mkrudden
Player Valuation: £40m
Bolasie - our best attacker. The stats back that up. The only attacker we have who presses and suits how Koeman wanted to play. Now out for a year.
Sissoko - would have added pace, power and height to a midfield that sorely lack it, as proved by one injury to McCarthy last night that scuppered our entire game plan.
What about the guy who signed Gueye, and at S'ton signed Van Dijk, Tadic, Austin, Pelle, Mane etc.
Talking tosh mate.
All about opinions but I still can't understand your thinking that working hard is an effective gameplan.
Look at those bells from across the park, City, Chelsea, - they work hard off the ball but when they get it they play.
I don't think anyone is expecting us to be as good on the ball as the above mentioned but the long diagonal isn't a game plan. You say in the first half we didn't play long ball yet the times we didnt was when Coleman marauded down the right which got us a couple of corners.
I watched it with some lids last night who were just baffled at the end, "(we) can see what you're doing off the ball, and it's great, but what exactly is your plan on it? Get it to a full back or go long?".
This is Koeman's fault because, despite all of Martinez's misgivings, we could knock some passes together last season. We needed a playmaker, granted, but we've needed one for 3 years. Surely when you've got an open cheque-book, 2 months in pre-season is enough to identify that we don't have anyone that can confidently get in the final third and bring a bit of subtlety.
Worryingly though, being direct IS his game plan. It has to be. He's been here nearly half a season and our shape on the ball, the way we use it, is sub-standard and it's completely, 100% the manager's fault.
He needs more time, absolutely, but the fear is growing that he is going to spend a truck load of money and spend 3 years here and we will still be watching this turd. That's because he is yet to give us any indication that he is creating something piece by piece.