I don't think the issue right now is the build up phase but rather us not being able to control the game out of possession as a team. Last season we had a issue straight from the GK which enabled capable high pressing teams to cause us problems. But that problem has been improved to a certain extent with a better GK on the ball, but we still need to improve further and there's no question about that. Martinez has missed most of the season and he's absolutely a CB in a approach which centres around building the play and hence progressing the play against the opponent's first lines of pressure within the positional play principles. Press resistance starts from the GK and CBs in such a approach and that's a ideology that is now dominating the top half of the EPL.
But building the play from the back also involves creating triangles (rondos) and hence connecting with the fullbacks and midfielders to then play out from the back against the press. We've brought through one player in midfield (Mainoo) who fits the bill in that regard but unfortunately injuries have meant that we haven't seen the likes of Shaw, Martinez, Mainoo and even Dalot together which help the coach drill the team on the training ground to such an extent where the automatisms become consistent. It's absolutely fine to criticise the coach but IMO building play from the back absolutely requires the collective in the first phase to be drilled to play together which then forms the automatisms that become second nature to the players and a rythym starts to develop. I've seen evidence from Ajax in the Champions league against some of the strongest teams in the competition under ten Hag that he can coach a team to build play from the back, press high collectively and defend transitions. Every coach that looks to play with risk will succumb to the transition from time to time but ten Hag made that Ajax team punch above their weight playing a brand of football that was pleasing on the eye but also effective whilst losing several key players and still maintaining a competitive team by inverting his fullbacks to build the play in tandem with the CBs. So is it a coaching issue or a personnel issue? IMO it's a personnel issue which has a knock-on effect on how you coach the team. I can go into more detail but I'll leave it that for now.
CBs like Van de Ven and Gabriel are good channel defenders and can defend on the front foot and help control or contain the opposition's quick transitions. Gabriel may not be the best on the ball and Saliba isn't that great aerially, but in tandem with the likes of Xhaka and Partey, who are midfielders, they control the defensive transitions really well. And since then they've sold Xhaka and replaced him with Declan Rice. So it's not about having one CB in Varane but it's about having a collective group in rest defense who will help you squeeze the pitch in a high line and maintain compactness. Spurs with Van den Ven who is one of the quickest CBs in the league forms a strong rest defense with Romero next to him and Bissouma, Sarr in midfield who are quick and athletic and cover ground quickly. And that makes a big difference when looking to sacrifice defensive stability for goals because you've got pace and power all across the pitch to thwart the transitions. We don't have those options but attempts were made to sign Amadou Onana and Todibo in the summer.
I think if you give the below team to ten Hag or any coach, then you will see their full coaching potential come to the fore. If it doesn't then I'd say time for a change. But I think Graham Potter will be our head coach next season.
I think we need to move on from Shaw and if we can't sign Tchouameni then someone like Onana or Lucas Gourna-Douath would be good as well. I'd also look to sign someone like Varela. The Endo clip that you posted isn't really difficult for players like Varela Mainoo or even Tchouameni or Onana who have their own style of beating the opposition when dribbling.
-------------------------Hojlund-------------------
-----Williams---------Mount----------Olise------
---------------Tchouameni----Mainoo-----------
----Shaw---Branthwaite---Diomande---Dalot---
---------------------------Onana---------------
