Thomas Frank - Head Coach

[Yiddo]

He is still finding out about his players. It’s games like this that he can learn who he can play and who he can’t. I can’t see us being consistent until at least Christmas.

 

[metalgear]

He is still finding out about his players. It’s games like this that he can learn who he can play and who he can’t. I can’t see us being consistent until at least Christmas.

i believe TF wanted the team to open up and pin bournemouth in their half instead of compacting like we did at Emirates Marketing Project.
probably didn't know how easily our players were scared brickless by the pace and power that bournemouth countered with

 

[parklane1]

He is still finding out about his players. It’s games like this that he can learn who he can play and who he can’t. I can’t see us being consistent until at least Christmas.

Indeed.

 

[SissokoWasGood (BoL)]

I think it’s a fair question as to why the same team that was considered right for City away would be right for Bournemouth at home.

I am assuming he wanted the players to show they could win by applying themselves in a different way. But it clearly didn’t work, and it’s interesting that for someone so focused on adapting game to game that he picked the same side.

 

[billyiddo]

I think it’s a fair question as to why the same team that was considered right for City away would be right for Bournemouth at home.

I am assuming he wanted the players to show they could win by applying themselves in a different way. But it clearly didn’t work, and it’s interesting that for someone so focused on adapting game to game that he picked the same side.

Same players doesn't mean same tactics tbf

 

[braineclipse]

I think it’s a fair question as to why the same team that was considered right for City away would be right for Bournemouth at home.

I am assuming he wanted the players to show they could win by applying themselves in a different way. But it clearly didn’t work, and it’s interesting that for someone so focused on adapting game to game that he picked the same side.

Pure speculation on my part. I don't think he expected Bournemouth to shut off our right hand side to that extent. Or at the least if he expected that we had no fallback option ready to adjust to that.

I also think he expected us to get more joy out of going direct, like we did against City. We weren't able to. Part Bournemouth being really well prepared for that too. Part us not getting it right imo.

Alternatively he just didn't see our more creative options (Bergvall, Gray, Odobert) as ready yet for a game against a team as good as Bournemouth.

 

[thfcsteff]

Pure speculation on my part. I don't think he expected Bournemouth to shut off our right hand side to that extent. Or at the least if he expected that we had no fallback option ready to adjust to that.

I also think he expected us to get more joy out of going direct, like we did against City. We weren't able to. Part Bournemouth being really well prepared for that too. Part us not getting it right imo.

Alternatively he just didn't see our more creative options (Bergvall, Gray, Odobert) as ready yet for a game against a team as good as Bournemouth.

The moment Udogie came on and Spence went right we had better balance.

 

[SissokoWasGood (BoL)]

Pure speculation on my part. I don't think he expected Bournemouth to shut off our right hand side to that extent. Or at the least if he expected that we had no fallback option ready to adjust to that.

I also think he expected us to get more joy out of going direct, like we did against City. We weren't able to. Part Bournemouth being really well prepared for that too. Part us not getting it right imo.

Alternatively he just didn't see our more creative options (Bergvall, Gray, Odobert) as ready yet for a game against a team as good as Bournemouth.

I think it’s a unique match up in that Bournemouth’s style is almost tailor made to counter the ‘press is the best form of creativity’ strategy. Because they’re willing to go direct and not get caught. So I’m not overly worried about what it says about our prospects because Bournemouth will do that to a lot of teams.

With that said, it still makes me wonder why he picked the same team as City, and why for example he’d be surprised that they would shut down Kudus, who is the obvious on-ball threat. (Johnson being a runner / finisher, Sarr great for the counter press). City will allow you to counter press them as they’re ideologically opposed to going that direct, but Bournemouth wouldn’t.

I’m not too sure what I’d have done differently given the options available. We needed Simons on the pitch I think. Argument for Bergval on somehow and maybe Odobert starting ahead of Brennan. Or maybe Kudus central, Odobert right, Tel left to start?

I hope he learned a lot about the players from the game though, because it wasn’t just a narrow loss, it was a really bad performance. And given Bournemouth’s system is so well established, I’m still surprised we didn’t have a better plan to counter it. I’m assuming there’s a deliberate reason as to why he thought the team put out was the best one, I guess we’ve just seen him be more radical in adapting to the opposition already and Bournemouth is definitely a great team to do that against too.

 

[braineclipse]

The moment Udogie came on and Spence went right we had better balance.

That was mostly a result of them sitting back as they can't physically press like that for 90 minutes imo.

Aftet that is when Porro would have been more useful as we started getting our full backs far enough forward to be in crossing positions.

Not saying the simubs didn't help, thought Udogie did well. But that change in game state/flow probably happens regardless.

Would those players starting have done something to the game earlier? A bit maybe?

 

[thfcsteff]

That was mostly a result of them sitting back as they can't physically press like that for 90 minutes imo.

Aftet that is when Porro would have been more useful as we started getting our full backs far enough forward to be in crossing positions.

Not saying the simubs didn't help, thought Udogie did well. But that change in game state/flow probably happens regardless.

Would those players starting have done something to the game earlier? A bit maybe?

I stand by my feeling that if we have at least one left-footed player on the left, it opens up further angles and pitch-widths which make it harder for oppositions teams to press us. With two right-footers on the left, we're always going to end up checking 'inside' and that makes it easier for an aggressive press side to double up in other areas. We effectively limit what we can do on the left unless the ball is hit super early and super accurately for Brennan to run onto. Djed has been superb but he will always end up checking inside when on the left.

 

[braineclipse]

I stand by my feeling that if we have at least one left-footed player on the left, it opens up further angles and pitch-widths which make it harder for oppositions teams to press us. With two right-footers on the left, we're always going to end up checking 'inside' and that makes it easier for an aggressive press side to double up in other areas. We effectively limit what we can do on the left unless the ball is hit super early and super accurately for Brennan to run onto. Djed has been superb but he will always end up checking inside when on the left.

I agree, I'm just not sure it would have made a big difference in that game.

But then again I also think even just 1-2 really good attacking moves playing through a high press can somewhat change the game state/flow. Making the opponents second guess themselves, giving us confidence. That gruelling "we never get out/forward" feeling is draining for us as fans and I think it's difficult for the players too. Maybe Udogie could have done enough to change that.

On Spence I think you're right. Thing is we've seen him be a bit of a ball progression machine at times last season on the left. But perhaps that was before opponents figured out how to limit how much he can do that?