no idea. don’t think I said it was impossible to be successful with below average players - our squad under Bielsa being a case in point Don’t think their success is sustainable to be honest, but good luck to them. I’m just making the point that teams with better players generally do better, and that changing managers often doesn’t help.
We’re still outrunning all our opponents as a team, but maybe the intensity has dropped I don’t know. I doubt it’s effort. The comparison with Sunderland is an interesting one, our expected points is still above theirs, they’ve had a bit of luck no doubt but they dont make things easy for people. We’ve conceded twice as many goals as them, but our expected goals against is almost identical to theirs, Farke was right yesterday when he said games at this level are decided on small details, we’re getting those details wrong. What proportion is him v players I guess is open to debate. I always targeted villa as our best chance of points in this run of games. They’ve been poor this season and rode their luck in their winning run. The Bournemouth games was never a 4-0 kind of game but they deserved their win and are hitting form at the wrong time for us.
Its no good outrunning your opposite number if you don't run with him as he scores tap ins every week. Its good that we outrun opposition but you've also got to do it at the right times. We aren't doing that either going forward and clearly not tracking back.
This was my pre-match prediction on how things might turn out. Wasn't a bad prediction. Its not like I'm saying these things in hindsight. Its clear and obvious what our basic issues are recently. They are easily fixed but for some reason Farke is letting it slide.
That was my point, I don’t think it’s effort per se, but more likely intensity and concentration. Their second goal wasn’t about effort. It was communication/ball watching. Bijol points to Gibbs whiteand clearly assumes Ampadu is taking him. Fck knows what was said or who should have taken him but Ampadu just watches the ball. For me he’s ampadu’s man, but some would argue regardless you should never have that big a gap between your centre backs. Rodon is watching the guy at the back, bogle is ball watching. It’s p*ss poor. The sort of thing that happens when you’re stretched but unforgiveable when the defence is set. Players responsibility? Poor coaching? Unless you’re on the training ground you can’t say for sure. Either way it’s really poor. A 5ft 7 midfielder has no one with 5 yards of him as he glances it goalwards as our ‘land of the giants’ statues watch on.
I worry that the players don’t actually believe in the system, that they’re being asked to play. Otherwise I don’t understand the reason why we let Gibbs White pretty much walk unchallenged into our six yard box with defenders stood off him for the 2nd goal. Something needs to change, and fast.
Players aren’t good enough and after we’ve gone through another two managers people might open their eyes
I have read some interesting posts yesterday and today, people are entitled to there opinion so here is mine. How many players in our squad would get 20+ million in transfer money—— my opinion, none. Is the team fit? our LB runs the length of the pitch with the ball and no support? We don’t work as a unit, we don’t hit probing balls into the channels, is this clueless coaching, maybe it is, I still think Farke is out of his depth, but who could replace him? Manager and Captain need to sit down and have an heart to heart, a captain is always closer to the players and if there are bad apples in there get them out now before it’s too late.
I said the same when Marsch was here. He wasn't perfect but the players were awful. At least they tried under Jesse but they downed tools under the others.
