Usual quality Monday posts Henry. Excellent point about Ange. Great entertainment but they won’t win or do anything taking this attitude. Injuries apart you must still adapt. Enjoy your very well deserved days off over Christmas.
STUBBORN is the word indeed. It’s great entertainment as 23 goals in the last three home games shows but it will take you nowhere big and Liverpool just picked them off. As an Arsenal fan keep it going I say.
You may have seen the ludicrous poll in Martin Samuel’s Times article today, asking readers whether Postecoglou shouldn’t maintain his madcap strategy. It was polling 50/50 when I signed out - of course it would! At least half the readers will be desperate for Spurs to keep throwing games away!
Second point: Ipswich fans AND Newcastle fans deserve joint credit for joining together in friendship to applaud - once again and probably for always - Sir Bobby. The town welcomes Toon fans and they give it back. Their manager may not make it here but he’s still largely respected.
Great point Alan about Sir Bobby. Absolute legend and one of the finest men you could meet. I received a Christmas card from Lady Elsie on Saturday. Wonderful people. Merry Christmas.
Some fans views on their teams and managers these days are a joke to. What do they want. Nuno doing a great job as you say and I like his humble manner. Can he keep it going. Amorim must stop rotators much. Stick to a team but I don’t see those layers suiting that system. Liverpool superb.
Shame for Saka. It I think he will be back sooner than Arteta says. He never gives a time frame for injuries. Likes to play games with the media on this. So will just play it week by week. Third time he has agitated that injury so a rest will be good for him.
I’ve watched every game under Amorim this season, and almost all of ETH’s games until his exit. IF the system matters as little as Amorim told us in his early days at the club, then I believe he needs to switch to 4-3-3 quickly.
Very few players are adapting well to the system, plus, while I appreciate there are wider issues with Rashford and Garnacho that have led us to the status quo, I don’t believe either can be effective in the 3-4-3 system.The system change in itself, has really limited their involvement under Amorim. The system appears to inhibit their creativity and flair.
Further to that, Eriksen under ETH this season was one of the team’s most consistent performers, in the new system there is no room for him nor Casemiro consistently. The current CM field match day options appear more functional, with limited creativity. Adding a third CM into the mix would greatly improve the situation in my opinion.
While the LB and LWB roles have seemingly been cursed now for many years, watching Dalot play there is very frustrating. The club’s POTY last season, you wonder how long he will stay with things as they are. I believe he is part of the solution, rather than the problem.
It would be quite a climbdown for him to revert to a back-four. But I totally agree with you, this group is not suited to 3-4-2-1. Hope he switches. I imagine Eriksen will move on shortly. Serious overhaul required. Merry Christmas.
Totally agree. That’s what I said to Henry. Back 3’s don’t work in England at the top level. Seems to work much better in other countries. Successful teams play a back four in England and to try and change half way through a season is a risk. United don’t have the players to play it anyway. You won’t get the best out of Bruno with this system either. Mind you if he keeps playing Zirkzee nothing will work. He is hopeless. Martinez is having a shocker to this season.
I believe Conte won the league with the system. For me it’s not the system per se, it’s as you said, United don’t have the players for it. De Ligt was an odd signing. He’s not mobile enough to play on the right of 3, and his positioning can be suspect. Really I think he can only play in the centre of 3, but even then it’s not an improvement on what we had. The system puts too much pressure much pressure on the WBs for creativity. Garnacho & Rashford aren’t players who can really thrive in the narrow pockets in the dual 10 positions.
A couple of things Amorim said:
1.) We have to succeed with the players we have
2.) The system isn’t that important, it’s about principles.
If he really believes this, he should make the change. There aren’t enough players in the squad who can thrive in this system.
Usual quality Monday posts Henry. Excellent point about Ange. Great entertainment but they won’t win or do anything taking this attitude. Injuries apart you must still adapt. Enjoy your very well deserved days off over Christmas.
Thanks John. I like Ange but he ain’t half stubborn ! Merry Christmas
STUBBORN is the word indeed. It’s great entertainment as 23 goals in the last three home games shows but it will take you nowhere big and Liverpool just picked them off. As an Arsenal fan keep it going I say.
Two comments on your summary today H:
You may have seen the ludicrous poll in Martin Samuel’s Times article today, asking readers whether Postecoglou shouldn’t maintain his madcap strategy. It was polling 50/50 when I signed out - of course it would! At least half the readers will be desperate for Spurs to keep throwing games away!
Second point: Ipswich fans AND Newcastle fans deserve joint credit for joining together in friendship to applaud - once again and probably for always - Sir Bobby. The town welcomes Toon fans and they give it back. Their manager may not make it here but he’s still largely respected.
Great point Alan about Sir Bobby. Absolute legend and one of the finest men you could meet. I received a Christmas card from Lady Elsie on Saturday. Wonderful people. Merry Christmas.
I’m so late but Merry Christmas Henry!
Happy Christmas to you and thanks for the posts over the year
Have a superb Christmas Henry!
Enjoyable as ever. Enjoy your break Henry and I’ve loved reading your thoughts since belatedly subscribing.
Many thanks Medwyn. Merry Christmas.
Nadolig Llawen iti hefyd Henry.
Some fans views on their teams and managers these days are a joke to. What do they want. Nuno doing a great job as you say and I like his humble manner. Can he keep it going. Amorim must stop rotators much. Stick to a team but I don’t see those layers suiting that system. Liverpool superb.
Totally agree on United. Frustrating news about Saka btw
Shame for Saka. It I think he will be back sooner than Arteta says. He never gives a time frame for injuries. Likes to play games with the media on this. So will just play it week by week. Third time he has agitated that injury so a rest will be good for him.
I’ve watched every game under Amorim this season, and almost all of ETH’s games until his exit. IF the system matters as little as Amorim told us in his early days at the club, then I believe he needs to switch to 4-3-3 quickly.
Very few players are adapting well to the system, plus, while I appreciate there are wider issues with Rashford and Garnacho that have led us to the status quo, I don’t believe either can be effective in the 3-4-3 system.The system change in itself, has really limited their involvement under Amorim. The system appears to inhibit their creativity and flair.
Further to that, Eriksen under ETH this season was one of the team’s most consistent performers, in the new system there is no room for him nor Casemiro consistently. The current CM field match day options appear more functional, with limited creativity. Adding a third CM into the mix would greatly improve the situation in my opinion.
While the LB and LWB roles have seemingly been cursed now for many years, watching Dalot play there is very frustrating. The club’s POTY last season, you wonder how long he will stay with things as they are. I believe he is part of the solution, rather than the problem.
It would be quite a climbdown for him to revert to a back-four. But I totally agree with you, this group is not suited to 3-4-2-1. Hope he switches. I imagine Eriksen will move on shortly. Serious overhaul required. Merry Christmas.
Totally agree. That’s what I said to Henry. Back 3’s don’t work in England at the top level. Seems to work much better in other countries. Successful teams play a back four in England and to try and change half way through a season is a risk. United don’t have the players to play it anyway. You won’t get the best out of Bruno with this system either. Mind you if he keeps playing Zirkzee nothing will work. He is hopeless. Martinez is having a shocker to this season.
I believe Conte won the league with the system. For me it’s not the system per se, it’s as you said, United don’t have the players for it. De Ligt was an odd signing. He’s not mobile enough to play on the right of 3, and his positioning can be suspect. Really I think he can only play in the centre of 3, but even then it’s not an improvement on what we had. The system puts too much pressure much pressure on the WBs for creativity. Garnacho & Rashford aren’t players who can really thrive in the narrow pockets in the dual 10 positions.
A couple of things Amorim said:
1.) We have to succeed with the players we have
2.) The system isn’t that important, it’s about principles.
If he really believes this, he should make the change. There aren’t enough players in the squad who can thrive in this system.