Removed our width to play long ball, weird decision all in all but we move on.
Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24
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He mentioned it in the post match that it's not the potential opposition that worries him but more the fact of another two games in a crazy year/season.
The depth in the attacking options is what really concerns me because this could be a really good season for us I feel.
The depth in the attacking options is what really concerns me because this could be a really good season for us I feel.
He tried something different it didn't work no big deal another clean sheet though.
He tried some things, didn’t workout, we still won on the night. It wasn’t as if we were excellent before his changes.
Give the man a break, even good managers get it wrong some times.
Give the man a break, even good managers get it wrong some times.
Then why not accept second place and play the squad players for the last 5 of our EL games? Surely chasing first place put more pressure on congestion and first team players than two other games in February?
Not really. The World Cup divides the season in two. Well worth doing everything possible now to avoid two extra fixtures in February.
I dunno. It seems the first half of the season has the congested fixtures since these games are guaranteed. The second half of the season could be congested or we could get tough draws and end up with 2 games in a month.
I also think one game a week right now for the first team would be a huge advantage going into league games. That’s three games in a row now where we have badly tailed off in the second half. If we don’t score In the first 50/60 minutes v Villa we’ll be in trouble
What worries me on this, is changing formation, thats fine, but in injury time taking a short corner when all the big lads are in the box, was it preplanned to change the Sociedad shape before a cross, was it on players who thought it would work as we didnt win to many headers from set pieces, im hoping its on the players and not a move that they worked on in training but didnt work
People complaining about ETH, we had a past it 37 year old, an 18 year old and a creative midfielder as our front 3 because we had no other options. What did you expect ? We still won the game which is a big positive for me.
The subs were weird and didn't work but whatever, it happens. Doesn't help that 2 of our starting front 3 weren't available and the first sub for the front 3 was also out. I think he's bought plenty of leeway obviously and hopefully the Glazers took the hint of Maguire up top at the end.
Yes especially with leeds and palace game having to be rescheduled this will eventually become nasty. We must buy a striker this January or else we are doomed.
Well, it’s a difficult choice, isn’t it? One could rotate more now, only to find out that the powers are more needed in february. One could rotate little now, with the benefit of getting a well drilled first eleven, and with one goal more we’d go into a wc break (for a few) with a chance to drill many of the second best during wc, and be very nicely set for the second part of the season. One goal away isn’t much. I’d say it’s not even a gamble, it’s more like a 50/50 choice.
Bringing Maguire on up front was surely a nudge to the board that we need a new striker in January.
Perspective please people, perspective.
We won the game against tricky Spanish opponents away from home, threw the dice and they didn't land our way. Nevermind. We're still through and performing well generally. Solid defense and mid, attacking needs improving but we can't do that right here, right now.
Take it and roll on.
We won the game against tricky Spanish opponents away from home, threw the dice and they didn't land our way. Nevermind. We're still through and performing well generally. Solid defense and mid, attacking needs improving but we can't do that right here, right now.
Take it and roll on.
Let's all sweep that perfomace under the carpet like it didn't happen.
God we need Antony, Sancho and Martial back for the Villa game.
God we need Antony, Sancho and Martial back for the Villa game.
Maguire up front was a not so subtle message to Murtough and Arnold if you see as anything else I can't help you
Don’t think it was that strange to be honest. If we had better depth those tactics might have paid off, the players coming on, and some starting were shite. I also remember Smalling playing up front for us a few times under Fergie
Could have been worse.
I think Erik had a Pep moment in the second half and was ultimately thwarted by his inner smartarse. Batshit formation and tactics.
I was very disappointed with finishing outside the top 4 last season. Since then we’ve bought player for 220 millions. I will be very disappointed if don’t finish top 4 this season.
It’s a perfect demonstration of what not to do. The complete lack of technique Is impressive in its own wayCould have been worse.
Could have been worse.
Definitely up there with Phil Jones taking corners that.We did have options. There were other wide players on the bench. Before you respond with them not being good enough remember that we played a player not good enough in Bruno’s position which just meant one player not good enough and another out of position. He had the option not to bring McTominay on again when it’s made us worse almost every other time we’ve done it.
It may still have finished 1-0 and ultimately not putting enough past the Cypriots is what has cost us but he did have options.
Can’t see it. You can’t take anybody off to put an Elanga on. If that’s the case then everybody is an option and the point is moot anyway. Nobody was winning the few balls we did put in or even hold the ball up, you can see the argument why Harry and Scott had to come on. If anything we improved in an attacking sense with those subs, at least we were putting them under pressure.
Pellistri and Elanga ? Did you not watch the game ? We were having no luck on the wings the whole game, you really think they would have changed that ? Elanga is the same player that everyone wants dropped for Garnacho (Who was on the pitch) and Pellistri hasn't started for us in a competitive game in his career. Ironically putting Maguire up top was probably the only way we would score, for 10 mins we actually had a player in attack that we could target to win headers and hold up the ball.
Do I think ETH wanted to put Maguire up top ? No. Did he think it was the best way to break Sociedad down considering his options ? Probably. I'm sure if he had Antony, Sancho and Martial on the bench then his subs would have been different.
Don’t even know what the feck that formation was in the second half but we completely gave the advantage to RS.
If we’ve worked on that in training then work more because it was awful.
Must must must get a proper centre forward ( who can stay fit for longer than 5 minutes) in January
If we’ve worked on that in training then work more because it was awful.
Must must must get a proper centre forward ( who can stay fit for longer than 5 minutes) in January
I think playing a wide player out wide and leaving Bruno in his best position is a better option. Van de Beek contributed less than feck all so even if Elanga or Pellistri did likewise you at least don’t have Bruno out of position.Pellistri and Elanga ? Did you not watch the game ? We were having no luck on the wings the whole game, you really think they would have changed that ? Elanga is the same player that everyone wants dropped for Garnacho (Who was on the pitch) and Pellistri hasn't started for us in a competitive game in his career. Ironically putting Maguire up top was probably the only way we would score, for 10 mins we actually had a player in attack that we could target to win headers and hold up the ball.
Do I think ETH wanted to put Maguire up top ? No. Did he think it was the best way to break Sociedad down considering his options ? Probably. I'm sure if he had Antony, Sancho and Martial on the bench then his subs would have been different.
You can bring a wide player on for the ineffective Van de Beek and have Bruno in his position. That’s a net benefit regardless of how poor Elanga may be.
We won.
Yeah, Rashford as a 10 was a bad choice.
His subs are clearly dictated by the options available to him. Based on what he has had, I can see why he makes some of the changes he does. (Though was surprised Maguire went up top - but also can see that we probably want to hit the long ball and fight for second balls to create chances like a prime Allardyce team)
He tried it and it didnt work.
I reckon if he had put Elanga on and it didnt work, people would be saying ETH didnt try anything different and just went with the same tried and tested (to failure)
But what it does show, is the big lack of options we have especially up front. Anthony and Martial being out sucks.
Not sure whats happening with Sancho. And im sure if Rashford wasnt hurting he would started.
Theres no way ETH would have wanted Ronaldo playing 90 minutes today, as well as last weekend. And he might have to again this weekend against Villa.
Right now its needs must to get through.
He tried it and it didnt work.
I reckon if he had put Elanga on and it didnt work, people would be saying ETH didnt try anything different and just went with the same tried and tested (to failure)
But what it does show, is the big lack of options we have especially up front. Anthony and Martial being out sucks.
Not sure whats happening with Sancho. And im sure if Rashford wasnt hurting he would started.
Theres no way ETH would have wanted Ronaldo playing 90 minutes today, as well as last weekend. And he might have to again this weekend against Villa.
Right now its needs must to get through.
Been here nearly 5-months and yet to win a trophy. ETH out
Seems like he did a pep guardiola trick tonight and change tactics when there was no need to. We’d of smashed them if we stuck with what we have been doing the past few weeks. But on a positive note, we got a clean sheet and a win when we played bad so that’s a sign of champions. Can’t really fault Ten Hag, like Casemiro said he’s obsessed with winning and doesn’t care how. We move on… our next opponent might not be to bad either, it’s the fact we’ll have 2 extra games which could catch up to us in the league.
Dont really like this experimenting with Bruno as a RW.. leaves too many holes behind and not enough width. Him and donny also got their lines crossed several times, unsure what the tactical instructions were but just seemed weird.
My worry at the moment is our attack is performing pretty much at the floor of what you would expect from it. Is it just a dry spell, which we can count on improving with little concern, not helped by a tougher run of fixtures? Or will we continue to underwhelm on a kinder run?
I keep bringing it up, but our attack keeps underdelivering. We didn’t create enough against any of Newcastle, Chelsea, West Ham and Sociedad to expect to score multiple goals, even a single goal couldn’t be expected in three of these. It’s only against Spurs we have clicked in recent weeks, as Sheriff and Omonia aren’t worth bothering about.
18 goals (17.6 xG) from our 14 non-Omonia and Sheriff games so far is very low for these players and this manager that showed his credentials at Ajax. It’s really no better (to be precise, it is a little worse) than our final run of games under Rangnick.
I keep bringing it up, but our attack keeps underdelivering. We didn’t create enough against any of Newcastle, Chelsea, West Ham and Sociedad to expect to score multiple goals, even a single goal couldn’t be expected in three of these. It’s only against Spurs we have clicked in recent weeks, as Sheriff and Omonia aren’t worth bothering about.
18 goals (17.6 xG) from our 14 non-Omonia and Sheriff games so far is very low for these players and this manager that showed his credentials at Ajax. It’s really no better (to be precise, it is a little worse) than our final run of games under Rangnick.
Seemed like the tactics were dictated more by the players available than the manager trying to be clever.
This is because instead of a proper 9 we've had either Rashford, who is a LW doing a job at CF and the shambling corpse of Ronaldo, who is struggling to produce with that large fork stuck firmly in his lower back.
If Martial can stay fit for for 3 matches I think we'll see some more goals.
Yep
I'm just glad we actually have a manager with some sort of tactical clout to be able to try such a thing.
It worries me how much people are downplaying our current squad. There are teams all over Europe with worse options and bigger holes up front who are either scoring more goals, creating more chances, or doing both.
The lack of an elite centre forward doesn’t explain our lack of width and ability to reach the byline and cut balls back. I think we could add a top forward to this team and then we would lament our failure to service them. We were literally in that position last season when Ronaldo looked a lot more competent. I agree he has regressed heavily since then though.
Try lack of a striker. We're not talking lack of an elite centre forward. We just don't have a striker. Almost all season.
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