Managed to catch the first half and the last 5 minutes. Kane lobbing that mouthy Goon bellend has put me in a good mood for the rest of the week, that's for sure
Couple of observations based on what I watched in the 1st half:
- Our pressing game is back.
- Passing is much, much quicker. Players were averaging no more than 2 touches of the ball before releasing it.
- The 4-3-3 system is already intriguing. It was interesting to watch how the team's shape transitioned between defence and attack. There were definitely similarities to tactics we've seen in the past, namely the CB's splitting and one of the CMs dropping back into defence when the FBs pushed forward. But the twist that comes with starting a front 3 is the potential for the wider 2 attackers to cut into narrower positions when that FB overlap happens, which in turn leads to the most central of them - usually Parrott in this case - to actually drop deeper and operate in the space left between the opposition's defensive and midfield lines. Time and again our attacking pattern went:
1) Georgiou/KWP Push forward.
2) Son and Alli drift infield, drawing the attentions of the bulk of Juve's defenders
3) Parrott stays central but drops slightly. No one knows who is meant to be picking him up, which is how he ends up having a half where he is at the heart of all of our best moves going forward, including Lamela's goal.
Picturing this with Son and Lucas either side of Kane and applying the same tactical sequence is simply frightening on paper, and brings us very much in line with the way Pool's front 3 operate, although to my mind Kane is a far better all-round player than Firmino, so should be even better at that job.
- Georgiou was full of endeavour but lacked end product.
- KWP reminded me not to give up on him just yet.
- Skipp looked really bright and seems to be on a different level in terms of confidence. I'd imagine getting through the gauntlet of breaking into the first team can do that to a young man.
- Alli worked his socks off but the amount of time and touches he appears to require before releasing the ball remains a concern. This was especially noticeable given the speed with which everyone else was moving possession.
- Tanganga looked so composed both on and off the ball. A wildcard for next season?
- Parrott plays with an intelligence belying his years. His pass and diagonal run into space to set up our first goal were really impressive, and he looked totally at home taking on defenders with a decade more experience than him. He has something of the Keanos about him, and it isn't just his accent. Same energy, same audaciousness, same raw confidence. It's early, early doors but would be great to see him getting some cup games this season.
