Missed Ryan Mason today.
I'm very bored. But Googling around, I did learn a new word, "expectorate"
I really don't understand the mentality of this. Same when people say "the players in the europa are different so it shouldn't affect our league form" It's not just about the personnel, it's about two more important things, what takes up the mind, and also what you're preparing for in training.
I don't buy that excuse. How many days do you need in training to specifically prepare for one game? They will have two full days to prepare for Sunderland. That is enough. It is not as if we play in completely different ways from game to game anyway, certainly not for two home games against opposition of fairly similar quality. Pochettino always talks about his "philosophy" (although I am not quite sure what it is), so surely we work on that on a regular basis, and have certain principles we want to follow week in week out. It is not as if Pochettino makes one masterplan to conquer Burnley, and then the next day he wipes the whiteboard clean and starts teaching the players completely new things.
I don't buy that excuse. How many days do you need in training to specifically prepare for one game? They will have two full days to prepare for Sunderland. That is enough. It is not as if we play in completely different ways from game to game anyway, certainly not for two home games against opposition of fairly similar quality. Pochettino always talks about his "philosophy" (although I am not quite sure what it is), so surely we work on that on a regular basis, and have certain principles we want to follow week in week out. It is not as if Pochettino makes one masterplan to conquer Burnley, and then the next day he wipes the whiteboard clean and starts teaching the players completely new things.
Yes. I alms think we've gone backwards from last season a bit in all honesty.
To answer Norway specifically, Poch obviously want a front four which are fast, fluid and interchangeable complemented by a ball-playing, higher in defense, in turn complemented by a pressing midfield. He wants hard work for 95 minutes. He wants coverage on turnover of possession and he wants, overall, ball retention. It is not hard to see what he wants at all. What should be BLINDINGLY obvious, is that he does not have a full squad who can all rotate and execute this style consistently. He has made great strides in getting the squad onside with what he believes and weeding out the wasters; my GHod strong bet is that there are at least another 7-8 he wants to replace.
Can I ask you a question? How much preparation for games do you think clubs do? Do you think that players receive specific instructions on the players that they will be up against? Do you think that we vary passages of play or positioning to try and take advantage of perceived weaknesses? Do you think that we go over mistakes that we have made in previous games to try and stop them being repeated? Do you think that the coach has a plan for what he wants to work on and improve over the season?
Some of the criticism here makes me laugh.
Yes, I know, people have a right to moan etc, etc, etc...but equal, when people moan without applying one iota of context beyond a PS4 game's basis of what modern professional football is, then be prepared for comebacks.
To answer Norway specifically, Poch obviously want a front four which are fast, fluid and interchangeable complemented by a ball-playing, higher in defense, in turn complemented by a pressing midfield. He wants hard work for 95 minutes. He wants coverage on turnover of possession and he wants, overall, ball retention. It is not hard to see what he wants at all. What should be BLINDINGLY obvious, is that he does not have a full squad who can all rotate and execute this style consistently. He has made great strides in getting the squad onside with what he believes and weeding out the wasters; my GHod strong bet is that there are at least another 7-8 he wants to replace.
With regards to preparing for a match, Chelski play a more attacking game. Burnley are a little more, shall we say, stoic. I can absolutely see that given who he doesn't have available right now (his central midfield pairing of the last, oh, 6-7 games for a start) plus the contrasting styles, plus the need to allow some rest and recovery, that these games are coming thick and fast, almost too fast to prepare properly.
I didn't want a draw, but I credit these players for fighting and making sure they didn't lose tonight.
I wish people would give Poch the time, and more importantly respect, he has earned right now.
I agree with this. I question his philosophy when it comes to breaking down teams who sit back in numbers, though. We seem to lack ideas badly in this respect.
And whatever people might say, it is bull**** that two days between the games against Burnley and Sunderland is not enough to prepare the team. It can be a physical problem if the same players are in action, but it is not as problem in terms of getting the players tactically ready for the match. Football isn't that complicated.
But you can easily prepare for the next game tactically on the day after a match when players rest/train lightly/recover. It is not as if players sit at home watching Home and Away and The Little House on the Prairie all day. They go the training ground and can prepare tactically either through video and/or by training lightly.We'll spend at least a day, sometimes two, working on things with the next game specifically in mind.
After each game there will be a day of rest or light training. When you're playing every 3 or 4 days that does not leave a lot of time to work on other things.
Wednesday - prepare for game
Thursday - game
Friday - light training
Saturday - prepare for game
Sunday - game
Monday - rest
Tuesday - prepare for game
Wednesday - game
Thursday - light training
Friday - prepare for game
Saturday - game
Sunday - rest
Then you have two days before the schedule repeats or it's an international break and you get no time.