The English Football Thread

[Vesper 27,352]

51 minutes ago, Strike said:

Is Grealish a potential signing?

Yes, IF we care to dump out insane money (if we liquidate the top 11 dregs, even at huge discounts from what they were worth just 2 or so years ago, we will have enough to buy both Rice and Grealish no problem)

he solves the winger depth issue as well, leaving only a WC CB (Thiago's replacement for 2022/23 as I think he remains the starter for next season too) and far a better backup keeper and a backup LB needed (unless Maatsen comes good)

the final player is my personal pipe dream and 99% unlikely to pull

Håland

IF we did get all those above (including Håland) in by start of 2022/23, we would be a Treble (EPL/FA Cup/CL) capable team to a very large degree, especially as we have multiple fantastic youth soon arriving (next 2 to 3 years max) at a senior level for the mix All 3 of the bindippers front 3 (not counting Jota) will be in their 30's by then as well, as will VVD and many others (a total of 12 if they all stay, some far into their 30's, We would have two max (Azpi and Kante, if both remain, and the rest will be gone, 3 IF Silva stayed one last year, but he turns 38yo near the beginning of the season then, so cannot see him a full time starter at all).

[Strike 6,969]

14 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Yes, IF we care to dump out insane money (if we liquidate the top 11 dregs, even at huge discounts from what they were worth just 2 or so years ago, we will have enough to buy both Rice and Grealish no problem)

he solves the winger depth issue as well, leaving only a WC CB (Thiago's replacement for 2022/23 as I think he remains the starter for next season too) and far a better backup keeper and a backup LB needed (unless Maatsen comes good)

the final player is my personal pipe dream and 99% unlikely to pull

Håland

IF we did get all those above (including Håland) in by start of 2022/23, we would be a Treble (EPL/FA Cup/CL) capable team to a very large degree, especially as we have multiple fantastic youth soon arriving (next 2 to 3 years max) at a senior level for the mix All 3 of the bindippers front 3 (not counting Jota) will be in their 30's by then as well, as will VVD and many others (a total of 12 if they all stay, some far into their 30's, We would have two max (Azpi and Kante, if both remain, and the rest will be gone, 3 IF Silva stayed one last year, but he turns 38yo near the beginning of the season then, so cannot see him a full time starter at all).

Just a thought since Pulisic seems to be having too many niggles and Werner can play up front. Left wing is a spot we could strengthen and Grealish can also play through the middle in a 4-3-3 (?)

 

[Strike 6,969]

58 minutes ago, Vesper said:

the final player is my personal pipe dream and 99% unlikely to pull

Håland

IF we did get all those above (including Håland) in by start of 2022/23, we would be a Treble (EPL/FA Cup/CL) capable team to a very large degree, especially as we have multiple fantastic youth soon arriving (next 2 to 3 years max) at a senior level for the mix All 3 of the bindippers front 3 (not counting Jota) will be in their 30's by then as well, as will VVD and many others (a total of 12 if they all stay, some far into their 30's, We would have two max (Azpi and Kante, if both remain, and the rest will be gone, 3 IF Silva stayed one last year, but he turns 38yo near the beginning of the season then, so cannot see him a full time starter at all).

Everyone's dream. Not sure about working with Raiola

[Jase 43,479]

What kind of defence is this from Arteta!?

[Vesper 27,352]

John Stones: The resurrection

https://theathletic.com/2272582/2020/12/21/stones-john-man-city/

It was only a fleeting moment, easily forgotten about and ultimately inconsequential, but it tells us how John Stones is currently playing, and feeling.

On another day his bad luck may have struck again. Southampton had launched another of their forays down the right-hand side, the ball was chipped into the box, evaded the stretching Che Adams and hit the unsuspecting Stones, inside his own six-yard box, square on the forehead.

By the time he processed what had happened the ball had bounced out for a corner. The hands went on to his knees, a ‘thank God for that’ expression showed just how close it came to becoming an own goal. Maybe one that would have derailed his resurgence.

But then a smile. You don’t see many footballers smile in the heat of the battle these days if you think about it, but Stones afforded himself a moment to enjoy his good fortune, sharing it with his good friend Kyle Walker.

It might have come back to bite him had the towering Yannick Vestergaard planted his header in, having run off the much smaller Ferran Torres, but this was City’s day.

Once again, it was Stones’ day.

He’s had a fair few of them now and the left-sided centre-back spot is his to lose. That’s been the case for a few games now, and it’s why he started the Manchester derby last weekend.

“His attitude was always the same but we see him happier and stronger now because he’s fit, he’s not injured every two or three weeks, and that helps a lot,” Pep Guardiola said on Friday, perhaps feeling, like many others, that having come through that test at Old Trafford that now is the time to talk.

“He’s played really well and that gives you confidence. His personal life, now it’s settled, is much better.”

It’s worth pausing here for a second. There weren’t too many affiliated with City who would have been happy with how the derby played out, but Stones would have been. Even in his one indecisive moment he quickly reasserted control, stepped in front of Ederson, brought the ball forward and launched the attack that led to City’s best chance.

But his biggest coverage in the Sunday morning media was a very revealing peek into the past year or so of that personal life, via an interview with his ex partner and the mother of his daughter.

Some of the topics raised may have shone a new light on his recent struggles, perhaps making a few realise that his time out of the City team has sometimes been of his own making.

Most of the details, some of which that wouldn’t look out of place on a series of Footballers’ Wives, were kept out of the media as they were developing, meaning it was often a mystery why Stones’ name did not feature on the City team sheet.

Back in February he was left out of a match day squad because those off-field issues — a matter relating to his split — meant he was deemed by Guardiola to not be in the right frame of mind to play football.

Between those moments, poor form and injuries, Guardiola simply felt he couldn’t trust him.

That should not come as a surprise to anybody who looked at any City match when the 19-year-old Eric Garcia was in the line-up while Stones sat on the bench, such as the Champions League quarter-final against Lyon in August.

Another sliding doors moment. He would have left this summer but for Garcia’s desire to join Barcelona, which caught City on the hop. They decided to cash in on the youngster instead, as his contract expires at the end of the season. Everton thought they were getting Stones back, and how would that transfer have been perceived?

If Guardiola couldn’t get a tune out of this elegant but sometimes flawed defender, who could? A move back to the club he left four years ago would have been a failure for both him and for City.

Even in the autumn, after yet another injury ensured he couldn’t build on an opening-game appearance against Wolves, it was the wantaway Garcia who kept getting picked, with Stones not able to get a look in.

Yet here we are. City have conceded just one goal in 12 hours of football, a genuinely impressive achievement that has been somewhat lost in the team’s underwhelming attacking performances. Guardiola was tasked with tightening his team up and he has done it, and Stones is a big part of that, playing in six of the eight games (missing the game where they conceded, against West Brom). Perhaps most tellingly, he has played in the games that Guardiola deems most important.

“He’s a guy who is so sensible and that helps to be focused on what we have to do,” Guardiola continued.

Guardiola has effectively been running two teams of late, a weekend team and a midweek team. One for the must-win Premier League games and for the Champions League, where there were two or three attempts to grab top spot in the group.

That is where Aymeric Laporte’s only appearance in the last seven games has come, the dead rubber against Marseille, while Stones rested up for the derby.

The Frenchman did not feature in the matchday squad at Southampton on Saturday, with fans worrying about his continued absence and where that may lead.

He has just moved into a new apartment in Manchester, so that should allay some fears, although his reaction to dropping out of the team has not done him too many favours with Guardiola.

City clarified that he missed out on Saturday because he’s not fully fit, which plenty of supporters didn’t believe, but it must be said that there have been plenty of times in the past few years when players have been dropped for non-footballing reasons and the club haven’t been moved to comment, so the official verdict shouldn’t be taken as suspicious.

He played well in that game against Marseille and that’s all he can do now. Stones has had enough opportunities in the three years since injury derailed his fine start to City’s 100-point season. That’s how long it’s been since he played like this.

As Guardiola said, he is in a better place now. He spent time this summer analysing his own performances, working out where things had gone wrong, but as one close observer put it this week, “John isn’t doing anything differently, it’s just confidence.”

It’s hard to argue with that. He just looks calmer, more assured. Even when he got his latest break in the side, as part of the ‘midweek’ team against Olympiakos at the start of November, he looked right at home, ordering his team-mates around and taking charge of situations.

That’s a basic requirement for top-level centre-backs, of course, but it was striking to see him so assertive after another difficult time.

Perhaps surprisingly, it’s not his famed passing ability that has stood out in recent weeks. In fact, the stats alone paint a very surprising picture.

What the tables above show, apart from how good Garcia actually is on the ball, is that there’s more to football than the numbers.

Can a percentage be put on the fans’ confidence? How often has Stones looked flustered, per 90? He looks commanding and in control, and to use a broad phrase, he hasn’t put a foot wrong since he got back in the side.

“My only advice to him is that what he’s gained right now, in the way he lives his life and how he takes care of himself — his body, his mind, everything — he’s got to keep that for the next 10 years, 12 years, here with me, without me, with other managers,” Guardiola cautioned.

“The moment that drops he will not be consistent but if he can avoid injuries he can be the player we’ve always believed he can be. He’s given us a good feeling but it’s just two or three games. A defender has to be consistent all season.”

Nobody wants to get too carried away, and in fact after his first few games back in the team nobody dared say anything, lest a mistake or injury lurked around the corner, or the tougher games showed up his real level.

But so far, so good. Saturday’s game was another tough assignment and one that he glided through, apart from that momentary scare 10 minutes before the break.

Stones is smiling again.

[Vesper 27,352]

Inside Carlo Ancelotti’s first year at Everton

https://theathletic.com/2273366/2020/12/21/carlo-ancelotti-everton-davide/

It is December 23, 2019, and Carlo Ancelotti is being officially unveiled as Everton manager. 

Two days earlier, the Italian had signed a four-and-a-half-year deal, completing an audacious swoop few outside Merseyside ever thought possible. 

After press conference duties and a photoshoot on the pitch, Ancelotti makes his way into the private boxes in Goodison’s Main Stand to meet the assembled media. He knows he is set to face a grilling but opens with a question of his own. 

“Who here is an Everton fan?” he asks a small room of journalists. 

A few hands are raised tentatively. “Good,” he says in their direction, with a smile.

Content at what he has seen, Ancelotti moves on to business. First questions from the media, then the important stuff. 

He has work to do. Everton are 15th in the table and reviving their fortunes will be no easy task. 

---

Twelve months on and the decision to appoint Ancelotti appears to be bearing fruit. Victory over Arsenal on Saturday took Everton temporarily up to second place in the Premier League table. A far cry from the lingering fears of relegation when Ancelotti arrived on Merseyside. 

In that time, he has tasted victory in 19 of his 38 games in charge across all competitions — a win rate of 50 per cent — while only five Premier League sides can boast a better points total since his arrival. 

It is the kind of progress the club’s billionaire owner Farhad Moshiri always anticipated Ancelotti would inspire. A long-time admirer, Moshiri had already attempted to hire Ancelotti in 2017 after the Italian left Bayern Munich, only to receive a polite “no” due to the timing.

Two years later, with Ancelotti out of work and Everton craving a big name to get them out of the mire, Moshiri tried again. 

Talks were conducted first over the phone to sound out interest and then face to face in Germany and London. Although Ancelotti was a free agent, it was just as much about Everton getting the former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager’s buy-in than vice versa. Finally, he was convinced of “sincerity and ambition of the owner”, according to one source, and the seriousness of the project in front of him. 

The unwritten promise had been that Moshiri would back him if there was something he really wanted.  

“It was a decision motivated by his passion for finding new challenges in his career and the possibility of contributing to building a winning project,” the source tells The Athletic. “But going back to the Premier League was always a dream for him.”

---

“We arrived without much time,” Ancelotti’s son and highly-rated assistant Davide (below with Michael Keane) explains to The Athletic. It is the Sunday morning after the 2-1 win over Arsenal but Everton’s coaching staff are already back at work at Finch Farm. “Of course we knew the quality of the players but three weeks before we were working for another club,” he continues. “The last six months of last season were to assess the situation and what we wanted to work on.

“We wanted to bring some power, some legs in midfield over the summer and the club helped in the market. Players like Ben Godfrey and James Rodriguez helped the team to improve a lot. In the Premier League, you will have injuries. Our squad is deeper and now we have injuries but the players are ready and we can keep the level high.”

Carlo Ancelotti’s calm authority and precise instructions have been the perfect anecdote to predecessor Marco Silva who, while popular with members of the Everton squad, had a tendency to obscure and complicate with dense theoretical information. 

The younger Ancelotti has won plenty of admirers and is entrusted with tactics and devising training sessions. “Davide has important tactical concepts. He is a football scholar and Carlo trusts him with the plan,” says a source. 

“Davide is so calm and methodical,” the source explains. “He sits down and goes through clips with them. For the defenders, he will look at goals conceded and suggest what they might have done differently. But he’ll also show them how things may not have been their fault, pointing out how the shape of the team could be better. He’s good at building the lads up and also being constructive.”

Sessions are said to be intense, regularly lasting between 60 and 90 minutes, and are often a mix of small-sided games and forms of rondo that favour incisive passing. Usually, players get just one day off a week. The ultimate aim is to play from the back, press high and dominate the ball. “Positional play” as it is known in some parts of the world. 

There is an emphasis on verticality when it comes to passing and quick penetration from the defenders, rather than just possession for possession’s sake. In meetings after the disappointing FA Cup defeat to Liverpool in January, Everton’s defenders were reminded of the need to be brave and incisive in possession. 

“The ball is a protagonist every time with Carlo,” another source puts it. “The most important for him is ball training.”

The other aim is to be flexible. 

Since his arrival, Ancelotti has used several formations, including variations of 4-3-3, 3-4-3 and, in his first six months, 4-4-2 — a continuation of the set-up that brought success during Duncan Ferguson’s spell as interim manager. 

Initially, only minor tweaks were made to Ferguson’s system. But, as time passes, Ancelotti has started to put his imprint on proceedings. 

“Where Carlo differs to ideologues like Pep Guardiola is he’s very pragmatic. For him, football isn’t about proving his preferred system is better than all other systems,” a source close to the Everton manager says.

“He tailors a different approach to every game. What helped them beat West Brom might not necessarily help against Chelsea. He’s fluid.”

Most recently, the two Ancelottis have been preoccupied with fixing a leaky defence that went 10 games without a clean sheet. There has been an acceptance that, ultimately, the players were more “comfortable” with a back four than the 3-4-3 used in the defeat by Leeds United and at the start against Burnley. The new set-up, which deploys centre-backs Mason Holgate and Godfrey in the full-back positions, has been more coy and far less expansive than the one that blew teams away during the run of seven straight victories in all competitions at the start of the season. 

“According to the players we have, we can change the strategy for games,” Davide says. “If you have James, Andre Gomes and Lucas Digne, they are players that need the ball. Without them, you can change a little bit and use other weapons we have. At the moment we have big physicality, we have players for set pieces and we can counter-attack. But the spirit of the team must always be the same.”

Limiting space between the lines has been a big focus.

“Carlo talks a lot lately about ‘dangerous space’ in behind his back four and limiting it,” a source adds. “In the first part of the season, he was happy for his full-backs to be high up the pitch, but now he isn’t.”

Such flexibility in approach has been invaluable in recent weeks. After one win in seven, Everton have won their last three matches — against Chelsea, Leicester City and Arsenal — since making the changes, conceding just one goal in the process. Given the clear improvement, the only wonder is that the change in approach did not come sooner.

Those closest to the set-up speak of a change in mindset in the squad over the last 12 months, in part inspired by Ancelotti’s status in the game, as well as the signings he has been able to make. In the case of both Rodriguez and Allan, the Italian’s presence at Goodison proved decisive, a series of personal phone calls helping persuade the high-profile duo that their futures lay on Merseyside.

“What we want to do is to keep the fighting spirit of this club, which is what the fans like to see,” Davide says. “The message we give is that we need to keep this. Seamus Coleman is really important in the process. He is a real leader who helps Carlo to manage the dressing room, keep the discipline and the players on board. We also have players with personality, like Holgate, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Tom Davies who are confident and can represent the club really well.” 

It has been a gradual process with a couple of notable bumps in the road. After the 3-0 away defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers last season, Ancelotti and captain Coleman demanded the side show more spirit. At the end of the campaign, Ancelotti told his players to come away with an improved mentality. Slowly, things have changed.

“Ancelotti’s arrival and the arrival of the new signings means nobody can afford to drop their level. He’s been there and done it. You know if you play poorly you’ll be out. It’s changed the mindset,” one source says.

“He has the ultimate winning mentality,” another adds. 

“Results have been up and down the last few months but listen to Holgate when he was asked recently about competing for the title and he says, ‘Why not?’ That comes from Carlo. He’s here to win things. 

“He’s been first class from the moment he walked into the place. Everton have fluctuated from different types of managers over the last few years — from Roberto Martinez to Ronaldo Koeman to Sam Allardyce and Marco Silva. Under Marco, rightly or wrongly, some of the younger lads, who are more savvy and confident now than in the past, may speak up or question things.

“They’ve just been sponges with Carlo. If he suggests they try something new, they’ll just do it. There’s no questioning. He’s worked with the very best so they just accept he will be making them better players. It’s another reason why highly-rated young players like Calvert-Lewin and Holgate are more likely to stay at the club regardless of where they finish this season because, let’s face it, there are not many places they could go and learn under a better manager.”

Ancelotti takes the time to video call the youngest members of the squad while they are away on international duty.

“It’s the personal touch,” another source says. “You might not necessarily expect a 61-year-old to do this but he FaceTimes the younger players when they’re away with their national set-ups. He checks in and makes them feel important. He’ll remember little details about their families too.”

---

Those closest to Ancelotti say he feels he has found a new “family” at Everton. The Athletic has been told that he is “delighted” with the club and how he has been welcomed. 

Ancelotti lives in Crosby, a town on the Sefton Coast and, away from the pitch, spends his time exploring the area by bike and foot with his wife Mariann. Il Forno, an Italian restaurant in Liverpool city centre, is a regular haunt and he has become so familiar to staff there that he comes in via a different entrance and often dines privately in a separate room.

“He absolutely loves Liverpool,” says one figure close to the Everton manager. “From the first week when he was at the Titanic Hotel, he was interested in the history, the docks. Then in lockdown, he was getting out on his bike and really enjoyed familiarising himself even more. He loves being close to the beach.”

Although the Everton manager’s contract is not up until 2024, privately he has already hinted he would like to stay for longer, provided he feels can help the team remain competitive.  

“He always talks about the difference between ‘family’ clubs and ‘corporate’ clubs,” says one source. “If he finds himself in a corporate club such as Chelsea, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, he creates his own family feel. He sees Everton as a family club, which is why he’s so comfortable.” 

The target this season is European qualification and a challenge for silverware. Next year, it is making the Champions League. Ancelotti’s belief is that winning a trophy at Everton would mean as much, if not more, than the Champions Leagues he lifted with AC Milan and Real Madrid. 

“We are happy,” Davide says. “There was a big step compared to last season. We have new players that helped others to have a better spirit. The key is with the training because we have a really competitive team there. 

“If you reach some consistency, you can achieve results and stay at the top of the table. To compete at this level, we need to keep the way we are now, building the quality of the squad, the spirit and the training. The ambition is clear: to be competitive. But we have to improve and that is what we are trying to do.

“The fact we can compete against teams like Chelsea, Leicester and Arsenal that have a lot of quality is a good sign. We can be competitive but we need to be consistent. If we keep working, we are not too far away. This season we are trying to compete for Europe. Then, year by year, we can try to climb more and more.”

[Vesper 27,352]

Spurs’ supposed squad depth looks a myth in week they drop from 1st to 5th

https://theathletic.com/2272289/2020/12/21/spurs-mourinho-bale-kane-son/

This week has been a sharp reminder of a few things, like the difference that exists between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, and why a title charge from Jose Mourinho’s side this season might just be beyond them.

But above all, what this week has clarified about Tottenham is the contingency of their power.

They can beat almost anyone in the country, but their capacity to do so rests largely on two players. Harry Kane and Son Heung-min have arguably been the two best forward players in the league so far this season — and as good as they are as individuals, they have been even better as a combination. Everything good Tottenham have done this year — destroying Southampton and Manchester United away, statement home wins against Manchester City and Arsenal — has been thanks to those two. If they keep playing like they can, Tottenham can achieve anything they want this season.

But there is a downside to such an individualistic approach. If Kane and Son stop playing like gods, then Spurs struggle to come up with an alternative. That has been the story of this damaging week just gone, when three big Premier League games have delivered just one point.

The problem is not that Kane and Son have started playing badly. It is that they have stopped being perfect. Kane scored Spurs’ only goal against Palace, wrong-footing Vicente Guaita from distance, but Tottenham could not find a second goal, and were eventually pinned back. At Anfield, Son scored on the break but Spurs could not take advantage of their spell of superiority at 1-1. Steven Bergwijn missed two good chances and Kane uncharacteristically miscued a header from a corner. Liverpool eventually won the game 2-1.

Sunday’s game against Leicester City was the worst of those three games, and maybe the worst Tottenham have played since their opening day defeat to Everton three months ago. Mourinho admitted afterwards that they started poorly. “We started bad,” he said. “The first 20 minutes was a poor performance. There were some empty spots in terms of pressing, attitude and recovering the ball. I didn’t like it at all.”

Tottenham did then improve and they were having their best spell of the game before Serge Aurier gifted that decisive penalty away. The problem is that the good openings Spurs worked at that point — Son heading to Giovani Lo Celso in the box, Kane heading two corners off-target — came to nothing. If Spurs had scored during that period, and gone into half-time at 1-0 up, rather than 1-0 down, things would have gone very differently.

Again, the point here is not to blame Kane or Son, who have played heroically all season and are both in the form of their lives. But the issue Spurs have is that when Kane and Son do not take all of their chances — as they have been doing until very recently — the rest of the team struggles to make up the difference. Especially as the defence, which had been immaculate ever since the West Ham United draw on October 18, starts to make mistakes. Aurier had no reason to push Wesley Fofana in the back, and the Toby Alderweireld own goal will go down as one of the worst goals Spurs will concede all season.

Those were two very bad moments, but what might concern Mourinho more is the lack of invention his team showed in the second half. Mourinho was unfortunate that within minutes of him taking off Tanguy Ndombele for Gareth Bale, he then desperately needed Ndombele on the pitch because Lo Celso limped off. Spurs were suddenly left without a creative player in midfield, just when they needed one the most.

The result was a second half that was too reminiscent of the Everton defeat on opening day. For more than 40 minutes, Spurs played with a front four of Kane, Son, Bale and Lucas Moura and yet with no one to get the ball to them, they created nothing. It was a reminder that simply having attacking players on the pitch is not in itself a guarantee of effective attacking football. (Anyone who watched Mourinho’s Manchester United would have recognised this, given how badly they played even with three or four of Alexis Sanchez, Marcus Rashford, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial and Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the pitch.)

It was also a reminder that for all the talk about how good Spurs’ squad is, and how they have the best “second XI” in the Premier League, those players have not been producing recently. Mourinho effectively has two teams, the Premier League team and the Europa League team, and when the players from the second XI try to make a difference for the first, they struggle. The three second-half changes against Palace (Lo Celso, Ben Davies and Dele Alli) did little to turn the dynamic of the game, nor did Lucas, Sergio Reguilon and Dele when they came on at Anfield on Wednesday.

The changes on Sunday made just as little difference and the situation with Bale, more than two months after his second debut, does not look promising. He has not started a Premier League game since November 8 and this time he still did not look like he could make a difference. There was one long-range free kick over the bar, one long throw, and only one touch of the ball in the Leicester box.

The question, as Spurs prepare for a League Cup quarter-final at Stoke City on Wednesday night and then a must-win at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the league on Sunday, is how Mourinho balances his first and second XIs through these fixtures. He cannot keep picking the same players every single game or he will risk ending up with an injury crisis like the one he ran into last Christmas. But he needs to be able to trust the fringe players to come in and do a job.

Mourinho’s first team at Tottenham are very good, as they have proved plenty of times this season. Top four and even a trophy should be within their reach. But they are not built on a broad base. Everything good goes through Son and Kane, and as we head into a time when every game is a big game, some of that burden would be better off shared.

[Vesper 27,352]

Why Solskjaer turned to McTominay and James to unpick Bielsa

https://theathletic.com/2274400/2020/12/21/manchester-united-leeds-mctominay/

One of the iconic terrace chants of the Stretford End contains the lyric that claims Manchester United “often score six” but “seldom score 10”. It is a flight of fancy that nearly landed in reality at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Better finishing and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side really could have hit double digits against a Leeds team who played admirably but also into their hosts’ hands.

Marcelo Bielsa brought his high-octane style to the same stadium with Athletic Bilbao in 2012 and caused some bewilderment to Sir Alex Ferguson, a manager who had seen almost everything. Eight years on, with Ferguson watching in the stands, Solskjaer had an antidote to such a feverish opponent.

After licking wounds of the Tottenham defeat, Solskjaer set United out at Old Trafford with intentions to avoid a repeat. This, however, was the time to unleash his team’s offensive potential.

He selected a line-up that could keep pace with the Leeds press — returning fire with fire — and also play one-touch passing around Bielsa’s system of man-marking out of possession.

Leeds won the ball in United’s third seven times. United won the ball in Leeds’ third six times. At 13, the combined exchange of possession in that area of the pitch was the most for either side in any game so far this season (nine being the next highest for both).

Added to this, United were able to repeatedly pick a path through the pressure from Leeds when in controlled possession and transition at speed when winning the ball.

Solskjaer knew his players could handle the aggression from Leeds and respond with counter punches. Going into the game, United had the second most fast breaks in the division (12 to Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 15) and the most goals from that method of attack (four). It was no surprise to see them add another to that particular tally.

Urged on by Bielsa, Leeds did not pause for breath, meaning a glorious realisation of pre-game predictions from those close to Old Trafford, who felt the action would flow as if transported from the NBA but leave United on top by virtue of superior players.

“You can press in as many numbers and as fast as you want but if the opponent can play one-touch, there is not much you can do,” said one source. “You will simply be out of position very quickly.”

To many neutrals, this encounter represented a chance for Bielsa to show his coaching superiority. It turned into another of those occasions where Solskjaer confounded his critics by delivering a system and instructions that reveal a deep thinker on the game.

If Leeds have grown to love Bielsaball, what future for this brand of Oleball? After a sequence of tight matches low on chances, this was nearly a basketball score but only because Solskjaer knew it was his team’s best course to victory.

Kalvin Phillips was one to suffer in the circumstances. Tasked with man-marking Bruno Fernandes when United had possession, he bore witness to the Portuguese’s vision and execution. He followed Fernandes everywhere but was largely chasing shadows.

At one stage for a goal kick, Fernandes used the situation to his advantage by pushing on as the most advanced player. Phillips tracked, allowing David de Gea to hit long to Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford with the pair now having a large space in midfield to work in. Bielsa replacing Phillips at the interval was tacit acceptance his player was losing the individual duel.

Leeds had chances too, of course, contributing to the Premier League’s highest combined total for expected goals (xG) in a single game this season. But United were superior on that score by 3.98 to 1.78 and another measure to consider is shots on target: 14 to three. The difference there speaks volumes for the balance of power.

Scott McTominay was United’s best player, tailor-made for the occasion. He can run a 10km in 34 minutes and that speed endurance was vital in shutting down spaces and capitalising on turnovers. There is a reason Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl is said to be a fan.

His reason for inclusion was evident inside a minute when he received possession close to United’s area as two Leeds players began to hound. He turned sharply away and played a pass through the lines to Luke Shaw and then burst forward to join the attack.

Both his goals came from intelligent late runs and he also demonstrated the value of smart movement in the middle of the pitch. “We knew they were high energy and would have intense moments, but the movement of the front lads and the cleanliness of some of the moves made Scott have space in front of him with the ball in his feet,” said Solskjaer.

That dynamic was there for the Dan James goal. McTominay spotted Aaron Wan-Bissaka in a bit of bother on the left touchline, so sprinted 10 yards to make himself available for the pass. Credit to Wan-Bissaka, the ball arrived so McTominay could accelerate instantly and after gliding past one opponent, he fired the pass that allowed James to do likewise. Touch, run and, his case, shoot.

James was another name that caused some raised eyebrows before kick-off. It was his first appearance in the Premier League since October 24 but although he has history with Leeds, the inclusion was purely tactical.

Bielsa tried to recruit James because of his work without the ball and speed on the counter, so he would inevitably be a useful player against Bielsa’s approach.

McTominay and James may not be everyone’s idea of United standard but they unquestionably bring effort every time and, as Solskjaer said afterwards, his side had to earn the right to play first by work ethic.

In the 16th minute, Old Trafford was a cacophony of noise as James pressed high — encouraged by the coaching staff — and he consistently carried the ball across large distances to trouble Leeds. The booking he received for simulation does not align with what actually happened and that was the only issue Solskjaer expressed anger over.

Instead, he can take satisfaction that United moved to third with a sixth win in seven Premier League matches and improved their goal difference considerably. It is the seventh time in two years of Solskjaer’s management United have scored five or more goals in a game, compared to just two occasions in the previous six and a half years since Ferguson retired.

Whether United can mount a genuine title challenge remains to be seen, but the work was already being done on the next match. Paul Pogba, Eric Bailly, Donny van de Beek, Mason Greenwood, Juan Mata and Edinson Cavani undertook sprinting exercises on the pitch after the Leeds game. “Who is the champion?” Pogba gloated after winning one hard-fought race.

That is the kind of mentality Solskjaer wants to see.

[lucio 5,408]

Hopefully Leicester can derail them next game 

[Jase 43,479]

3 hours ago, Jason said:

What kind of defence is this from Arteta!?

 

[Vesper 27,352]

2020-21 English Premier League

Burnley                                         
Wolverhampton Wanderers        

http://www.sportnews.to/sports/2020/premier-league-burnley-vs-wolverhampton-wanderers-s1/

https://www.totalsportek.com/wolverhampton-epl/

[Vesper 27,352]

Rayan Aït-Nouri finally is playing

he is the teen LB I wanted to get for last couple windows

[Atomiswave 6,072]

 

[Special Juan 27,104]

1-0 Burnley, Wolve's little cup final last week now over.

[Laylabelle 9,302]

Meh we played like shite.

[Atomiswave 6,072]

29 minutes ago, Special Juan said:

1-0 Burnley, Wolve's little cup final last week now over.

For sure...but we allowed them though, plus their first goal should not have counted. Still Chels have had no VAR decision in our favour.

[Special Juan 27,104]

2-0 Wolves complete shit housery

[Vesper 27,352]

I cannot believe we lost to these fuckers

worst game of the year