Manager Watch: Ange Postecoglou

[sidford]

https://archive.is/0s5mk

Good piece from JPB. This month is huge for how the season will pan out with another 6 league games and the quarter finals game against Man Utd.
Rotation and load management has been an issue so let's hope him and staff can crack it.

 

[spurs9]

Jack Pitt Brooke broke the story last week that the plan is to extend Davies' contract

Thanks, didn't see that. A bit of a surprise.

 

[jolsnogross]

Odd the doom and gloom is back so hard after a win vs city and draw vs fulham. Are we really that much worse off in a week than most other clubs?

 

[carpediem991]

Odd the doom and gloom is back so hard after a win vs city and draw vs fulham. Are we really that much worse off in a week than most other clubs?

Issue is obviously the bigger picture that there is no consistency for a year now and it is frustrating that we are capable to beat any team by three or four goals but lose/ draw regulary against teams that have far less talent in the squad than we have.

 

[Kirito]

Odd the doom and gloom is back so hard after a win vs city and draw vs fulham. Are we really that much worse off in a week than most other clubs?

They see the win against City and think we can start smashing everyone, but it has always been a transition season. The result against City shows we can beat anyone though so I think we’ll win a cup, just not sure which one.

Doom scenario in the league would be if our December ends up like this

 

[jolsnogross]

Issue is obviously the bigger picture that there is no consistency for a year now and it is frustrating that we are capable to beat any team by three or four goals but lose/ draw regulary against teams that have far less talent in the squad than we have.

Why be frustrated about that issue this week especially though? Is it the fact that we beat City and drew a run of the mill game? That was entirely predictable.

Signings and squad depth is old hat. And not the real reason for our inconsistency. It's another old hat reason...mentality.

This side can be good and show it from time to time, which suggests the manager is on to something. They're also probably dining out on the city win and will cite that all season now, regardless of how mediocre we end up being. That's the driver of mediocrity.

Ange hasn't cracked the code of overcoming the flaky club culture, like Poch did. And redknapp and jol to some extent. Ange has more time, but whining about squad quality and depth is getting old. We need a run of league wins and he hasn't been able deliver it outside the honeymoon period.

 

[Trix]

They see the win against City and think we can start smashing everyone, but it has always been a transition season.

It is a transition season but it's arse about face. How many transitional seasons have you witnessed where you get results against the best teams and fail against the lesser teams? Again it's context that is key here, and our season thus far makes no sense whatsoever even if you were expecting it to be a rollercoaster as far as consistency was concerned.

 

[Goobers]

It is a transition season but it's arse about face. How many transitional seasons have you witnessed where you get results against the best teams and fail against the lesser teams? Again it's context that is key here, and our season thus far makes no sense whatsoever even if you were expecting it to be a rollercoaster as far as consistency was concerned.

Agree. When you sense inconsistency or change in results you automatically look for patterns, guides or regular occurrences to explain the deficiencies or weakness and address them. Identifying them is really difficult.
We have beaten teams whom play high lines as well as mid and low blocks.
We haven't conceded bags of set piece goals.
We have won the ball back off the oppo consistently better then we did last season.
I can't put my finger on it at all ( although I am the worst football analyst in the world ) aside from the fact that perhaps we are asking more of this squad this season with less turnaround between games and less opportunity, ability or desire to rotate effectively.
God knows.
I do know though, that when this team play well they blow my mind and I love watching them.

 

[Trix]

Agree. When you sense inconsistency or change in results you automatically look for patterns, guides or regular occurrences to explain the deficiencies or weakness and address them. Identifying them is really difficult.
We have beaten teams whom play high lines as well as mid and low blocks.
We haven't conceded bags of set piece goals.
We have won the ball back off the oppo consistently better then we did last season.
I can't put my finger on it at all ( although I am the worst football analyst in the world ) aside from the fact that perhaps we are asking more of this squad this season with less turnaround between games and less opportunity, ability or desire to rotate effectively.
God knows.
I do know though, that when this team play well they blow my mind and I love watching them.

I agree, but when they are bad they are ridiculously bad which again makes no sense even to a transitional team. Inconsistency in results I understand, but the amount our performance levels fluctuate is mind blowing to say the least.

 

[Goobers]

I agree, but when they are bad they are ridiculously bad which again makes no sense even to a transitional team. Inconsistency in results I understand, but the amount our performance levels fluctuate is mind blowing to say the least.

Yeah and I really don't see how Ange analyses it lets alone fixes it.
It's not like it seems like he has lost the squad or trust as you don't go and blow City away if that is the case.
I do wonder how fit the squad is as a whole and individually and their ability to deal with the amount of football they are playing. they also need to grow in their ruthlessness and mindset.
So so difficult. We are all looking for a convenient umbrella or pigeon hole to able this all as but I don't think there is one in this case.

 

[Gassin's finest]

I think we're just soft. If the other team plays open against us then we can exploit it. But if they low block or are prepared to get properly stuck in, then we crumble.

I don't think there's much more to it tbh.

 

[Tucker]

I agree, but when they are bad they are ridiculously bad which again makes no sense even to a transitional team. Inconsistency in results I understand, but the amount our performance levels fluctuate is mind blowing to say the least.

I actually think the performance level fluctuations are predictable. Well rested side hammers City, tired team after midweek loses to a well rested Ipswich/Palace.

When you look at the squad and fitness issues it’s pretty easy to predict how we will play. We’ll probably* do ok against Bournemouth because they’re coming off a game three days ago just like us.

*depending on what kind of team we can actually field.

Chelsea on Sunday will be tough with them having a squad the size of a small town and an extra day rest.

 

[Stamford]

They see the win against City and think we can start smashing everyone, but it has always been a transition season. The result against City shows we can beat anyone though so I think we’ll win a cup, just not sure which one.

Doom scenario in the league would be if our December ends up like this

View attachment 148600

We've put back to back wins in the league together once all year. No one expects us to batter everyone but we do need to show more consistency. Dont think that is a big ask in the second season

 

[mil1lion]

I think we're just soft. If the other team plays open against us then we can exploit it. But if they low block or are prepared to get properly stuck in, then we crumble.

I don't think there's much more to it tbh.

I think it's more that we are good when the intensity is high but as soon as it slows down becomes easy to play against. It's very reliant on everyone pressing from the start. As soon as injuries mount up and the fixture congestion kicks in we suffer. The only was around it is if we play on the counter which worked so well at City. Not many teams are pressing high against us though. Slow attacking play with a high line is too easy to counter.

 

[Dakes]

However, when we’ve tried a different approach—retaining our top players - like Kane, Son, Lloris, Dele, Alderweireld etc - and targeting more established signings—it hasn’t worked out. Too often, we ended up with middling players like Aurier, Lucas, Sissoko, Højbjerg, and Doherty. This explains why many fans lean toward investing in exciting young prospects, such as Gray, rather than acquiring average established players.

The problem there is that the established players targeted came with a backstory (distressed club, player who caught a case that looked like it could be beaten, etc.) or were bought because we messed about getting the established player a manager wanted, missed out and went for an 11th hour replacement of lower quality but similar price.

We had opportunities to sign genuine quality experienced players who could have strengthened us massively but we chose to be cute.

 

[Monkey boy]

I think we're just soft. If the other team plays open against us then we can exploit it. But if they low block or are prepared to get properly stuck in, then we crumble.

I don't think there's much more to it tbh.

I think more than anything that its dawning on people that we just arent really that good anymore and have little in the way of talent to make us better either this season or next and are so far off competing for titles that its just depressing. Who are our stand out players?

Deki - Has been brilliant this season but has shown in the past that he has serious dips in form.
Maddison - Meh
Sonny - Was once brilliant but the decline is sad to watch
Romero - World cup winner but looks like he'd rather be anywhere else but here.
Solanke - Has been very good but nowhere near the levels we've been blessed with the past decade.
VDV - Very good but seems injury prone.
Udogie - Had high hopes for the kid but its not been a good season.

When you think back to 5 years ago the optimism of the team going in to the new stadium with a team packed full of superstars its just sad to see what we've allowed ourselves to become.

 

[fecka]

It is a transition season but it's arse about face. How many transitional seasons have you witnessed where you get results against the best teams and fail against the lesser teams? Again it's context that is key here, and our season thus far makes no sense whatsoever even if you were expecting it to be a rollercoaster as far as consistency was concerned.

Typically if that were the case I would say that it's easier to raise the floor than raise the level.

In this case, however, to sit back and counter is such a clear recipe for points against us that I can't help but feel concerned. The main reason we've got these points against the top teams are IMO because they are the only ones who wants to dance. We seem to have little to no way of dealing with teams that don't, and I can't say I've seen any signs of that improving.

 

[thebenjamin]

I think we're just soft. If the other team plays open against us then we can exploit it. But if they low block or are prepared to get properly stuck in, then we crumble.

I don't think there's much more to it tbh.

Yup. Or to put it another way, we can't win unless we play well. We don't know how to win games other than to blow teams away. We cannot grind out a victory.

 

[greaves]

Typically if that were the case I would say that it's easier to raise the floor than raise the level.

In this case, however, to sit back and counter is such a clear recipe for points against us that I can't help but feel concerned. The main reason we've got these points against the top teams are IMO because they are the only ones who wants to dance. We seem to have little to no way of dealing with teams that don't, and I can't say I've seen any signs of that improving.

Some of this is fine margins. If Solanke was fit, you could argue that everything changes against Fulham. Terrible luck that Richarlison is so fragile too. I am trying to be positive without ignoring the issues!

 

[Albertbarich]

I maintain that the results and inconsistencies are par for the course with the squad we have
It’s lightweight, short in experience and numbers and poorly planned for the formation we want to play.
Add in a couple of really good experienced pros and it transforms this team.
I do think though that were brilliantly coached as you can see when the players are on it. Almost unplayable.