Sorry, maybe it is just me, but I don't like the strategy of having to play ETH brand of football from the get go, without any room or time for a transition period.
I am not trying to be apologetic to the players, but they are what they are, and a good coach should be able to mould it into some form of a structure to get to a result.
Having to get them into a rigid system from the start is just plain wrong strategy, and we have seen this mistake plenty of times at this club already.
Even if we have the perfect transfer market (which we are not) and end up signing 5-6 Ten Haag type players, that is not the entire team, and the new signings surely would have to take time to adapt to the new club.
I think ETH is being too naive of expecting our current players to adapt at his system, especially as the same group of players were tried on a simalar style pressing systems last year and failed each time.
I dont buy that pressing style football is the only successul style now, either i.e. Real Madrid is not a pressing team and won CHL 5 times last 10 years with 2 different managers.
ETH should adapt and should play the strengths of this team at least until we find some balance and form, or he will not last long.
Some really obvious tips:
- De Gea is NOT a ball playing gk. Avoid getting him to play with his feet.
- We have an obvious larger number of defenders on the team compared to other departments. Playing 3 at the back is not a bad idea.
- Our full backs are not the most creative bunch. They should be used to create space, and not run plays.
- Fred is not a deep lying playmaker or any kind of playmaker, stop playing him as one
- This is a physical league, and physicality usually win more games in here than technicality. Physicality is also a good counter act against more technical teams than ours.
- Majority of our defensive players are not press resistant, minimize the times of them have the ball in dangerous positions close to our goal.