Still think part of your response is emotion mate (and that I get)
It is.
I am a human being and as such, sometimes express myself emotionally.
Do you see how patronising your above comment looks? Anyway, I'm sure you'll view this in the same light LOL...
FWIW, I went back and read your bits, happy to admit I misunderstood, maybe still don't get your point, e.g for me, Gallagher is just a hustler, type of player that is a pain in the ass to play against regardless of how effective, do I believe he is useful for us now? yes, do I think we should need him? no.
I've repeatedly said the same about Gallagher.
Yesterday we needed him. It confused me too.
I think evaluating the 10 under De Zerbi, it is important to note he has a very different idea of what a 10can be than, say, me. I don't see Gallagher as MY 10, I don't see Kudus as MY 10, however he has a way of seeing the position which is different.
What other factors are at play? Ange is clearly a philosophy/tactic that has been found out at this level (and even then, managed 5th with Spurs in first season), his predecessor managed 4th before imploding. Frank had no functioning tactic unless you considering banging the ball to Kudus and spamming crosses to no one a tactic. RDZ has obvious tactics but they are clearly not the current meta and are not working (yet).
With Ange. We walked away from a squad that won something. We walked away from a squad that had put two years in the hard way. And we walked away from seeing what could've been.
Frank?
No argument from me, a disasterous appointment.
RDZ's tactics in terms of creating chances/situations to make chances have actually been working well, it is the execution. He needs elite players; that is the bind we are in, because we do not have elite finishers or many goals in the side.
I'll say it again, all three managers (vastly different in general approach), so far are making the same mistake, getting the basics wrong (you don't concede 3 at home and expect to win). And RDZ is feeling quite Ange in the conversation, if we had x player it would work, or if we cut out individual mistakes it would work (ignoring the system leaving you exposed), or if the players gave more (this squad should not need to be at their best to beat that Villa side or Forest)
I disagree that our system under RDZ leaves us exposed, we simply have not defended well enough. What system exposed us for the first and second goals on Saturday? Those were mistakes, and multiple in the same move. How can RDZ be expected to finish chances? How can he be expected to defend situations we've prepared for all week?
Now do I believe in momentum (and the belief or lack of that it creates)? absolutely, and that's why I still think the biggest mistake this club ever made was letting Frank last as long as he did, it turned a blip season into a habit, and we still can't break that habit. And maybe your perspective is more "leaders" do, mine would be do the basics, grind some wins, learn what it is to win again, don't aim to fly when you can't walk.
See, you're making it an 'either or' thing. I don't understand why. What you're saying stands as a fact, what I'm saying is an opinion as to what we need to help us do that.
In order to execute the basics and grind some wins, you need leader on the pitch, people who will stand up and be counted. In the final 7 games last season I saw it from Palhinha, Danso, Tel, Bentancur, Maddison. We need players to step up in that fashion and both be brave on the ball and also fierce without it/when something goes wrong. For 20 minutes on Saturday we became limp. That is what we cannot afford.
