He got a free kick doesn’t have to go off.
Totally agree on this point, the only one I see actually try to head it to our player when they have the time to do so is Virg, the other player that was exceptional at this was Thiago, Ibou very rarely looks to head the ball directionally to our players when possible.
I know it may seem simple or not pertinent, but how many times does Arne complain that teams play different against us and go long it is that they know that they can compete for the 2nd ball, especially when all we do is get head to the ball without clear thought in trying to direct it.
On the passing, I do feel we are sloppy with passes behind a player too far in front not weighted correctly,a quality pass can dictate what is available to do next with the ball.
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There was one particularly infuriating example of him doing this yesterday. Under absolutely no pressure , no opposing player anywhere near him , he watches a lofted ball come down and heads it about six yards to an unmarked Utd player well inside our half. He had the time to bring it down on his chest and pick a pass but instead initiated a dangerous counter. Maddening.
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Are we caught between a rock and a hard place? There is a new system brought on by people leaving and a manager trying to express his vision - with the change in personnel.
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Gary oneill yaking a lot of sense re lfc on MNF.
Would like to see him back in football.
Thankfully someone else saying the same.
Mo was poor in a lot of games last season then scored 2 with an assist, this year he his poor and then doesn’t produce when he gets the chance.
One little caveat is that when Szob was in the advanced 8 position he would make a lot of underlapping runs to effect the defenders and the indecision did create the chance for Mo to cut inside, however it feels Mo has lost that ability to get in those positions and finish.
I think the evidence is that Mo is done. He should be dropped, keep himself fit for AFCON and come back in the new year ready to fight for minutes off the bench
You really don’t like him?
Although I didn’t think we should have paid as much to expend his contract, I was happy he stayed and if he his legs have gone at the Premier League level, then hopefully we can recoup a transfer fee in the summer.
Love him. Fantastic player with an outstanding attitude. He hasn’t got calls on the pitch but has managed to use his immense talent and force of will to keep at it, get into great positions and impact the game. Game after game. Season after season. You don’t get his record without being (forgive a Redknapism) a ‘top, top, top, top player’.
Thats changed. Last 2 years I’ve been concerned about him and talked about selling him - even last season when he was producing so well you could see that he had lost the extra speed and power that made him unstoppable and was using his craft and intelligence. Unfortunately I think he’s now aged such that (unless he’s at CF) he doesn’t fit out team. And frankly we have better options up top. For his sake I’d love him to leave with a bang rather than a whimper but I think the sooner he’s dropped the better - and hopefully he doesn’t make it back as Hugo, Alex, Fede, Rio, Cody etc play too well.
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I don’t think he is done but I am not sure we should have extended his contract after all.
He certainly shouldn’t start every game like he is untouchable at this point. Frimpong has been shat on for a few performances after he came back from an injury. To me he looked sharp in pre season and the first few games.
Now because his cameos post injury in a side that’s generally been poor, haven’t been great people want rid of him. He’s evidently an option on that right side and so should be given that opportunity.
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Well if we didn’t extend his contract he’d no longer be here so yes he’d be done.
Yeah because when players leave us they basically get taken to the knackers yard to be turned into glue.
Done as in being a player, he evidently can still play whether it is at a level that constitutes constantly starting for us is another matter.
Don’t try and sound clever.
Happened to Michael Owen by all accounts.
He’s done for us. That’s what I’ve said, not sure about sounding clever.
One downside of his ongoing poor form, is that MO doesn’t frighten defenders anymore… they now have a chance to relax their close marking, which in the past, pulled their defensive line out of shape which by default, created extra space for our other forwards and runners to exploit.
It is as though other teams have moved away from having any concerns at all about him… even when he has moved inside and a shot on goal has presented itself, confidence from past admirers is waning each and every time the ball balloons into the crowd, especially if a better option of a side footed pass assist to others was there to be had.
For the sake of MO himself, and his deteriorating legacy, I do really hope he speaks at length with AS about getting him more involved in the action of ‘lurking’ within the box. The days of him cutting in and lashing the ball in the net are becoming fewer by the game - he has earned the patience we owe him, and I hope we see the MO of old many more times this season as the months move forward.
Another concern that is not easily remedied, is that he has been greatly impacted by the loss of his pal. It could be that a change of scenery might be the only thing help with healing the grief…
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I think for me, I have no issues with the club extending Salah’s contract last summer, even though there were obvious signs of a decline. I mentioned last season about Paul Tomkins referring to the power in his shots had decreased.
However, after his goals and assists, and the amount of planned incomings and outgoings anyway, I can see the logic in extending Salah to buy us time to search for a long-term replacement. Replacing Salah on top of what we needed to do in the window would’ve been a huge call (with no transfer fee either), and then with the Jota tragedy, we had to spend more than was originally planned. I think for possible transfer targets, it wouldn’t have looked great either. Sure, we won a title, but losing our vice-captain on a free is one thing, losing your star attacker on a free would’ve been difficult to present in terms of presenting what we were hoping to build.
What the extension has done is bought us time to go for his replacement next summer (please be Olise), allow us to present the prospect of working with our star attacker and legend of the game to new signings like Wirtz and Isak, and reduced what was already a turbulent summer. Another factor is he’s a member of our leadership group. We knew Trent was going, so that was one player down. We weren’t sure whether Robertson was going to stay after Atletico’s interest (I’m assuming behind the scenes, the club knew prior to Salah and VVD’s extensions that there may be an issue with Robertson staying), so that was potentially another leadership figure possibly leaving. Add Salah to that, and it’d have left Alisson, VVD and that’s it. MacAllister would’ve been promoted, but that’s a lot.
At least with the extension, we may get something for him next summer too.
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They were saying on TAW that the opposition previously saw Salah as our greatest threat. Now they see him (I.e. the space behind him) as their greatest opportunity
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Nice line, but we’ve been targeted down our right for years. It was all Trent’s fault before, now it’s all Salah. Galatasaray targeted us in that area when we had Dom and Frimpong defending that flank, with plenty of success.
He’s not our only winger who doesn’t defend, Gakpo is abysmal in that area too (even more so on set pieces, a liability).
The team isn’t defending from the front and we have no midfield. We don’t have a solitary weakness for the opposition to exploit, we have them all over.
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On the one hand, I’m tempted to say that we played like garbage, since we certainly did in moments. On the other, I think that refereeing/posts/generally shit finishing were all big variables that could’ve gone the other way. Regardless, conceding after 63 seconds changes the whole game, especially with our fragile confidence and them having nothing to lose playing transition away from home.
Absolutely should’ve been level long before it was, but could have been 0-2 as well. Game should have been stopped for Macca 100% but we were out of shape in any case and we gave them something to hold onto through carelessness.
As for United, think they’re better than last year, but still wouldn’t be surprised to see us win at OT in the return fixture. They will have a shocker soon enough, and that is perhaps the most frustrating part.
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