Arne Slot - Head Coach

The Albert
6207

yep.

we need to be respectful to a man who didnt just bring us THE shiny pot we all crave…but lets just play a game where he didnt win that, and we didnt see it over the line…he has STILL acted with honesty and dignity through at all of this, he has taken it on himself to wear the blame, and dished it out where he saw appropriate, but hes never, on purpose, clouded any waters, and tried to manipulate the fan base with internal politics…

he hasnt treated us like fools, hes explained his decision making as if we are of a certain level of intelligence, not given it the old ‘you wouldnt understand, your not ‘football’ enough to know’ level of press conferance.

Hes never one ‘Mikel Atrteta’d’ a press conferance, or even smirked arrogantly Ala Pep

hes been very true to Jurgens way of honesty and respect ( to the paying public, not so much the press)

all the issues when he has kinda crossed a line have been minor (Ramsey sticks out) where if you have to answer enough questions sooner or later you’ll give a shite answer…

all in all…ill be trying to remain respectful through this…and…i mean…the guys not actually even DONE here…its very hard to see how he comes back…but football is a funny old game…

Xabi takes the city Job, Enrique takes the UTD job and we are left with no real alternative… then all of a sudden things, somehow…‘click again’… stranger things have happened.

5 Likes
6208

I think when TAA left, the plan was for Writz to be our main creative outlet, with our attacking width coming from Frimpong/Kerkez bombing down the flanks, almost like wingbacks.

Moving forward I think that’s what we commit to, and build the squad around.

I would go with a front two (rotating Salah, Isak. Ekitike and Gackpo). Writz siting behind in AM role (principally rotated with Szoboszlai)

A double pivot central midfield (Mac Allister,
Gravenberch, Endo, Jones) where one is happy dropping to create a back three. Two proper wingbacks bombing down flanks. Then VvD and Gomez (on current form) rotated wirh Konate and Leoni as our CBs.

4 Likes
6209

i dont really have a preffered starting line up… i think its too fluid for that nowadays

but…a few things id like to see from this squad

Frimpong high up the park, but coming from a full back role, same with Kerkez, to a lot lesser extent where i think players floating into his area is a better option. i like frimpong in the box and the byline, i prefer Kerkez leaving those areas free to exploit, and crossing from deeper.

the best ive seen our midfield was first half vs Arsenal and i still cant exactly tell you who was playing where, but there were points where Wirtz was playing a false nine and then Dom doing same…(there was no Ekitike, so that raises its own questions)…but yes, i think Wirtz role needs to be undefined in many ways, hes so intelligent he can drop into areas where he sees fit, not many players can do that anymore without direction (opinion), so leaving a fixed (taditional) front two is a no no from me, it really pidgeon holes Wirtz and restricts him.

i dont know if this is just fanboying or legitimate opinion, but id love to see Ekitike continue his progress, he might be a bit too passive to play that lone striker role, but hes amazing in tighter spaces from just outside the box , then penetrating into it…getting him and Wirtz to co exist would be something id want

i rate Gravenberch higher than alot on here it seems, id play him deeper, split the centre backs in deep possession and have him in that area…i understand the concern with that, id just do it anyways…if players are happy to stand off him and let him turn, then let him turn from deeper, theres some space freed up right there EDIT - this is not a back three, its only in moments in deeper possession

so yeah…width from the full backs, free(ish) role for Wirtz, but he needs to be able to drop deep when he wants, and change it up with a Sobz or Macca…,

2 Likes
6210

Why didn’t we try it more often then?

The closest thing to a diamond shape with Ekitike and Isak together up top was in Milan against Inter. That night, they were positioned a bit more wider and failed to complete a pass between themselves. Mac was at the tip of the diamond.

If that structure was our plan, with Slot’s job possibly on the line, I believe we would’ve seen much more of it, regardless of different players (un)available at different stages.

6211

We need to have more clarity.

Nobody is saying we should only have a starting XI and nothing else, but really, Slot should be able to answer what’s his team when everyone’s in normal fitness and form if someone wakes him up in the middle of the night. It’s pretty basic stuff.

Then, if on different days it’s Bradley or Frimpong, Mac or Jones, Szobo or Wirtz and not both… that can obviously change.

Really, I’d love to ask someone some of our key decision makers (from Hughes to Slot) how did they imagine this team with Salah, Ekitike, Isak and at least one of Szoboszlai and Wirtz, if not both. I would bet that the answer wouldn’t be that they were planning a diamond shape. Because we saw it in one single game.

The shit thing is of course that Isak came with 4 months of zero football and not only games, but collective training. Totally unfit. So in a season’s or years’ time in football, a lot of things can change. Ekitike could establish himself, Slot might not be here anymore, etc.

The closest thing I came to a conclusion with our choice of 2 new additions at full back is that we would probably build with having a more offensive RB on that side with either Bradley (good attacking underlap) or Frimpong (good attacking overlap) and a more defensive option at LB, with either Kerkez or Robbo.

Against Arsenal we indeed went with a box shape midfield, basically double false #9’s (which Arsenal also did sometimes).

This was our average position:

3423452
3423452336×510 11.6 KB

3 Likes
6212

Watched the Arsenal versus Man United highlights.

We are playing not to lose and we are playing scared football and we have completely lost confidence both in our collective and individual abilities. That is squarely on the coaching staff. We have to instil that mentality and that aggression and that belief.

Look what Carrick has done in such a short period of time and our squad man for man, except maybe the forward line, currently is way better than Man United and we should’ve really put someone like Arsenal to the sword and all these games that we’ve been drawing should really have been wins when we should’ve put the foot down on the accelerator and blown teams away instead of hanging on for dear life, acting as if we’re not the defending Premier League champions. It’s just pathetic frankly. Pathetic.

10 Likes
6213

The change has done wonders for United. We need the same injection of belief and hunger.

We should be pushing for the win and putting teams under pressure. We’re finishing games camped in our box and terrified of relegation battlers.

2 Likes
6214

How many corners turned at United since Fergie left?

I’m not saying he’s not doing a good job, but using them at this stage as an example of what we could be is mind boggling.

6215

I’ve spent time thinking about this (more than I’d like to admit) and the best I’ve come up with is kind of a mirror of the old Klopp 4-3-3 with an attacking bias on the left in midfield rather than right.

4-3-3

Frimpong/Bradley Konate VVD Kirkez
Grav
Dom (right lean)
Wirtz (left lean)
Salah. Isak. Ekiteke

That formation keeps Wirtz, Dom and Ekiteke on their preferred sides. However, Dom would need to play a far more restrained role and the defensive left side looks vulnerable. Unsure in all honesty whether it’s viable, simply haven’t seen the newer players enough in these positions.

Does seem like a reasonably credible way to get all on the pitch.

2 Likes
6216

Leaving aside United for a minute, belief coursing through the veins is a large part of our success over the last decade and that has all but completely evaporated. Will someone like Alonso restore the mentality monsters immediately? No I don’t think so. Will someone like Alonso coming in remove some of the mental and playing style shackles that our lads appear to have and let them be more expressive and coordinated on the pitch. Yes.

5 Likes
6217

That’s undoubtedly the plan on paper, but the reason that’s now tricky is because the full back positions have to be covered by the centre backs with the DM dropping into defence.

Konate and Van Dijk are struggling with this, for different reasons, but what’s more Gravenberch seems unwilling (or not instructed) to drop in an act as a pure DM, like Fabinho did when Trent and Robbo were flying up the pitch.

2 Likes
6218

Few whispers around that something will happen but does anybody see a change happening?
I know LFC aren’t a sacking club but something has to change.
We can still get 4th and win no 7 but in my opinion not with Arne in charge. The rot has set in and we need a change. That said, even if Alonso does come in we still have a shit ton of injuries and 1 available CB if the game was today.

1 Like
6219

When’s the international break? If something is going to happen sooner rather than later, I would think that would be the point it happens.

6220

Too far away. We have 8 days between Spurs and City.

6221

I can see the logic behind keeping Slot until the end of the season. I don’t see any sane reason why he or anyone else managing the team should be handicapped by having only three dedicated CBs, one of whom is currently injured.

It’s a totally unnecessary gamble with virtually no upside that reeks of arrogance.

4 Likes
6222

End of the day it’s the club are they willing to take that hit and spend still. There is little chance at the moment this team makes top 5 if he had picked up the expected wins over the period then that decision would have been a lot easier.

Looking at the difference in top 8 vs playoff spot you wonder if a victory over Qarabag and then a negative result at the weekend would push them.

6223

That’s definitely part of what I’m seeing. Our midfield shape is all over the place, all 3 of them, unless we are defending deep.

There is absolutely no control of the game coming from that area from us, even when we 70% possession or whatever it was Vs Bournemouth. We are constantly wide open and even struggling to find people to pass to at times.

1 Like
6224

I didnt claim they were title contenders. I didn’t mention turning corners. I talked about the very noticable change in their attitude and approach.
Its often called the new manager bounce.
Its a common occurence and the only reason I mentioned united is because they are the team that is currently experiencing it.

6225

So true…

They’ve had so many new manager bounces they’d embarrass Tigger.

2 Likes
6226

If anything were to happen, it would have done so by now. We’ll beat Qarabag and he’ll buy himself time enough to be crap against Newcastle and still hang on. This is certainly not a prevailing view and I doubt it’s a popular one for either those who want him gone or those who want him supported but that’s the way I see it, at least.

2 Likes