Arne Slot - Head Coach

The Albert
7462

Two damning things about this:

  1. On Hughes: We got rid of the personnel that allowed us to play Slotball or any semblance of it (e.g., speedy, tricky wingers who are a pressing machine, and a CF who presses well too). Plus we got rid of any semblance of depth in defence as well.

Last year was already a departure from Slot’s usual style as I understand it from what was written about him when he joined (where he would require every one of his forwards to press) as Mo more than made up for it with his goals.

  1. The expectation which I think most of us had for our manager was that he would adjust to what tools he has in a transition (squad turnover year).

Unfortunately Slot appears to be a manager who is stubborn and not pragmatic and even without the proper tools to implement his tactics refuses to change them.

If you don’t have eggs, don’t try and make an omelette. Make something else… This is where I think the frustration is and where perhaps the players see the futility as well.

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7463

I posted this in the post-match thread, my mistake as it should be in here:

Slip Sliding Away. The Paul Simon song. It’s the gradual loss of something, despite efforts to hold on.

I think that’s about where it’s at with Slot. I’m sure there will be an end of season review, and rightly so, but it feels to me as though there’s an air of inevitability that this is slip sliding away from him.

I would have thought we would need to do something very special, and unexpected at this point, to change Slot’s trajectory.

As for the team and squad, I do not think a massive overhaul is needed, at all. Minimum of three good signings - winger, defender, midfielder - and we are good to go, at least in terms of personnel.

At that point they will need to be fashioned (not an intentional Tommy Hilfiger reference!) into a cohesive unit, coached well and playing with belief.

I can’t help but think it’s a job for Xabi Alonso. The personnel are mostly in place for a title challenge, a few more signings and we go again for the next cycle. But I’m coming around to the view that Slot won’t be at the helm. It’s slip sliding away.

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7464

If you are referring to the CF who presses well as Nunez you didn’t watch his last 4-5 months, do love this revisionism but he wasn’t doing much in that last 4-5 months, that maybe on Slot or it maybe just because frankly he wasn’t very good.

I do agree on Diaz, once the situation with Jota happened I wouldn’t have sold.

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7465

I was reading an analysis the other day suggesting there isn’t actually much of a difference in aggregate absences from injuries this year to last year. Obviously there can be important qualitative differences in the importance of players lost, but I also think people often have a backwards looking approach to this where the focus is on dropped points not players lost. It means we can lose our number 1 keeper for a significant period of the season and everyone waves it away because we were good enough to have it not derail us.

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7466

No I’m referring to Santiago Giménez who was key to Slot’s PSV team and Igor Paixão and Minteh… both very good at pressing from the front.

As I said, last year was a departure (due in large to accommodating Mo’s scoring). And I think it is why Diaz played as much as he did. As you said Nunez, did nothing during the final few months which is why I think he rarely played…

7467

Just want to offer a comment about @Mascot view on Wolves, and being more charitable to each other when we post.

Wolves are in 20th spot and we really should be beating them. We all know that. The point that Mascot is making (at least as I interpret it) is there are no ‘gimmies’ in the Prem any more. With the wealth in the game all Premier League sides have some very good players in their ranks. In fact, Wolves have two midfielders in Andre and Gomes who, to varying levels, were linked with us before they went to Wolves. They are not chumps. I suspect had we had Gomes in our midfield all season long we’d be in a better position, as teams would not have been walzing right through us. Just my opinion.

Yes, of course some teams are still much better than others in the Prem, and had we played to our level we really should be beating Wolves.

But Mascot’s point, to me, is reasonable, if he is saying that the level of the teams at the lower end of the Premier League has gone up. I am in full agreement with that, and it’s a big reason why we are seeing more and more upsets, and why more and more teams are struggling with consistency.

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7468

Just curious… Is it the article that is overly simplistic and didn’t account for what positions those players are in or what type of depth we have? For example, Arsenal can easily deal with injuries just due to the sheer number of quality depth players they have. It simply cannot be compared. 3 or 4 more senior players injured… and they can still name a strong bench. Not us.

I hate small planes, but I would feel safer on a well maintained Cessna than a Airbus A350 without landing gear even if the rest of the plane is top quality. That’s the situation we are in. We have some top, top players but we have serious gaps that can’t be solved by the players we have.

7469

Yes the article was a piece of shit and made no relevant points at all, that was why I thought I’d reference it.

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7470

Usually what I do

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7471

Point taken.

7472

I also think it is a misnomer, as Hugo does try to press but the problem is with his pressing it is the back up pressing in midfield that seems non existant.

There was a passage of play early in the game where Hugo pressed 2 players, only for an easy outlet into Gomes in midfield with none of our midfielders near him, he threw up his hands in angst.

This is symptomatic of our game our press is pathetic, I regularly watch Hugo and Wirtz work hard to try and press and then there is an easy outlet pass into midfield, they are wasting energy and can be soul destroying.

This is why am now firmly in the Slot out camp now, I just don’t see a cohesive plan when defending.

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7473

It’s not the pressing from the front that is the issue it is the rest of the team not backing up the press.

Although, Diaz and Jota were good at it.

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7474

Not having a go but Mascot mentioned not being able to cope if you have a couple of players off pace.

If you have a coherent system and one that is ingrained enough you can carry a player that isn’t quite firing as long as they put the effort in.

What we have struggled from is brainfarts defensively that have to goals and you can’t legislate for that.

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7475

Upto the 76th minute we had 1 shot on target against a team which is 20th in the league and had conceded 30 goals in 15 matches.

This is absolutely dire and to try argue this away as there is no gimmies is madness.

In 1997 we lost 1 nil at home to Barnsley that afternoon we had 29 shots at goal 21 on target thats unlucky last night wasn’t that.

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7476

Absolutely priceless you deflected answering a question by saying you don’t deflect.

7477

Yes, we should be beating Wolves. Had we played to our level we would have. The issue on our end is we have been so far away, on so many occasions, that it will probably cost Slot his job. Qualification for next season’s CL, even with five Prem sides going, is in the balance. We were crap. No argument from me on that.

Wolves have been a fair bit better of late than they have shown for much of the season. From looking like certainties to go down, they are trying to make a fight of it. They are still bottom, and again we should be beating them, but I do see some quality in their ranks.

7478

Against Wolves we were the better team, we controlled most of the game, with them scoring late with their 1st shot on target.

Saying all this, we never laid a glove on them, whilst having control, our wide forwards were ineffectual and our play was too slow and in Virg’s words side to side.

We are so predictable very few penetrating passes, little or no movement off the ball to effect the oppositions shape.

Our plan seems to be get it to the wide players to run at their FB’s, however, neither has been effectual this season at being able to beat their FB, so not a cohesive strategy.

People keep talking about pressing players, why would a forward waste his energy when trying to press a defender when there is no back up from the midfielders/defenders, which must be a tactic from Arne because it happens every game.

Our midfield, what has happened to our midfield, you can drive a bus through it, no shape, no cover, huge gaps between them and seeming lack of physicality and fitness.

What are we doing on the training pitch as our passing is laboured, inaccurate and often mistimed.

How have we become such a soft touch and so poor tactically and ineffective in breaking down teams, whilst having a soft underbelly?

For me most of the above can be solved with good coaching and conditioning.

Apart from brain farts, most of our issues lay at Arne’s feet, he sets the tactics, shape of the team and team selection, he has to help inspire players and provide a platform to be successful.

I hate that I am of the mind that Arne should go as I don’t want us to be that team, but lets not do the same as Man U and do what they did with Ten Hag.

I don’t like comparing ourselves to them, but I just don’t feel confident in Arne, nothing against him, I always want our players, coaches and team to be a success.

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7479

You can legislate a bit for that. It needs to be automatic through repetition.

Unfortunately this season has been a mentally tiring one with no consistency or prolonged positivity to build on.

7480

You didn’t ask a question. You just accused me of deflecting (whatever the fuck that is)

Can you point out the question please. Happy to answer it.

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7481

As I said it needs to be ingrained but also needs to be coherent and