Men's Soccer (Football) Thread Soccer • Page 432

Just mulling over what happened to Everton at the weekend and I've decided to take Iraola's comments (that we deserved to win) as a positive. Obviously, we didn't, but I've been hearing that the performance in general was good for 87 minutes, which in itself highlights a fitness issue perhaps?

 

Who gets picked instead though? Would Collyer making his debut have been any better starting? Even if he would have been, it's not fair on a young lad to get thrown to the wolves like that. Eriksen is completely done at this level so isn't an option to start, McTominay staying wouldn't have helped with how limited he is on the ball and positionally. Then you're on to Mount (injured anyway), Bruno etc. who would be massively out of position.

The 'system' (if you can call it that) is atrocious so I do agree with the view that players are getting hung out to dry regardless, but I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a basic level of passing ability and situational awareness from players like Casemiro.

 

I thought you played the best football I’ve seen an Everton team play since Ancelotti. For 85 minutes. Then you just collapsed. So it was brutal, but there’s a lot of positives to take weirdly.

 

I think it’s both. He’s totally done at the top level physically, I mean look at how slow he is to get off the floor, but also he’s being exposed in a terrible system.

I think I said at the end of last year that the new owners would keep Ten Hag so that they have an excuse for this season. They know he’s not the guy, if we can see it, so can they. He’ll be gone by March and replaced by Tuchel.

 

Agreed, it's both the system and the player. I'd be very surprised if ten Hag made it to March mind. I don't think it will be Tuchel to replace him - more likely to be some younger, flavour of the month tactico I reckon - but Ashworth and co will definitely be on with lining up replacement options as we speak.

 

Get absolutely fucked

 

I genuinely think it’s system more than Casemiro. We don’t set up in any way to protect against counters which exacerbates Case’s issues. Even peak Casemiro does nothing against the space we leave for counters. Like all three goals yesterday came from us losing the ball low down the pitch.

we set up with a low block centre defence and man to man marking off the ball. Great. That can work. But in possession we played slow at the defence and once we exited our defending third we went long and fast up the pitch. Again that’s not bad in theory. But, in doing so we send everyone but the centre backs on forwards runs leaving a ton of space for the counter. I guess we were trying to create overloads in the opposition half, but none of the players have the accuracy for those kinds of passes. The first goal we worked it out of defence until Casemiro played a risky ball. But Mazraoui was up ahead of Casemiro and couldn’t get back in time to defend the counter and they scored in the space he left.

there’s two issues there, the set up and Casemiro’s pass. He could have passed to Maz who was wide open on the halfway line. But we were, and were against Brighton, focusing on overloading the left hand side. Liverpool easily noticed that as anyone with eyes could, cut off the pass and broke. I think a better system gets a better Casemiro.


we weren’t great against Fulham, but we weren’t this brain dead stupid against them. We held onto the ball and played a bit more of a patient passing game with less forward runners. It worked, we struggled to score but the set up worked for the most part. The one or two times we deviated from that for those vertical overload runs Fulham countered through the space.

 

I know this is from a few days ago, but I don't think anyone replied to this. The ball was rolling when Rice touched it (to say he kicked it away is pretty fanciful), so Veltman couldn't take the free kick anyway. He would have had to stop the ball first and then take it. The fact he just boots Rice is the icing on the cake.

 

Won't happen, surely, with Arsenal's lack of depth?

 

I don’t really buy into refereeing conspiracy theories, but I do think Kavanagh refs us in a really harsh way.

Our win rate under him is shockingly low compared to every other ref in the league, and our card rate is exceptionally high, to the point that he’s had three Arsenal reds overturned by VAR in the last 13 games. He’s also had two opponents penalties overturned.

It’s probably an unconscious thing, but it’s frustrating when it feels like he actively wants us to play by totally different rules.

 

A bit embarrassing for ETH to be tactically outclassed and then have it spelled out for all other 19 managers in an interview lol

 

Im already convinced whenever ten Hag gets the boot that it'll be Ruud for the interim, and if he does well enough he'll get it permanently

 

Osimhen to Galatasaray is VERY left-field. His stock has fallen considerably.

 

LMAO this is Leao's response to Di Canio criticising his “professionalism”.

 

This ball rolling part is what kills me. Even if the ball is still, there’s a hundred more deserving yellows that don’t get given in every single premier league game. Personally think it’s irresponsible to drastically change the course of a game for something so undeserving.

 

Topping the Chorus fantasy league and trailing my sister in our family one is very bittersweet.

 

rip my brief reign

 

Best decision has been starting the season with both Haaland and Salah. Made a few thoughtless choices otherwise. No idea why I didn't think to bench Hall for Davis this week. It was a pretty obvious one.

 

Just seen that Argentine side Banfield announced on twitter they were firing their manager while losing at half time lol.

 

I suspect it’s a lot on them not budging on his 130m release clause.

 

Yeah, it's a pretty dreadful call. If the ball had been placed and the free kick was good to go, then the booking is fair, because he'd be preventing the other player playing the ball or wasting time, but as it was, Veltman doesn't yet have the ball under control and had actually rolled it into Rice's heels anyway. Rice then does nudge the ball away, but at that point, so what?

Also, I don't see how Veltman could have done anything other than kick the ball into the back of his legs anyway. I also don't see how it was even a foul in the first place. The whole thing is just so bafflingly stupid.

That sort of thing (the Schar incident is the other immediate one) is another good example where an orange card and 5 minutes off the pitch would be way better. Ridiculous that he was sent off, more ridiculous that he also misses the following game for it.

 

Greatly enjoyed this

 

Got Laporte on a free from Saudi Arabia in FM. He’s the best centre back in the league for a year, just great performances every single week. Al Sadd come in for him, I really don’t want to lose him so try convince him to stay by asking what he wants for a new contract. £750k per week

actually heartbroken. There’s no good left footed CB’s that will actually come to Bournemouth that are even close to as good.

 

Classic I’m Eric tbh

 

Bordeaux’s first game back after being relegated all the way down to the fifth division for financial issues. They’re 1-0 down with a freekick right at the death… And the goalkeeper scores to get a point.