This is so weird and even pointless IMHO. It never stopped Rio nor Vidic, when they switched sides, to still play at a great level. It may be actually one of the dumbest preference a coach could have.
"I want to play always with a left-footed centre-back"
- Thread starter Pogue Mahone
- Start date
I don't believe him.
You don't sign Smalling and Jones on to long contracts, target Ramos or Otamendi and then only play one of them.
I think when he says "left footed" it's poor English on his part for saying "capable with their left foot".
You don't sign Smalling and Jones on to long contracts, target Ramos or Otamendi and then only play one of them.
I think when he says "left footed" it's poor English on his part for saying "capable with their left foot".
Nope. He does actually "prefer" a left footer on the left. But the key word is "prefer" and not he always will. I don't get the uproar here either, it's something he has said plenty of times in the past but it didn't stop him from playing Smalling and Jones even when Rojo was available last season.
Well exactly. Worrying to hear him come out and be so dogmatic about it.
I still think if we signed Ramos it'd be to partner Rojo primarily. Both are comfortable moving towards the full back, and in the system we play the #6 has to be comfortable dropping in to collect the ball and functioning as the third CB if needs be.
Would not be surprised at all if Caf favourite Smalling struggles to have as good a season as he did the last few months of last season. LvG prefers technique over athleticism. That was made even more obvious when the likes of Herrera had to play as a #6 instead of the likes of Fellaini or Jones who had actually played that position before.
In possession of the ball for example, I believe LvG would like the side like this
Would not be surprised at all if Caf favourite Smalling struggles to have as good a season as he did the last few months of last season. LvG prefers technique over athleticism. That was made even more obvious when the likes of Herrera had to play as a #6 instead of the likes of Fellaini or Jones who had actually played that position before.
In possession of the ball for example, I believe LvG would like the side like this
De Gea
Smalling - Rojo
Darmian - Carrick - Shaw
Bastian - Morgan
Di Maria ---------------- Memphis
Rooney
Smalling - Rojo
Darmian - Carrick - Shaw
Bastian - Morgan
Di Maria ---------------- Memphis
Rooney
Dogmatic is the word. Which reinforces the point I was making in the other thread. The guy is all about his rules.
Aymeric Laporte is the best cb option that's realistically available. Personally, I think it's a stupid policy to take though.
Romagnoli or Laporte would be decent :-)
I still think you're looking too far into it. He doesn't want his centre backs to panic and hoof it or panic and feck up. It's definitely easier to avoid doing those things if you can push it wide onto your stronger foot and then look for a pass to that flank than to try and use your weaker foot and do the same or play it in field on your strong foot and play across the field.
It's all well and good citing other centre back partnerships that got along fine with two right foots but they weren't being asked to hold possession at all costs like Van Gaal asks.
He has his reasons to ask that too, it's not out of bull headed stubbornness and pedantry, it's because he drills the rest of the team to shape up to attack when the defenders have the ball and if they give up possession easily we will constantly get caught out of shape and position.
Methods to the madness.
I really don't think he requires a "left footed defender" though for reasons I stated above. He just wants one that is confident and fully competent with their left.
It's all well and good citing other centre back partnerships that got along fine with two right foots but they weren't being asked to hold possession at all costs like Van Gaal asks.
He has his reasons to ask that too, it's not out of bull headed stubbornness and pedantry, it's because he drills the rest of the team to shape up to attack when the defenders have the ball and if they give up possession easily we will constantly get caught out of shape and position.
Methods to the madness.
I really don't think he requires a "left footed defender" though for reasons I stated above. He just wants one that is confident and fully competent with their left.
Its to aid the passing from the back. It enables centerbacks to exchange passes without any of them having to control the ball with their weaker foot. This is something that helps juventus when passing from the back even though Chielini is pretty poor and clumsy on the ball, he never has to control many balls with his weaker foot.
I suppose that when you get the ball out and you are a left CB, it's easier when you're a left footed. Your most natural pass is the one with the push pass. In case you need to do a long pass and kick the ball, since you're on the left side, the ball curves naturally and can still be an attacking option for the midfield or the forwards...
Called it.
There's a part of me that still thinks he got massively lucky, that injuries forced his hand during our top 4 securing run. Injury to Van Persie allowed Herrera in, Di Maria's suspension let Mata in the team and Rojo's injury let us play our best CB pairing.
It's almost always one step forward two steps back. It's so irksome.
It might not be set in stone but I think it colors his game decisions too much and has cost us points. The prime example of this is the playing time Blackett got when there were at least 2 or 3 other and better options than playing him. In the Arsenal home game, we could've played Blind, Jones, or Young at LB but Blackett came on and had to contend with Walcott, who made him look foolish. In the Chelsea match, he came on for Shaw and DiMaria had no support on the left side.
His philosophy makes me feel like that I don't know anything about football.
Smalling has to start for me regardless of who we sign. He's comfortably our best centre back.
The blind thing will fail pretty quickly if he tries it in the league, particularly away from home. It could have worked if a) we were as good on the ball as Barcelona and b) blind was as good defensively as mascherano.
The blind thing will fail pretty quickly if he tries it in the league, particularly away from home. It could have worked if a) we were as good on the ball as Barcelona and b) blind was as good defensively as mascherano.
Did you just quote a six-day-old post concerning the next two years to boast of your wisdom when the season doesn't even start for another fortnight?
"Called it" 
What a tit
What a tit
I had the exact same policy in CM01/02 and I don't like to brag but I had a fair bit of success
Tend to agree.
Blackett is never far away from the XI with this policy
What is with the anti LvG vibe today? Did he let out a rotten fart or something?
."Called it"
What a tit
Yeah did you not see the thread on it?
https://www.redcafe.net/threads/LVG-unleashes-horrendus-shart-that-pisses-everyone-off.406750/page-1
Smalling is the third captain is he not? So why would he pick Jones over Smalling at CB, let alone Blind?
Fletcher was 2nd captain at the start of last season.
Good point. Although Smalling played well though, Fletcher didn't.
Only if Rooney and Carrick are injured then Smalling might get the nod above Blind/Jones based on his vice captain status. Otherwise he'll have to win his spot on performances.
EDIT: Which shouldn't be a problem for him if he continues like last season.
I guess I sort of see why he would prefer a left footer at LCB, as long as he doesn't take that preference to extremes. As with nearly all the weird things he does there is a certain logic at play there even if it is being taken to extremes.
Picking Jones over Smalling at RCB is wrong on a much more basic level though. Smalling is the better player and apparently more of a leader too.
Picking Jones over Smalling at RCB is wrong on a much more basic level though. Smalling is the better player and apparently more of a leader too.
I hate when LVG uses the term 3rd captain.
If Rooney is captain and Carrick is vice captain, then Smalling's title should be thrice captain.
It will be interesting if Blind starts tomorrow, plus if we are as in for Ramos as it seems then that is another right footed CB.
Once, twice, three times a Captain!
As I said before, the logic behind preferring a right and left footed centre back partnership isn't that crazy at all, if anything it makes perfect sense.
Its just when that preference means that you end up picking lesser defenders (in this case not even a centre back) ahead of better defenders (in this case an actual centre back) just because one is left footed, then it becomes utterly ridiculous.
Its just when that preference means that you end up picking lesser defenders (in this case not even a centre back) ahead of better defenders (in this case an actual centre back) just because one is left footed, then it becomes utterly ridiculous.
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These are the types of grammatical errors that are going to stop him winning titles here.
I bet Smalling is absolutely baffled as to what his role at the club is. Third Captain? I'm sorry Louis but I haven't the foggiest.
The left footed CB isnt just about being able to kick the ball out when in trouble; it maintains the teams shape when defending.
Having a left footed defender on the left means that they can approach the attacker on their strongest foot & this gives the adequate spacing for our CDM to slot in/cover centrally at CB.
This means we maintain being a defending unit and in return hard to break down.
This is another reason why I rekon blind was played at DM last season because we didnt' play with a left footed CB and in return blind did extra defensive work on the left hand side.
I rekon thats why blind was bought, a more tactically capable john o'shea.
Having a left footed defender on the left means that they can approach the attacker on their strongest foot & this gives the adequate spacing for our CDM to slot in/cover centrally at CB.
This means we maintain being a defending unit and in return hard to break down.
This is another reason why I rekon blind was played at DM last season because we didnt' play with a left footed CB and in return blind did extra defensive work on the left hand side.
I rekon thats why blind was bought, a more tactically capable john o'shea.
I'm a big fan of LVG and have been for a long time, but i must say i am disappointed that his english hasn't improved in the last year. Seems to still struggle with it which suggests to me he thinks his english is good enough and hasn't been working on it.
Oh come on you can't be serious?
You're judging him on errors like "Thrice" instead of "Third"? You've got to be on a wum.
I'm curious, are you actually? Does it actually matter to you enough that you're genuinely disappointed?
Just because I mostly tend to be disappointed when we lose games or play badly, and my time on the caf is increasingly giving me the impression that I'm setting the bar too low.