I really thought ETH would appreciate it more than the past managers did but sadly it wasn’t the case. I don’t know if our managers just don’t want to play the way many of us want them to or that there is a directive from the top during the hiring process to lay out a broad footballing philosophy to roughly adhere to. But it’s very odd.
Anyone who has watched us even fairly infrequently over the past decade would tell you that stand out among the big clubs as being disproportionately afraid of a lack of time and space on the time. Apply pressure and we start to pass back, sideways and long because the ball is a hot potato to us. So the obvious (or so I thought) solution is to ensure you sign either playmakers who can pass their way out of trouble or dribblers who can weave so. That doesn’t mean you don’t sign CFs or fast wingers but the concerted effort seems missing.
I don't want to be a hindsight king because of how it's turned out, but on raw attributes alone, I don't know how you target what we got instead of what we let go.
It's not even a case of what we passed over not fitting the preferred style of play because he's literally perfect for it in terms of verticality, aggression, ball carriage and retention and dogged hard work.
If you were picking blind with no names attached and just profiles, it's pretty clear which was and is most needed, especially with the dependency factor one has whilst the other needs nothing but to be on the pitch to be effective and problematic.