ghagua
Full Member
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2012
- Messages
- 5,992
Deserves all the plaudits and then some.
However, I know I'm being greedy here but I'd like to see more control. Specifically midfield control.
If by the end of the season we can impose ourselves against teams like Arsenal/Spurs/City/Liverpool by counter pressing and dominating periods of the game when we're the ones being pressed, that will really impress me.
Conceding possession and playing on the counter attack is extremely pragmatic and all you can hope for after only a month or so coaching, so I get that. It's just Matic, Pogba and Herrera should really be able to dominate midfields one-to-one and control games against Spur's and Arsenal's midfield easily if we set up for it.
Defensively, our line needs to be higher and more aggressive. Then our team pressing can be more tighter/tactical. Right now we are being coached very smartly by relying on fundamentals, good man management and individual brilliance/ability across the pitch.
Great post! It's not that I am not enjoying the team play, I am, especially with the results, but in order for us to be a top team we need to boss the midfield against top teams. We need more ball retention in that area to help out our defense as well. Right now as soon as we lose the ball, the opposition is at the throats of our defenders, and no matter who you have there, they will have a tough time defending like that the whole game. We need someone to put in tackles and break up play and a ball playing midfielder to play alongside Pogba. Such a shame that De Jong signed with Barca without so much as a whisper out of us. He would have solved part of the problem for us in midfield.