Yeah, he’s obviously not comfortable there but was doing a decent job. Lost concentration when he got tired and, frankly it’s bound to happen when you’re playing out of position.
Yia might as well play with a CB there. Lindelof at LB with Evans or Harry partnering Varane.
I think we have to start making some safe, solid selections (if any exist), to pick up some sort of result.
Thats probably a very exclusive perspective.
Well I share some of your concerns but I don’t think it is a stretch to imagine he will play better in his regular position. He did pretty well for the most part and looked decent in his other games for us. People have said “he’s not a left back” and I would agree with that.
He for sure isn't but he also isn't asked to play like a traditional leftback. He is already moving into the center, interchanging with the CBs to support 1st phase play and generally being a pivot in the buildup. That is not going to change dramatically when he plays where Casemiro plays. He won't get more space and time there, he won't be expectated to cover less ground and to add some steele. I think, he is doing just fine for now, right to the level that can be expected from a new player in a new league. But until today, I am yet to see some of the steel, bite and especially the kind of progressive passing that has to be in there somewhere. Don't get me wrong, he was ok, but the biggest selling point was that he is at least(weird choice of words but I am sure you understand what I mean) exceptional with progressive long passes but by now, he wasn't able to show it.
Read the effusive comments in his debut match thread. He showed a lot. I think you are underestimating the effect the responsibility of being the left back would have on your general play. Playing no6 knowing you have a left back with you is different to playing no6 when you also have to BE the left back.
Lindelof and Varane were hopelessly out of position for the winner.
Think thats harsh. Hes dropped a bit deeper to play the pass, its a poor pass. The CBs are not in position to protect against a transition e.g if the pass is intercepted.
Ten Hag then.Shaw, Malacia, Regulion. How many clubs have three strong left backs, and yet none of them available and forced to play a midfielder as a left back? Not to mention that our right back AWB is also injured, otherwise we'd have played Dalot on the left.
We need somebody to remove whatever curse was put on our club this season
He doesn't step up, the CBs have stepped up, Amrabat is dawdling and too deep, he should be in line leaving Icardi in. He had time to do so.
The CBs stepped up when we had the ball. He dropped deeper with the ball to make the pass. At that point they needed to drop
I agree but luckily a and b will improve with time. It's a matter of fitness and adapting to the PL which will happen once he moves into midfield I'd imagine. It's not like hoping that AWB learns how to dribble and attack or Lindelof on how to defend.
Disagree entirely, no CBs would drop deeper in that situation, they are leading the line.
Ten Hag said he was able to play LB when we signed him (rightly or wrongly). Hopefully he's realised that he was wrong.
He can't step up that quick though. It's impossible. He launched the ball and a second later its headed back and Icardi is through.
Exactly. Again, I blame ETH. You could play Dalot there, and play Lindeholf at RB.
He can step up, quite easily. Anyone that's played the game or follows the game should know he needs to step up there, a simple glance across the line would tell him that
What else was he supposed to say? That he can't play fullback but that's the only option left? I wouldn't pay much attention to what ETH says publicly.
In response to the bolded part, he said this before the injury to Reguilon. This was when we first signed him and it wasn't even looking like he would be needed at LB at that point. What I'm saying is that having to play Amrabat at LB wasn't an issue in ETH's eyes as he already viewed him as a player that could play there.
McTominay's bad periods massively outweigh the good though. He was good for the first month under ETH, then was poor for the rest of last season. The season before he was good for the first month under Rangnick, poor the rest. So two good months in two seasons. The season before that I don't think he had any good runs of form, just the odd good match here and there. For instance 'that' Leeds match that people still talk about was followed directly by his worst ever performance against Leicester.
We loaned him out. We're just run by geniuses.
