Honestly though it doesn’t matter what individuals are doing. When we defend we look like we’re 3 or more players down in numbers. At least against Forest and those 3 are easy to identify. Salah, Isak and Gakpo.
I tried getting out of this discussion in this thread a while back but Zoran insisted.
I should have known someone else would jump on the Szoboszlai love and involve at least another 2 players. It wasn’t what I was trying to say. The point was about responsibility and how to get it out of players who are reluctant however they are in other aspects of the game and when it involves senior important players like Gakpo and Szoboszlai I feel the situation is getting chronic.
I’m butting out now as it’s not what I intended nor in the correct thread. Sorry for the distraction.
We’re not either pressing or defending well as a unit, that’s clear as day ever since pre-season. So it’s not surprising that we have gaps.
Missing stuff is easy, I mean, we can go through 90 minutes of a game of football here and talk about every single action or sequence. Should we, though? And football is such a game that a lot of people won’t agree on every bit of it.
It’s impossible not to have bad reactions defensively, it happens to the best players in the best teams. Let alone when we look like this, even to someone like Szobo.
Szobo can improve different aspects of his game, I’ve talked about that in his time here when perhaps it wasn’t popular. But his off the ball work is spot on and it’s a big reason why he’s made himself basically undroppable so far this season.
At this point, as Ubermick (I think) used to say I’d drive him to the airport. Could we release him early to Egypt so he can train for the AFCON? Would he be open to a January transfer to warmer climes? It’s not Mo’s fault that Arne continues to play him (for 90 mins too) when he has completely lost his power and shooting and his confidence is shot so his touch is gone. If anything Arne is polluting his wonderful legacy by letting him on the pitch and if he can’t see that then it makes me feel that it’s time for Slot to go.
It’s a strange one, looking at Mo’s performance level this season and comparing it to the minutes he is given.
I can’t imagine that we would have done this, but it has made me suspicious that as part of Mo’s new deal he got some sort of guaranteed playing time. It’s all I can think of as to why he is not being rotated more.
I don’t the club would agree to that. Mo seemed to be the one pushing for the new contract.
It’s more likely that having given him all the money, Slot feels under pressure to play him. And the small matter that if you need goals, historically he delivers.
Gakpo is doing even worse on the other side, why not try binning him off first? We know only one of these two has the talent required, I’d stick with him a bit longer personally.
Luis, Diogo, Darwin are all big misses for Mo. They all helped create both space and chances for him. Without them, Mo’s age-induced limitations are suddenly front and centre.
If they are big misses, what are then Mane, Firmino and Trent, but especially Bobby? I was skeptical how would Salah and Nunez work together when we bought Darwin, but they actually started by assisting each other nicely.
The lack of better defending from the front overall is a big aspect, plus a little bit what’s behind him, as we try to build new dynamics.
