They could be non-guaranteed starters but they'll always be the most played in the squad. They might press but it's not their nature for years. But let's see. Liverpool's front three aren't intense pressers either but the manager can make them work.
Mauricio Amadaeus Pochettino | Chelsea sack watch
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They could be non-guaranteed starters but they'll always be the most played in the squad. They might press but it's not their nature for years. But let's see. Liverpool's front three aren't intense pressers either but the manager can make them work.
If he wants the job here, he should drop all of them next game, even every game until he is sacked.
Very very few attackers naturally like to press. Liverpool's attack for example. City's is even a better example. They do it cause their coaches demand it.
I think Rashford, Sancho and Greenwood can be coached to defend well.
This is a good point.
Even just maintaining a high line in a compact shape will make it difficult for the opposition to build play from the back. Ronaldo when he was reported to be joining City, is someone who I thought Guardiola would fit into his high line by going man to man, high up the pitch, which would force the ball carrier to go long which would play into the plan of Guardiola.
I get that it - obviously - isn't easy coaching that team, imposing your authority on a bunch of Galacticos (who may be protected by the guy who's your de facto boss on the football side), etc.
But anyone taking that job in the first place surely must have been aware of the situation. If Poch woke up one morning and suddenly realized that PSG is a bit of a circus, then he's incredibly naive.
I can only think that if it's true that he now "desperately" wants out, this isn't because he's finally realized the nature of his working conditions - but rather that PSG have given him direct reason to believe that he's not really wanted there (because they're now pursuing Zidane actively).
But anyone taking that job in the first place surely must have been aware of the situation. If Poch woke up one morning and suddenly realized that PSG is a bit of a circus, then he's incredibly naive.
I can only think that if it's true that he now "desperately" wants out, this isn't because he's finally realized the nature of his working conditions - but rather that PSG have given him direct reason to believe that he's not really wanted there (because they're now pursuing Zidane actively).
To be honest he did well when he took over at the beginning (especially in the champions league). I think it was the summer signings that kind of added to the circus. They basically had a team full of galacticos already, then added Ramos, Messi, Gigi, Hakimi and Donarumma.
He doesn’t seem happy there. I think he will resign
This would be my main concern. He’s got to the pinnacle of his career with Spurs, and since he was sacked from there it’s all been downhill.
If he can get his mojo back he could be tremendous, otherwise we’re better off with a manager who has to hit those heights and has something to prove.
I think at gunpoint I'd take Gana Gueye over Fred, but those 2 and Herrera are basically identical quality players and if there's a big difference I'm not smart enough at watching football to see it. All of them were slightly better 3 years ago, I know that!
No quibble with your midfield but Iniesta only started half the games that year. Iniesta made CL team of the season but so did Rakitic and he was also in La Liga team of the season (Busquets in both) so the Iniesta/Rakitic slot probably would have come down to a manager's preference and opponent since Rakitic was running like a madman at the time and Iniesta was obviously better in possession as he was Iniesta. Rakitic definitely felt more indispensable since he did 1.5 jobs as a normal RCM in a Barca trio and also a RW half the time constantly overlapping with Alves starting to show his age and Messi coming inside a ton and just running less already. Rakitic was like Ramires but good at football around then.
It's funny, when people look back at Croatia making the World Cup final they won't think it was as surprising as it was because Modric, Rakitic and Brozovic was among the best non-Spain midfield trios of the century so far along and arguably the best non-Spain one if you think Deschamps was a tad past it in 2000 or dock Italy's 2020 Euro midfield (a foursome really because Locatelli was so vital as a reserve) for not being able to outplay Spain in the semis though they were fantastic apart from that.
I don't know if there's a manager apart from Pep who could get any of Messi, Neymar or Mbappe tracking back at this stage of their careers (Mbappe might be up for it when he's older and not desperate to prove himself a galactico). And he can't drop one.
He’s an improvement on Ole, but I think we’ve already seen his top level or close to it, and I’m not convinced it’s enough to beat the other 3 managers or win a CL with us.
His record against top 6 is abysmal though.
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Agreed. Players like Ronaldo and Messi shouldn't need to press hard. Just their presence alone is enough to make the opponent on their back foot. It's up to the manager on using this to their advantage and supporting this quality of player in their team.
Although Rashford, Greenwood, and Sancho are actually do their share of pressing, imho. It's just hard for young attackers to do this consistently throughout the game, when their teammates giving out cheap possession.
How’s it been downhill since Spurs? He’s currently 11 points clear in France and whilst he lost to City last night they beat them in the first leg and have qualified from the group.
We’ll all agree Tuchel is a good manager and he was fired and sitting in third place this time last year, I remember people saying exactly the same thing after being fired from Dortmund and PSG that he’s a crap manager.
Theres pages and pages in the tuchel Chelsea thread when they hired him of how much of a flop he is.
It is fair that his team struggles to press, with those 3 in front. But the team looked completely clueless what to do with the ball when they did have possession, just no idea.
They are decent at counter attacks, but it looks too much like Ole's United and they havent been greatly convincing against Leipzig/Brugge either, especially Leipzig should have beaten them twice.
They are decent at counter attacks, but it looks too much like Ole's United and they havent been greatly convincing against Leipzig/Brugge either, especially Leipzig should have beaten them twice.
how so ? He's lost 2 games this season
I get your point, between those 3 it's a toss up and basically depends on personal preference.
About Rakitic, Rakitic at that time was world class and one of the best midfielders in the world, no doubt about it. It can even be argued that Rakitic back then was better than Veratti is now, he could do everything. Which was my main point. People mention this PSG team as if it's at a similar level to that Barca or the Madrid 3x ucl winning team when in fact, it's nowhere near them in terms of overall personnel. Messi was also in his prime at that Barca team and the current Messi (although still a world class player) is a shadow of that player.
PSG fans expect to win the UCL with this team and play tiki taka possession style football with one world class midfielder and barring Neymar a front 3 that don't do much off the ball work. I, unlike others here think Neymar isn't the problem and think his off the ball work is very underrated, I think he averages the 2nd most distance covered in the whole team this season. But when Messi looks like he doesn't care half the time, Mbappe's dreaming of Madrid and a very over rated mediocre midfield it's not hard to see why they aren't putting in the performances, although they are still winning. I struggle to see a manager in the world that can win the UCL with this team playing beautiful possession based football, it's going to have to be 3 at the back or a hit on the counter, quick transitional, direct passing use Mbappe tactic. PSGs fans main grievances with Poch is his style of play, even if they do get Zidane he's not exactly going to turn them into prime Barca.
Sancho covered the most ground and made the most tackles on Tuesday night so yeah they can definitely do it.
I think he genuinely does just want to manage us. He's been in the running before and had the opportunity snatched from him, which I think it's why he's seemingly desperate to push it through this time. It's a much bigger and better job than PSG.
Even if he gets his “mojo” back managing us, does anyone really think he wins us a league or cl? I just don’t see it. Not against the current competition.
Well I don’t know.
One the one hand, it’s hilarious to wade through large numbers of posts from people who seem to be on a personal mission to denigrate the very decent job he did at Spurs.
On the other, I can’t help wondering whether his best days are behind him and another group of posters are having to try to hard to blame his perceived failings at PSG on that club and its superstars.
One the one hand, it’s hilarious to wade through large numbers of posts from people who seem to be on a personal mission to denigrate the very decent job he did at Spurs.
On the other, I can’t help wondering whether his best days are behind him and another group of posters are having to try to hard to blame his perceived failings at PSG on that club and its superstars.
Really?
I mean they beat them in this very group stage in Paris. He beat City in the quarter finals with Spurs too famously, then beat Ten Hag in the semi finals before ironically losing to Klopp in the final.
Poch has beaten all the top managers at some point. He's a good coach.
Who would you say can win us the league or cl ?
Finishing second and getting to a major European cup final, hah, my man Ole did that last season
Jokes aside, If anything he’s being overrated here, most including myself show him respect as a decent coach we just don’t think he will deliver trophies.
Of the people spoken about? Zidane is the one I'd believe in the most, but that's dead in the water. Ten Hag isn't a sure thing at all, far from it, but it would be massively exciting and intriguing. I suppose that's another issue with Poch for me, I'm not all that intrigued or excited by the prospect, maybe because of how much football I've seen from his teams. At the end of the day I want to be entertained.
Agree with your point here. He’s in a bigger job now coaching some of the best players ever basically. Apparently your full careee gets judged after 6 months in a new management job these days…
PSG have been pretty effective against City in the group this season. Certainly done a lot better than I expected and he is certainly improved that side tactically. They seem to play better football than under Tuchel when they reached the final.
Yeah, it'll be interesting to see if Poch uses it in the knockouts in order to get his 3 stars in and not get murdered at the back post when teams overload them like they did on the 2nd City goal today. He's got the wingbacks for it in Hakimi and Nuno Mendes but he'd have to feel comfortable playing Kehrer or Danilo in a back 3 or Ramos has to get healthy.
But playing 4-3-0-3 isn't gonna win the CL these days I don't think, unless they get an unfathomably perfect draw.
He reads the french press and he isn't happy that they are on his back.
Despite the current press frenzy for him to come here, he would have a huge target on his back from day one at United.
It didn’t exactly bode well did it?
He’s got an absolutely ridiculous squad at his disposal but he looked completely outclassed by Pep.
Which is an issue when he was just moaning about being criticized for his style and increased expectations.
He’s got the laziest front 3 in European football. A front 3 he can’t drop either. Love him or hate him, why can’t people see he is managing PSG with his hands tied behind his back. Why do you think it ended so badly for Tuchel.
A top manager gets buy in from such players into their tactical approach
They were outplayed by City in both games in this edition and Poch has now lost 3/4 games against City within the space of 12 months. It's possible for them to win the CL playing like they did against City with that group of attackers, a favourable draw and things running for them but it's more likely they'll come unstuck.
And there is no parallel to be made with Tuchel, PSG used to look like a coached team. They could change system and formation without problem, they lacked balance due to large gaps in quality in certain areas like fullbacks or for a while DMs but they still looked like a coached team.
Agree
His football is built for workmen like players. Lots of huffing, puffing and effort. A bit like Moyes' Everton
Poch just doesn't bring much confidence. If United want someone who can beat Pep, Klopp and Tuchel then he's not their guy.
Same as Pep, Klopp and even the caf’s current golden “boy“, ETH. Just the way football has evolved hasn’t it.
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