Manager Watch: Ange Postecoglou

[mil1lion]

Discipline needs improving. Romero has been much improved this season but we all know he has that streak in him. Udogie gives away fouls too regularly as well.

Heart in the team is unbelievable. The team fought but realistically playing against 11 men is always going to be hard.

I like the mentality Ange has but defending so high up when we had no pace at the back is more risk than reward and will be found out if we continue to do it over the next number of games. I think Ange has to recognise that and not be reckless in his tactics.

Romero is out for 3 and VDV is out for an unknown but likely long time so we have a new centre back pairing for 3 games at least. I just don't see how we can have say Dier and Davies playing so high up. I really hope we bring in Phillips and/or Dorrington up into the squad to see what they can do. Emerson another shout for me.

Are we going to play that high up though? We only had that issue because we no longer had the possession so without the ball we pressed up high. With the ball we will play from the back and invite teams onto us. So in possession we don't play high but out of it we press high. We basically need to dominate possession again which we often do with 11 men.

 

[robbiedee]

Apologies if it's already been discussed on here but what did Ange get a yellow card for? Was there a particular incident he wasn't happy about?

 

[Shanks]

Apologies if it's already been discussed on here but what did Ange get a yellow card for? Was there a particular incident he wasn't happy about?

Apparently for being outside the technical area

 

[Tucker]

Apparently for being outside the technical area

Ludicrous that he gets booked for that when Arteta is pretty much never in his technical area.

 

[felmani26]

Ludicrous that he gets booked for that when Arteta is pretty much never in his technical area.

It comes back to consistency, or lack of, with officiating/applying the rules in this country.

 

[ginola99]

Anyone have longer highlights that covers the main events? The Sky sports YouTube is 3mins long and misses half the disallowed goals and 2 great chances we had at the end.

 

[dvdhopeful]

The better question would be how many teams have drawn with 9 men?

Liverpool were an own goal on the dying seconds away from salvaging a point against a much better team than we just played.

With their back line fully intact - we had just Porro.

We can all play the, 'If that had happened game ...', but we were millimetres away from Dier and then Son equalising, so broadly the plan worked, I'm ignoring the third and fourth as that's the risk. With 9 men condensing the pitch was our best way of getting something.

Did Liverpool actually go for anything but a draw once they dropped to 9? Still got beat. Last night we certainly weren't settling for a draw.

We were let down by two people last night, two players who have been fantastic for us this season, it happens, just make sure it doesn't keep happening.

 

[14/04/91]

If you start going down that road then you have to apply the same logic to the plethora of chances Chelsea missed.

If both sides had taken all their chances the score would have been 5-10.

I’m just saying by playing this way we created 2 great chances at 1-2. Had we camped on the edge of our box, I doubt very much that would’ve happened as the gap between back line & Son would be huge.
Besides, we showed last year that defending deep isn’t exactly our strong point.

 

[Shanks]

I’m just saying by playing this way we created 2 great chances at 1-2. Had we camped on the edge of our box, I doubt very much that would’ve happened as the gap between back line & Son would be huge.
Besides, we showed last year that defending deep isn’t exactly our strong point.

We saw enough of that woth 11 men last season, never again please!

 

[spursfan77]

The next few games are going to be the biggest test of his time here thus far. I honestly don’t know how he’s going to handle that back line.

Atack, attack, attack!

 

[mil1lion]

I get people saying it was brave to play a high line with nine men, but it still played out exactly like you would expect it to.

You play that line when you're down to 9 men you will ship a lot of goals.

And we did.

When Liverpool were down to ten against Newcastle, they didn't play a high line. They still got a win.

When they were down to 9 against us, they didn't play a high line and were unlucky not to get something from the game.

There is a thin line between bravery and naivety.

We did almost level it to 2-2 with 3 great chances, the Dier goal was just offside. So we were just as unlucky to lose as Liverpool were. It only turned 3-1 after the 3 chances and then the game is done and we concede a 4th. We went for more goals and fell short and lost, Liverpool went to avoid defeat and fell short and lost. Trouble is its hard to go ultra defensive and then switch to an attacking mindset if you concede. By keeping to the attacking approach even of you concede you are still going for the goal you need anyway. It also sets the precedent going forward so players know they must press forward at all times. If you go defensive it may confuse the players not knowing when to be attacking and when to go defensive. I like that we stuck tp our principles. It ended up being a Bielsa type of performance but we have far better players to win more than we lose.

 

[C-oops]

What I find slighty odd is I don't recall the line being so high when we had 11

I was thinking it's the 9 man equivalent of drawing them into us by playing it around the defence. Not going to have the majority of possession so have to use another method to force drawn them out and make space for us. It relied heavily on Vicario sweeping up too .

 

[eViL]

I think last night was a statement of the buy-in Ange has from the players.

That high line, maintained by players that aren't starting tells you everything you need to know about the effect his leadership and the quality of coaching has had.

 

[Gassin's finest]

Tell you what... I had a watch of his post match press conference, and that was brilliant. No histrionics, no bullshit... a simple "yeah we just have to cop it". I am in complete agreement with his replies on VAR, referees and the state of the game.

 

[glacierSpurs]

I recommend people go watch last season game with Conte in charged to feel why there can only be positivity with Ange's decision last night.

 

[cjbyid]

Just brilliant football. Damn you offside.

 

[jimbo]

I get people saying it was brave to play a high line with nine men, but it still played out exactly like you would expect it to.

You play that line when you're down to 9 men you will ship a lot of goals.

And we did.

When Liverpool were down to ten against Newcastle, they didn't play a high line. They still got a win.

When they were down to 9 against us, they didn't play a high line and were unlucky not to get something from the game.

There is a thin line between bravery and naivety.

This is true, but we're 11 games into implementing an attacking style after 4 years of defense first football, which doesn't apply to Liverpool. Changing the way we play for this game could easily have done more harm than good. Maybe if it happens again after 4 years of Ange then yes, you might take a different approach - but instilling attacking principles in this group of players is worth more than 1 point in the league table at this stage of the journey. Plus, it's way more fun.

 

[greaves]

This is true, but we're 11 games into implementing an attacking style after 4 years of defense first football, which doesn't apply to Liverpool. Changing the way we play for this game could easily have done more harm than good. Maybe if it happens again after 4 years of Ange then yes, you might take a different approach - but instilling attacking principles in this group of players is worth more than 1 point in the league table at this stage of the journey. Plus, it's way more fun.

(‘It’s like trying to tell a stranger about rock n’ roll. Do you believe in magic..’)

 

[bubble07]

Wonder if taking kulu off instead of Johnson might have been better

 

[bubble07]

Occasion got us and this is a recurring theme with this club that needs stopping