Excellent analysis DH and I agree with your preferred line-up, the improvement in Placheta (good job he chose to stay and work hard rather than go on loan) and that Sørensen has confirmed the faith that many of us here had in him. Byram's long awaited return was also encouraging on an otherwise dismal night. As for the game, we started with a bare bones line-up and then were down to one CB when Kabak went off. We spent over £50m on 9 new players and Kabak, Gilmour and Williams were the only ones available last night and Kabak went off injured. Our success under Smith was centred around Normann (who also has a link with Pukki as shown by his Buendia like assist earlier). Their first goal was an excellent individual effort and I don't think we'd have been putting it down to the defending if Pukki had done that. We're still in touch with the bottom 6 places so I haven't given up, but we desperately need Normann and others back. Hopefully West Ham will be postponed, unless that's just an option for the biggest clubs.
Yes we are better, we look more organised defensively but that isn’t going to stop us conceding goals completely. For a team like us we will struggle when missing so many players, look how Leeds have struggled tho season when missing their best players.
There’s always going to be at least one part of the season where we have a lot of key injuries. We need to dig deep. Yesterday evening was a horror show, but let’s face it the result might have looked very different if the first goal hadn’t had that nasty deflection off Aarons, which took it right past Krul’s glove. We are not far off, but we need a bit of luck and we need to stop having every other match looking very sluggish.
Chris Sutton, not one to hold back, criticised Cantwell for his behaviour after being substituted in the EDP. He was pretty ineffectual throughout the first half and doesn’t give the impression of wanting to give his all even with a new manager. Problem now is if we want shot of him , who is likely to come in for him in the January transfer window? His value will have gone down 50% or more now.
****well should never pull on the yellow and green again after his display both on and off the field last night
(1) Are we improved on the Farke team? Yes we are. We don't just "look" better organised defensively (Suffolk Canary), we are better organised defensively (e.g. FBs more restrained, Normann playing more as a DM than under DF) and there has been noticeable improvement in our pressing (how and where we press) and ball recovery. Under DS possession is less of a sacred cow, which means we have been getting the ball forward more quickly than under DF, and off-setting the more frequent loss of possession by improved ball recovery high up the pitch (Sargent a big contributor to this). None of which we managed to sustain last night given the huge number of absentees. (2) Wouldn't it have made more sense to have stuck with a manager who has twice proved he can cut a swathe through the Championship? No. What is the point of "cutting a swathe through the Championship" only to find yourself back having to do the same again the next season but one? With Dean Smith in charge we have improved our chances of survival this season, maintained our chances of an immediate return to the top level next season if we don't survive, and improved our prospects of survival at the top level the season after that.
Agree that Placheta has greatly improved, but still lacking judgement and consistency. Couldn't help comparing him with young Chukwuemeka last night. Delivered the perfect ball for the second goal, which Watkins converted; the pace and trajectory of the cross couldn't have been bettered. Re. feeding Pukki, Sorensen cementing his place at DM would allow Normann to play the role he was brought in to play; he's already demonstrated his understanding of what Pukki needs. Rupp was outstanding against Man Utd; I would start him ahead of either McLean or PLM. Aarons has been found defensively wanting too often this season. Once Byram is fully fit, I think he should be given a chance at RB in preference to Max.
Agree with all of this perhaps even shift Williams to right back to have a left footed left back in Gianoulis, it stunted our attack last night as Williams struggled to play passes up the line and was often cutting back in side
Agree with both your posts, apart from regarding Aarons. I’m 90% sure the only time we have conceded goals on the right hand side is when Aarons has been attacking forward and out of position, with cover failing to make good - until yesterday evening. He is usually rock solid and yesterday (one big error aside, admittedly) it was obvious it was our left hand side that was targeted heavily.
The situation with Aarons is similar to that of Giannoulis as both are more suited to playing as WBs, whereas Byram and Williams are more suited to the FB role. Mumba is probably more of the WB type so could replace Aarons if he moves on, assuming that Byram stays fit.
That is true of Williams on the left but on his more natural side, I.e being right footed on the right hand side, he my be more confident and pushing further forward and also be able to cross balls into the box. I have no idea what his deliver is like to be fair.
True, but Williams lacks the pace of Aarons and Giannoulis when he has to track back when the ball is lost. He's not that slow, just not as quick as them.
https://theathletic.com/3014244/202...ood-reacting-to-farke-and-solskjaer-sackings/ Excerpt: "Despite being right-footed, he wants those charges to continue down the left. He has preferred that flank since he was a young teenager playing for United Under-16s. “Kieran McKenna was the manager and I was a first-year scholar. One game, we had no left-back. I’ve always been right-back, left-back, centre-back from under-14s. He put me there and from then I’ve enjoyed it. I can play either side, even centre-half. I always joke with the boys when I get to 33, 35, when my legs start going, I’m gonna move inside. Right now, I’m a bit young for that.” So he does prefer the left? “I get asked it all the time, it’s so frustrating! Even the players here. I got asked yesterday — I’ve been here for four months and you’re only just asking me! (Norwich full-back) Bali Mumba. We were doing crossing on the left. He was like, ‘Do you prefer the left?’ ‘Yes!’” Williams explains: “There is a massive difference. I feel comfortable on the left. On the right, I feel I am limited in the stuff I can do. On the left, yeah, I might not have the top cross into the box that a left-footer has but I have stuff they can’t do. I like to use that, coming inside, playing one-twos. And my left is not bad, I can still use it.”
