6 minutes ago, Jangz said:

This requires a leader in the back line to command.. without Thiago we need one.. also this idea to invert James for the love of Gawd.. this is like taking your most potent weapon and nullifying it.. 

Think thats bad, rumours of Palmer going central too!

Highlights!

 

 

Stop pissing around and learn to defend first before sending your full backs on a jaunt in midfield. A lot to be said about modern days coaches f**king around with a tried a tested system…….its sh*te..this inverted sh*te won’t work; I said it earlier we will get killed down the flanks and the midfield looks like a sieve….stop this nonsense

 

 

It’s hard to watch - way too early to panic but feels like watching a slow motion car crash.

In the past we struggled for a left back and finally found something. This year we finally have two fit right backs who would walk into most teams - and they’re inverted. 

Whatever happened to play to your strengths. These players already look like they’re struggling with being over coached and over thinking every single move. 

It's the same old story. Slow, stagnant and sideways/backwards dross. 

Back 4 or 3/5. Invert full backs or don't. double or single pivot. traditional striker or false 9. 
 

All of these types of questions are wholly irrelevant - when the players are allowed to go out and play in such an unadventurous, and uninspiring way. 

Tuchel, Sarri, Lamps, Poch, and Potter have all failed to put a rocket up the arse of these guys - or more likely - told them to play in this slow way. I don't understand why the hell they can't see we need to play faster and more progressive. 

😂😂😂 

The problem here is not fofana, you have 3 v 1 on the left. You need Mudryk/ Nkunku to sprint and defend. 

If this is the plan, next season will be hilarious 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 28, 20241 yr by Bob stark

Result is irrelevant in pre season but surely this can't continue. 

Maresca was not a wc player nor he has a elite reputation as manager. So he need result to get his player to listen him. If this continue, he will lose the dressing room and it is over. 

11 hours ago, loz said:

My boss is a celtic fan

One of my direct reports is a celtic fans 

Two of her direct reports are celtic fans 

We better beat them or I'm catching malaria tomorrow 

Get well soon mate.

What an absolutely and utterly miserable match. The defence, in particular, was a total and utter shambles.

Only saw some highlights ( thank god no live stream here), there were embarrassing goals and hell a lot more goal scoring chances presented to them. I didn't see a system of defending, some defenders are pressing while the odd one stays put, midfield not covering the defence, man-marking non-existent. Agree pre-season it's about fitness etc, but losing like this is not part of the plan.

5 hours ago, CFCCAN said:

Stop pissing around and learn to defend first before sending your full backs on a jaunt in midfield. A lot to be said about modern days coaches f**king around with a tried a tested system…….its sh*te..this inverted sh*te won’t work; I said it earlier we will get killed down the flanks and the midfield looks like a sieve….stop this nonsense.

👏👏100% this.

8 hours ago, Simplymo said:

Absolute joke if our def. stays that sh*te and we sell trev!

Me too! First half, 5 of them on the half way line! Wtf!

Guiu needs to stay and not go out on loan but I actually miss Jackson very very much in this moment in time.

I thought I was hearing things!

James and gusto shouldn't be inverted, definitely not gusto. Maybe james can learn to push forward a bit. Does being inverted mean being a DM? Pls not James or gusto!

Brilliant red card there...loved it.

It will definitely mess with the predictions thread...lol

 

i was hoping for tactics from maresca but bloody hell not this. I keep telling myself its preseason, just preseason but Maresca needs to step on the gas a bit right? Somethings very off.

sanchez was OK, when he fkn stayed in goal. The moment he came out I knew a stray pass was inevitable.

Pls for the love of God....no inverting of gusto or James! Cucu can't get back quick enough.

Wtf has happened to noni! He was a worse sterling than sterling. Beating his mark then just passing back or no end result! 

I like Guiu...I don't know if you guys noticed but he kept running into shot then running past his defender expecting a pass but our def/midfield were to busy passing sidewards/backwards!

Apart from him, Nkunku was OK too...unfortunately that's it for me. Only those 2 would be starters based on those 2 games. With sanchez and those 2, I really hope my maths is sh*t and we have 8 great players returning on Monday!

Note to self:

It's only preseason, breathe momo...have faith and stock up on lots and lots of hard liquor.

When was Noni anything other than this. Even games when he did something good it was surrounded by an ocean of this. Same Madueke for me so far. Looks lively but never really comes through.

4 hours ago, Bob stark said:

😂😂😂 

The problem here is not fofana, you have 3 v 1 on the left. You need Mudryk/ Nkunku to sprint and defend. 

If this is the plan, next season will be hilarious 

 

 

 

 

No Bob. To use the American vernacular it's defending 101. You are taught at a very young age the responsibilities of the position you play. If you don't ever get into positions to shoot at the goal you will not make it as a striker.

Same here. Regardless of tactics, formations and the roles being played by others, at no stage in that clip does Fofana even look at his man, even with Sanchez screaming at him. Even though his man starts offside as soon as their player breaks the line he has a responsibility to pick up and mark his man. He does nothing.  He doesn't look  doesn't try to get back to his guy, he is just ball watching.

This is another massively over hyped (so far ) player who has never done anything here to warrant the hype. Hopefully the injuries are a thing of the past and he will start to show us that he us quality, but I've seen none of it yet.

17 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

No Bob. To use the American vernacular it's defending 101. You are taught at a very young age the responsibilities of the position you play. If you don't ever get into positions to shoot at the goal you will not make it as a striker.

Same here. Regardless of tactics, formations and the roles being played by others, at no stage in that clip does Fofana even look at his man, even with Sanchez screaming at him. Even though his man starts offside as soon as their player breaks the line he has a responsibility to pick up and mark his man. He does nothing.  He doesn't look  doesn't try to get back to his guy, he is just ball watching.

This is another massively over hyped (so far ) player who has never done anything here to warrant the hype. Hopefully the injuries are a thing of the past and he will start to show us that he us quality, but I've seen none of it yet.

Could Fofana made the interception? absolutely but when you analyze this goal, that is not the most important thing. Celtics had free cross in the box because they had at 3 v 1 on the left hand side. 

Winger pick the ball up wide, fb follow him wide and somebody make channel run, this is basic play. 

Now somebody need to follow that channel runner. It is either the midfield (Lavia, Nkunku, Chuku) or Mudyrk. Noone did this and celtics had free crosses. If you allo free crossess  from inside the box, it doesn't matter who your CB, you will concede many goal. 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 28, 20241 yr by Bob stark

13 minutes ago, Bob stark said:

Could Fofana made the interception? absolutely but when you analyze this goal, that is not the most important thing. Celtics had free cross in the box because they had at 3 v 1 on the left hand side. 

Winger pick the ball up wide, fb follow him wide and somebody make channel run, this is basic play. 

Now somebody need to follow that channel runner. It is either the midfield (Lavia, Nkunku, Chuku) or Mudyrk. Noone did this and celtics had free crosses. If you allo free crossess  from inside the box, it doesn't matter who your CB, you will concede many goal. 

 

 

 

 

But you cannot play football not doing the job you are employed to do simply because others are failing to do theirs. Nothing to do with analysing the circumstances of the goal. Like I said it's defending 101. If you are a CB and have a player to mark, regardless of what is going on around you, your first responsibility is to pick up your man. The lack of awareness and ball watching from a "generational" talent six yards from his own goal line is deeply troubling.

Applying your rationale Bob the goalie will get a pass on virtually every goal conceded, simply because we should be set up I such a way that we don't get shots on target against us. We know that happens and therefore the keepers first responsibility is to save shots on target. Except with this manager apparently 

Edited July 28, 20241 yr by WhiteWall

Only 2nd game of pre-season, and once again trying to learn a whole new system, but the takeaways from me:

Negatives

- Badiashielle is awful and should be sold. There is no redeeming him at this point.
- Sanchez will cost us lots of goals playing out, again.
- James and Gusto's key strengths are bombing forward and putting in dangerous crosses. Inverting them into DM makes them entirely useless and wastes their abilities. If we're going to do this inverted fullback nonsense, it has to be the left side. Or you know, just have a balanced midfield and stop f**king about with the fullbacks?
- Colwill is not a LB, stop playing him there.
- Tosin looks even more dodgy than Badiashielle. 
- Madueke continues to disappoint. Hopefully he goes soon.
- Sterling picking up right where he left off with awful end product. Wastes so many chances with a sh*t final ball.

Positives
- Guiu looks like he has some fight and spirit in him. Not sure it'll be enough to have much of an impact, but promising signs.
- It can't get much worse, surely?
 

What an embarrassment. We're going into a war with a squad of kid conscripts led by Captain Mainwaring, when we need hardened, battle experienced fighters, the club has become a rudderless sh*tshow.

18 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

But you cannot play football not doing the job you are employed to do simply because others are failing to do theirs. Nothing to do with analysing the circumstances of the goal. Like I said it's defending 101. If you are a CB and have a player to mark, regardless of what is going on around you, your first responsibility is to pick up your man. The lack of awareness and ball watching from a "generational" talent six yards from his own goal line is deeply troubling.

Applying your rationale Bob the goalie will get a pass on virtually every goal conceded, simply because we should be set up I such a way that we don't get shots on target against us. We know that happens and therefore the keepers first responsibility is to save shots on target. Except with this manager apparently 

Not really, you can't prevent all shot, it is the same thing here. You cant prevent all cross. 

You want to make sure the opp crosses from far away possible while being marked, it is the same thing with shot you want to make sure the opp get shot from far away possible while being marked. 

So I don't expect gk to save free shot but if it come from tight angle or long shot, I expect him to save it every time 

 

 

Edited July 28, 20241 yr by Bob stark

18 minutes ago, Bob stark said:

Not really, you can't prevent all shot, it is the same thing here. You cant prevent all cross. 

You want to make sure the opp crosses from far away possible while being marked, it is the same thing with shot you want to make sure the opp get shot from far away possible while being marked. 

So I don't expect gk to save free shot but if it come from tight angle or long shot, I expect him to save it every time 

 

 

You're not getting this are you.

You cannot be a professional defender by not marking simply because somebody else hasn't done their job. It doesn't matter where the cross comes from.  It doesn't matter if there is a shot on goal. It doesn't matter if there is a goal. The first job and the most important job of a CB is to mark the player and cover the space in your zone. Clear the danger, discuss the issues later.

34 minutes ago, Zeta said:

Only 2nd game of pre-season, and once again trying to learn a whole new system, but the takeaways from me:

Negatives

- Badiashielle is awful and should be sold. There is no redeeming him at this point.
- Sanchez will cost us lots of goals playing out, again.
- James and Gusto's key strengths are bombing forward and putting in dangerous crosses. Inverting them into DM makes them entirely useless and wastes their abilities. If we're going to do this inverted fullback nonsense, it has to be the left side. Or you know, just have a balanced midfield and stop f**king about with the fullbacks?
- Colwill is not a LB, stop playing him there.
- Tosin looks even more dodgy than Badiashielle. 
- Madueke continues to disappoint. Hopefully he goes soon.
- Sterling picking up right where he left off with awful end product. Wastes so many chances with a sh*t final ball.

Positives
- Guiu looks like he has some fight and spirit in him. Not sure it'll be enough to have much of an impact, but promising signs.
- It can't get much worse, surely?
 

He does. Liked the way he chased and dispossessed one of the defenders. If he ever gets anything like service he could be useful.

Some of you need to relax for a bit. It is called friendly matches for a reason and it will be treated as such by pro athletes. It is how human brain works.

Better to make mistakes now and adjust before the season starts, rather than get fooled by some wins in pre season.

The way it looks, Maresca is trying to make things work through the middle and the core is still missing - Palmer, Enzo and Caicedo. Things will change once they are back.

Also these matches will help Maresca decide which defenders are a better fit for his system. It sounds weird to say it, but Tosin A. and Colwill look like undispute starters. It is between Disasi, Fofana and Badiashile for the other spot. 

Right I've had a Sleep, it was induced by that sh*t fest I had the misfortune to watch, somebody posted along the lines, should easily beat this mediocre Celtic team, well they looked cohesive, found plenty of acreage, passed through the lines, like a hot wire through polystyrene, got wide, oh and finished 4 chances, could of been 8 or 9.

On the plus side, Nkunku just looks class, Guehi??, looks like he knows what to do, and ermmm Reece is at least injury free.

Last time I saw such a high line Klopp stubbornly refused to Change and Villa put 7 past the Scouse, it was woeful , very AVB stylee, Poch leaving could be far far worse than we all imagined, Palmer, Gallagher and Cucu, can't come back quick enough.

Btw G Cahill wrote a good piece, saying it's imperative to get that 800 game T Silva experience back in the first team squad, he cheekily suggested himself....(rant finito)

I think part of the reason why we conceded 4 was because we are trying to learn . I think it’s easy for Maresca to ask the team to take a lower starting position or drop deep. 
 

my sense is that he wants his team to play a higher line than we have in the past which they haven’t yet gotten a hang of so he is using these games to get a hang of it.. his comments were interesting where he spoke about the team wasn’t recognising danger and stepping back when there isn’t pressure on the ball.

so yeah I hated conceding 4 but most successful teams do play a high line so I guess that’s what he wants to do. Apart from Disasi the back line is expected to be pacy.. 

I remember the days when because of no internet streaming we never even came to know about friendlies and for us the season started when it did. So I am not going to think too much about it.

Their CF was obviously told to keep standing offside knowing that if they got the ball and got it wide he would be unmarked and clear, but our clueless central defenders couldn’t see it, so just allowed him free reign

13 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Highlights!