Steven Gerrard

[TRO]

22 hours ago, Rightdm00 said:

I made the McLeish quip because it was very much what he would do. More CBs on the pitch wont make you more defensively solid If you scatter them all over the pitch.  Playing CBs in the midfield doesn't make you more defensively solid if you leave them isolated to defend midfield alone. 

You defend with an effective shape.  A shape that allows players to support each other and work cohesively as a unit. That is currently what we are lacking.  

Take any elite PL side and put them in this setup. You will see an equally poor performance compared to their peak. That's how bad this setup is for a PL team. I don't see how it functionally works without an overwhelming talent disparity. 

I think you made the McLeish quip, because it was a cheap shot......and not even close to what I have been advocating.

you can have the ideal shape.....but if the players don't apply themselves to the task, it is rendered useless.

Edited February 25, 2022 by TRO

[TRO]

23 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

I agree but fans are fickle. 

That statement sometimes makes me think, as common as it is.

I think the game is fickle, and us fans just relate to that.

When a team fails to engender any semblance of consistency, is it any wonder, fans of any club, are in a whirl.

[TRO]

I think there is a slight confusion on here with the players.

• The players in our squad are individually, sound.
• The players in our squad collectively are far from sound.

That same dilemma faces Spurs too, with Conte as one if the best managers is world football...who is struggling with a similar problem, they rely, like us on a few certain players to win games, when they don't do it, poor performances arrive.

I have total belief in Steven Gerrard, but right now, he has a dilemma of how they play together, in a blended unit. He is tinkering with systems to compensate and in some cases, making it worse, trying to make it better.

Until we can get players in to us appropriately, that can compliment others, I think we will continue with a mismatch.....but all that relies on buying the right players...not expensive or cheap.....the right ones for our blend.

Our team is imbalanced, and Only the summer, will fix it....IMO.....but we still have to get that right.

 

 

 

Edited February 25, 2022 by TRO

[Dale]

1 minute ago, TRO said:

I have total belief in Steven Gerrard

Based on what exactly? 

[TRO]

9 minutes ago, Dale said:

Based on what exactly? 

Gut instinct, intuition, faith, experience, powers of deduction, judgment.

call it what you will.

E.G If you are in the middle of a tough storm in the Atlantic on a fishing boat and the waves are tossing it around like a cork....All thoughts are on survival.

These kind of intangible things above are kinda useful to have, in your head.....losing faith with the Captain, wouldn't be a bright thing to contemplate.

Edited February 25, 2022 by TRO

[Dale]

Just looking back at the five game losing streak and every single one of those teams is above us in the table, all but Southampton in the Top 8. In that context, perhaps it wasn't as bad as it felt at that time. Certainly better than losing to Brentford, Newcastle and Watford in the past few weeks. 

[TRO]

3 minutes ago, Dale said:

Just looking back at the five game losing streak and every single one of those teams is above us in the table, all but Southampton in the Top 8. In that context, perhaps it wasn't as bad as it felt at that time. Certainly better than losing to Brentford, Newcastle and Watford in the past few weeks. 

and your point is what?.......exactly?

[IrishVilla10]

23 minutes ago, Dale said:

Just looking back at the five game losing streak and every single one of those teams is above us in the table, all but Southampton in the Top 8. In that context, perhaps it wasn't as bad as it felt at that time. Certainly better than losing to Brentford, Newcastle and Watford in the past few weeks. 

Easy to say that now. The first half against arsenal was a complete disgrace. Wolves. West Ham were on another level, and we’re last season against us as well. Southampton was panic stations at the end. It was as bad as it felt. 

[Thug]

21 minutes ago, TRO said:

and your point is what?.......exactly?

His point is that from the same 6 teams that Smith and Gerrard have both played against this season.., Smith got 10 points, and Gerrard got 4.

Yh, I know that doesn’t answer your question.

 

[Thug]

2 minutes ago, IrishVilla10 said:

Easy to say that now. The first half against arsenal was a complete disgrace. Wolves. West Ham were on another level, and we’re last season against us as well. Southampton was panic stations at the end. It was as bad as it felt. 

It’s odd then that I felt worse against Watford and Newcastle than I did during any of those 5.

[IrishVilla10]

1 minute ago, Thug said:

It’s odd then that I felt worse against Watford and Newcastle than I did during any of those 5.

I think our first two games under Gerrard gave us a big lift, and then the performances against City, Liverpool and United kept it going. Relegation talk turned into top 10 maybe more for a bit and now we’re here again 

[Thug]

1 minute ago, IrishVilla10 said:

I think our first two games under Gerrard gave us a big lift, and then the performances against City, Liverpool and United kept it going. Relegation talk turned into top 10 maybe more for a bit and now we’re here again 

Yh you’re probably right.

it’s because of the huge dash in hopes

[IrishVilla10]

4 minutes ago, Thug said:

Yh you’re probably right.

it’s because of the huge dash in hopes

Even the Coutinho signing

[TRO]

22 minutes ago, Thug said:

His point is that from the same 6 teams that Smith and Gerrard have both played against this season.., Smith got 10 points, and Gerrard got 4.

Yh, I know that doesn’t answer your question.

 

To answer your assumption...it don't really answer anything............we won 15 games in 2021 from 42 played.....you can select any period to prove a point.

but its Deans team, assembled on his watch.....Dean was there 3 years, SG 3 months and he is trying to juggle a semblance of balance.

but I'm sure Dale  , can answer the question, for himself.

However, Lets do an analysis of that, for the sheer hell of it.

The teams are :

Newcastle, Man U, Brentford, Everton.....These results vary from each manager, granted.

Chelsea and Watford, both took 6 points from us so they are negated, both managers losing....that makes the 6 as you mentioned.

SG played Newcastle, Brentford and Everton (Away) ....Whilst Deano played them  (Home)

Now in my book, you are most likely to win at home as opposed to away.

so what all this tells me......is fanny adams.....or that the team is pants under both managers....assembled by Dean and tweaked by SG.

 

Edited February 25, 2022 by TRO

[TRO]

19 minutes ago, Thug said:

It’s odd then that I felt worse against Watford and Newcastle than I did during any of those 5.

Ditto.

[PaulC]

57 minutes ago, IrishVilla10 said:

I think our first two games under Gerrard gave us a big lift, and then the performances against City, Liverpool and United kept it going. Relegation talk turned into top 10 maybe more for a bit and now we’re here again 

I think we exceeded expectations in Gerrards first few games at a time when we had just lost 5 in a  row under Smith.  We are still a better position than when he took over though but if we keep losing, we wont be. So we need to get a point at least at Brighton. 

[Rightdm00]

Closely watched the Rangers v Dortmund match.  Looks very similar to our setup. Front 3 behind the striker are very central.  Tavernier at RB was almost always the 2nd or 3rd highest attackers. his goal in the 2nd half he was at the back post level with the striker.  Didn't notice the LB pushed up as far.

The one major difference was the tempo. Rangers are very fit. Very impressive there. That level of fitness doesn't happen over night or even over a couple months. You need a full preseason and probably a couple more months of in season training to get there. 

No way can you install that level of fitness over a short winter break. I feel a bit better about what Steven is trying to do here but I just think it's to much too soon. The level of running needed for this system just isn't possible without intense physical training and 5 subs wouldn't hurt either tbh. 

[Zatman]

3 hours ago, Dale said:

Based on what exactly? 

Reading his autobiography apparently 

[Made In Aston]

4 hours ago, Dale said:

Just looking back at the five game losing streak and every single one of those teams is above us in the table, all but Southampton in the Top 8. In that context, perhaps it wasn't as bad as it felt at that time. Certainly better than losing to Brentford, Newcastle and Watford in the past few weeks. 

And our current winless streak contains team who are all below us. But I guess if we keep losing games they will be above us soon. Then I'm sure it won't feel as bad. 

[Dale]

6 minutes ago, Made In Aston said:

And our current winless streak contains team who are all below us. But I guess if we keep losing games they will be above us soon. Then I'm sure it won't feel as bad. 

They won't all be in top ten though...