3 hours ago, El regreso said:

Arne Slot taking about people making fun of us.

 

 

He is making fun of us!!!

32 minutes ago, just said:

Indeed. No good just winning against B rated teams and Tottenham.

Maresca 7/10 so far. Can he organise a consistent defensive solidity? Still big doubts 

He has kept us good at the things Pochettino made us good at. Extra credit for doing it without Gallagher. Not sure I really see a big step up, we are (as we were) probably the sixth (maybe fifth)-best team in the league as it stands.

Although a more funny/polemical take would be that the individual goalscoring brilliance of Jackson and Palmer (and occasionally Madueke) are keeping a tactically inept manager competitive.

James and Chilwell are finally fit at the same time. The last time that was true we became European champions, stormed through the autumn battering European giants left and right, then eventually limped over the line to become champions of the world (at which point I think they were both long-term absentees). Personally I would be making the most of that.

51 minutes ago, PloKoon13 said:

"That team we just beat without too many problems should keep doing what they're doing".

Reminds me of Guardiola praising Sarri's style of play after (before?) just having beaten his team 6-0.

"When you start talking about good performances when you end up losing the game you are no longer a big club" - Jose Mourinho.

1 hour ago, PloKoon13 said:

He has kept us good at the things Pochettino made us good at. Extra credit for doing it without Gallagher. Not sure I really see a big step up, we are (as we were) probably the sixth (maybe fifth)-best team in the league as it stands.

Still need a decent striker and keeper - if Cucu had been fit might have been a different result.

But even without the above it was a shambles at the back and too easy for the dippers.

3 hours ago, PloKoon13 said:

He has kept us good at the things Pochettino made us good at. Extra credit for doing it without Gallagher. Not sure I really see a big step up, we are (as we were) probably the sixth (maybe fifth)-best team in the league as it stands.

I think we are a better team in general. The build up is definitely better, it is more structured and more interesting and it help our overall game. Our pressing has dropped of without Gallagher though. 

But our weakness from last season such as long ball, defense and set pieces is still there. 

Plus that one ball to the back post that seems to lead to us conceding every single time.

18 hours ago, El regreso said:

Arne Slot taking about people making fun of us.

 

 

I actually like that.

My takeaway is he thinks we are further ahead of man utd. We bought lots of talented players with lots of potential, finally seeing signs of a team and in a few years we will be up there fighting at the top.

Which I agree with tbh.

1 hour ago, Simplymo said:

I actually like that.

My takeaway is he thinks we are further ahead of man utd. We bought lots of talented players with lots of potential, finally seeing signs of a team and in a few years we will be up there fighting at the top.

Which I agree with tbh.

Exactly what he is saying. I am fairly sure he was on our radar before signing for Liverpool so would have had a conversation with Laurel and Hardy.

Just now, El regreso said:

Exactly what he is saying. I am fairly sure he was on our radar before signing for Liverpool so would have had a conversation with Laurel and Hardy.

Agreed, I can see that happening too.

If you told me three months into the season I would be able tell you Chelsea style of play the identity they are trying to build I would of laughed at you.

You can see it more and more the players are picking up what he's trying to do and do not look so lost like they did before.

The fact that whole squad knows too (both team A and B) is really helpful for any seemless transition for injuries or fatigue in the future (quality is a different matter).

And that isn't something small in relation to how short a time he's been with us; that's a massive job to get 25 kids on the same wavelength in that time. He's also sorted out our attack in a way.

But I really hope the defensive work and set pieces training will come soon. Defensive work and set pieces are our weakness atm imo.

Edited October 25, 20241 yr by Simplymo

On 23/10/2024 at 23:17, axman2526 said:

"When you start talking about good performances when you end up losing the game you are no longer a big club" - Jose Mourinho.

You were saying Jose?

Manchester United's "beautiful" football against Stoke should have been rewarded with a big win rather than a 1-1 draw, said manager Jose Mourinho.

Joe Allen's goal denied United victory in what Mourinho described as his side's best performance of the season.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37535455

It's an utterly nonsense narrative anyway. Every club and manager (including Jose himself when he was here the first time) have praised performances in draws/loses.

Maresca is doing a fantastic job so far. Good managers will instill their identity immediately, we have seen that with Jose and Conte in the past and Maresca is doing the same. We are in a desperate need for a world class goalkeeper similar to cech or courtis. None of the keepers we have are at that level.

I don't think the start to the season has been that impressive. Defensively, we are dreadful. It's worse than last season seeing as we have pretty much our entire first choice defence playing this time around. We require our keepers to make one outstanding save per game. We look really poor at home again after looking like we finally sorted that out last season, and we are one draw or defeat against Newcastle away from serious doubts settling in.

This period is our biggest test of the season so far, and so far we have got a draw against Forest and a defeat against Liverpool. If I'm going to start calling our start impressive, then a win in the league and cup against Newcastle and win against United are a must. 

On 24/10/2024 at 00:05, PloKoon13 said:

Although a more funny/polemical take would be that the individual goalscoring brilliance of Jackson and Palmer (and occasionally Madueke) are keeping a tactically inept manager competitive.

James and Chilwell are finally fit at the same time. The last time that was true we became European champions, stormed through the autumn battering European giants left and right, then eventually limped over the line to become champions of the world (at which point I think they were both long-term absentees). Personally I would be making the most of that.

This is a good take. 

So much is made of tactics along with buzzwords like counter pressing or inverted fullbacks. 

If your players are able to score most of the chances you get you don't have to be that good on overall performance. That is just an idea of Pep for example by football fans. The master tactician that controls everything. You have a side like Real with masses of experience , exceptional talent and perfect age players you can cook up formations, style of play and anything and win games and titles. 

Player like Palmer or Frank Lampard can make all the difference when you need a win.

2 minutes ago, evissy said:

This is a good take. 

So much is made of tactics along with buzzwords like counter pressing or inverted fullbacks. 

If your players are able to score most of the chances you get you don't have to be that good on overall performance. That is just an idea of Pep for example by football fans. The master tactician that controls everything. You have a side like Real with masses of experience , exceptional talent and perfect age players you can cook up formations, style of play and anything and win games and titles. 

Player like Palmer or Frank Lampard can make all the difference when you need a win.

Right, so all of a sudden a manager is not that important when you have good players is that right? Personally i think that’s nonsense because a manager is the person who makes everything work. No matter how great Palmer is if we had a poor manager he wouldn’t be able to show his talent. 
 

There are needs for improvements obviously like defence but now i am confident in saying i can see a plan or project that we striving towards.

8 minutes ago, evissy said:

This is a good take. 

So much is made of tactics along with buzzwords like counter pressing or inverted fullbacks. 

If your players are able to score most of the chances you get you don't have to be that good on overall performance. That is just an idea of Pep for example by football fans. The master tactician that controls everything. You have a side like Real with masses of experience , exceptional talent and perfect age players you can cook up formations, style of play and anything and win games and titles. 

Player like Palmer or Frank Lampard can make all the difference when you need a win.

Agreed, Ancelotti and Alex "I never played 4-4-2 in my life" Ferguson hardly had a tactical signature but are two of the greatest managers of all time. They just knew how to adapt and win.

How much of my childhood was ruined because Andy Cole popped up to sh*thouse a 92nd-minute winner in a game in which Man Utd were otherwise terrible?

On a separate note, my missus likes to watch BBC Breakfast in the morning. I had the pleasure of seeing Fergie hum along to Dirty Old Town (a song I love) while she was upstairs doing girl stuff. I also know a big Pogues/MacColl fan from Manchester to whom I had to explain where the song was referencing (you'd think 'gasworks' and 'canals' would be a big enough clue):

 

2 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

I don't think the start to the season has been that impressive. Defensively, we are dreadful. It's worse than last season seeing as we have pretty much our entire first choice defence playing this time around. We require our keepers to make one outstanding save per game. We look really poor at home again after looking like we finally sorted that out last season, and we are one draw or defeat against Newcastle away from serious doubts settling in.

This period is our biggest test of the season so far, and so far we have got a draw against Forest and a defeat against Liverpool. If I'm going to start calling our start impressive, then a win in the league and cup against Newcastle and win against United are a must. 

Why is Forest a "test" but Brighton who are unbeaten outside of our game not?

3 hours ago, Argo said:

Why is Forest a "test" but Brighton who are unbeaten outside of our game not?

Fine, include Brighton, but I personally don't see them as much as a test because they set up in a way that is perfect for our players to play against.

I think we need a world class central defender and someone else other than Enzo in the middle I hate to say it but I liked Gallaghers pure energy when Enzo was out at the back end of the season but that’s the past . It’s just that Enzo doesn’t look special to me at this point 

1 hour ago, Scott Harris said:

Fine, include Brighton, but I personally don't see them as much as a test because they set up in a way that is perfect for our players to play against.

Win tomorrow and we are in the top 4.

That’s impressive and much better than last season. Show a bit more patience bud. We aren’t far away. I didn’t mind Poch but I much prefer Maresca even though the defence is a concern.

 

33 minutes ago, 19seventyone said:

Win tomorrow and we are in the top 4.

That’s impressive and much better than last season. Show a bit more patience bud. We aren’t far away. I didn’t mind Poch but I much prefer Maresca even though the defence is a concern.

 

This is why I am in the 50/50 camp. A win tomorrow would push me more towards this being a good start to the season.

Great win at home for Maresca, he looks like the real deal and historically speaking the club had always had success with Italian managers so just let him build on this young squad and good times are coming!