15 Sep 2025 08:19:30
I didn't enjoy yesterday's game. My concern over the way we set up is coming to pass.
It's too congested. Trying to include every player in passing moves just slows us down.
With some of the older tactics coming back into fashion we need to get messy. Get the ball in the box. Turn the full backs by going around them. I would even put mo on the right for periods in the game. Kody on the left. Mix it up. Cause the opposition to think. We get to the edge of the box only to pass pass pass. Waiting for the perfect opening.
I'd encourage teams like Burnley to come on to us. Draw them out. We have to do something else . I hate to say this, but Wirtz isn't working against a low block. Freddie and Rio injected urgency. Watch Freddie's movement at times he's a step ahead of everyone.
Just sayin. YNWA.
15 Sep 2025 08:54:49
Coming to pass? We won. You think the coaches and players don't know what they are doing? It's one thing to opine on tactics, it's another to implement them against a team that also have their own tactics.
That said, I agree somewhat in trying to draw the opposition out. The problem is, you think we can draw them out and easily handle them. Spoiler, there are no easy games in the PL. All teams have players with the ability to punish us if we give them enough room.
If it's as simple as you say. then we would all be managers.
15 Sep 2025 09:22:17
I think at times we need to break quicker especially against teams like Burnley. This also results in losing possession quicker so it's a fine balance. At times yesterday it was screaming for a more direct ball whilst they were a little more open.
15 Sep 2025 09:29:56
I think your third paragraph basically invalidates your argument, because Burnley had absolutely no interest in coming out and getting drawn in. Any time they lost the ball they made absolutely no attempt to win it back, they would just retreat into their compact block over and over again.
Usually when Grav gets the ball in midfield to turn and carry, he's swarmed by bodies in midfield to stop him progressing down the center. Yesterday he was allowed to take his time whenever he wanted, and the one or two times that they committed players on him and he broke the press to change gears and advance up the field were the only moments when we genuinely looked like a threat, but they packed the box very quickly and we couldn't make the most out of the tiny windows of chaos that we created.
It's true that we could have switched things up to be more direct at times, because sometimes our impulse to try and bait the opposition press by standing on the ball just doesn't work when the opposition has absolutely no interest in trying to win the ball back. You could see that Burnley were so negative that even on the break they wouldn't commit players forward, they had one or two players on their own trying to make something happen, they were that afraid of getting caught on the break themselves. We could have been more proactive trying to get the ball up the field faster sometimes and change our rhythm, because the only times we actually had a change of pace in the game was when Rio was isolating on the left flank or Ryan beat a man foolishly trying to win the ball in the center circle.
But you can't say that we weren't trying different things, they just didn't come off in a goal. Wirtz played some lovely first time balls in the box that almost resulted in something, those were moments of invention that even a packed box couldn't anticipate. Robbo's cross to Fede should have been a goal, Ekitike had a very presentable chance that came from one of the moments of chaos that Ryan created beating a man in midfield.
One thing I will say is that Wirtz doesn't seem to have much of a defined place in our build up right now. I get that our build up is more free flowing than it used to be, and that it relies on an understanding developing between our players, but the left side just looks so crowded right now that players sometimes get in each others way, and he's constantly drifting around trying to get on the ball rather than players knowing that he's going to be in a certain place to receive.
15 Sep 2025 09:45:03
Mo on the right and Cody on the left? That is where they play.
I don't see any coaching badges for you anytime soon.
15 Sep 2025 10:09:24
What we need to be doing is exactly what we are doing - collecting three points every game. That'll do me just fine, no complaints here.
15 Sep 2025 10:18:16
totally agree salah. can't believe people saying we are lucky and playing badly. Yes we can play better but Slot was bang on yesterday when he said they just parked 11 people in their penalty area. It will take time to gel and as for people writing Wirtz off already they are crazy. You can see the quality and look at De Bruyne and Salah, they got bombed out of Chelsea because they took time to adapt. We are 12 points out of 12 without hitting third gear yet. The strength in depth we have is the best it has ever been. Arsenal will push us as they have made some good signings but do they have the mentality to win. We have won it already so that's a massive advantage when the pressure comes. I'm just happy to be a red and see how the season evolves and trust in Slot and the coaches to get us really firing.
15 Sep 2025 10:43:01
I don't tend to worry about performances at this stage of the season. It's all about defending well, getting the points and keeping injury free.
Last year we lost this game with a similar performance, right after the international break, to Forest at Anfield.
As per the last 8 seasons, bar one (22/ 23), we click after the second international break through to January.
I expect we will see more of these kinds of performances until the second international break is out of the way, if past seasons are anything to go by.
The only real concern I have at the moment is that we might need to Rio Ngumoha more than we would have liked. But, people argued that Fofana would block his pathway so we have no choice.
The rest will improve in time.
15 Sep 2025 11:06:44
We’ve got 12 points from four games. Something needs to change.
15 Sep 2025 11:56:02
Our players could have all sat down on their arses and Burnley would still not have come out to attack.
Some teams will just play that way against us, it’s to be expected when there’s such a gap in quality.
The teams bedding in and still winning, I’ll take that.