Joseph Heller. Got that one on my bookshelf, need to get round to it.
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Joseph Heller. Got that one on my bookshelf, need to get round to it.
Yep, couldnt agree more
There has to be a catch.
I like questions like this and yes in answer but only if you don't understand football.
Every top team needs that blend of pace, aggression, concentration and work ethic, to go with a clinical edge. If it also has sublime talent it is just a winning combination. The luck side is avoiding injuries and the hard part maintaining form.
We have a lot of all that and the last 20 months have shown us that but we are not quite there yet.
On Saturday our manager went with an attacking team who forgot some of the principles I stated above and who did not match a side who played better on the day. In some regards he did not show Liverpool respect. Not rocket science and not a real dose of reality if you are a realist. Disappointing for sure however.
It is our reaction that will tell us how much damage has been caused.
For me and I only see it from a distance is that up top we lack pace. Janssen can provide the aggression and I believe some goals eventually, Kane the subtlety and finesse but we lack an ability to stretch teams in my opinion. I have said this very thing for so long and to me it is obvious. We also need an additional creator and a n other defender as I see it.
On Saturday we missed for the first time, what Lamela gives that Son doesn't and that is defensive nous and huge work ethic. I would have actually played Sissoko but all done now.
Lets remember we are still punching above the money we have spent on players but if you are a proper fan you forget that when you want to believe your team is the best.
It hurt like mad on Saturday, a bit less yesterday and not so much now. A fan's life.
Every top team needs that blend of pace, aggression, concentration and work ethic, to go with a clinical edge. If it also has sublime talent it is just a winning combination. The luck side is avoiding injuries and the hard part maintaining form.
We have a lot of all that and the last 20 months have shown us that but we are not quite there yet.
On Saturday our manager went with an attacking team who forgot some of the principles I stated above and who did not match a side who played better on the day. In some regards he did not show Liverpool respect. Not rocket science and not a real dose of reality if you are a realist. Disappointing for sure however.
It is our reaction that will tell us how much damage has been caused.
For me and I only see it from a distance is that up top we lack pace. Janssen can provide the aggression and I believe some goals eventually, Kane the subtlety and finesse but we lack an ability to stretch teams in my opinion. I have said this very thing for so long and to me it is obvious. We also need an additional creator and a n other defender as I see it.
On Saturday we missed for the first time, what Lamela gives that Son doesn't and that is defensive nous and huge work ethic. I would have actually played Sissoko but all done now.
Lets remember we are still punching above the money we have spent on players but if you are a proper fan you forget that when you want to believe your team is the best.
It hurt like mad on Saturday, a bit less yesterday and not so much now. A fan's life.
To be clear because I keep hearing this over and over again.
Do the people who think this feel that 4231 is more attacking than 343/352?
In my opinion, we were more defensive in the set up. Three at the back is the more attacking formation to me as it gives us wingers, who have to work harder to get back and defend.
If people wanted that formation, just go and take a look at how Davies performed. And you wanted him even more exposed?
People wanted to concede possesion sit back and defend. Playing with 3 defenders instead of 4?
The tactic we used was the more defensive, just like you wanted. It didnt work, and we should have played what we are good at.
Attacking teams and not giving them time on the ball. You wanted us to give them possession. Did you see the game? We gave them possession, and they fucked us with it.
I disagree because the 3 at the back is an option we have turned to in order to maximise what Rose can offer alongside the competent Vertonghen.
Lets not forget the 3 at the back is new to us this season.
I do not see how we were defensive in our set-up at all but concede we were on the back foot from the kick-off.
Liverpool dominated us and again I put it down to some days and irrespevtive of system you just get beaten by an opponent who is collectively better.
In saying that I would have started with Sissoko which I said all week.
I don't think poch values pace as much as some other managers do.
I love pace too & miss it. But we probably should get used to us playing another way.
He didn't give njie & now george much game time.
Which is fair enough if poch feels pace isn't as important to his style of play.
& we have achieved a lot without it.
I would like more pace too though.
The simple fact is, Kane is slower than the best forwards around. He is lost when there is ground to cover. At WHL the way we play and dare I say it, the pitch size, benifits him. Away to Liverpool, City etc.. he is lost. Its not fitness, its not attitude, its simple - he is slow. On Saturday Son was the pace, combine Son and Kane we would have another Bale. Kane is a great squad player but not sure if we can inprove when he is our only option?
Indeed there is.
Reality, we are at our best at the moment. Signings will make the difference, yes . Buy the best, be the best. Buy mid range, be midrange. We are brilliant at the moment, Poch is getting the best out of us, could he be at his limit with us? There will be days as Liverpool (still hurts) but we can move on becuse we have establish a way to play , team spirit and all that makes you a good side.
We need to work a little harder to achieve, sone players more than others.
We need to work a little harder to achieve, sone players more than others.
Much more than a good squad player, he´s one of our most prolific strikers in the history of the club.
Which is why need to play to HIS strengths and not Son´s.
Kane also has to find a way to play without pace.
See VDV, also slow, and with a big history of injuries.......judge play, anticipate better, get stuck in and cause havoc around the box. Be greedy, take long shots and try to get on the end of crosses more.
Kane needs to start being a threat from corners with his head if he cant out run defenders.....I mean, surely he could have given Lucas a tougher game.
Speed is nothing without control
I would not question the following....
My concern is his pace-he struggles to cover ground quickly when chasing the ball-larger the space the more he seems to struggle. Some games he would be more effective coming on and slotting in where there is a gap.
Its a squad game and because he may start on the bench sometimes it doesn't mean he stops being our number one. The big boys have a higher calibre of player to come on than we do, so Kane needs to play every week-I agree. Pep sometimes plays no forward at all, I can understand why on occasion.
Just listening to the radio and them talking England rugby.- the way the squads mindset has changed. One example was, the subs are no longer, 'bench warmers' but are called 'game changers'. everyone is important and everyone plays a part.
Yes he is and has proven his ability for scoring goals in recent reasons.
I feel he has and we are seeing it every week. He is a very good player.
My concern is his pace-he struggles to cover ground quickly when chasing the ball-larger the space the more he seems to struggle. Some games he would be more effective coming on and slotting in where there is a gap.
Its a squad game and because he may start on the bench sometimes it doesn't mean he stops being our number one. The big boys have a higher calibre of player to come on than we do, so Kane needs to play every week-I agree. Pep sometimes plays no forward at all, I can understand why on occasion.
Just listening to the radio and them talking England rugby.- the way the squads mindset has changed. One example was, the subs are no longer, 'bench warmers' but are called 'game changers'. everyone is important and everyone plays a part.
Pace is utterly useless against a team that puts 10 men behind the ball and sits on it's penalty box, which we face more often than not nowadays.
I agree, like most of us, watching someone who can run through/past a team is exhilarating and a thrill. Having said that we do possess pace in our side (Sissoko, GK, Son) and believe it or not we are (probably were after Sat) the team that has scored the highest amount of counter attacking goals in the league!!
Why does every one take a comment to extreme ?Kane don't score for a few games, suddenly he is just a squad player.....
He doesn't score for a few games , we should question why-it doesn't mean its anti kane? At the moment we can not do without him because we haven't got the back up to replace. Last season. Vardy showed that with pace and not much more than that, you can get goals against anyone- kane lacks pace and this is exposed when he needs to cover ground. At WHL its set up for him, away he sometime struggles. No one is questioning his ability. Its not a case of either , good or shite, its he's game detail, improving where he needs to improve. Sometime playing from the bench may be to our advantage on occasions-no ones bigger than the club and he will always be number one.
Mane proves it time and time again that you can be seen as a worldie by just possessing pace.
I'm not sure we need this much analysis.
Liverpool did to us what we did to chelsea a few weeks back. We played at the top of our game that day and the scousers did the same. Our players weren't allowed to find their feet and the 2 quick goals did us. Its too hard chasing a game against a very good team, and one that counters with such pace. If Son or Dele had scored then it might have been different.
I don't see why we've got to be so critical of the performance, from the manager to our best players. We just got done over by a very good team, with a very good manager at a ground we've never done well at.
We didn't play as well as we could but we weren't allowed to. Yes, we need to learn how to manage a game like this and perhaps killing it, playing differently to our normal game and being prepared to take a point is better than going balls out. I think back to the away game against the scum when chadli scored - we played that perfectly - but that was back when we had less expectation. And I also agree that the back up players need to be given more of a role so that they can offer something - rather than an out of shape last 10mins.
Liverpool did to us what we did to chelsea a few weeks back. We played at the top of our game that day and the scousers did the same. Our players weren't allowed to find their feet and the 2 quick goals did us. Its too hard chasing a game against a very good team, and one that counters with such pace. If Son or Dele had scored then it might have been different.
I don't see why we've got to be so critical of the performance, from the manager to our best players. We just got done over by a very good team, with a very good manager at a ground we've never done well at.
We didn't play as well as we could but we weren't allowed to. Yes, we need to learn how to manage a game like this and perhaps killing it, playing differently to our normal game and being prepared to take a point is better than going balls out. I think back to the away game against the scum when chadli scored - we played that perfectly - but that was back when we had less expectation. And I also agree that the back up players need to be given more of a role so that they can offer something - rather than an out of shape last 10mins.
Without checking the stats, I feel like kane has the ability to score a lot more headers.
That 1 against southampton (I think) was superb.
Not sure if we aren't getting enough crosses/service to him or if he isn't making the runs/movement & getting in the mix enough.
I love kane's nice laidback personality but maybe he could do with being a bit more aggressive.