pcmacca

I also hope the new manager is going to improve the young players Frank brought through. I hope CHO gets more chances, I hope James improves his defending, I would love to see Mount dominate games rather than flashes of inspiration and I hope someone can teach Tammy to react quicker and get in better positions than he is currently. I know I am saying that after a hat trick but it really should have been more. I would also like to see wee Billy playing more of a part rather than just the odd run out he has been getting as he is one of the most forward looking DMs we have. All of these players now have a chance to learn from a truly tactical manager and could improve their game greatly.

Like so many others I wanted Frank to succeed but due to his lack of experience he has looked out of his depth in the last few weeks. It looked to me that he was relying on individual talent to get a result rather than any great tactical planning. Even against Luton, so many of the attacking passes went astray as players did not exactly where the teammates were. The new manager is going to more or less be the opposite as he will attempt to micro manage everything off and on the field. The players will practice routines over and over again on the training pitch so hopefully there will be less of balls played long from the back running into touch whilst the supporters ask who that was for. So in many ways, it is going to be the opposite of what Frank was doing as most young players need instructions. Whether it works with these players, we will see but I honestly believe we will start to see outstanding performances from the players who have come from Germany and that form of playing. I would love to go back a week or so though and hear Frank say that he realises he needs some more help and looks for a purely tactical routine driven coach to join him so he really could learn whilst in the job.

Sadly I have to agree. Would have loved him to succeed but in the end his lack of experience was apparently becomming obvious with the players if it is true that he wasn't offering up tactics but relying on individuals to go on the pitch and play their game with minimal instructions. Under those conditions, players will often take the safer option and pass square or backwards.

Sadly, the difference was the Southampton manager had the experience of dealing with downturns in his past. Frank simply needs more experience learning elsewhere.

The reason they would be doing it now is to try and achieve top 4. If they finish outside the top 6, even with a new manager, it will be very hard to attract decent players and we can forget about Haaland.

I think Frank would get so much more support whatever the result, if on Tuesday, the team had played with energy, had some idea of how to break Leicester down, some idea of how to defend as a team rather than individuals and knew how to create chances. These are basics.

I have just read Liam Twomey's article in The Athletic that Frank was referring to and it is damming. His Podcast about that game is also worth a listen https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-lampards-successor-will-speak-german-early-move/id1488401364?i=1000506010727 I don't think Frank should have risen to the bait though, it is never a great idea for managers to fall out with journalists. Grant is also mentioned, thankfully indicating that he won't be coming back to Chelsea any time soon.

If you read into Pep's time in Mexico in depth, you will see that he learnt everything how he wanted to setup his teams for the future and he took that to Barcelona, and when he became first team coach he immediately got rid of high profile names he believed would not fit the system. He has tweaked it many times since the original plan was there then.

You didn't but I was only responding to someone who strongly suggested the next 2 rounds of the Cup were in the bag so he meant that Chelsea had already beaten Luton and then I predicted it would be Norwich afterwards.

I also believe there is a better right back than both of James and Lamptey just about to break through from the Acacemy - Livramento. He has pace, can cross the ball with pace and can also defend properly, not leaving forwards to have free headers and shots.

I wish he would explain his blueprint to everyone else.

Sorry but I have to disagree. The story of the season PL is that we haven't beaten any good team in the PL nor looked like doing so.

I agree about Pulisic and he needs to get the ball earlier when he still has space in front of him but for some reason over the last few weeks Chillwell has always played the ball square or backwards rather than down the line for Pelusic to run into.

I hope you are right but I am dreading the next round in the CL and Norwich away in the FA Cup is a wee bit of concern too.

I agree and as I said the other day, Pep had more grounding than we realise, he spent time prior to Barcelona learning from a "mentor" in Mexico.