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Manager Watch: Ange Postecoglou

ReadieSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 24, 2011
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2,608
I think we need to look at the coaches too. We are awful at set pieces and that's Ryan Masons department. We can't keep carrying him, I think it's time for him to move on.
 

Oh Teddy Teddy

Well-Known Member
Aug 10, 2017
5,224
12,372
I think we need to look at the coaches too. We are awful at set pieces and that's Ryan Masons department. We can't keep carrying him, I think it's time for him to move on.

Is it? I thought it was Jedinak’s? Or is one on defensive set pieces and the other on attacking? Either way, we stink at both :LOL:
 

FibreOpticJesus

Well-Known Member
Aug 14, 2005
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5,051
Agree with all that, except this reference to kamikaze football.

For their first goal, we have three back v two- Udog loses the 50-50, Romero switches off and VDV clearly forgot Isak has no left foot. We can all see Porro creates the chaos for the second, with VDV repeating his misjudgment with Gordon.

This clearly decisive two mins proceeded an even game, with the rest of the game unremarkable.

BUT… clearly what we can do is defend corners, and show some fight. Their midfield trio fought like hell, won all the battles. None of our first or second shifts came close to matching that.

We lose one nil or whatever and there’s none of this more serious reaction, but it’s here because of the fundamental flaws visible.

The Arse’s early corners will be unnecessarily decisive unless he gets his shit together
I have to wholly disagree with your views on this. It was Kamakazi footy. I was sat behind the goal first half with the geordie fans and before they scored it was clear it was going to be only a matter of time before they scored. It should have already been 2 nil to them before their first. Our defending and shape were shocking and we looked like a pub team. All around me could not believe how amateur our defensive set up was. It could have been six before half time if they could head the ball. The geordies were well pissed off it was only 4. It could have easily been 8.
 

DannyNZ

Well-Known Member
Jul 3, 2017
1,800
4,897
Another week watching Maddison struggle and Ange bringing on an out of form Kulu. For the life of me I don’t get his confidence in these two and his reluctance to give GLC any meaningful minutes. He looks like our only midfielder that has the ability to see passes and move the ball quickly and accurately, that front three of ours need quicker releases not the laboured build up we’re seeing. Ange talks about bravery but his team selections can be a bit safe and predictable. Time Madds Biss, and Kulu got the real message that what they’re serving up isn’t good enough, and that means bench time.
 

parj

NDombelly ate all the pies
Jul 27, 2003
3,635
5,968
I think the big thing that worries me is the pace of us is possession. We moved the ball so slow that we will rarely get the chances our opponents get.

Maddison and Bissouma were great when they were moving the ball quick, and Romero was feeding the ball forward. But now by the time Son, Johnson, Werner get the ball, there is no space to exploit. Gordon took advantage of the spaces yesterday cos he was given the ball quickly.

We need to fix this tempo issue. PEH and GLC were moving the ball quicker than Madders and Bissouma. I actually think GLC and PEH are better performers right now - and that worries me cos that means our shopping list doubled this summer.
 

Hoddle&Waddle

Well-Known Member
Nov 25, 2012
8,348
17,585
Bowen is in a West Ham team that play to his strengths and I disagree about Gordon as Johnson had a rough start for several reasons.

But how do you know Johnson wouldn't fair better in their systems?
Because he doesn't have better attributes over than maybe pace.
 

parj

NDombelly ate all the pies
Jul 27, 2003
3,635
5,968
I think we need to look at the coaches too. We are awful at set pieces and that's Ryan Masons department. We can't keep carrying him, I think it's time for him to move on.

Whilst I agree, I think people are targeting Ryan Mason for no reason. He isn't defensive set pieces and we hardly get any attacking free kicks in good areas.
For both attacking and defensive corners, if you don't have players willing to attack the ball then it will make no difference. Yesterday, there was no effort from our defenders to actually win a header. Every person standing still and waiting.
 

Gilzeanking

Well-Known Member
May 7, 2005
6,122
5,055
At the mo, Ange reminds me of Southgate - not getting the best out of his squad due to his stubbornness and refusal to change his tactics. We’re not playing in a Mickey Mouse Japanese League or the comical Scottish Premier League, we’re in the EPL where pretty much 18 of the 20 teams are capable of turning you over if you’re not on top of your game.
Yep, says it all. Looks like arrogance from a manager with no experience at a high level.

The big question is can he learn and adapt ? No sign of that so far in a man of 58, not a shred of self analysis/questioning/acceptance of responsibility in any pressers so far . Lots of 'we're growing' fluff and praise for how the opposition played which indicates he's regularly being surprised by our oppo
....which you'd expect from someone who reportedly pays little attention to who we are playing in his match preparations. (fine when next oppo is Kilmarnock)

80% of Newcastle corners reached a Newcastle head, like WTF !! .Romero VdV and Vicario obviously not being prepared properly, just one of many malfunctions. Time for a rethink on how to be an effective Prem manager imo.
 

thecook

Well-Known Member
Jan 17, 2009
5,717
11,311
I think we need to look at the coaches too. We are awful at set pieces and that's Ryan Masons department. We can't keep carrying him, I think it's time for him to move on.

ryan-mason-shrug-tottenham-spurs.gif
 

Sp3akerboxxx

Adoption: Nabil Bentaleb
Apr 4, 2006
5,370
8,068
Mate LWOS chat so much shit you might as well ignore anything they say.

Last season we averaged 5.2 shots on target per game. This season it's 5.7.

We are averaging 2.7 big chances per game v 2.1 but are missing 1.5 big chances v 1.1 last season and have 5.3 shots off target v 4.6.

In Summary, we are missing Kane.
Yeah I've been burnt by podcaster "stats" before.

Feel like whenever you hear one now it needs the added caveat that it's just hearsay.
 

SixtyFour

Well-Known Member
May 20, 2008
243
624
I'm going to go balls on the line and say that we'll see this 3241 lineup at some stage this season.

View attachment 139500
Would certainly address a few issues. Potential for three actual defenders in the vague vicinity when teams counter attack. Dragusin would assumedly help massively on defensive set pieces, and maybe attacking - he does like a header. Shoring up the vast acreage in central midfield. Porro whipping in crosses. Gets Kulu, one of our strongest as in physical strength, players on the pitch but not noodling away on the right.

Best of luck to your balls.
 

fishhhandaricecake

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2018
19,331
48,297
Yep, says it all. Looks like arrogance from a manager with no experience at a high level.

The big question is can he learn and adapt ? No sign of that so far in a man of 58, not a shred of self analysis/questioning/acceptance of responsibility in any pressers so far . Lots of 'we're growing' fluff and praise for how the opposition played which indicates he's regularly being surprised by our oppo
....which you'd expect from someone who reportedly pays little attention to who we are playing in his match preparations. (fine when next oppo is Kilmarnock)

80% of Newcastle corners reached a Newcastle head, like WTF !! .Romero VdV and Vicario obviously not being prepared properly, just one of many malfunctions. Time for a rethink on how to be an effective Prem manager imo.
1) We are 5th it’s not like we are 10th or something
2) Ange has conviction and belief in his methods which is a good thing
3) We beat Newcastle 4-1 earlier in the season, we thrashed them at home, they thrashed us at their home, it is what it is.

Also until the squad improves Ange’s hands are a bit tied, especially in attacking areas when Richy isn’t fit.
 

Dov67

Well-Known Member
Jul 1, 2005
3,370
10,476
We didn’t lose yesterday because of Ange's style of football tactics, and we didn’t lose/get thumped because they have better players than us - like Fulham, they dont.

We lost because some of our better players like Bissouma and Maddison are not playing to anything like their potential and because VDV who has had an outstanding first season made two uncharacteristically bad errors in a two minute spell.

Players lose form, players make mistakes. That’s why you have big squads.

But what is unacceptable is that the other main reason we lost is that they physically outfought us to every loose ball and were first to every loose ball. They showed balls and grit and fight and we were timid.

I said after the Fulham game, that Ange would have made his mark at this club when results like yesterday and Fulham are as rare as a comet rather than sadly predictable.
 
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Gb160

Well done boys. Good process
Jun 20, 2012
23,679
93,465
Is it? I thought it was Jedinak’s? Or is one on defensive set pieces and the other on attacking? Either way, we stink at both :LOL:
I was thinking that maybe (as we don't have a clue who does what) that maybe there's been a mixup and they don't know either.
So I've concluded they've both been training attacking set pieces, which coincidentally they're both shit at also.
 

Albertbarich

Well-Known Member
Jul 4, 2020
5,211
19,768
Im still fully behind Ange but I'll share my frustrations.

Our set pieces have to be addressed. Not only that but we awful at defending any sort of crosses and it's costing us. Any corner we concede is terrifying.

Whether Ange replaces Jedinek and or Mason to address this, hires a specialist or simply gives them more time we have to do something.

We lack control in the final third. I think Werner has been very good as have Johnson and son but oh what I'd do to see a Bernardo Silva type up there who can hold the ball, thread passes and beat a man. Everything up there for us is so rushed and it causes games to turn into a basketball type situation at times. And that's not on the club, it's clear the football management have chosen these sorts of players -ones that run away from the ball. Yesterday when he brought Kulu on I was hoping he could try him through the centre as his hold up play is excellent and with Newcastle pushing so aggressively I thought that would help.

And lastly I don't buy into this doubting if the double inverted full backs. It works but it doesn't work in Emerson is playing as he is totally ill suited to the role. Id like to see a little more flexibility at times.
 

GutBucket

Well-Known Member
May 26, 2013
6,855
11,553
We didn’t lose yesterday because of Ange's style of football tactics, and we didn’t lose/get thumped because they have better players than us - like Fulham, they dont.

We lost because some of our better players like Bissouma and Maddison are not playing to anything like their potential and because VDV who has had an outstanding first season made two uncharacteristically bad errors in a two minute spell.

Players lose form, players make mistakes. That’s why you have big squads.

But what is unacceptable is that the other main reason we lost is that they physically outfought us to every loose ball and were first to every loose ball. They showed balls and grit and fight and we were timid.

I said after the Fulham game, that Ange would have made his mark at this club when results like yesterday and Fulham are as rare as a comet rather than sadly predictable.
Even if our players were in great form we were lucky not to concede 2-3 goals from set pieces in the first half alone. Coaching needs work too.
 

TOLBINY

Well-Known Member
Feb 4, 2019
1,230
2,814
We needed a project manager, who was prepared to gut the squad, be prepared to go backwards before going forward and not sign lots of players in their late 20's on top wages. I also think his style of football is past it for the Premier League, he suits Serie A, with a relatively big budget for the league.
How many project managers have had success in the Prem? Sir Alex, Klopp, Arteta are often cited as examples of why we should be patient with Ange, give him two or three seasons (which by the way I have posted he should get as long as we are not in freefall and at risk of relegation) but for the life of me I cannot understand why the same did not apply when it comes to Conte. Yes the football wasn't great at times, it hasn't always been as good as some have made out under Ange, so if you are going for a longer term project why not stick with a man who knows what it takes to win the Prem? Conte asked for time and patience a few days before his last game - does that sound like a bloke who doesn't want to be here or does it sound like a bloke who recognises this is a longer term project?

This post is not a dig at you or your views or a dig at Ange, but what is it in Ange's CV that leads people to believe he is a good choice as a longer term project manger for a club that is aiming to challenge for Prem titles? He doesn't seem to stay anywhere that long at club level, he is 58 years of age (older than Conte) with no previous experience at this level, let alone success?

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Dov67

Well-Known Member
Jul 1, 2005
3,370
10,476
Even if our players were in great form we were lucky not to concede 2-3 goals from set pieces in the first half alone. Coaching needs work too.
Completely agree, but a lot has to do with aggressively attacking the ball from corners. I think at one ppint they were first to the ball from 9 out of 10 corners. Some of that is coaching no doubt, but a lot is having balls and playing with aggression.
 
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