Passmap time please log in to view this image ...yes, r/coys is once again using this as evidence of Perisic and Son being incapable of playing together, how did you guess? That being said, there are three obvious issues with this map i.) Son playing deep and Kane being further forward is, quite simply, back-to-front. Son's been thriving off Kane sending him on his way for the past couple of seasons, so having him being the player coming deep is nonsensical ii.) Davies appears to be playing LWB and that can't be explained away by the subs as, with the exception of Lucas for Bissouma, all the subs were like-for-like replacements. This also explains why the lines between Dier and him are completely off, as Dier's getting the ball to him (but not as much as it should be) but he;s not recycling it to Dier iii.) You can see from the map that Bentancur was being pressed, because the only line from him is the one to Doherty which is as often as not a safety ball, but the lack of lines to either Hojbjerg or Bissouma while they were both getting the ball to him regularly (at least ten completed passes each, based on the thickness of the lines)which is why things ground to a halt And this drags me back to what I was saying last night: Conte's league-winning Inter side played 3412, and when you take that into account then our midfield makes a lot of sense as the Hojbjerg/Bentancur pairing is comparable to the Brozovic/Barella one - but that had Eriksen in front of them, plus Martinez would drop deep, and this is where things do seem to be going wrong with our tactical switch as we're playing under the impression that a player we don't have in a position we're not using is on the pitch
We were awful, but let's give credit where its due. Man Utd played well they are nowhere near as bad as they are being painted and are beginning to gel into a side that will challenge for top 4. In Varane, Martinez, Casemiro, Eriksen and Fernandes they have the core of a very good side. What annoys me most about last night is our coach and our players being unable to work out what was going wrong. Dalot had the freedom of the right flank all night and was always available and used the time and space given very well, we never got to grips with this. We also never really picked up Bruno who found space frequently between our 3 MF and 3 CB where no space should have been available. Let's be honest it was only Hugo that kept the score respectable he was terrific after that initial nervous moment. Everyone else had a proper off night and this becoming a habit in big away games, that we cannot afford, the players have to front up in these matches, that stat they banged on about us winning home games V bottom 4 (now 3) and getting 19 of our 23 points v teams in the bottom half is a telling stat at this point and unless that improves top 6 is the best we can hope for. But I will counteract that by offering the crumb of confidence that the games with better sides have so far all been away, our next 2 home games are Newcastle and Liverpool we then may have a better idea of where we are I have feeling that it will looking at top 6 not top 4.
Breaking the bank isn't becoming much of an issue for us now. The majority of those you listed do very little in terms of genuine improvement, so the chances are we'd spend a small to moderate amount of money and barely improve, if at all. If we want to be truly competing at the top then we need to aim higher than most of those you've listed, otherwise you'll just be repeating your point within 18 months but with different names. Letting Reguilon go and not Sessegnon is what's taken us backwards, Stevie Wonder can see Sessegnon is utter toilet, just as he can Emerson and to a slightly lesser extent, Doherty. All three aren't good enough, we only have to look back 5 or so years and can prove it when comparing any of them to Rose, Walker or Trippier. Perisic hasn't been as good as I'd hoped in some games but what he's offered so far is more than any of the other WBs combined, we'd be around 5-6 points worse off without Perisic's crossing and set pieces. Son's form isn't down to Perisic either, if anything it's more on Kane no longer supplying him from deep due to Conte seemingly wanting Kane to play more as a 9 but even then I don't think that's the main cause. The tactics in this system have sucked the life out of our forwards whilst Son himself is just an inconsistent player, always has been - whether playing alongside Rose, Davies, Reguilon, Sessegnon or Perisic - he's just in his longest patch of poor for this time around. Only he will get himself out of it, won't matter is partnered with Sessegnon or Perisic or anyone else at LWB.
It doesn't look any better when you ask for a second opinion please log in to view this image At this point I have to ask if this is a tactical decision, as Perisic doesn't have the pace on the counter, so to compensate we're are... i.) Making Davies a LWB in a 352, in spite him being the LCB and Perisic the LWB ii.) Having Perisic play as a LW in a 352, in spite Kane and Son being the front two and Perisic the LWB And what's that doing? Creating a gap at LCB, as the LCB is having to play LWB as the LWB is playing as LW because they lack the pace on the counter to be LWB in our system if we're playing on the back foot You know what could sort this issue quite easily? Ryan Sessegnon starting matches
Sessegnon is done, going on four years in and barely a sniff of improvement. We should cut our losses and move on. I agree Gil should be loaned out, as should Sarr, White, Tanganga and Spence (if we aren't going to give him more than 3min cameos). We didn't utilise the loan market well enough in the summer and it is affecting the development of numerous young players. Bring Reg back and use Perisic further forward as cover for the wide attackers, replacing Gil.
Selling Sessegnon would make absolutely no sense. He's been our only functional left wingback so far. Arguably wingback in general. Even if we were to bring back Reguilon, who's been injured all season, we'd still need him.
I don't even think we have a style this season and that's the most annoying thing for me. We're just sitting back, peddling the ball about between defenders and midfielders then often knocking a hopeful ball up top that often leads to very little. It's almost a carbon copy of the **** we saw under Jose and Nuno, what makes it more frustrating is Conte largely got us playing great for spells last season, then got a better squad for this season and has yet somehow reverted to some utter nonsense style of football that isn't allowing one single player to excel in.
What's functional about him? He can't defend and can't attack, he's also slower than Eric Dier - and probably Perisic. Keeping terrible footballers never makes sense and he's most certainly one of them. He's just lucky Emerson has been even worse on the opposite flank to take the heat off of him.
Well for one thing, him playing doesn't see our LCB have to play at LWB and create a honking great gap in our defence
He hasn't been that bad and he's been involved in most of our better performances. He's homegrown, young, gets up and down well enough and can play more than one position. We've got Udogie coming in next summer to compete for his position, too. The balance of the team is wrong in both of the formations that we use. The individual players can be improved on, but that won't change. It's not about quality, it's about tactics, systems and making the right choices.
I really don't want to get in on the Perisic-dunking that the Reddit crowd are getting into, but one thing does have to be said Rose, Davies, Reguilon and Sessegnon have all gelled with Son on the left flank over the years - so far, Perisic is meshing with Kane on the far post
He's been dreadful. Getting up and down well enough doing what though? His crosses hit the first man and defensively he's been nowhere near as solid. He has just three assists for the club and two goals in 3 years of being a part of our side. He's not good enough and almost certainly won't ever be. Cash in in the summer and give Udogie a go, maybe get another LWB too and allow Perisic to move further forward. Tactics I agree with, they've been poor but it won't matter in Sessegnon's case, poor players are poor players regardless of tactics.
Getting forward and playing out of position for his role are not the same thing Something I thought there was a consensus about when Sissoko was leaving a gap in midfield when playing RB due to Aurier ****ing off up the pitch constantly
Sorry, but that's crap Last season Davies was not playing as a LWB, he was playing as a LCB who moved the ball forward (as does Romero) while Sessegnon/Reguilon were playing LWB Last night Davies was playing LWB, leaving a gap at LCB, while Perisic was playing LW in a formation that doesn't use wingers This is either a tactical choice which is outright bloody stupidity on Conte's part, or Davies is taking it upon himself to be the Sissoko to Perisic's Aurier which is outright stupidity on Davies for playing out of position, Perisic for playing in a position that we weren't using, and Conte for not seeing the clear issue on our left side and not rectifying it either with subs, a tactical switch, or threatening to staple the Panini's album for the 2022 World Cup one sticker at a time onto Perisic's bathing suit area every time he wandered so far out of position
He is, except last season when he did, he'd more often than not have Reguilon or less often Sessgnon motoring back to slot in behind him if the opposition countered. I lost count of the number of times Reg was closer to Dier than Davies was in defensive phases of play for precisely this reason. This season, him or Lenglet have no one covering them if they push forward as Perisic simply cannot get back that quickly. I'm sorry mate, Perisic looks lovely on paper but in practice he has killed the balance of our entire left flank. I make PNP and HBIC right in this debate. Play him further forward as cover for Son, or not at all. I thought that was what we signed him for in the first place.
I think you’ll find it’s you talking the crap. He was still playing LCB, he was just pushing forward more because none of our other players were doing so. It was a desperate attempt to make stuff happen with no reward. Credit to Davies for trying though.
I can’t remember the last time I watched us lose and thought it’s ok we left everything on the pitch it’s always frustration at the lack of do or die on the pitch after what seems like most defeats not angry disappointed
