Hoof the ball
Full Member
There's reasons to be positive, even amidst all the depressing drama of City/Liverpool challenging for the title, Spurs/Liverpool fighting for the UCL, Arsenal/Chelsea duking it out for the EL, and even with the knowledge that we're not in the Champions League next year.
1. Having managed for half a season already, Ole doesn't require time wasted in the new season to give this current squad a chance to impress. Moyes, LvG and Mourinho all required using the beginning of their respective debut seasons as a trial period of players inherited from the previous regime. Ole has the benefit from knowing already who is, and who isn't cut out for us next season, which means we at least have a greater chance at starting the season with clarity and focus.
2. Ole has an idea of how he wants his football to be played. He'll have a nice long pre-season in which to work on fitness and tactical improvements. Since he's had 1/2 a season already with this squad, he knows who will be able to work within his system moving into the new season. He'll have space and time at last to get his ideas across and work on implementing them with both the players he believes in at the club, as well as those he brings in to supplement the squad further. Coaching ideas aren't easy to get across in mid-season, since the players carry habits and instincts from the previous manager. A long pre-season will drill Ole's mentality in the squad with more success.
3. Tactically, Ole and co. will have the time to work on multiple formations and systems for next season so that we can more fluidly switch between them next season depending on the opposition and demands of any given game. Players should have a better idea of what is expected of them in different phases of the play, and will be in a better mindset to learn them without the added pressure of being in the middle of a top four chase.
4. Recruitment. Now, I know that there's scepticism because we have such an erratic transfer record post-Sir Alex, and rightly so the scepticism exists, however, every successive manager isn't indelibly linked to the previous manager and so the merits of Ole's recruitment choices deserve to be judged on the basis of what he decides, and not on what the previous management decided. More than any previous manager of the last few years, I'm convinced that Ole understands the areas that we are weak in; he's even made mention in public the issue of work rate of this squad in comparison to others, so, it gives me confidence knowing he's admitting something that previous manager's didn't (at least in public).
1. Having managed for half a season already, Ole doesn't require time wasted in the new season to give this current squad a chance to impress. Moyes, LvG and Mourinho all required using the beginning of their respective debut seasons as a trial period of players inherited from the previous regime. Ole has the benefit from knowing already who is, and who isn't cut out for us next season, which means we at least have a greater chance at starting the season with clarity and focus.
2. Ole has an idea of how he wants his football to be played. He'll have a nice long pre-season in which to work on fitness and tactical improvements. Since he's had 1/2 a season already with this squad, he knows who will be able to work within his system moving into the new season. He'll have space and time at last to get his ideas across and work on implementing them with both the players he believes in at the club, as well as those he brings in to supplement the squad further. Coaching ideas aren't easy to get across in mid-season, since the players carry habits and instincts from the previous manager. A long pre-season will drill Ole's mentality in the squad with more success.
3. Tactically, Ole and co. will have the time to work on multiple formations and systems for next season so that we can more fluidly switch between them next season depending on the opposition and demands of any given game. Players should have a better idea of what is expected of them in different phases of the play, and will be in a better mindset to learn them without the added pressure of being in the middle of a top four chase.
4. Recruitment. Now, I know that there's scepticism because we have such an erratic transfer record post-Sir Alex, and rightly so the scepticism exists, however, every successive manager isn't indelibly linked to the previous manager and so the merits of Ole's recruitment choices deserve to be judged on the basis of what he decides, and not on what the previous management decided. More than any previous manager of the last few years, I'm convinced that Ole understands the areas that we are weak in; he's even made mention in public the issue of work rate of this squad in comparison to others, so, it gives me confidence knowing he's admitting something that previous manager's didn't (at least in public).