You say "it's only Brentford" but we've found them to be difficult opponents over the last couple of years
Utd will be the first real test. They are not that good and certainly not that organised, but always raise their game against us. If we win and control the game then I can see the Slot approach serving us well this season and the more games we play it the better we will become at it. If Utd win then obviously Slot out
All that, and they really have some fantastic players. tbf. But I'll say now what I said to family and friends when we were 1-0 up - there'll be no whining from me (!) if we play football like this every week, especially in both 2nd halves. We'll give many chances away - but we'll create many, many more as we did today. I'm saying now that the combination of City and Arsenal will probably be too much to win the title, and perhaps it's far too much to ask Slot to win it in his first season. But we're good enough to get top four IF we can keep Szobbo at that pace and energy all season. We're a far more vibrant and energetic when he's on it. He fell off the pace last season from @ late October/November and never really got it back, but let's pray he keeps fit and hungry this season. Gravernberch was more than decent too, and that allows Macca to be Macca (and Trent gets space too). Yep, I feel good, not just for winning, but for the way we've played in the last 135 minutes.
Yeah but they will still be bottom half. They did well enough but the second we stepped up the park a bit we were in real control. Then the real game plan becomes clearer and the passes flow. Every team in the prem can do damage and play really well of course but some like Brentford have to be right on it if we are on it. Slot. Would like to see the second half in the first half and positioning needs to be better. Simple really. Credit to the effort to run them into the ground first half and then second half dominate. Wants trent to be the "free man"
Two things noticed from vvd and slot. Both referenced that when we lose the ball it’s about everyone sprinting to get back into position to defend. It’s one thing under klopp that sometimes lacked - we were very open at times. Was that because of the more full on tactics which left us more tired / more open? I like to hear that from them both though, should be a given that if you lose the ball you either press to win back or run to get back goalside but know it doesn’t always happen. From slot - I want to see everybody sprinting back and doing everything they can to avoid conceding a goal and that's what we did very well today. Vvd - We all defend together. You see how quickly we are to get behind the ball and it is a good start and we have something to build on and we have to see [what will happen]."
Mito and Saint will be happy - expect to see TAA being wide a lot more. Still coming inside but also be out to whip those dangerous balls in Slot - I think Trent has many qualities, and one of them is the crosses from the side. If we only play him in the midfield he can only pass the ball, which he can of course do quite well. But I also want him in dangerous crossing positions.
said to the Mrs (who didn't seem that interested for some reason ) that how nice it was to see Trent as a RB and even better doing good defensive work
We played some fab stuff going forward today, especially in the second half. I know we gave one or two chances away, but we could have scored another three or four easily. We were muffing up those breaks last season that we got for the first goal - Jota was Bobby-like with his touch and composure setting that up. And I'd say keeping Jota and Szobbo fit will be the key to everything, especially the big games. Jota is developing as new Bobby IMO, and I really can't compliment him higher than that.
Two games in so not much to base anything on but my initial thoughts are ...less exciting but maybe more efficient.
I don't think it's less exciting when the passing flows. I think people need to see they key things here. Both games we have improved after half time so whether you think we are fitter or we are able to adjust ourselves tactically it is all positive going forward. Control is not passing in our penalty area, no that's just a tactic to create space. Control is not passing it between defenders slowly. This is about having options on to play to a d being able to move the ball and dominate possession. Second half the ball went wide to out rb slot where a trent, Bradley or konate would get it and in the end the ball down the line to sa,ah was always on. Thats having the option. Compare that to last season when there was no width at all. Players passing crisply with one and two touches and getting a team mate into a position to pick that next pass or recycle. Pass pass pass then look facing the right way for the best option. There's clearly a much greater emphasis on one touch passing and lay offs to get a man in position to pick that forward pass. If its not on then its not forced.
Yeah, I don't think we're less negative at all. Indeed, I'd say we were less chaotic and haphazard. I'll see where we are come October (not just in terms of our place in the league, but in our style of play), and I'll say more then, but for now I'm really happy. We'll have to up our game a tad in 1st halves - we can't give City or Arsenal a 45-minute start, that's for certain - but this is as good, if not better, we could expect with a new manager after Klopp.
One thing I didn't like at the start as this slow playing out from the back, I felt it put us under unnecessary pressure and allowed Brentford to press the back line and made it difficult.
There's a difference between playing out and making slow ponderous passes. The good sides will eat slow passing alive. Thry will and we all know that. You can play deep or you can push up and you can control in either scenario. I don't say a word about paying deep to make space. I said it's too slow amd imo I was dead right. The second have we passed it faster and still controlled the game but passing it faster sent Brentford scurrying. If you watch a real madrid or Spain they might control games but the passing is still fast and deliberate and precise. This imo is what slot wants. There's loads of mistakes being made by our players still in terms of paying behind their team.mate or playing into blind alleys or just not moving to be the option. Thats fine. The difference is that so far none of those mistakes are fatal.as we have had cover but also the opponents are not very good. Next week is a step.up, no matter how much we'd like to piss on utd and their set up it's still a step up to top half and top 6 football and we need to up our game accordingly. Just play the ball faster. The rest will come.
It's like before the Ipswich game - "Newly-promoted team, at their ground, 12.30 ko - it's gonna be tricky" - and when we win "it's only Ipswich".
Sorry folks but lower half teams are lower half teams. Ill challenge any ****er on here to find a post where I called Ipswich a tricky game.cos it's 12:30. I actually went out of my way to say slot is a morning person and forget the 12:30 rubbish. Lfc must beat the lower half teams time and away 100% if at all possible and if not 18 or 19 out of 20 to have a hope in the race to the top. Ipswich were pasted by city, sure it's a little harder at their home ground when their ground is bouncing but it should still be routine. Brentford were alright but once we stepped up the park and enforced out game on them thry had no response. Two good results but no more than good. It's only early days and we have to establish the teams confidence in the system. What I found more interesting is that we didn't see 3 and 4 players all run towards thr ball like under klopp in a frantic press to win it back. We had structure to the press and if the opponent could find a few passes round that we wer back in shape. Under klopp I stated many many times thst all 3 cms would go at the ball and one pass and you are onto the back 4. Structure is no harm, I called this a lack of balance last year. Also finally control isn't sitting deep passing it slowly. It's actual control and moving the ball well so your players have options to pick out. If you.move the ball quickly it beats any player running every time. It doesn't have to move 40 yards to.move fast. It can be 5 yards bang bang bang and the end result is the right back slot with a view of the park and a couple good option to play to including going back across the line or back to keeper. No.issue. But if you pass slow and the opponent can shut down your passing lanes then you are not in control
Bit you can’t pass the ball quickly for 90 mins of the game. You need to get used to it otherwise going to become a parrot for 50 games this season. There will be plenty of times where we slowly knock it around, it’s intended to draw the opposition out and then you up the tempo to go through the lines. At home we know teams will sit deep against us, and it’s always going to be about being patient in the build up and wait for the right moment. Risk and reward as slot says, reduce some of the risk to keep better overall control of the game and situation. Yes ideally you don’t want your cbs just knocking it about between them with no one near them going no where, every team will do it at times and won’t be in the plan, but slowing the tempo down seems a legit tactic so far. Going to have to get used to it.
