Thomas.
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They can learn patterns and player movements in a well coached system i.e have automatism that helps the team progress.
I think Hendo was an example of this, as he wasnât great at holding up the ball under pressure he learnt where players would be moving in situations and just played the pass without controlling the ball looking incredible 1st touch.
He even did it playing for England recently and wouldnât have had that much time to get to know the ways of the other players, so a club team bidding for a top slot in the EPL should surely be capable.
One of our big problems I feel is we have too many players trying, and not succeeding, to be play makers. Holding onto the ball too long when pass and move would be so much more effective. Grav and Szoboszlai both have a tendency to carry the ball too far ending up with few or no options when passing and moving would create so much more danger. I mean why ignore players like Wirtz, Gakpo and Rio. That movement after the pass is the key
I get the feeling you have a set idea how the game should be played. With different players you need different approaches. I know in England itâs hammered into you, fast wingers get to the byline and cross however things can evolve and get better.
Heâs just the blind man leading the blind 
.
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I am lost at what has happened to Szob, maybe it was Slot, but he used to be involved in quick short quick pass and move situations with various players down our right.
Stumped at why he has changed
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Always appears during transfer season and when negativity is needed
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Very possible because the players he used to be able to release the ball quickly to arenât here anymore.
I remember a coach once taking me aside to ask me why I wasnât hitting the wingers in behind the FB anymore. I told him that if he could help me out by coaching those new fuckers to actually run off the ball once in a while Iâd have an option to try to hit.
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I think Wirtz shares your angst
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When he first arrived he looked the part, as you describe. For me itâs been a long time since he showed that dynamism. He played further to the right back then and didnât âleadâ the press.
Thereâs a good player in there, I think heâs concentrating on the wrong things and our press isnât as targeted as it was.
I really donât have a clue whatâs happened.
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Honestly with the players we have I donât think the double pivot is going to work. Donât even think one new signing is going to fix it.
Can we please go back to a 4-3-3 with Gravenberch as the lone CDM, staying deep, sitting between the CBs if necessary and closing down spaces for our attacking fullbacks.
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Well, either 116m or 125m must be benched for that to happen.
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Alisson
Bradley Jacquet vanDijk Kerkez
Gravenberch
Szoboszlai Wirtz
Muñoz Isak Barcola
Bradley Jacquet vanDijk Kerkez
Gravenberch
Szoboszlai Wirtz
Muñoz Isak Barcola
Who?
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Wirtz cannot play as LCM of a 4-3-3 formation. Sorry, Iâd Macca and even Nyoni before him in a three-man midfield.
Btw Bradley will not start for a long time.
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Why not? Please explain.
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Yes, weâd be much more solid with Grav, Alexis and Dom in midfield. Dom can then play to his strengths as the furthest forward and press. Wirtz can play wide left or right.
Nyoni looks a good player introduce from the bench to pick up experience. No need to play him from the start as a saviour straight away.
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He lacks sufficient defensive qualities to play in the midfield and his passing range is not long-ranged enough for playing deeper. He needs to be close to the penalty area to create chances, but cannot really pass from the deep.
He lacks pace and dribbling skills to play wide at Premier League, unfortunately. Barcola, Rio and Munoz will rotate at the wings.
As for Nyoni, if he is good enough to start then he is good enough to start. Declan Rice became a regular starter at West Ham from 2017/2018. TAA also became a starter in the same season at age 19. Alex Scott is IMO a perfect player to play alongside Nyoni/Macca as he also knows inside out uwhat Iraola demands from his midfielders and his profile is very similar to Henderson.
The only positions that you donât want to start teenagers are CBs.
You can make changes in midfield that require Wirtz to âplay on the leftâ but heâs not going to play like a LW which means whatever formation you wrote on paper to make it work is not how it will play out in practice.
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I think todays game against Nottingham Forest showed what a conundrum we have with Szob. One of the better engines in a player at the club, if not the best, yet having him in the middle of the park âbuzzingâ around without impact, unfortunately exposes other limitations within his game.
I said this 12months ago when Slot had him. If Szob was agreeable, I feel he could be coached into becoming the best RB in Europe. Our very own Valverde so to speak.
This is a guy that could run up and down the touchline more than anyone else in the PL. Imagine being an opposing defender having to face that type of energy⊠His longer range passing could be more direct and hit into forward areas of the pitch, his crossing from out wide could become a real weapon with Isaac in the middle, and his free kick taking duties would still be up for grabsâŠ
If we are to release the potential of Wirtz, I think we need a âtag-teamâ double pivot behind him. A sort of opposing piston rams that progress the play, when one goes forward, the other stays back protecting the CBâsâŠ
Even in a few short weeks, one thing that has struck me about Iraola, and that is he doesnât seem bothered about leaving players out if he thinks it improves the team structure⊠Be a shame if Dom got caught up in that type of assessment if his midfield berth came under threatâŠ
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Szobo only works in a midfield three as RCM where he can overlap or underlap the RW or RB. His main key strength in open play is running with the ball and long shots.
The unfortunate part is that he ainât got that sharpness of mind and vision and that passing ability to affect things from CM or AM. That contrast couldnât be anymore clearer when compared with Wirtz at AM. In a 4231, Szobo at AM allows us to exploit shit opposition number 6s that cannot have the agility to skip challenges and pass his way out when we are in the OOP phase. However, it can only work in the European games where the numbers 6 are not used to the physicality and stamina of Szobo.
In the PL, that is largely negated due to the physical nature of the English game where the opposition number 6s are either very agile and are good passers and/or they come in man mountain sizes. Coupled with our midfielders having that penchant to slide right in, this means Szobo is not able to pin down the opposition No. 6s in England, be it physically or mentally.
If Szobo plays at CM, his worst traits are amplified. He cannot outpass or outskip an opposition CM/DM. If he play to his best traits, the OOP will be scary for us when he saunters upwards, leaving us vulnerable to counter attacks.
At RB, it is a whole different game altogether for Szobo which I hope Szobo himself can see. At RB, he is given much much more space. That allows him to do the thing he likes to do. Crosses, Overlaps of the RW, running up and down a channel. His physicality also allows him to outmuscle opposition wingers.
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