Manager Watch: Ange Postecoglou

[fishhhandaricecake]

Think teams have worked us out a bit but at the same time we are having a bit of a rocky patch as a lot of players come back into the team.

I also think we are still about 5-6 players away from being as consistent as we’d like in all honesty:

•back-up goalie to replace Forster who can play Ange's style of football
•a more suitable back-up to LB than Davies
•a more suitable back-up to RB than Royal
•a CM replacement for Skipp/PEH
•a world class winger who can beat their man and score and create goals
•a top striker to challenge or replace or play with Richy

Until we get especially the bottom 2 signings we will continue to be inconsistent.

 

[rossdapep]

As I literally said a few posts above, Pep and Klopp had rough first seasons. Obviously they've been doing it longer. I'm not missing that.

This will be a fairly boring thread if we can't bring up and discuss, without hyperbole, areas for improvement.

Sorry I missed that.

Too many (not you) people who are being a but strong with their reactions I feel.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

The press concerns me most. For such a high line it's so disorganised. City, Liverpool and Arsenal press as a team and turn the ball over high up the pitch.

We play a high line but we don't press as a team, so it's easy to get in behind us.

I wouldn’t say the press is ‘disorganised’ but I do see what you mean in terms of people getting through the press and behind our high line so easily.

 

[Johnny J]

Sorry I missed that.

Too many (not you) people who are being a but strong with their reactions I feel.

No worries! Sorry if I wasn't clear. And I agree.

For me, the real danger with Postecoglou or any other top manager isn't whether they'll get it right, it's whether they'll be given the time to get it right.

Both by the club and by the fans.

 

[rossdapep]

Think teams have worked us out a bit but at the same time we are having a bit of a rocky patch as a lot of players come back into the team.

I also think we are still about 5-6 players away from being as consistent as we’d like in all honesty:

•back-up goalie to replace Forster who can play Ange's style of football
•a more suitable back-up to LB than Davies
•a more suitable back-up to RB than Royal
•a CM replacement for Skipp/PEH
•a world class winger who can beat their man and score and create goals
•a top striker to challenge or replace or play with Richy

Until we get especially the bottom 2 signings we will continue to be inconsistent.

The way I see it too.

We actually went up a level after the goal and did look like we could get the second but just not quite at it.

Then we got suckerpunched.

First half had to be much better.

So it shows we are fliterring in and out or not quite there.

Ange has repeatedly said we are not there yet, even when we were firing.

He knows this is a long process

 

[rossdapep]

No worries! And I agree.

For me, the real danger with Postecoglou or any other top manager isn't whether they'll get it right, it's whether they'll be given the time to get it right.

Both by the club and by the fans.

I think the club will and the fans in the stadium will.

On here, not so much

We always seem 5 poor performances away from a big change.

Sometimes it's not about change. Its about rolling up sleeves and never giving in.

That's where I think we need to get to.

 

[Johnny J]

I think the club will and the fans in the stadium will.

On here, not so much

We always seem 5 poor performances away from a big change.

Sometimes it's not about change. Its about rolling up sleeves and never giving in.

That's where I think we need to get to.

Right, otherwise you just get stuck in a failure loop.

The only club in the PL that has really got away with that approach is Chelsea, but they're the exception to the rule.

 

[daniel chagas]

What I find mind boggling is how early in the season we looked more comfortable with this new system than now. Seems counterintuitive that with more time playing and adapting we look more confused and hesitant with the link-ups plays. But this inconsistency is to be expected in the first season, specially after a whole different approach by the last 3 managers. It takes time to really get a grip of a new system and tactics.

 

[dontcallme]

What I find mind boggling is how early in the season we looked more comfortable with this new system than now. Seems counterintuitive that with more time playing and adapting we look more confused and hesitant with the link-ups plays. But this inconsistency is to be expected in the first season, specially after a whole different approach by the last 3 managers. It takes time to really get a grip of a new system and tactics.

Agree. I was impressed by how quickly our players seemed to get the way Ange wanted them playing. Our performances and results at the beginning of the season was very impressive.

Unfortunately a few injuries seemed to derail us quite quickly. A few players haven't got back up to speed since returning from their injury.

I'm confident that we are on the right track but this season might not be quite as good as it looked like it could be.

 

[GioW]

It's a long game.

Arsenal's patience is about to pay off in a big way. We need to put everything into this project

 

[muppetman]

Love Ange, love what he’s trying to do but not a great day at the office.

Not a huge surprise that the negative Nancies have come out of the woodwork either

Almost all teams struggle against a low block, which is why it’s still in use.

Also, Im not sure Pep, Klopp or any other top managers really have a Plan B, so not really expecting us to have one either.

Hope the bit of a break we have now can help us but it’s his first season and was always going to be lumpy.

 

[carpediem1906]

Love Ange, love what he’s trying to do but not a great day at the office.

Not a huge surprise that the negative Nancies have come out of the woodwork either

Almost all teams struggle against a low block, which is why it’s still in use.

Also, Im not sure Pep, Klopp or any other top managers really have a Plan B, so not really expecting us to have one either.

Hope the bit of a break we have now can help us but it’s his first season and was always going to be lumpy.

City struggled against Chelsea’s low block today too

but created much much better chances though

 

[GioW]

City struggled against Chelsea’s low block today too

but created much much better chances though

They're a much better team

 

[spurs9]

We conceded more goals in Poch's first season, than we did the season prior with AVB and then Sherwood in charge.

For context, last season was our second worst for goals conceded in the PL era.

We literally conceded less goals with players like Calderwood, Nethercott, Scott and Austin than we did last season.

Give Ange time, it was never going to be smooth sailing in his first season and I think we are actually ahead of schedule when all things are considered.

 

[alfiemacdaddy]

I think the club will and the fans in the stadium will.

On here, not so much

Doesn’t help that most people commenting on here won’t be watching as it’s not on TV so are basing their comments off each other and the negativity snowballs.

 

[spurs9]

City struggled against Chelsea’s low block today too

but created much much better chances though

City also lost to Wolves this season.

 

[only1waddle]

City also lost to Wolves this season.

And couldn't break Everton down for 71 minutes.

 

[Joe Bjorn Hotspur]

Agree. I was impressed by how quickly our players seemed to get the way Ange wanted them playing. Our performances and results at the beginning of the season was very impressive.

Unfortunately a few injuries seemed to derail us quite quickly. A few players haven't got back up to speed since returning from their injury.

I'm confident that we are on the right track but this season might not be quite as good as it looked like it could be.

Spot on. They came out of the blocks in the first 10 games and when it all clicked so good especially from the style of play from the previous 4 / 5 years.

Agreed, most definitely injuries and maintaining the tempo of Ange’s style of play is proving difficult at the moment. Players look leggy and off it, however, with the intensity from going from not playing this way to playing this way it’s expected.

Another window and also a preseason is needed for consistency.

We have a young squad and it will be even younger next season with signings like Lucas Bergvall. It’s a longer process than half a season and as it expected it will be.

Just hope our fanbase has the patience with Ange.

 

[carpediem1906]

Exactly, every team would struggle with low block

Need to find better solutions

 

[Mr Pink]

I'm hoping we use the next two weeks to regroup and refocus.

Its frustrating waiting that long but it just might be what we need.

A lot of these guys coming back could take half a dozen games or so to get that form back. With Bentancur it could well be next season.

Hopefully, with some hard work on the training ground, we'll look more like the team that started the season.

We've been very patchy ever since Newcastle on the 10th December.

With all the injuriess/suspensions, and the subsequent changes to the team most weeks, its surely affected the fluidity of the team.

And thats three home games in a row we've conceded first that tells me we're not starting games with the correct intensity and giving ourselves a moutain to climb.

We got away with it against Brentford and Brighton, not today.

I want to see much more intensity from the off against Palace, instead of helping the opposition settle into their game plan.

Ive plenty of faith that we'll do just that.