I'm talking about set pieces, not total football or something new and innovative. We have to get better because no team can ever be successful in England and be so vulnerable.
This is nothing to do with top managers. This is basics of football.
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This is nothing to do with top managers. This is basics of football.
Saint Domingo
Player Valuation: £90m
One other reason could be that last season we had a set piece defence consisting of:
Holgate Keane Mina Godfrey Docuoure Siggurdson DCL Richarlison
How many of these tall players do w shave in the area at any one time now? We now tend to have the two CBs, Doucoure (if he’s playing) and Rondon (who is not as good in the air as DCL or Richarlison)
So it’s a drop from 8 tall players good in the air being in the penalty area on a set piece, to 4 players (when Doucoure has been fit). That’s a significant drop off.
Now of course we could say that Benitez should play the same ‘wall’ formation that Ancelotti did but given this forum’s love for Digne’s attacking liberties I doubt that anyone wants to see that utilised again.
The answer is to change the players. They were awful under Koeman Silva Allardyce at defending as well. In fact the only time they’ve looked solid is when Ancelotti went to 4 centrebacks and our open play football went into the gutter with it. That’s not a long term sustainable solution. Buying in defenders who can follow tactical instructions and concentrate is. Firing managers doesn’t bring us any nearer that happening though.
Runub
Player Valuation: £60m
Posted earlier. 192 now. The worm is turningThe in vote was 195 before the game, now 194. Someone has seen the light
gaino92
Power level over 9000
So what's the difference in keeping this manager who is failing as badly as the 2 you have mentioned who are his level than sacking those 2 who didn't have anywhere near the animosity between themselves and the fans?
He needs to go otherwise we are going down
He ain't going anywhere unless we lose the next like 2-3 in a row in the league so I'll just sit and wait for a fresh start.
BirkenheadBlue
Player Valuation: £70m
I’d love to see the names on that poll.Posted earlier. 192 now. The worm is turning
Saint Domingo
Player Valuation: £90m
Ancelotti was one of the greatest managers in the history of the game. I don’t think you’ll find anyone saying Benitez is as good as him.
Egil Olsen
Player Valuation: £8m
I saw a stats where we were the team with the most personal error that led to the goal. Now this is a relatively low sample. On the other hand, as Cruyff said, it is not the big mistakes that are decisive (big mistakes rarely happen), but usually the small ones. Especially on set pieces, our players make small mistakes all the time, but also in other situations. Much of this is about intelligence and concentration. This takes a long time to change, and for some it is an impossible project (eg Holgate).
But I also agree with others who criticize certain phases of our game. I was pretty sure we were not going to be a team with high ball possession, so it does not really bother me very much, but it is generally too low. Especially against teams that we should be better than. What is most disappointing, however, is the intensity of the defensive game, and the transition phases both defensively and offensively. I thought we should have been longer in the development there, after all a promising start.
But I also agree with others who criticize certain phases of our game. I was pretty sure we were not going to be a team with high ball possession, so it does not really bother me very much, but it is generally too low. Especially against teams that we should be better than. What is most disappointing, however, is the intensity of the defensive game, and the transition phases both defensively and offensively. I thought we should have been longer in the development there, after all a promising start.
Runub
Player Valuation: £60m
I think you can guess some of them
BirkenheadBlue
Player Valuation: £70m
Well Dave said he lost faith in Ancelotti when he had us in 5th or 6th, soooooo…..
But even putting that aside, he’s not as good as Koeman or Silva either, by those numbers.
Colonel Getafe
Player Valuation: £25m
I fear it's worse than that. Benny Ballbag is 100% safe until we're right in the bottom 3. If Moshiri is happy to keep him when we're 15th, I can't see 16th or 17th being the deal-breaker.
Hope he gets it right in the end, as I'm afraid the current regime will just stand by and watch him taking us down.
ForeverBlue92
Player Valuation: £80m
And both of those managers had some very good players.
Koeman had Lukaku & Gana the season he finished 7th
Silva had Gana, Zouma and at the time quite a few of the top sides were underperforming I think Burnley finished 7th and Leicester had Puel as manager and finished 9th or something.
This squads an embarassment truth be told - not one player we have is on the level of a Lukaku or Gana - I would even take a young Barkley and Deulofeu over most our attacking players / midfielders.
I see he lost another 3 after that performance.
kenada_blue
Welcome to Barcelonaton FC
Not at all. That tells you the maximum the squad has got in it, what it can do when well managed. Then you add, amend, and improve.
That's all Benitez had to do and I'm sure was brought in to do. Instead he's took a chainsaw to it.
If the idea was to rebuild from top to bottom - we've picked the wrong man.
Look at Spurs. Got rid of Poch after a champions league final loss after he made them a top 4 team. Brought in Jose to try and solidify a hold of being a top side by winning a trophy. He got sacked for finishing 6th and 7th playing shocking football.
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