Football: 3rd Season Meltdown

[Raja]

8 hours ago, Mexal said:

I don't think Bellerin has played well for over a year. His timing of overlaps is poor, his offensive and defensive positioning is mostly poor and his crossing is mediocre. I just think Lichtsteiner would be better defensively and going forward based on everything I've seen of him and Bellerin.

Hmm. I think he's had no one to play with on that right side. He was okay with AOC because he actually had a partner. He's usually asked to handle the whole right wing himself, tbh, except for when Iwobi plays. For now, we need the swiss on the left though. We'll see how Hector gets on. 

[Consigliere]

10 hours ago, Iskaral Pust said:

A move seems good for all parties but that fee is generous after his last season. 

Unless Bakayoko reproduces his Monaco form, I doubt Milan would exercise the option to buy.

There are also reports surfacing that Milan are preparing a bid for Milinkovic-Savic.

[ants]

21 hours ago, Consigliere said:

Premier League clubs voted against VAR being used in the league this season. It will continue to be trialled in the League Cup and FA Cup.

It will be interesting to see if the success it had at the WC changes anything more quickly.  

[Iskaral Pust]

I think Pep’s change in wing play caught Arsenal by surprise: Ozil and Mkhi in wide positions supposedly tracking Mendy and Walker was a big mismatch.  But last season City played with wide wingers and their FBs didn’t overlap, they inverted into almost MFs behind the attacking play just ahead of the CBs.  In that case Ozil and Mkhi would have been well positioned.  But instead Pep played inverted wingers and asked the FBs to overlap for width.  Suddenly Arsenal’s FBs (especially the makeshift LB) were over-run.  One goal came from an inverted winger cutting inside (and no-one blocking the shot) and the second came from an overlapping FB making a great cross from the by-line. 

Arsenal should have guessed what was happening when both Sterling and Mahrez were named in the starting 11, but they never adjusted to it. 

[Mexal]

17 minutes ago, Iskaral Pust said:

I think Pep’s change in wing play caught Arsenal by surprise: Ozil and Mkhi in wide positions supposedly tracking Mendy and Walker was a big mismatch.  But last season City played with wide wingers and their FBs didn’t overlap, they inverted into almost MFs behind the attacking play just ahead of the CBs.  In that case Ozil and Mkhi would have been well positioned.  But instead Pep played inverted wingers and asked the FBs to overlap for width.  Suddenly Arsenal’s FBs (especially the makeshift LB) were over-run.  One goal came from an inverted winger cutting inside (and no-one blocking the shot) and the second came from an overlapping FB making a great cross from the by-line. 

Arsenal should have guessed what was happening when both Sterling and Mahrez were named in the starting 11, but they never adjusted to it. 

Arsenal really can't adjust. They have no wingers which is a clear need going forward. Thought Pep did a good job tactically with the wingers to help break the press. Also thought Arsenal did a better job in the 2nd half when they brought in Lacazette for Ramsey and gave Ozil more of a free flowing role. Emery is still figuring it out and the players are still adjusting. Playing City week 1 was rough.

[Iskaral Pust]

1 minute ago, Mexal said:

Arsenal really can't adjust. They have no wingers which is a clear need going forward. Thought Pep did a good job tactically with the wingers to help break the press. Also thought Arsenal did a better job in the 2nd half when they brought in Lacazette for Ramsey and gave Ozil more of a free flowing role. Emery is still figuring it out and the players are still adjusting. Playing City week 1 was rough.

I agree on the lack of width.  I don’t see Iwobi or Welbeck in your best XI.  So why try to play 4-2-3-1 (with no width in the 3) unless it’s against a very defensive opponent whose FBs stay back?  Against any opponent with width a 4-3-3 or a 3-5-2 would work better.  Ramsey as #10 alongside Ozil, Mkhi and Auba is over-balanced because three of them are too similar.  Either Ramsey has to play as a MF  — left or right of the DM in a three (like Milner or Keita) — or one of he or Mkhi has to be left out.  I think Arsenal will look better as a counterattacking team with the pace of Auba and Laca and quick through passes by Ozil, with Ramsey/Mkhi rushing forward to support the attack but then recovering to their position in the MF 3.

Arsenal could play something similar to Liverpool’s system yesterday with Ozil as Firmino, Auba and Laca as Mane and Salah, and Ramsey and Mkhi as Keita and Milner, and Torreira as Gini.  It requires your #8s to do some ball winning because otherwise you have too many players with no structured responsibilities to defend or keep shape.

[polishgenius]

Not bad at all that.

[Mexal]

52 minutes ago, Iskaral Pust said:

I agree on the lack of width.  I don’t see Iwobi or Welbeck in your best XI.  So why try to play 4-2-3-1 (with no width in the 3) unless it’s against a very defensive opponent whose FBs stay back?  Against any opponent with width a 4-3-3 or a 3-5-2 would work better.  Ramsey as #10 alongside Ozil, Mkhi and Auba is over-balanced because three of them are too similar.  Either Ramsey has to play as a MF  — left or right of the DM in a three (like Milner or Keita) — or one of he or Mkhi has to be left out.  I think Arsenal will look better as a counterattacking team with the pace of Auba and Laca and quick through passes by Ozil, with Ramsey/Mkhi rushing forward to support the attack but then recovering to their position in the MF 3.

Arsenal could play something similar to Liverpool’s system yesterday with Ozil as Firmino, Auba and Laca as Mane and Salah, and Ramsey and Mkhi as Keita and Milner, and Torreira as Gini.  It requires your #8s to do some ball winning because otherwise you have too many players with no structured responsibilities to defend or keep shape.

Looked like we were mostly in a 4-3-3 rather than a 4-2-3-1 which is probably part of the issue and Emery had Ramsey playing more or less CF because he wanted to press the back line. But with the wingers as outlets, they moved through the press fairly easily and Ramsey was more or less out of the picture in the midfield which is where you want him. I don't think it was a good set up at all and completely wasted Ramsey at CF, put Ozil in a real tough spot on the right wing and kept Auba mostly out of the game.

I think if we did play a similar system to Liverpool, I'd do what you said but have Guendouzi partnered with Ramsey rather than Mkhi and have Mkhi replace Ozil/Lacazette as needed. It could work.

ETA: One additional issue is we're not very good at building up from the back and having this run through Cech seems counter to his skillset. Either play Leno or build differently.

[Mexal]

22 minutes ago, polishgenius said:

Not bad at all that.

Saw this yesterday. This was awesome. 

[polishgenius]

I was genuinely peeved at Acosta's celebration. Show some respect!

[Philokles]

16 minutes ago, polishgenius said:

I was genuinely peeved at Acosta's celebration. Show some respect!

To be fair that was his hattrick to win the game in the last minute of injury time too. That everybody ran to him rather than Rooney is quite telling though. Hard to blame the DC United players when Rooney came in mid season, was immediately given the captaincy and earns what Acosta (who appears to be one of their better payed players) does in a year within in a week and a half.

[AncalagonTheBlack]

This is pretty funny

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2018/aug/10/david-squires-on-emo-jose-mourinhos-premier-league-2018-19-preview?CMP=share_btn_tw

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2018/aug/14/david-squires-return-of-the-premier-league-season

[Consigliere]

Zaha has signed a new contract with Palace until 2023. Huge boost for them as he was literally the difference between a mid table finish and relegation last season.

[Spockydog]

23 minutes ago, Consigliere said:

Zaha has signed a new contract with Palace until 2023. Huge boost for them as he was literally the difference between a mid table finish and relegation last season.

They only gave him a new contract so they can get more when they flog him to Everton.

[Mark Antony]

Apparently De Bruyne got injured in training and could miss 2+ months  hate seeing that. 

[Mexal]

1 hour ago, Mark Antony said:

Apparently De Bruyne got injured in training and could miss 2+ months  hate seeing that. 

That blows.

[Consigliere]

Kristof Terreur reporting that the extent of his injury is not yet known - some outlets are speculating that it is going to be 2+ months. Better to wait and see since certain outlets exaggerated the extent of KdB's and Jesus's injuries last season where it turned out to be not a serious as initially reported. 

[Iskaral Pust]

It seems premature to estimate a timeframe when the injury hasn’t been evaluated yet.  I hope it’s not too bad for him. 

It may be completely unrelated but I do fear that a WC and shorter preseason causes more injuries in general. 

[Consigliere]

The Super Cup has been a decent watch so far. Atleti got an early goal (inside the 1st minute) through Costa but Real have dominated play since then drawing level through Benzema (great cross on the run from Bale for the assist). Atleti have put up a better fight than United did last year though. 

[Consigliere]

Atleti win the Super Cup. Really good performance by Atleti after going a goal down. They stepped it up and took the game to Real Madrid. Costa was brilliant and Correa put in a strong performance as well. Saúl scored a stunner in extra time. Atleti have some quality depth now as well and might not be sitting back as much against the top sides.