Right, new manager, clean slate etc. What do you hope to see (or not see) on the pitch under the new manager? No more Salisu long throws? Che-Mara partnership? Elyounoussi benched? Personally I'd like to see the ABK-DCC CB-pairing given a go.
I'm pretty disillusioned with the team at the moment. Feels like Adams, Armstrong, Elyonoussi, Diallo, Ward-Prowse, Walcott - pretty much everyone who has been here for a couple of years has let us down massively. I want an instant change in their attitudes. Some fire and fight and strength just some return to the principles we saw under Ralphs first 2 years - work hard, fight for it, quality in everything.
Definitely those CBs. JWP back to his best. More of Maitland-Niles Saints bossing the midfield occasionally A striker Without that last one, it doesn’t matter who the manager is.
All of the above, although think had that have been done, maybe we wouldn’t be having the new manager discussion.
Dear Santa A more disciplined defence, with a decent defensive midfielder (Lavia) giving the CBs protection and the CBs not diving into desperate tackles near the halfway line, being turned and leaving a gaping hole at the back. See the Almiron goal for an example. More responsible attacking from the FBs. I think they push too far forward too soon, which has added to our defensive problems if we then lose possession in our own half. Find some players, especially in midfield, with genuine pace and power to help move the ball forward and to run beyond the strikers. Bring back Steve Williams. On the same theme, wide midfield players who will go past players on the outside and not automatically cut into a cluttered midfield, or slow play down simply because they aren’t quick enough. Goals at the right end. Exciting and competitive style of play that I can enjoy, even if we do lose.
Given the only striker we bought was Mara I really want to see a CheMara partnership A return to form from Aribo He never lost the ball when he arrived and now he never keeps it An ability to attack AND defend in the same game A striker in January No more Diallo or Theo
Salisu's done nothing to warrant being dropped. I would quite like to see if Jones can make 3 at the back work because a back 3 of DCC, ABK and Salisu is actually quite appealing. With Lavia back, he can be the deepest lying midfielder, with JWP and Diallo (he seems to thrive with 3 in midfield) in front. Perraud and KWP as wing backs and Aribo and Che up front, with Aribo dropping deeper.
Because the other two do all the work? Palace did it for me, he was beyond awful and as soon as AMN came on we were so much better I’m amazed the words ‘good’ and ‘Diallo’ can appear in the same sentence without the additional ‘no’ and ‘bloody’ Just my opinion
I have been hoping for a return to 4-2-3-1 for a while. We get overrun in midfield with Ralph’s 4-2-2-2 and get exposed on the wings with 3-4-3. It looks like Jones prefers 3 at the back though, so hopefully he can set us up in a way that stops us getting flooded down the wings. The more I read about his style the more I think this will be Puel round two, which whilst it isn’t exactly inspiring might be what we need right now. Very concerned about where goals are going to come from though, we need to invest in an absolute clinical machine of a striker.
Would be good to see a midfield 3 and win the midfield battle occasionally. Buggest problem with Ralph was his relentless stubbornness to play a two, even when we don’t have the players for it. We are so easy to play through with diallo/jwp pivot and amn/jwp pivot. Need to be much more solid
Mara to have a run with Che. To control midfield occasionally; which we may with Lavia back. Perraud to keep playing!
Noted. Although you probably missed/ignored his performances against Arsenal and Chelsea. All I'm saying is he's put in his best performances when we play 3 in midfield.
I'd like to see us shoot a bit more. I know this sounds obvious but we seem scared to shoot from outside the box. Sometimes you get that bit of luck like against West Ham with Perraud's deflected shot.
Against Arsenal it was Diallo who lost the ball in the chance for Jesus that Elyounoussi miraculously got back to prevent. Would have made it 2-0. Game over. For me Diallo's biggest problems are that he needs too long on the ball, and he doesn't have a 'presence'. A bit too invisible for a CM. He plays like he is the new kid at school on his first day. No doubt he has ability, but he is too shy to demand the ball or berate anyone. AMN is a better choice.
