Don Ma

we lost 4-0

oh good, just before the playoff finals. i love fm.

i can't believe we didn't keep a clean sheet.

Back to some woke nonsense in the Vanarama National League North.

6.

Honestly? I'm not sure what we can do other than waiting for Vicario to come back. Unless we just play Archie Gray in goal? If we're gonna concede 5 anyway, might as well play someone who will do well in build up 😂

Our other usual route of progression, the piercing pass from CB to the 8, relies on additional players being around to bounce pass to. But with the FBs being wide, these attempts were quickly snuffed out due to Liverpool's quick press and a lack of quality in the pass and retention.

This MIGHT be fine if we had Van de Ven's pace against quick dribblers or Romero's anticipation to step up against long passes, but no.

Meaning wide progression attempts are always our full-backs quickly passing down the touchline to an attacker.

So since our midfield is empty and our full-backs are pulled wide, if (more like when) we lose possession, the counter-press is nonexistent AND the centrebacks are 2v4 or 5

Losing Vicario causes a domino effect which locks us into a dreadful playstyle.

Can't play out, pass back or through centrally from the keeper, meaning we must build wide or go long.

Because our fwds expect long balls and midfielders drop deep to facilitate, the middle of the pitch is vacated.

Spence has done really well marking Salah during settled defence phases, but it's too bad we're getting thrown into defensive transitions over and over again.

Dragu stepping up to whiff a header doesn't help. It's like we're torn between being overly aggressive and overly cautious. You can't have both. If we're stepping up to press, everyone needs to do it. If we're blocking, everyone needs to do it.

Yeah the defence looked dreadful for Szoboszlai's goal, but really it's down to us pressing high and central but then keeping our backline glued to Salah and co.

So Trent is given all the time in the world to pick the pass, OR Sarr and Biss are expected to cover the whole midfield vs 3/4 players.

Why is Poch at the Emirates lmao

3 acktually it's "middle-third recoveries" because it's describing the recoveries, we'll update the style guide.

He is getting some middle third recoveries in and finding the right passes afterwards.

Really enjoyed that one. Solanke and Madders pulling to the front post to create the space Kulu drifting in to have time for the shot.

Also getting the Porro to Kulu connection back online going down the line. One of our key progression links.

DEKIIIIIIIIIIIII COME ON

The ideal scenario is he gets to come on for Maddison or Kulu and has freedom to roam and create in a relatively low pressure position. But these days he's coming on for Bissouma to handle deep progression and circulation. Much tougher role.

Dangerous overload if it works, dangerously overloaded if it's turned over. And usually we don't find our way through.

We place so much faith on the player progressing the ball that we usually push everybody else up and wide. If they're dribbling, they have to find their way through 2, 3 players. If they're passing, they need to find their target 30, 40 yards up.

Finding Werner's positioning out of possession really frustrating, standing in the middle of the triangle formed by their CB, Winger and Midfielder but not close enough to the CB to put pressure on his pass and too far from the other two players to intercept.

So it's just a free pass.

Madders trying to pull play to the left and then curve the ball forward with the outside of his boot to release Werner. It's happened a couple of times now.

Kind of an interesting block, Son hovering in front of the CBs to block passes to the DMs while we have a high, compact line of 5 to shut out the central area then a much deeper line of 4 to cover long balls.

😭😭😭 werner pleaaaaase

What can we do to bring this man's confidence back up. Timo please I just want you to look like you're having fun at least (and then score some goals)

The repeated scenario:
Werner receives a switch out on the right with Porro either holding or overlapping. The progression unit (CBs, DM, Udogie, an 8) are clumped deep on the left where the switch came from, and the attacking unit is all clumped in the last line on the left.

Where can Werner go??

Tearing my hair out at every ball going out wide and expecting one player to beat 2, 3 defenders while we expect our last man to beat 2 or 3 attackers by himself

Absolute head loss again against Chelsea.

anyway i made a massive chicken curry so that's one nice thing i've got tonight.