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Welcome Ange: To Dare is to Didgeridoo

DeanoAustin said:
We badly needed a centre back and attacker in January and we got Dragusin and Werner which added much needed depth. We needed a CF in the summer and that was Solanke. So, to be fair, where we've had an immediate need, we've spent money to plug those gaps.
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What about a LB to give Udogie some rotation/rest? What about a winger who brings some goals? What about a proper DM?
And if Vicario gets injured who plays the passing out the back in a similar way as a GK?
 
harr1984 said:
Thought this some time ago, then add into the fact the vice captains are Maddison and Romero who aren't really performing either.....
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This made me think that the captain should be someone who always turns up and puts in a performance, and is always available, so you're never thinking about replacing them, but who would that be in the current team? VdV? Vicario? Porro? Not sure we've got one midfielder that fits that description.
 
Jurgen the German said:
We’ve done well to get rid of so much clutter in this window but regarding the incomings, there’s just no one to get excited about. Fully accept we’ve signed youth so we may not see the benefits for a while. Like you though, I don’t see a lot changing with the current ownership model. We need a big cultural change, not being content with finishing 4th.
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Looking at the 1st team yesterday you can't really say we've strengthened apart from Solanke and we're pretty much full strength. That said the bench looks worlds better than what it was packed with young players - My hope is that the likes of Gray / Bergvall/ Odobert really seize the next couple of games to put some pressure on the first teamers. It's all about just getting it to click and being a bit more decisive in the key moments.

If we were also to grab Cardozo in January and aim for a 5 to 7th seeing what happens in the cups I wouldn't mind looking at it as the early stages big overhaul season. It's been a long old wait but what's another season if we're headed in the right direction? We could have gone all in on two star players but chose the younger talents route which usually takes a bit more time whilst fixing the CF spot. Despite me having the odd chunter on here after the Arsenal game, it might just take a bit more patience for things to click in to gear but there's been promising bits of play, it's not been awful by any stretch.

Hopefully there'll be plenty of games and Ange will be able to get the most out of the team, at worst we'll know where we need to improve to the point of being able to make a proper go of it. Especially with the likes of Bergvall, Odobert, Gray, Johnson even Moore and possibly Cardozo having time to settle. We could even see Veliz have a really strong season and be able to challenge for a spot + the Croatian lad so we're in a great place for young talent hopefully coming in and making an impact.
 
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glorygloryeze said:
Btw, does Moore have pace and a trick or two to beat a man in a tight space?
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I saw quite a bit of Moore last season and this pre season. He doesn't have electric pace but carries the ball with speed, directness and trickery. I'd like to see him get some minutes this season but think next season is when he will properly break through. He could be really special.
 
Spoonman said:
A very good article. Nicely sums up alot of the discussion since yesterday.
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A well writtren article but the positivity therein relies on stats.

The stats paint a certain picture - high percentage posession etc.etc.

But the stats are deceptive. I saw every home game last season and I've seen the first two this season. We are playing in exactly the same way. That brought us remarkable results in the first ten games last year but, for all that, we were conceding a lot of chances and Vicario had saved our bacon on a few occasions. We were very lucky against Liverpool and just scraped a win in injury time against Sheffield United ......who were poor (probably the worst side in the Prem) but played to nullify our tactics and very nearly succeeded.

I think I can see why we are not progressing. Our system has been well sussed by the coaches in the prem and most are happy to cede posession, let us play across the front of them and bide their time until, inevitably, we gift them chances.

If we score first, then that plan may need adjustment ( depending on whether the opponent would settle for a draw) but if we don't, the frustration builds as our attacking play ( there seems to be only one) gets bottled up in the centre, we become increasingly frantic, lose posession more often and get caught out. Generally, the half chances we have created are in stark contrast to the clear cut chances we concede.

And Ange seems to have this insane obsession with his system. He won't or can't change it.

If we lose against Brentford....and despite losing Wissa they do have the game to beat us.....The pressure that is now beginning to build on Ange will intensify.

In conclusion, this system will not deliver success in the premiership. Either the system or the manager must be changed.
 
As usual @milo made various good points in the podcast:

When managing a project, imagine a graph with 2 lines.
The first line is the straight diagonal x=y line.
The second line is a curved parabola that starts off close to the x-axis and curves sharply upwards towards the end.

The point being, people want to see linear progress of x=y.
In reality you buy youth and change various things and train certain situations and there is very little progress and the natives get restless... and just when the gap between these 2 lines is at its greatest and people feel there is no hope of progress, suddenly things start to pick up and you hit the steep progress part of the curve.

Be patient.





Having said that, I would very much like to see Udogie told to hang back alongside our DM i.e. there is no point in him bombing on, he just gets in the way of Son/Maddison and attracts more bodies to that zone. And we can utilise his pace and aggressiveness in breaking up any transition against us.
Porro is fine, he can shoot and he can cross, but Udogie can do neither of these.
 
Bullet said:
As usual @milo made various good points in the podcast:

When managing a project, imagine a graph with 2 lines.
The first line is the straight diagonal x=y line.
The second line is a curved parabola that starts off close to the x-axis and curves sharply upwards towards the end.

The point being, people want to see linear progress of x=y.
In reality you buy youth and change various things and train certain situations and there is very little progress and the natives get restless... and just when the gap between these 2 lines is at its greatest and people feel there is no hope of progress, suddenly things start to pick up and you hit the steep progress part of the curve.

Be patient.





Having said that, I would very much like to see Udogie told to hang back alongside our DM i.e. there is no point in him bombing on, he just gets in the way of Son/Maddison and attracts more bodies to that zone. And we can utilise his pace and aggressiveness in breaking up any transition against us.
Porro is fine, he can shoot and he can cross, but Udogie can do neither of these.
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How do those graphs look on projects that fail?

I'm sure we all know about sunk cost fallacy too.

There is also a difference between lack of progression, and regression.
 
Baleforce said:
How do those graphs look on projects that fail?

I'm sure we all know about sunk cost fallacy too.

There is also a difference between lack of progression, and regression.
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A sure way to fail is to lose your nerve and pull the plug too soon, before the curve has chance to rise up. That is a guaranteed failure. At least if we wait it out, we have a chance of seeing the upturn.
 
Bullet said:
A sure way to fail is to lose your nerve and pull the plug too soon, before the curve has chance to rise up. That is a guaranteed failure. At least if we wait it out, we have a chance of seeing the upturn.
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City didn’t panic when pep didn’t win the league in his first season
They kept him
Arsenal didnt bin arteta when he had his many blips
They backed him and trusted the process
 
I don't think we should give Ange until the end of the season. If our performances don't improve and we are off the pace for 4th, he should be gone by Christmas. Couldn't stomach another season of self inflicted failure. This squad is not perfect but it's good enough for at least a top 4 challenge with the right coach.
 
Robspur12 said:
I don't think we should give Ange until the end of the season. If our performances don't improve and we are off the pace for 4th, he should be gone by Christmas. Couldn't stomach another season of self inflicted failure. This squad is not perfect but it's good enough for at least a top 4 challenge with the right coach.
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Such as?
 
Bullet said:
A sure way to fail is to lose your nerve and pull the plug too soon, before the curve has chance to rise up. That is a guaranteed failure. At least if we wait it out, we have a chance of seeing the upturn.
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I completely agree, but its equally as sure fire as pulling the plug too late.
 
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