Manager Watch: Ange Postecoglou

[SpursForever71]

Aït-Nouri would be great back up to udogie​

thats the thing, we should be buying players that can compete for places in their position, not just be a backup for injuries and suspensions.

 

[dontcallme]

I felt for Davies today up against Neto, Royal was poor for the most part. I get its not easy for players outside of the 1st 11 to just slot straight back in though (match fit etc). It is obvious there is a huge downgrade between 1st and 2nd choices in these positions though.

For me, it's not just the downgrade. It's that they're not like for like.

Ange has been pretty clear with how he wants us to play, a part of that includes wing backs whereas Royal and Davies are full backs.

I had a quick look through our squad and if we are to have 2 good players in every position that suits our style of play then we need to buy 2 wing backs, 1 centre back, 1 centre midfielder and possibly 1 playmaker for Maddison's position.

Maybe Phillips or Davies can play the centre back role and Kulu in Maddison's but we definitely need 2 wing backs so we don't have to change our playing style due to injury.

 

[dontcallme]

Aït-Nouri would be great back up to udogie​

2 years left on his contract this summer so could be worth a look.

 

[dontcallme]

thats the thing, we should be buying players that can compete for places in their position, not just be a backup for injuries and suspensions.

Nothing wrong with players starting as backup then working their way into 1st team contention. Ait-Nouri would fit that.

 

[SpursForever71]

For me, it's not just the downgrade. It's that they're not like for like.

Ange has been pretty clear with how he wants us to play, a part of that includes wing backs whereas Royal and Davies are full backs.

I had a quick look through our squad and if we are to have 2 good players in every position that suits our style of play then we need to buy 2 wing backs, 1 centre back, 1 centre midfielder and possibly 1 playmaker for Maddison's position.

Maybe Phillips or Davies can play the centre back role and Kulu in Maddison's but we definitely need 2 wing backs so we don't have to change our playing style due to injury.

i dont know if, due to his pace, VDV could be turned into a wB, with Dragusin given more of a chance as CB, as he seems to be pretty limited to game time unless VDV or Romero get injured\suspended.

 

[dontcallme]

i dont know if, due to his pace, VDV could be turned into a wB, with Dragusin given more of a chance as CB, as he seems to be pretty limited to game time unless VDV or Romero get injured\suspended.

I don't see VDV as a wing back, but you never know.

 

[shoggy33]

What Ange needs to address is that the patterns of movement and one touch play seem to stop when there is block of players to get through.
The only interchange that happens against a low block is players coming out of their positions outside of the low block and that isn't really moving around the defence.

So really we're having the same problems we've had breaking down the low block that we've had we've these players with other managers.

It may have been better with Udogie and Porro but it may not have been.

Pretty much everyone has problems breaking down an effective low block. It's not that big of an issue if you're solid at the other end because eventually you get the breakthrough and the oppositions gameplan changes and you go on to win comfortably. We are still absolute shite at the back, so the opposition know that if they keep our scoring down they stand a chance because we pretty much always concede 2 goals. We simply have to get better defensively, Wolves could have scored 4 and it would have been reasonable.

 

[kieranfitchett]

we’re having a good transitional season by my count, lost our best ever player and we’re still in with a real shout of top 4 football (something we didnt get with said player) it’s the beginnings of something and we’re in the process of playing football that fans love to see, we may not see it every week but you can see what the intention is, today was poor but I’m keeping the faith

 

[theShiznit]

Pretty much everyone has problems breaking down an effective low block. It's not that big of an issue if you're solid at the other end because eventually you get the breakthrough and the oppositions gameplan changes and you go on to win comfortably. We are still absolute shite at the back, so the opposition know that if they keep our scoring down they stand a chance because we pretty much always concede 2 goals. We simply have to get better defensively, Wolves could have scored 4 and it would have been reasonable.

The difference is the best teams continue to move the opposition around just in tighter areas.
We don't have enough dynamic technicians that can play quickly with thier heads up in tight areas.

Because a lot of our players have no pictures of the play in mind or have the awareness to play a little give and go in tight areas a lot of times our best option is to go back/sideways first time to open a different passing lane. But this only gets you so far, and when the movement stops or slows it becomes all very predictable and much like under Conte, Jose and even Poch becomes reliant on individual brilliance.
Our forwards are all pretty limited against a low block too, the only one I would consider a good link up player is Kulu and he's limited in other ways

Still think Udogie and Porro make a big difference today if they play.

 

[Sp3akerboxxx]

For me, it's not just the downgrade. It's that they're not like for like.

Ange has been pretty clear with how he wants us to play, a part of that includes wing backs whereas Royal and Davies are full backs.

I had a quick look through our squad and if we are to have 2 good players in every position that suits our style of play then we need to buy 2 wing backs, 1 centre back, 1 centre midfielder and possibly 1 playmaker for Maddison's position.

Maybe Phillips or Davies can play the centre back role and Kulu in Maddison's but we definitely need 2 wing backs so we don't have to change our playing style due to injury.

I know it's tantamount to heresy to suggest that he did even one tiny thing right on here......

But Conte making Emerson look like a competent wing back was a minor miracle

 

[mill]

Imo I think our biggest problem is the lack of ingenuity in our attack, I think we need two top class wide players and son centrally. Imo of course

 

[bubble07]

We just need to play slighty more conservatively when attacking. Even when city attack they tend to have 3 behind the ball. We only have the centre backs

 

[rossdapep]

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

Exactly.

We can't be seeing Arsenal win or United go above us and think Ange is not working out.

We have seen what it can do when it is at its best - remember we were much better at Arsenal in second half and gave it to City second half too.

But we have to brave and really stick it out, have an objective to get closer each season.

If we panic or demand too much we will be right back where we were.

I know for some it's very easy to get despondent when you are not playing well and rivals are winning well but it's not the benchmark to be measuring against. You have to shut that out and focus on our journey which was always going to have bad periods.

It's the nature of what we are trying to achieve.

 

[whenstevewentup]

I just pray the first 10 games weren’t a new manager bounce .

 

[Spursberg]

Exactly.

We can't be seeing Arsenal win or United go above us and think Ange is not working out.

We have seen what it can do when it is at its best - remember we were much better at Arsenal in second half and gave it to City second half too.

But we have to brave and really stick it out, have an objective to get closer each season.

If we panic or demand too much we will be right back where we were.

I know for some it's very easy to get despondent when you are not playing well and rivals are winning well but it's not the benchmark to be measuring against. You have to shut that out and focus on our journey which was always going to have bad periods.

It's the nature of what we are trying to achieve.

i agree, if we can get the intensity up, because this is the most worrying part. at the start of the season, we ran like dogs and our press was spot on. now we do not press togehter at alll. only for 10 mins in the second half.
Ange's style of football or kamikaze football like this is so in need of having constant running and to press proactively together or we are fucked! And this is the worrying part after christmas, as we have only 1 game a week, the players out there should be rested and geared up for games like this with 110% intensity. But we are far from it.

You can see high energy managers like Pep, Klopp and Arteta, constantly screaming on the sidelines, never accept to slow down pressure like we do. Ange really needs to improve on that fast. I mean when you look back on the 2-1 goal the way Bis loses the ball, ok fine Ange has said he will take the blame if they fuck up on that, but "fast jogging" back and at the same time ball watching the player with the ball on the end of the 16 yard box and not watching the player coming in midfield right next to him is so bad and such a lack of focus, he would deserve a real kick in the ass on the bench after he was subbed. i mean why on earth are anyone at all watching that ball except for VDV that is next to him, everyone else should look for a potential pass threat and block that path, but i am not sure Ange is actally drilling that kind of thing, he can not do because it is not the first time this season

 

[GioW]

Exactly.

We can't be seeing Arsenal win or United go above us and think Ange is not working out.

We have seen what it can do when it is at its best - remember we were much better at Arsenal in second half and gave it to City second half too.

But we have to brave and really stick it out, have an objective to get closer each season.

If we panic or demand too much we will be right back where we were.

I know for some it's very easy to get despondent when you are not playing well and rivals are winning well but it's not the benchmark to be measuring against. You have to shut that out and focus on our journey which was always going to have bad periods.

It's the nature of what we are trying to achieve.

Yep.

Also , I think we're comfortably ahead of where the Arsenal project was at this time frame and arguably Klopp's Liverpool at the same stage.

Obviously Liverpool then exploded and whether we can do that is yet to be seen.

Reasons to be hopeful, for sure.

 

[Nanky_1988]

The Meltdown in here is crazy! We’ve had a few iffy results and everyone’s questioning him.

let’s be real we are open and probably always will be open under Ange it’s how he plays. I agree he could have a plan B and help us be more solid. The main reason today’s goals were conceded were individual mistakes.

Free header at a set piece and Bissouma gives the ball away and they break, Emerson should do better and again no one picked up the man in the box!

We’re just not playing as well but I’m sure we’ll pick up again!

 

[mill]

The Meltdown in here is crazy! We’ve had a few iffy results and everyone’s questioning him.

let’s be real we are open and probably always will be open under Ange it’s how he plays. I agree he could have a plan B and help us be more solid. The main reason today’s goals were conceded were individual mistakes.

Free header at a set piece and Bissouma gives the ball away and they break, Emerson should do better and again no one picked up the man in the box!

We’re just not playing as well but I’m sure we’ll pick up again!

We’ll always give away chances i accept that but if we don’t create nothing, like today we’re fucked

 

[Nanky_1988]

We’ll always give away chances i accept that but if we don’t create nothing, like today we’re fucked

True but Ange can’t create chances lol He can get them to train patterns of play etc but it’s down to the players!

the same players were creating chances before and taking them. The form has dropped off slightly I agree but Ange doesn’t play he manages.

The tournament football has probably left a few players jaded and Maddison doesn’t look as sharp. I’m sure it’ll come back

Only slight criticism I could have is the high line, it could be dropped slightly but I get the high line helps where pressing!

 

[Impspur1]

Absolutely gobsmacked to read on social media that some natives are restless. Honestly beggars belief, I am so happy with how things are going. Squad evolving, playing style unrecognisable from last season, a manger to identify with and getting results. Sure their is the odd bump and things to learn and tweak but Christ il take this any day of the week. Genuinely excited for the future And I hope to god these idiots don’t derail anything, Ange doesn’t strike me as the sort of guy that would take any shit and he certainly won’t be short of offers either.