Match Day Thread Olympique de Marseille v Sunderland AFC - Saturday 3rd August 2024 - KO 15:00

Amazing the difference on this thread to the one over the road

 

Good build up there and Roberts' cross deserved to be put away by someone gambling in the box

 

Alan Browne is really good.

 

How’s Mayenda doing? Are we actually creating chances for a striker under this style of play?

 

I just think Neil does it too often in those areas as he tries to be a little to adventurous for a CDM, it causes an issue when it's lost. Up the pitch less so.

 

What's noticeable is that every time he gets the ball either Hume or Browne are busting a gut to get ahead of him and take a defender away....

 

This isn’t telling us anything we don’t already know tbh…some positives in our play but it all counts for very little without that focal point and goal threat.

 

He seems to be dropping a touch too deep instead of staying up top

 

Their centre forward is exactly what we need strong holds it up takes the pressure off

 

They refuse to see positives. We’re getting beat and not playing old school 442 with two ****houses up front. It’s bad

 

HT 0-1 we are doing well against a quality side.

 

yeh this is what Mendy will bring I reckon, but only if our style of play allows it. It’s so hard to know if we’re set up to actually make use of it when it comes.

it’s why I don’t think Ugbo is the guy because he doesn’t do it

 

I honestly don’t mind it. He gains us something far more often than he loses us. And this opposition is literally a league above what we’ll face next season. Those moments are high profile, but the truth is that the only way to eliminate them totally is to refuse to pass into that area of the pitch. Put the archetypal running tackler into that spot and we’d be forced to pass around there - which restricts us pretty badly.

 

Someone OTR reckons it’s no different to how we finished last season

 

Putting the effort in and is winning his fair share of battles but he doesn't have that knack of finding space in the box. Think he's doing pretty well though and I hope he's kept as a squad option this season

 

Canny first half. That said, we can not waste too many games without a CF, it's just silly obvious that it's really harming the team.

 

Decent first half I reckon. 1 mistake that was punished but that's the quality we're playing against

 

I think we just play as we are Mayenda is trying dropping off and working hard just not strong enough doesn’t hold the ball. I honestly think a strong centre forward transforms this team

 

OTR would expect us to beat Pep's Barca side. We are doing more than fine.

 

Yes !