I expect the same performance against Palace if Caicedo is in the middle by himself again.

The festive period (December) has always been a tricky one for us in recent seasons. We lost to Everton and Wolves last season during the festive period, too. I think we should realise this is a blip and start 2025 with more positivity. Enzo has brought some positivity back to the club after recent seasons, especially since Tuchel left. We have to give him time, too. He is also a young (experience as a coach) coach, too. His first coaching role in England he won the Championship, which isn't easy to do. Now he's coaching this club, which is a much bigger task, and after recent seasons, is a tricky job. I do believe he will do well for us. The Premier League is arguably the toughest it's ever been, and we are currently sitting in the top four going into 2025. There are positives to take from the start of the season until now. Let us try to strengthen (hopefully) in Jan', then go again in 2025. Have faith. 

Everton I'd let slide, but these past two results were on him.

Publicly said Nkunku can't play ST, plays him there. Publicly said there is a pathway for Acheampong and LOVES him, plays Disasi at RB when it only leads to a disaster.  You don't need coaching badges to see that Disasi and Nkunku shouldn't be playing those positions. 

 

 

 

I think he’s been found out - unfortunately. 

Just now, JM7 said:

I think he’s been found out - unfortunately. 

I suspect that but let’s see if he has the ability to adapt even further.

It’s no coincidence the teams we got beat by played the same framework 5 defenders, WG and try and catch us in transition.

Unfortunately in this post match interview he thinks we were unlucky and that game was acceptable.

5 hours ago, bluetrooper said:

I think we're on the cusp of the game changing again. Everyone is playing diet coke Pep light football. Some teams have got better at it, Nottingham forest or Bournmouth for example. Smaller teams are doing it better than the big teams. United have looked sh*te for years now trying to do it. 

the next dominant team will ditch pressing only systems in favour of something more pragmatic or tactical and everyone will do it. When everyone does the same do something different. Disrupt... 

Honestly, six months on from poch, our defence is still shocking and over the last month we've stopped scoring. no offence, I want to see what we were serving up under pochs last six months and Maresca's first four months. Palmer central looks lost and is far easier to mark out of a game. 

I think Noni is earmarked for January/summer departure regardless of what he does, as are probably a number of others and hence the slump in form for many. 

Its three really really bad results that could screw the top four for us.

 

More like over the last week or so we have stopped scoring. Games have come thick and fast in December. We scored an average of 3 goals per game in the 4 league games first half of December. If the dry spell continues for a few more games it will definitely be a big worry though.

There is certainly a valid question to be asked over whether our form for much of the first half of the season could be attributed to Maresca, or was just a factor of being inherited from Poch. Many on here wanted Poch out despite the fact that we showed significant improvement over the season. I am hoping this is just a blip for Maresca but I still think he will need some time and patience. While we have some very decent players in the squad, we also have many who are not good enough or are continual sicknotes and will probably need to be moved on. This is especially the case in defense. I will be interested to see if Anselmino gets any chances second half of the season.

1 minute ago, forbzy said:

More like over the last week or so we have stopped scoring. Games have come thick and fast in December. We scored an average of 3 goals per game in the 4 league games first half of December. If the dry spell continues for a few more games it will definitely be a big worry though.

There is certainly a valid question to be asked over whether our form for much of the first half of the season could be attributed to Maresca, or was just a factor of being inherited from Poch. Many on here wanted Poch out despite the fact that we showed significant improvement over the season. I am hoping this is just a blip for Maresca but I still think he will need some time and patience. While we have some very decent players in the squad, we also have many who are not good enough or are continual sicknotes and will probably need to be moved on. This is especially the case in defense. I will be interested to see if Anselmino gets any chances second half of the season.

When you take into consideration preseason and match day one against City, it's attributed to both. Maresca did a great job improving after that and fixing our midfield build up void, but I said during his appointment that from the outside looking in, it looked like the managerial transition would be smooth given since last March, Poch was implementing a style almost akin to Maresca's. 

That's why I said Top 4 was the bare minimum. If we were steering away from it, I'd be on Maresca like a fly on sh*t. 

20 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

When you take into consideration preseason and match day one against City, it's attributed to both. Maresca did a great job improving after that and fixing our midfield build up void, but I said during his appointment that from the outside looking in, it looked like the managerial transition would be smooth given since last March, Poch was implementing a style almost akin to Maresca's. 

That's why I said Top 4 was the bare minimum. If we were steering away from it, I'd be on Maresca like a fly on sh*t. 

Given that Liverpool and Arsenal went into the season with settled, experienced squads looking primed for a title challenge, I never realistically expected us to be winning the league this season. I also expected more from City although they may yet turn things around. 4th (or 5th depending on UEFA coefficient may get Champs League) always looked more realistic as a decent target this season and I haven't changed my opinion. How Maresca handles this current poor run will determine whether we can achieve that, and probably whether he stays in place beyond this season.

For me it's the lack of goals that's killing us ATM, 1 goal probably would have been enough to beat Everton, go 2-0 up against Fulham and we beat them and we should be scoring at least 2 against an Ipswich team that will probably be relegated.

He's got to get back to work and suss out how to score against teams that drops into a back 5.

Personally I'd start with getting the players to move the ball quicker and playing with more intensity rather than playing like a slow paced European team.

I would say our defending is what's killing us.

But we could both be correct.

8 minutes ago, 2211 said:

For me it's the lack of goals that's killing us ATM, 1 goal probably would have been enough to beat Everton, go 2-0 up against Fulham and we beat them and we should be scoring at least 2 against an Ipswich team that will probably be relegated.

He's got to get back to work and suss out how to score against teams that drops into a back 5.

Personally I'd start with getting the players to move the ball quicker and playing with more intensity rather than playing like a slow paced European team.

We have a 100% league record when we've scored at least twice.

Sadly we have only done that in 9 of our 19 fixtures !

5 minutes ago, Scott said:

I would say our defending is what's killing us.

But we could both be correct.

I think our defending hasn't been great all season, we've given away a lot of daft goals this season, but now we're not out-scoring our own defence anymore so it's highlighted it more IMO.

Edited December 31, 20241 yr by 2211

Our defence is sh*t, and our attack is becoming sh*t. So is both lol.

16 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Our defence is sh*t, and our attack is becoming sh*t. So is both lol.

Not like you to forget the midfield and the manager axman !

He gambled with his team selection and subs over Xmas and it backfired. Simple as.

56 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

Not like you to forget the midfield and the manager axman !

I gave Big Enz enough stick yesterday. Will wait for Saturday to send out more.

 

Midfield? Caicedo does not deserve the stink, Lavia is injured all the time so nothing to pick at more there. 

That leaves Enzo, who I want replaced with Santos, who should be recalled tomorrow. Defence, keeper and forward line are bigger issues that our "captain" though imo.

Enzo cannot use the excuse of tiredness given the players have been playing one game a week. Ridiculous excuse. 

5 hours ago, JM7 said:

Enzo cannot use the excuse of tiredness given the players have been playing one game a week. Ridiculous excuse. 

Sure he can. If Potter could get away with "the lads gave everything" when clearly they did not then why not?

Managers will make up whatever excuse they want to hide their ineptitude.

13 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Sure he can. If Potter could get away with "the lads gave everything" when clearly they did not then why not?

Managers will make up whatever excuse they want to hide their ineptitude.

I like Enzo, and he has hit upon the perfect response when we f**k up. He always says...

" This team is not good enough...or .. this team is not ready yet '  Hopefully that explanation doesn't go on for ever!! 

4 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

I like Enzo, and he has hit upon the perfect response when we f**k up. He always says...

" This team is not good enough...or .. this team is not ready yet '  Hopefully that explanation doesn't go on for ever!! 

Although if Palace beat us they go above United so every cloud...

Just now, axman2526 said:

Although if Palace beat us they go above United so every cloud...

They probably will beat us if the team " isn't ready yet' . f**king hell I can just see them beating us .

1 minute ago, The Rising Sun said:

They probably will beat us if the team " isn't ready yet' . f**king hell I can just see them beating us .

Could be, our new recruit Anselmino won't be training at Cobham till next week so will see if Mateta, who I rate, can bash up our defence like Delap did.

2 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Could be, our new recruit Anselmino won't be training at Cobham till next week so will see if Mateta, who I rate, can bash up our defence like Delap did.

Mateta is just the sort of physical player who will bully our defence 

6 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

Mateta is just the sort of physical player who will bully our defence 

Less Mobile than Delap, but would be a good, experienced signing for us imo. Maybe a Giroud like move?

Not really how we do things now.

9 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Could be, our new recruit Anselmino won't be training at Cobham till next week so will see if Mateta, who I rate, can bash up our defence like Delap did.

The club must think Anselmino would be ready for the first team after his training period?  Don't know much about him tbh, in fact I'd forgotten all about him !