robsblubot

Confidence comes from good fitness and results. It's difficult to feel confident when you lose most 50/50s and the opposition is fitter. The team did not work hard enough and isn't prepared well enough and I have a good idea about the reasons for that. Sacking Tuchel was ridiculous to me.... is Pep or Klopp avail by chance?

I really like Mount as a player -- prob my sec fav after Kante -- but he's no good unless he's 100% fit and driving the team forward. If he wants to play at this level he needs to be a CR9 in terms of dedication and fitness... that's the price. His slow start is expected, and even acceptable, from different type of players, not him.

indeed. Players are a very united group who talk among themselves more than we think they do. A couple/few unhappy players will have an effect in the group. Sometimes the solution for that is actually competition, so that players trying to get minutes will give that extra 10% which can be contagious. And when I say 110%, I don't mean in games only but at practice too: that's where a manager have to spot when a player is not really engaged, so I agree that Tuchel can help himself there.

Dude! it's easier to blame the manager ("eh sempre of tecnico!") 😉 We always love our players even when they suck. Seriously tho, of course it's weaker 🙂 and the results will corroborate that with or without Tuchel -- he can't fix this shit. @Blue ArmourTo your (and Sp Juan's) point, it does not take a full rebellion at this level: all it takes is a couple of players not giving that 100% and spaces will be found by the opposition. This is what players themself say: they have a lot of power. Plus, I hope folks are noticing that, but the PL is getting tougher by the minute and there are very few really small clubs left. Most mid table clubs have internationals playing for them. Except crystal palace and fucking saha -- they both suck.

that's not what I said. I said it's down to a lot of things, not only the manager. That's why I disagree with the notion, "sack the manager because he was backed and could not build an elite side!" What we see on the pitch is always the result of many weeks' time. If that work happened late, poorly, or not at all, we will see that reflected on the pitch -- just as we do today. My point remains, the lack of proper work can be down to a number of reasons, and I do see evidence of those reasons being at play. While the manager isn't blameless, as he is part of the process, he's far from being the only responsible.

That's hardly Tuchel's fault is it? He may ask for player X, but that player will always choose Madrid, City, or PSG. So, and then this season we did business, late for a number of reasons, and I don't think he got player Y either. That's exactly why IMO marquee signings aren't the answer for us. We need to be a hard team to beat with 11 players involved at all times. Play with stronger opposition as equals and we will lose more often than not. While Haaland was merely an example of the difficulties of the club to compete at this level, Jesus was a more down to earth and still a far better option than Abu IMO.

I'm not saying he's blameless, but preparing a team is not only about the manager. Fitness is usually extremely important esp early season where the smaller clubs will be super fit pre-injuries. That list has one elite player: sterling. It was fairly lackluster IMO.

top targets *are* snatched up early on. I thought was was an accepted fact: more potential targets will be available early on. I'm sure Tuchel said no to Haaland first, then no to Jesus second, and then chose Abu in the last day of the transfer window, because you know it makes total sense.

Yes, because I don't have that information -- whether he's been backed or not. The mere *timing* of the deals tells me he wasn't. The top targets were snatched up early on.

I agree with everything regarding the players, but I’m not sure how much this is down to tuchel himself. it’s difficult to know whether they were his first or second choices, or what the club told him was possible. plus there is the timing as most deals took place way too late and that affects the manager (not to mention fitness) ability to prep the squad. speaking of fitness, all teams we play against look fitter and I don’t think that’s down to the manager.

my prediction: Tuchel out and a known clown (of your choice) in to make everyone here happy. Will change nothing of course, but changing managers is always popular.

That has been my point all along. More experience maybe, but Chalobah looked fitter and far more mobile. Koulibally looks heavy to me still.... I hope he's still regaining fitness tho. I've been very worried about our transfer window moves and so far it is looking worse than I feared.

It’s early season. Manager and coaches are selecting who are best fit to play based on that they see in training. Some may even be carrying an extra stone or two. Some of the new signings still don’t look the part, but I will refrain from passing judgement until they have a chance to get going as we did business fairly late in the window and that also affects the whole team… not to mention the manager.

fair enough I hope you are right, but I still think Jesus is twice the player who makes Arsenal a far better team, for example. Regarding the " carefree attitude" bit, I don't think it belongs in the modern game, but again, I hope you are right.

Yeah I know his numbers look good, but that's not how I rate striker these days. Lukaku had good numbers too, and I wouldn't have signed him. Barca as well as fans were not very worried about losing him btw) -- colleague of mine is a Barca fan. It's really the same issue I had with Luakaku: if he scores plenty of goals, but makes the team easier to beat, then is he really helping?

I've always thought Aubameyang was overrated. He's a good finisher, and a skillful player on the ball. He severely lacks in mentality, which translates into low work rate and teamwork. This makes him an odd choice for Tuchel style of play or any high press. I think he was a flop at Arsenal and was again a flop at Barca. He starts very well, scoring often esp against the weaker sides, but seems to fizzle out as the season unfolds and matches become tougher. With that out of the way, I'd really love to be wrong and that he ends up delivering for -- turn arounds like that aren't unheard of in football.

What? maybe I'm not making myself clear, it is my opinion after all. Please don't conflate characteristics and quality. While I don't yet know how much Koulibaly will help, I already know he's no Rudiger in characteristics, as in style of play. He's a far more limited CB even if still a good one. We are on the Tuchel thread here, and my original point was about how much losing Rudiger, and not getting a player of the same style, would hurt his strategy. I haven't seen enough of Fofana, but perhaps he may be able to fill that void left by Rudiger. That's all there is to it.

thanks stand corrected. Still he moves like 33+ though... perhaps fitness? And no, he does not move like Rudiger, which was my main point.

Koulibaly is 33 and moves like Thiago Silva. Simply not comparable with Rudiger imo. Regarding the quoted post, Eden was never a leader. Quite the opposite -- he was the guy who needed getting dragged to deliver.

I feel very strongly that sacking Tuchel would be a massive mistake. Everybody plays the same way these days: it's all pressure high up. for that reason, the ball playing ability of your defenders is constantly tested. That's why the 3 CBs currently playing aren't good enough. Thiago Is the best player on the ball, but he lack physically due to his age. Fofana may help with that, but once again, there was no coming back from the losses we had without work/signings. Missing Reece and Kante is also a big problem for the same reason as they are excellent transitioning the ball from D to attack.

Totally agree it’s both, but for me mentality is an important part of quality, as is physique. Also, when Rudiger pressed high up the pitch, he was a de facto additional midfield player, same as when he ran with the football and that’s all gone. I will point back to what happen to Liverpool when they lost VVD for a season. Given this is a permanent situ, maybe tuchel will have to change formation, but that’s not easy and a bit late for that.

Although Pulisic has stagnated (in a bad way), and seems to be annoyed at something/someone, we can't win games conceding the way we do. Can't chase 2 goals away from home, or even at home every match. Sometimes we will find a way to score, but more likely than not we will come short and lose out. In my view, when people start talking about lack of fighting, will, grit, it's usually really just lack of quality. The job of a big club is to have enough abundant quality that it should find a way to win even when the other side wants it more. Defense is very concerning atm and no, the 3 CBs don't work very well. They are all older players who lack mobility, which is the striking difference from the past seasons. When playing 3 at the back, it's VERY important that the CBs have the mobility and quality to step into the midfield for both pressing and build up. The CBs we've got now cannot do that because they lack physically (pace/mobility). Ironically Azpi still can do some of it, but he never had the ball playing quality to do that well. Not looking good and I don't think there is much the manager can do without the right players IMO.

all fair points, but I think you are downplaying how much we are missing Rudiger. He was a far more than just a CB and would join the middle and even the attack putting pressure against the opposition at all times. Losing him and Kante is just too much. I suspect the club will have the understanding that it's akin to Klopp losing VVD for a season.. it would always have a cost. I'm sorry to say that, but koulibaly is nowhere near Rudiger quality or style of play.

200m sneaky bid for Guimaraes would solve all that. 😉 there was always a cost of losing both rudiger and andreas without proper replacements tho.

That too but I also think D got weaker and with fewer options.