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The Mauricio Pochettino thread

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wpmcg

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Nov 16, 2018
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We know how Moura and some other players must have felt when the team for the CL final was picked. Just wonder how Lamela felt on tuesday, Dele being picked ahead of him. I'm no great fan of Lamela but he's trying hard and playing well.
 

double0

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Aug 29, 2006
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We know how Moura and some other players must have felt when the team for the CL final was picked. Just wonder how Lamela felt on tuesday, Dele being picked ahead of him. I'm no great fan of Lamela but he's trying hard and playing well.
Dele and Lamela are both players that need to managed . Moura in fairness could fill aggrieved not starting the final but since then he hasn't taken advantage of his opportunities both Moura and Son are so inconsistent.
 

Shadydan

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Jul 7, 2012
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So yesterday I went back and looked through most of our Premier League fixtures from last season.

He used it first against Utd at OT, with Dier DM. Now we won the match 3-0, we were unusually clinical and that probably made Poch think this is the system to use but I remember that game and we were not 3 goals better.

He then reverted back to our usual shape but went back to the diamond against Liverpool at home in mid September, which we lost 2-1. He reverted to 4-2-3-1 for the following game away to Brighton, which we won.

He brought back the diamond at home to Chelsea in late November. To me this is the only game where it really worked and biggest reason was we caught Chelsea off guard and swarmed Jorginho. We won 3-1 but should have won by more. Interesting to note that Dier was DM in this diamond so we had a bit more security about us, our diamond was Dier, Sissoko, Eriksen, Alli behind Kane and Son.

He then kept the diamond for following match, away to Scum. We lost 4-2 and to be blunt we got battered and didn't deserve anything despite leading at one point.

Didn't use the diamond again until away to Everton with no DM. We win 6-2. We were extremely clinical going forward but those who remember this game will know we went behind early and always looked vulnerable defensively. Luckily for us Everton were worse.

The first time he used the diamond against 'lesser' opponents was Wolves at home. He decided to use the diamond again with no DM. We lose 3-2 and get battered second half.

Also played the diamond at home to Man Utd and at half time we are losing 1-0, having played very poorly. We switch to 4-2-3-1 and proceed to dominate the second half but we can't find a goal and De Gea is unbelievable.

We used the diamond at home to Leicester, where we somehow beat them 3-1 despite them being superior to us.

A couple of games later we use the diamond again, this time away to Saints. We lose 2-1.

Away to Pool we use 3 atb and change it up at halftime to the diamond but we still lose 2-1.

The next time we use the diamond is at home to West Ham and we lose 1-0.

We used the diamond at home to Villa this season. We were losing until we changed to 4-2-3-1 at half time which brought about our comeback.


There is a clear correlation when looking at our bad form over the past 10/11 months and its ever since we stopped consistently playing our balanced 4-2-3-1 and started playing this diamond (or 3 atb which no longer works for us either).

As far as I could see, the only clean sheet we have kept with the diamond was the very first time we used it, away at OT.

Good post although we didn't play a diamond up at Anfield, we started out with a back 5 but changed to 4-4-1-1 then 4-4-2

Last seasons results were entirely mitigated though to be honest, better to look at matches from this season.
 
D

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The problem is that Sissoko has been a solider for him in the last 18 months. Managers are loathed to drop players who’ve been fighting for them.
Agree and I think i read that Sissoko was "worse" for Poch in a CM2, so mayb that's why he's sticking with the diamond, to fit all Ndombele, Winks and Sissoko.
 

Metalhead

But that's a debate for another thread.....
Nov 24, 2013
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I've often wondered that about his reluctance to make early subs being an admission of getting it wrong initially. If that is the case, it's more evidence that he is extremely stubborn which is really not a great trait when things are going wrong.
The frustrating thing is that it's more the mark of a good manager or indeed anyone to manage the initial error and turn it around. After all, we know that he is thorough and doesn't just pick teams or tactics on a whim and sometimes it's a case of 'the best laid plans of mice and men' so it's how someone reacts to put things right is the hallmark of a great manager.
 

Metalhead

But that's a debate for another thread.....
Nov 24, 2013
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Agree and I think i read that Sissoko was "worse" for Poch in a CM2, so mayb that's why he's sticking with the diamond, to fit all Ndombele, Winks and Sissoko.
Yes, good point - he might be just set on trying to accommodate that trio because he sees a value in playing them all.
 

wpmcg

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Nov 16, 2018
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Dele and Lamela are both players that need to managed . Moura in fairness could fill aggrieved not starting the final but since then he hasn't taken advantage of his opportunities both Moura and Son are so inconsistent.
I agree.
 

CowInAComa

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Aug 31, 2012
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As the normal whore is not doing his job here’s Ali Z from COYS earlier today ‘
Last night showed one thing , we still have loads of ability but we ARE not in it together.’

I find the most upsetting part of this information the inappropriately used capitalisation.
 

double0

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Aug 29, 2006
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Son was very waste full against BM. That game my gosh we suffered especially the fans. The aftermath was carnage for all of us (full scale humiliation)
 

dudu

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Jan 28, 2011
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Klopp adapts, that's a difference.

Apparently Liverpool had major problems with possession from throw-ins. Klopp then went and got a coach to sort it out and now they are best in the league at retaining possession after throw-ins. It's a small detail, but it shows the mindset.

He does, but it has taken him time and some pretty bad form to adapt in his career.

Liverpool Jan 2017 - October 2017
P25 W10 D10 L5 = 40 points

Spurs Jan 2019 - October 2019
P25 W11 D4 L10 - 37 Points

We have lost a lot more games but a lot of those loses coincided with a highly unique situation for our club, managing a run to the champions league final with numerous injuries to our star players.

Poch needs to stop being stubborn and fast, this is a point in his career where he has the opportunity to learn and improve and evolve and I as well as most on here hopes he does. I'm willing to give him a bit more time. Losing 7-2 and the manner of the capitulation should be enough to stop and make you think.

Klopp, he has done wonders at Liverpool but even their messiah went through some pretty shit form and it took him a decent amount of time to change things to stop their rot.
 

Shadydan

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Jul 7, 2012
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This was the match, lined up in a 4-2-3-1 and 4-1-4-1 without the ball, reduced Man City to 2 shots on target (1 was a penalty)

It's funny how no-one really speaks of this match because tactically we put in one of the best performances under Poch and made City look ordinary.

We should play like this against bigger sides.
 
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Shadydan

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Jul 7, 2012
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We didn't use the diamond against Palace. We went back to more of a 4-2-3-1 except we had Son central and Eriksen lam.

It was 4-2-2-2

1570099947022.png
 

wpmcg

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Nov 16, 2018
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This was the match, lined up in a 4-2-3-1 and 4-1-4-1 without the ball, reduced Man City to 2 shots on goal (1 was a penalty)

It's funny how no-one really speaks of this match because tactically we put in one of the best performances under Poch and made City look ordinary.

We should play like this against bigger sides.

But Guardiola was happy with a draw. He didn't pick a team that was going for a win IMO. Even the greats make mistakes.
 

glacierSpurs

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Sep 28, 2013
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Great insights from some of the recent posts here.

But what bugs me in Poch setting up of the gameplay and coaching is that we have been quite easily found out from last season, or even before, that when denied space, we had literally no threat. Passing sideways and backwards, you guys can definitely see the frustration frequently from Rose, Toby etc that they have no outlet to pass to and urging players to go into space.

It is back to the problem of Poch being very passive to opponent's gameplan IMHO. A diamond may work occasionally or even for half an hour before the whole team went shagged. But football is a game of two teams, or two halves even. Not reacting to how opponent plays will never be ideal for any tactic or formation unless we can press them throughout the 90 minutes to not allow them play. And we did that in Poch first two seasons. Are we gonna do that again? If not, the ball is in Poch's Court to make the necessary change. His reluctance to do that since last season is what's so maddening.
 
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