Graham Potter Thread

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

Just now, DDA said:

The defensive set up was a head scratcher but let's be real with ourselves here.. it nearly worked. This game was like a pre season game for Potter. He will watch the game back and see Azpi's deficiencies that led to the goal... (not being able to get tight to the free man) and If he doesn't change it for the next game, then yes, we should worry. It's his first game in charge and despite what alot of people are saying, we played better than the last few games under TT. The squad is lacking sevierly in midfield and attack and Potter isn't a a miracle worker. I don't think we will see vast improvements until next season in all honesty.. I feel we will have to be patient and hope for smaller improvements along the way.

It nearly worked bc our opponent was an Austrian clown team missing starters. This defence would get wrecked by the top half of the PL. this preseason game could cost us our place in the r16 of CL missing out, this is not a game to try out a slow, 70 yo cb pairing for whatever insights you may possibly get by  watching players who have been around forever for the umpteenth time. winning vs Salzburg does not require a miracle worker or drastic improvements. All it requires is the kind of performance that should be expected even by this squad. But GP tinkered in a very uninspiring way and it backfired. If he had played the likes of Broja, Gallagher,  halobab etc, fine, ballsy move but at least he builds for the future but today was presumably his idea of playing it safe and that selection was crap. One could argue he has no clue about his new team yet. 

[DDA 9,924]

1 hour ago, Magic Lamps said:

It nearly worked bc our opponent was an Austrian clown team missing starters. This defence would get wrecked by the top half of the PL. this preseason game could cost us our place in the r16 of CL missing out, this is not a game to try out a slow, 70 yo cb pairing for whatever insights you may possibly get by  watching players who have been around forever for the umpteenth time. winning vs Salzburg does not require a miracle worker or drastic improvements. All it requires is the kind of performance that should be expected even by this squad. But GP tinkered in a very uninspiring way and it backfired. If he had played the likes of Broja, Gallagher,  halobab etc, fine, ballsy move but at least he builds for the future but today was presumably his idea of playing it safe and that selection was crap. One could argue he has no clue about his new team yet. 

Like I said, the CB pairing was a little strange but the only logical explanation for it is that Azpi is the captain and he may have felt his experience could be vital along with the fact that KK has been hurrendous and Fofana is new to the team. 

If he had started KK or Fofana and they had a horror show, you and many others would have found a reason to moan.

[Blue Armour 4,436]

For Potter's sake I hope this team gets him a win in the next match.

Else we'll fall into a rut that I think he'll struggle to get us out of.

His decision to go with back 4 was bold, but the choice to go with 2 ageing CBs (even if Silva is the best of all our CBs) was a bit weird

Of course, the downside of a back 4 is that our wingbacks are no longer as aggressive as they used to be. Looking at James here.

And Cucurella needs to be benched. 

[lucio 5,418]

2 hours ago, DDA said:

Like I said, the CB pairing was a little strange but the only logical explanation for it is that Azpi is the captain and he may have felt his experience could be vital along with the fact that KK has been hurrendous and Fofana is new to the team. 

If he had started KK or Fofana and they had a horror show, you and many others would have found a reason to moan.

Experience counts for very little if your legs have gone. He used to be a great defender but his leadership sucks. 

[YorkshireBlue 3,264]

6 hours ago, Magic Lamps said:

It nearly worked bc our opponent was an Austrian clown team missing starters. This defence would get wrecked by the top half of the PL. this preseason game could cost us our place in the r16 of CL missing out, this is not a game to try out a slow, 70 yo cb pairing for whatever insights you may possibly get by  watching players who have been around forever for the umpteenth time. winning vs Salzburg does not require a miracle worker or drastic improvements. All it requires is the kind of performance that should be expected even by this squad. But GP tinkered in a very uninspiring way and it backfired. If he had played the likes of Broja, Gallagher,  halobab etc, fine, ballsy move but at least he builds for the future but today was presumably his idea of playing it safe and that selection was crap. One could argue he has no clue about his new team yet. 

This is a team that held AC Milan to a draw the same AC Milan that just smashed dynamo, you know that team that beat us the other week. I truly believe under TT we lost this game.

[manpe 10,861]

5 hours ago, DDA said:

Like I said, the CB pairing was a little strange but the only logical explanation for it is that Azpi is the captain and he may have felt his experience could be vital along with the fact that KK has been hurrendous and Fofana is new to the team. 

If he had started KK or Fofana and they had a horror show, you and many others would have found a reason to moan.

It's not as if Fofana hasn't played for us already, he's not that new.

80 and 40 million € center-backs sitting on the bench while two over the hill ones play, baffling. I can kinda see what he was trying to do, but it is NOT the way forward, especially in the Prem.

[DDA 9,924]

56 minutes ago, manpe said:

It's not as if Fofana hasn't played for us already, he's not that new.

80 and 40 million € center-backs sitting on the bench while two over the hill ones play, baffling. I can kinda see what he was trying to do, but it is NOT the way forward, especially in the Prem.

Agreed. Fofana needs to be starting. 

[DDA 9,924]

5 hours ago, Blue Armour said:

Cucurella needs to be benched. 

He was one of the best players on the pitch last night bar acting like a cocker spaniel on cocaine for their goal.

[Blue Armour 4,436]

25 minutes ago, DDA said:

He was one of the best players on the pitch last night bar acting like a cocker spaniel on cocaine for their goal.

I don't deny his attacking talents. Links up play very well, and a good eye for a pass.

But I'm not convinced he is defensively sound. At least compared to Chillwell.

When the team is leaking goals, and hasn't found the right combination for a defensive setup, I'm not sure if I would pick him over Chillwell. 

[Blue Armour 4,436]

1 hour ago, manpe said:

It's not as if Fofana hasn't played for us already, he's not that new.

80 and 40 million € center-backs sitting on the bench while two over the hill ones play, baffling. I can kinda see what he was trying to do, but it is NOT the way forward, especially in the Prem.

Agreed, even though I'm surprised at how easily a veteran defender like Azpilicueta was left ball watching to let an attacker get behind him like that.

Its even more ridiculous when you think about it. It took two massive cock-ups by our two most experienced defenders to lead to their goal. What are the odds..

At the other end, we seem to miss from positions that are easier to score from. Can't make this up.

Maybe someone needs to do what that former Liverpool striker Bruce Grobbelaar did by peeing on the goalposts at Anfield to lift their title curse. Even if it worked for only 1 year, lol.

[Vegetable 830]

Some will do an incredible acrobatics too excuse him, but let's face it - no company will pay for multi million manager for him to have time and stroll around building the team. He is paid to deliver solutions. 

Boehly may be madman, but one don't spend 250 mil in half panic window just to scrap it and start over 3 days later, with letting go CL football and league result, because we build grassroots now. BS. 

I wonder how people think he will improve mentality in the dressing room that lacked respect for freaking Conte and Lampard. Some "most expensive X in history" are in this room and perhaps they will ask themselves who tf is Potter, so he needs to prove himself with either some wicked philosophy or knowledge or charisma (and he seems to lack personality a bit for now) fast or it will not go well - massive task for someone like him. 

The pressure is on the guy and we will see what will come from it. 

[Superblue 6,372]

For me he has to work on the intensity we play at when we have the ball. 

We've got caught into a cycle where we dominate possession game after game without doing nearly enough with the ball. It goes back and sideways far too often and recycled to the other side of the pitch and back again. Too many players take one or two too many touches on the ball for us to be penetrable and far too many times players have the opportunity to cut a player or two out and just pass direct to a team mate in space to get the ball up the pitch quicker and choose not to.

I genuinely think it's a confidence thing more than anything. Whilst we were never an expansive team under Tuchel, up to December/January last year we did play with more intensity and more 'zip' in our game. Since then it's just become far too safe and slow. Too many players seem content to play within themselves and not enough are willing to take responsibility.

I hate to admit it too but when you have Kovacic struggling for full fitness and Kante never seemingly fit, you lose so much drive through the middle of the pitch. For me that has to be the priority moving forward, to find players to rebuild that midfield.

I'd happily take our possession stats dropping a couple of percent if it meant us trying to force the ball up the pitch in a more direct manner at times, or someone being willing to take on a shot in and around the box. 

I genuinely think Potter will get a tune in time out of the squad, and it might take just a gradual build up of steady results to rebuild what seems a really fragile confidence amongst the group but at present he does have a tall order on his hands.