12 Nov 2025 20:56:08
There's rumours of formation change by slot. Regardless of whether it's true, I'd personally like to see wirtz behind isak and etitke. Let the fullbacks bomb forward and provide the width. It'll suit a lot of the players better. Also with allison back, play a high line, high press with intensity and let him allison be our sweeper again.
12 Nov 2025 21:08:08
personally think it'd be a disaster.
12 Nov 2025 21:10:30
There have been so many opinions on here and I'd also like to see Ekitike and Isak played together. The bottom line is we need to see Slot getting a tune out of the considerable talent at his disposal and see a team with an identity.
I don't buy this "the league has moved on" garbage and is now a "set piece" league. To believe that then a lot of managers got that memo over the summer but Slot did not. Playing good football and being defensively sound has always been a winning formula. I'd like to see us do just that.
12 Nov 2025 21:22:36
Faithinworks, a bigger disaster than its been since Feburary? I would say it can't get any worse.
12 Nov 2025 22:04:05
Changing formation does nothing unless we change our style of play.
We played our regular 4231 shape against Real Madrid and beat them off the park. Why? Because we went at them and pressed them and aggressively countered when they turned over the ball instead of hoping to slowly pass them to death.
12 Nov 2025 22:57:00
Sorry, but this is bollox. Slot won us our 2nd title in 30 odd years of asking. Our first set-back, and you want him sacked? Replaced by who? You? Me? Wes Streeting?
I don’t think this slow passing routine is designed; Slot would love us to play as we did against Real every game.
But something is preventing that. It might be fitness, desire or something else - but it is not tactics. As hard as it is, we need to back the coach here.
12 Nov 2025 23:22:39
well it could get worse, we could be 9th-20th.
I'm pretty pragmatic with these things, and just think re-writing the script is a bad move. People think changing the formation is going to change the performances? Isak isn't even fit. what if he or Ekitike get injured, then we don't have two strikers.
so then what? back to the old system
nah, stick to your principles and make adjustments within that. I don't see any value in trying to shake things up in a drastic way like that for a short term gain.
For me, we ride this out. get our players used to each other and then platform off of that.
13 Nov 2025 00:45:26
After all those losses I think we all would have bitten your hand off for two wins and a draw against Villa, Real and City. With the first two wins in the bag, away from home, I think he just played for a draw and we got beaten by City on their own turf. No shame in that.
13 Nov 2025 00:50:09
People always say that we suffered and we're horrible since February when in actuality, we cruised to our title during that period. The only losses that happened then was when we were knocked out of the three cups and in two games after we won the league and were basically on holiday.
In hindsight, maybe it would have been better for Slot to keep the squad focused in those last four games but at that time, most of us weren't really concerned about the results.
13 Nov 2025 01:44:17
Master, who on this thread called for Slot to be sacked? Wrt tactics, I think Ed and a good few on here might disagree w you. There are good arguments that the coach is out of his depth here. Lost 40% of our games since March. Whatever it is, it's his job to fix it.
If the slow passing routine is not by design, why is Slot not changing it?
13 Nov 2025 04:29:03
Red_flyer - you and others talk like life is binary. Like everything is black and white. oh, this didn't work, now do that instead and then everything will change.
there is no good argument that Slot is out of his depth, because we are less than a third of the way through the season. For all you know, these could be the formative months that help build resilience through adversity then we go on a run.
13 Nov 2025 05:15:30
Faith, not sure how I have presented a binary argument.
Many on here including myself have questioned tactics and I simply pointed that out. There are good arguments that Slot is out of his depth. There are also arguments that he should be given time for various reasons. Those arguments are not binary but multi-faceted.
Slot has lost 40% of his games since March; is that acceptable after winning the league and investing 400m+ in the squad? Again a ton of opinions on pros and cons here.
So I don't see that I've presented a binary argument. What I do see as binary here is our results; we either lose or win and it's heavily leaning to too many losses.
13 Nov 2025 07:36:01
Can’t get any worse. Try something.
13 Nov 2025 07:36:32
I don’t believe slot will change anything, I’d personally change to 2 up and wirtz behind also, but if he doesn’t I’d definately give wirtz the left hand side with the roaming role he had against Madrid and have Gakpo on bench. However we’ll just see the same old boring dross.
13 Nov 2025 08:51:38
It’s binary because you’re simplifying it down to “this” or “that”. And then assume that if you do “this” then “that” should or will happen.
When in reality there are multiple factors at play and the general development of the team as well as its success isn’t always linear.
My view is that this is necessary adversity we’re are going through that will ultimately help build the team. Whilst the results and performances are up and down, I’m firm in believing we will come right. Whether that means we pick up silverware or not, to me is irrelevant this season.
The next 5+ years are what this team is built for and I’m ok with riding the waves this year.
13 Nov 2025 09:56:53
Indeed, Faith. Formation is not the issue and frankly, they have become a bit irrelevant. It has more to do with the style of play and areas players occupy depending on what the oppo. is doing, where they are and when both teams are in/ out of possession.
13 Nov 2025 11:03:33
The slow passing is by design as you don’t see him or the coaches jumping up and down on the touch line telling players to change, just as last season first half of games we were generally very compact and controlled tempo then opened up a bit second half.
13 Nov 2025 13:49:52
I heard a distant “Ding” noise last night. Must have been the penny dropping if that rumour is true.
13 Nov 2025 17:44:08
I agree this is sqaud is being put together for the next 5 seasons. I do think short term, replacing Sobbo with Salah will make a difference to results, where as with salahs lack of tracking back, CB’s being dragged out of position, Grav helping bradley where Salah should be leaving the midfield wide open, in the short term will improve us and get some consistent performances, but if the likes of Guehi, Whalton are added to this squad with Leoni back……I too am ok riding the storm, this teams cycle is just beginning. Tbh I thought this season would be a transitional one, and top 4 and maybe a cup potentially even champions league would be best case scenarios .
I didn’t think we would have this bad a dip admittedly, but I think Sobbo for Salah where he plays for hungary box to box would help some of the issues Salah not defending causes…. playing rubbish with great young players is less a concern to me then playing rubbish with a weak sqaud……. let's be positive, top 4 finish, win Champions league, parade……and we haven’t just bought Le Tallac being told his the next Zidane. We have top end young players who as individuals and a team have a huge ceiling of potential but are the real deal not money ball punts…….