Yes, don’t over commit, force him where you want him to go, slow him down and when you have good cover you can then try to win the ball.
That last bit was what Trent didn’t do well.
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Doku is just a Belgian Adama Traore. He’s all fast twitch muscle and pace but once he does beat a man he’s not actually doing much else that’s particularly threatening.
I think it was last season Trent got some pelters for getting beat by time and again. When you looked back it most of that was from Trent forcing him inside. Now he’s getting pelters for showing him down the line.
If the bloke is significantly quicker than you, your job is to make sure if you do get beat, it’s in a way that takes him into an area that’s least dangerous. They’re playing without a CF. Showing him down the line for him to cross into no one seems like a decent plan.
Ultimately Doku has contributed nothing of real note in either game so job done as far as I’m concerned.
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So, Dom and Mo both commented after the game that this was an accident as his lay off wasnt supposed to go there (Im guessing that is why we saw the odd reaction to it)
https://x.com/LFC/status/1894099982019358969
Where was it supposed to go then? To Trent on the edge of the box out of picture?
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Curtis
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Thinking their fans are KdB fans, or Haaland, or Pep, When they go, the fans go.
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“Bellingham’s civil partner” lol
Darwin getting 3rd place in the Ballon Dor.
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I have to pinch myself… 11 points clear of our rivals:grinning:
. So proud of our boys.
I am kind a in two minds, whether to come on the last day of the match or that bus day thingy.
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Here i fixed the stats:
Everton: 6%
Liverpool: 11%
Manchester City: 18
Manchester United: 13%
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On Doku v TAA. Can fully appreciate the idea of covering TAA when he forces Doku out wide onto his weaker foot, especially when they didn’t have Haaland to worry about.
But it would have been nice had he won a few of his 1v1s! If for no other reason to get into Doku’s head, possibly forcing Doku to be less direct. Would have given TAA a breather, he looked spent by the end.
All the talk from Arsenal and City fans is it would be a different result if Beluga played. When you remind them he did in November they go quiet.
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We lost because Trent is shit … Oh wait …
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When you have strong pacy CB’s Haaland isn’t a major threat, to me he is another flat track bully.
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This over simplistic garbage is frankly annoying.
Almost NO professional teams routinely play with opposing attackers being defended by their defenders one on one. NONE!!
Top attackers across Europe and South America get doubled up. Why? Because they’re TOP attackers! All teams, even elite ones the RM and Bayern and ESPECIALLY Italian ones double up on their opponents’ main goal threats.
Teams go 1 v 1 at the back as a less used alternative.
No matter how much Trent trains practices etc, at this point he will never be as quick as Doku. Few players in world football are. It’s normal to help him. We are a football TEAM, not a collection of individuals. We find effective ways of winning as a team. Maximising each player’s strengths while giving them support so their weaknesses are minimised.
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… and as it stands we are the best team even if Nunez and Trent are shit!
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The tactics on Sunday worked.
If Bradley was fit he may have got a red for kicking lumps out of Doku. Trent played him the way he should have, and Konate/Gravenberch and Salah did the rest. Then Endo.
I imagine Mo was told to track a bit more.
No one attempted a tackle in the box, no penalty calls or drama.
It was perfectly orchestrated management of their threat.
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Also this general malaise of always moaning about something despite a good result.
There is no such thing as perfection in an imperfect world.
A win is a win. Enjoy it and look to the next.
A draw doesn’t mean the world is fucking ending either. Always looking for faults means you never get to enjoy the moment.
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One of the big issues I have with my U10s team is the players going and engaging 1v1, flying into the tackle, and getting taken out of the game.
We’ve spent a lot of time working on sensible defending, and the idea that defending isn’t necessarily tackling. I’ve said I want them holding their playing up, blocking the route to goal, showing the player wide, and waiting for help.
They don’t understand this of course. They’re 9. They want the ball. They get excited. They go and try and get the ball, and end up swiping at fresh air
Trent’s performance on Sunday was one to show them. Because defending doesn’t mean tackling. He made the sacrifice of looking rubbish - prompting internet cartoons of him getting skinned, stats bellends droning about him setting new records for being dribbled past, and Gary fucking Neville going ‘oooooooooooh’ - in favour of doing the sensible thing. Showing Doku into less dangerous areas, slowing him down, waiting for help.
Trent is never going to be an outrageous one on one defender. But he played Doku well. Because Doku is an end product-less show pony. All fur coat and no knickers. All fart and no shit. Let him dribble, let him fanny about. All Trent has to do is to slow him down so that Ibou, or Grav, or for fucks sake, it was that kind of game - Salah team up on him.
Sensible defending. Which doesn’t mean tackling.
The thing I’ve been frustrated at Trent for is his tendency to end up forward in games where we are on the front foot, and not seem that arsed about getting back. There is a distain to his efforts to get back in shape and do the basic right backing. Man Utd being a good example of this.
But criticising his performance on Sunday seems like having a pop for the sake it. It a bit personal. A bit Neville.
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