no threat anymore.
Gomes offers zero threat. Allan offers zero threat. Doucoure offers only a slight threat. Delph offers zero threat. Davies offers only very minimal threat. Sigurdsson hasn't looked like scoring for about 18 months and offers virtually no threat anymore.
brigadier
Player Valuation: £10m
Back line has no confidence in the keeper so drops back a couple of yards, we invite pressure centrally because we dont want pickford defending crosses or balls over the top because his decision making is the worst in the league.
Great shot stopper but I would have a lesser keeper who can control his area.
Great shot stopper but I would have a lesser keeper who can control his area.
Tipp blue
If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
Is it really 7 from outside the box... that needs looking at if true.. how many took a deflection a deflection negates blame from the keeper.. how many were struck so we'll that no keeper would have had a chance. Still 7 form distance in 10 games is not good enough and would end up at 25ish through the full season if it continues.
Tipp blue
If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
True.. in reality we have DCL Richarlson James who are capable of slotting more than 5 or 6.
It's a massive worry.
The team is not settled. Mina looks as dodgy as he ever has.
I want to see Holgate and Keane and a back 4 for a few matches. This 3 at the back needs to go in the bin. One half-decent performance at Fulham isn't enough to convince me that it is a tactic worth sticking with.
Having the central midfielders constantly pulling out wide when the wingbacks are caught up field has left massive holes in the midfield that teams just walk through before placing a shot calmly past Pickford from 30-40 yards out.
The team is not settled. Mina looks as dodgy as he ever has.
I want to see Holgate and Keane and a back 4 for a few matches. This 3 at the back needs to go in the bin. One half-decent performance at Fulham isn't enough to convince me that it is a tactic worth sticking with.
Having the central midfielders constantly pulling out wide when the wingbacks are caught up field has left massive holes in the midfield that teams just walk through before placing a shot calmly past Pickford from 30-40 yards out.
luuk_deventer
Player Valuation: £8m
Two vs West Brom
Snodgrass vs West Ham
Bissouma vs Brighton
Raphinha vs Leeds
Fernandes vs United
Brady vs Burnley
Those are the seven from outside the box this season. Though I do not think it would be fair to blame Pickford for all of them.
ElGato
Player Valuation: £10m
Conceding so many from outside of the box could say a number of things. I do think we are instructed as a unit to defend the edge of the 6 yard box. We tend to drop off which invites the shot. Most of these have been decent efforts, so maybe a touch of bad luck.
But I can't help but think that a goalkeeper with longer arms probably gets to half of these?
Little dinosaur
Just in our last two games we’ve conceded goals that have been little more than hit and hopes. Both of them good strikes, don’t get me wrong.
I can’t be arsed checking the stats out for us vs other teams, but to me it feels we concede a lot of goals from outside the area.
Whether this is the defenders not closing enough, bad positioning, goalkeeper error, or a mixture of the 3 is another debate.
this isn’t our only problem, just something I’ve noticed from the recent games alone.
I can’t be arsed checking the stats out for us vs other teams, but to me it feels we concede a lot of goals from outside the area.
Whether this is the defenders not closing enough, bad positioning, goalkeeper error, or a mixture of the 3 is another debate.
this isn’t our only problem, just something I’ve noticed from the recent games alone.
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