He can say what he wants. Football has changed, yes. However, is there something Rosenior knows in his 1 year of being a head coach that Guardiola, Arteta, De Zerbi etc. don’t know yet? Because they all play with defensive midfielders at the heart of their teams who are good technically and read the game well but still possess good physicality. It’s funny because people say ‘Liam knows best’ in this regard about how he wants us to play, Seri and Slater are good enough defensively and that football has changed and physicality isn’t important blah blah blah and yet the best coaches in England and the world all seem to think very differently. Funny that.
So many times last year we needed someone to take a card, instead of waving a pathetic leg at someone ghosting past them. I'm with you, a physical presence with a degree of skill is the difference between top and bottom half for me.
totally agree, but I think that’s about us been more Street wise as a team, not as soft rather than having 1 midfield battler. Collectively we need to get smarter
I agree. I know some don’t like the concept of ‘tactical fouls’ but even Rodri does it. If he senses the opposition can potentially hit Man City on the counter-attack and he can’t make a clean tackle, he’ll just bundle some poor **** on the half-way line and give Man City a chance to get back into position to defend a free-kick that isn’t in a dangerous area. We don’t do this. Against Boro and Sunderland away last season, I’m confident we could’ve prevented most of the goals they scored against us if someone in midfield just made a tackle or even a foul near the half-way line. Instead, Seri just made a half-hearted attempt to stick a leg out whilst they hit us with pace on the counter.
9th place at best 15th place at worst if I'm wrong, i'll be glad unless we are somehow worse than my worst prediction
The first and third Boro goals could’ve been prevented imo. Go to 8:25 on the video. Slater and Seri both get close to Akpom but don’t put a challenge in which gives him time and space to make a pass to the winger who cuts it back and they score. Then go to 10:50 and see Seri get nudged away by a Boro player who then passes the ball forward for the third goal. This is why I bang on about it. Because when we don’t have possession, our midfield are so weak and passive that it gives good teams opportunities to hurt us.
and i still think the reason we cut out conceding so many is because we nullified our attacking play the best teams have the balance of the two, yet to be seen if we will have such a balance
I must resist I must resist I must resist... The views expressed in my posts are not necessarily mine.
Fair enough, I always think of Ash as that type of break up player, but he was also a red card waiting to happen at times. I get the sort you want, it’s just most people mention Ash when it comes to the “enforcer” role.
I'd still say Ash is absolutely the sort of 'enforcer' we need!! A real leader, which we need, haven't got and haven't had for a while now. An often under-rated player too. Did the simple things superbly well. And chipped in with some important, memorable goals too. I think I'm right with the following: 359 senior appearances 4 red cards (3 straight, 1 from 2nd yellow) 67 yellow cards So, roughly a red card every 100 appearances. That seems nothing too out of the ordinary for someone playing that role.
