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Ronald Koeman discussion

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Eggsyblueskin said:
When you consider at this time in the previous seasons we have been casting nervous glances over our shoulders at the relegation zone, the improvement is vast. As a team we have been transformed from a confused , disorganised rabble when not in possession, to a strong purposeful unit. In attack we spend less time obsessively retaining the ball and are trying to hit the box sooner. Barkleys drift to mediocrity has been halted, and he is rapidly becoming the fulcrum of our team. Young players have been introduced and established in the squad. Poor players assessed and moved out. We are fitter. We have a manager who talks to the fans as if they're adults who understand football. All this and we are still only at the beginning of the rebuild . What's not to like?
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This ^ and a packet of Swizzles
 
Woolly Blue said:
Historically, it's true, we've played better when there's nothing to play for since Moyes was in charge. There are reasons for that though. Mentally the players didn't truly believe in themselves under Moyes, because his mindset was often negative. Martinez was the opposite, but he was so positive about everything that it ended up that he was the only one that believed what he said.

Koeman's squad additions have almost all got a bit more about them mentally than most of the players they're replacing. I think we'll end up with players who'll work hard ( as Moyes' squad did ) but also have more self belief ( as the squad did under Martinez in his first season ). There's also more of the snide, and less of the nice guy in this squad than there has been for a while, which will help.

Last weeks game against Spurs wasn't really important, but yesterday's was. Regardless of your thoughts about the Europa League, the majority of the clubs' management and squad will want to be playing in Europe next season. If we'd lost to our closest rivals for 7th place yesterday, then we'd have been looking carefully over our shoulders, but there was no panic, and no lack of self belief and we comfortably cemented ourselves in 7th.

Plainly to some extent you're playing devil's advocate, which is no bad thing, but it's also quite plain you're a glass half empty kind of bloke. By the way, when you finish that pint, it's your round.
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What is your evidence that Koemans signings have more self belief than the players we had? I couldn't see much evidence of it last week.

We'll see what this team is like in the first half of next season. That'll be the first test and a crucial one in terms of gauging what Koeman has done so far here. We could do without the EL quagmire at that stage, but once the season gets going that'll be the last I want to hear of it as an excuse. You want to qualify for it, you deal with the consequences if there are to be any.
 
Next big test is at the pit. Let's see if Ronald has taken anything away from the Spurs game and how he set us up.
 

jazzy said:
How anyone @davek .... can knock Koeman's achievement so far this season is beyond me.

He took over a shambolic mess from the man who would be Barca's next manager and has turned them back into a proper football team.

We now longer concede ridiculous goals , we can defend set pieces , we have a balance to the team , a good mixture of youth and experience and he is getting the best out of Lukaku and Barklay.

Even better he says that this is just a start and the real work and results come next season.

What's not to like?

A guess some people just like to moan.
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I stopped reading at "Koemans achievements here this season".

Hilarious. 47 points = an achievement.
 
jinkyali said:
You honestly think the players aren't performing under pressure?

So Joel is fighting for the jersey and to retain number one position isn't pressure?
Schneiderlin wanting to impress new team..is that not pressure?
What about Rom? He has a battle to get top scorer in the league. No pressure? You think he won't put pressure on himself to do that?
And Ross? What about him wanting to earn his way back into the England squad ? No pressure again? Really??
How about Jags? Captain trying to force his way back in ?
And the young lads? They under no pressure to perform and cement a first team place in the long term ?

Your talking rubbish as per.
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They are playing with the freedom of ZERO EXPECTATION. Give them a derby and they'll brick it. The only meaningful game left this season. Even the Spurs game was too much for them when the media built it up to being a match up between Spurs and us who have pretensions to be what Spurs are. The manager bottled it, and the players bottled it.
 
MorgsGoat said:
Oh for sure frandel, im not saying its great, but, yes, its a cliche, Stoke away is a tough, tough place, every game away from home is tough in this league.
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The same Stoke who just got a draw and an in form city. Our 'failure' to beat Stoke away isn't what has derailed our champions league aspirations, it's dropping points home and away against the lesser sides that hampered us.
 
davek said:
They are playing with the freedom of ZERO EXPECTATION. Give them a derby and they'll brick it. The only meaningful game left this season. Even the Spurs game was too much for them when the media built it up to being a match up between Spurs and us who have pretensions to be what Spurs are. The manager bottled it, and the okayers bottled it.
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Thats fine.

Part of the cleansing will happen in the summer.

Then we see what a Ronny team looks like.
 

rochdaleblue said:
Look how vulnerable the RS looked in the first half when burnley had a go. We need to get on the offensive and not meekly sit back and defend our area.
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I don't know if that is the best way, tbh.

We need to not concede in the first half hour and let them knacker themselves out.
 
The performance against Spurs was a weird one. Given Spurs have the best home record It wasn't the biggest of shocks.

No doubt we have improved in most areas under Koeman. But I'm still hoping we have one two good away performance at United, them lot or Arsenal.

Hopefully when we feel 7th is definitely nailed on then we can play without any fear against top opposition, even though the mentality shouldn't be so reserved. And the real test is whether Koeman can deal with the pressures when expectations of his team rise. It really is the next barrier that needs to be not only broken but smashed. It needs an emphatic away win. Unfortunately I don't hold much hope for it happening this season. Yesterday's game was much better but I'd say it was more our players simply being better quality than any particular tactical stroke. The difference between being able to sign Morgan Schneiderlin and such or not.

But Koeman will have to break the mould next year and start picking up valuable points against top opposition home and away, something his predecessors failed to do. Maybe it is still the squad limiting him to a more reluctant approach away so far. Arguably our last two games have summed up our whole season.
 

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