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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Too far away. We have 8 days between Spurs and City.
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.
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.
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.
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.
So true…
They’ve had so many new manager bounces they’d embarrass Tigger.
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.
That’s offensive in my opinion.
Both in midfield and attack.
I would be very surprised if anything happened mid-season, unless our form got so bad that C/L qualification for next season became outright impossible and we get knocked out of this years C/L before the semi final stage.
A change at the end of the season would be more in line with how FSG operate
I think the next three league games will decide if he goes next month or stays to the end of the season. Newcastle and Citeh at home, Sunderland away. Six points from those three and he stays. Maybe 5 points so long as we beat Newcastle. If it’s three draws then he’s toast. Three wins and the corner will have been turned and we’ll be heading for the sunlit uplands of the Premier League.
