gougler08 said:

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Is some of this just a reversion to the mean? I think Slot overachieved last year and while it all seems to have come at once, some of this is just more towards original expectation levels at the beginning of last year?

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Perhaps reversion to the mean some, sure, but Slot took Jurgen's team which was beginning to really falter as his time ended with the club, added his flavor to it and we won the league going away. I don't think that's overachieving. I think that is simply just making a team better.

This to me is a two or three fold issue (three fold depending on what you think about Jota passing away and how that has affected these guys). One undisputable part I think is that the EPL has really shifted or reverted in styles of play over the past few seasons to an iteration of caveman football; long balls, long throws, set pieces and SUPER physical with massive dudes. Teams have played that way against us times 100 this season and it has given us FITS. Funny enough the team that does it best, Arsenal, didn't do it almost at all against us and we looked half decent that game.

The other undisputable part I think is that we brought in half a squads worth of new players (and subsequently losing some key guys), which Slot doesn't know or understand how to use with the guys that were and are still on the team. The strength of our team now resides in its spine, from striker down to the CBs. We are not wing and fullback centric team anymore, so stop playing like it. We don't press like we use to nor do we turn teams over like we use to. So, line up in a formation that gets as many of those guys on the field at one time, be solid in defense and possession through numbers, and counter.

I've said it before; these players didn't become ****e overnight. We have world class footballers all over the team. They are simply being misused and now lack any and all confidence.

Set Piece FC at it again. Clockwork.

While we certainly have really good marquee players, we are missing some of the special ingredients that makes a team really dangerous. For all the negativity you can throw at Arsenal (aka Set Piece FC), their team looks much more dangerous in possession than ours. They have a squad full of wingers (Saka, Martinelli, Trossard, etc) who are not afraid to dribble to the endline and put in a cross. Same for Chelsea, Man City, Tottenham and ManU. We don't have a single player on our team that will do that. Our starting wingers like hold up play, cut inside and make shots for themselves instead of attacking the fullback to set up a cross. Worst of all, they love to use the overlapping (or often times underlapping) fullback as a decoy.

Our transfer business this summer really screwed us. We ditched our only real winger and added a bunch of central players. To compound that problem, the winger who we did retain has gone to absolute ****e. Defenses don't fear us because they can simply pack their own box, for which we have no solutions. If the opposition stays balanced, we will just pass the ball around in circles, ala Brendan Rodgers-ball. Out of frustration, we will eventually push all of our midfielders forward, at which point we are wide open for a simple counter. We need someone who will run at defenders and force the opposition to overcommit to a flank without committing too many bodies forward. We simply don't have anyone who does that at a world class level at the moment.

I'm ready to get beat 3-0 again

I'm sure we will dominate possession and create "more chances" than our opponent though

If I see us stop and pass the ball backwards one more time while running forward I'll barf.

Soccer players are the softest, biggest pansies on the planet. It's a shame too because they are such great athletes.

How is the lineman's not throwing his flag up? What an idiot.

And that is why Salah is on the pitch.

With an assist from Martinez

That's an unbelievably tough finish on your weaker foot too.

Credit to Slot, moving Szobo up the pitch was the key to our success in that first half. Wirtz doesn't have the ability to sit deep with Gravy, so playing Macca frees Szobo to create chaos.

I agree. If they want to use Wirtz and get the most out of him, they're going to have to go out and get another super athletic midfielder in order to press and turn teams over. Not saying Wirtz can't do that, but when you have him press you're not utilizing his best skills. Wirtz needs to be there to clean up turnovers and get balls in the net. Either that or go get a legit LW that can run and press.

The press has easily been the difference today. That and playing a team that plays normal football.

Up 2-0 with 14 minutes left and RM up on Tuesday. Get some subs in Slot

Gakpo has been awful today imo. No clue why he's still on the field. If you want his height get him off the wing then.

Sub Szo and others off you stubborn bum

We are a little thin but idk why Nyoni couldn't come on and just player sweeper.

Wirtz just gets abused in the PL

This has been a better game, but I'm afraid this is more Frankfurt than us actually getting a ton better.

Agree. Much better but lots of the same issues. Afraid RM and MC will eat us up. Especially as these guys run out of gas

Villa did absolutely nothing that teams have done against us the past month+. They tried to play out of the back instead of launching long balls down field.

We've talked about it a lot but after rewatching some of the game I really think us not having a legit LW and real CDM are big parts of the problem we've seen this year.

Gakpo, as much as I like him in certain situations, is just a square peg in a round hole as a LW. He doesn't have the pace and acceleration to press, and even though we've seen him take guys on more and put crosses in with his left, he's still way too right foot dependent. He's a big dude which is great defending, but on the LW how much does that help?

As good as I think our midfield is in terms of quality, I don't think we have real deal CDM. Gravenberch freaking rocks but is really a No. 8; Mac Allister and Jones are No. 8/10; and Wirtz is a No. 10. Szbo I actually think has the skills to play No. 6/8/10, but because he's SO good in the press (and your LW can't press) you can't afford to drop him further back in midfield.

Some of the best we've looked on offense this year has been with Szbo at RB tucking in and launching balls from midfield. So how do we get Szbo in those spaces in midfield to get on the ball and spray passes without playing RB? You either get a LW that can run and press like a mad man (Lucho) so Szbo doesn't have to play No. 10 and can drop back in midfield, or you get a real deal CDM that can pass the ball long so you can afford to get Szbo up the field higher for his press. Both of those also take pressure off of Wirtz to do everything as a No. 10 and let him do what he does best, which is pick passes and score goals.

In an ideal world I think we might look best in a Klopp style 4-3-3 with one CDM and two No. 8/10s, rotating Szbo, Wirtz Gravenberch and Mac Allister as those players, but we don't have that personnel at the moment.

I personally like Szobo at the 10. He sets the tone with his energy and pressing.

Gravy has shown he can be a CDM on a title winning team, and he can even play CB in a pinch. I think Slot wants him and Macca to be interchangeable (less predictable) so he gave them both the freedom to move forward. If they stay disciplined, its a system that can work if Macca is playing up to his potential. Unfortunately, he has been a bit too slow and weak this year. He played much tougher against Villa, so let's hope he is turning a corner.

I also don't think Gakpo is the problem, but rather the combo of Gakpo and Mo. As I mentioned in a previous post, nether player can run at the defence and create danger from the endline. We need more speed and dynamism from at least one of our wings. If you gave me a choice, I'd keep Gakpo on the field because he actually works hard on the defensive end. I thought Mo did look better yesterday. He played quicker and lost the ball less, but he still lost several footraces that could have turned into dangerous situations. He just doesn't have the speed to be a legitimate winger anymore. Sadly, I think he knows it as well. When he gets the ball, he rarely looks to attack the defender.

Eventually, I think Wirtz will play the "Salah role". Not as a natural winger, but rather as the player who has less defensive responsibilities to stay available for the attack. Wirtz doesn't seem to be an effective presser or defender, but he excels with the ball in space. If he is given the free role he might actually look like a PL player.

I don't disagree at all that Szbo needs to be our No. 10 right now. He's simply to valuable pressing the opposition and closing off passing lanes. Not to mention he helps against teams launching long balls down the field against us.

I'm just saying I think if you added another guy who could really really run and press, and take guys on up top; OR a big, physical, real deal out and out CDM that could pass the ball it would help solve some of our issues because then we could better utilize the players we have.

Gravenberch CAN play CDM, but that's not his best position. He doesn't currently have the array of passes in his bag that I think we need, and he naturally just drifts way way up the field. Szbo does but we need him and his energy and ability to run up top. Mac Allister does a bit, but he's really physically limited which has killed us at times this year. Trent did that for all of them last year. Lucho did a lot of dogged running and pressing for Gakpo.

Wirtz in for Gakpo

taa starts on the bench for madrid

Lets hope the boys are ready

I've seen enough. Wirtz on the left for the time being.

My god does Szobszlai know how to whack a football

Can't watch, stats/commentary seems like we had our chances?

Oh yeah. Courtois saving their buns all half. Pretty standard for him against us.

Luis Diaz sent off in the PSG/Bayern game for a terrorist level tackle on Hakimi.

FIREM UP BOYS

Alright Slot get some fresh bodies and energy on this field. We're starting to peter out.

Courtois is out of his mind today. Sheesh