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New ideas
- Thread starter milo
- Start date
I think that's somewhere we're trying to get to, but first you have to get the foundations right and that will take a bit of time.
milo
Jack L. Jones
An excellent post, Die Hard, and i think that the change management analogy is a good one. I have experienced and seen the same things.
I wasn't trying to dig you out over your first post. I'd just rather we didn't get stuck in another discussion about when we should or shouldn't have signed players and whether it is wrong to pick Sandro and Livermore at home. There are already plenty of threads for that.
SUIYHA
Scott Parker
Sorry but that's no excuse. It's not like Ade has been out drinking and smoking every day for the last few months, he's been training as long as the rest of the squad has, albeit with City's reserves, and had had over a week with our team preparing. We looked far better as soon as he came on and he didn't look unfit to me. Dembele was also in form and ready to go but found himself on the bench, again, we looked far better once he came on. Yesterday I took my seat at WHL, heard the starting XI and put my head in my hands, then said to my mate next to me that I could guarantee we wouldn't score in the first half. I didn't think we'd be as bad as we were, but it was no surprise to see a big fat 0 next to our name on the scoreboard when half time came. The thing that concerned me was that AVB in his post match interview didn't say anything like "we still need Ade/Dembele to settle into the side/get fit", he just bemoaned a lack of sharpness from the players as if it was just a bad day at the office.
My point is, changing the system will never be successful if you're not playing the right players to make the system work. If Ade and Dembele for some reason we don't know couldn't start, then we should not have played a formation that requires players like them in the side to make it work, it's as simple as that. If you have square pegs for square holes then you can see results from a change in formation very quickly. Hoddle lost the FA Cup semi to Arsenal in his first game but then got back to back league wins. After he was sacked and Pleat brought us back to 4-4-2 then we went on a 6 game unbeaten run. When Jol took over we were already on a losing run, and we lost his first three league games, but unlike the previous defeats you could see real attacking force from the team and we scored six goals in the first two games. Then we went on a 5 game winning run. Then of course, you have Harry, who came in and realised that we needed more creativity in the side and brought in Huddlestone and got instant results.
If we'd played Adebayor and Dembele from the start yesterday, I've little doubt we'd have won the game and we wouldn't be having this discussion. But for reasons I don't understand, we didn't. It's nothing to do with the system, it's to do with who's playing in it.
BrainOfLevy
Michael Carrick
Must say I love this thread.
I think how long it takes depends on whether the players the system uses are suited to that style, and there may also be a period of time where players take on board something new depending on how adaptable they are.
If we look at Liverpool, Rodgers is trying to implement something there and it is going to take time for that to bear fruit. They've already dropped points a couple of times because of mistakes made. Against Emirates Marketing Project, Skrtel wasn't used to the way of playing, of always trying to keep the ball. In the position he was in for Tevez's goal, he probably would have preferred to clear it. But he has been drilled to take risks at all costs to keep possession. But he was uncomfortable, played the ball back in a poor pass and City lost a goal. That's an example of perhaps a player being unsuited, but also not really having had the time to get used to what is being asked of him yet.
Similarly today, it was very obvious what they were trying to do, before Podolski's goal. They had a goal kick, played it short, kept the ball, managed to play it out wide and had acres of space to move into because of how well they worked it, with players capable of doing that such as Sahin and Allen receiving the ball from defence. But then it came to Gerrard, who's natural inclination is to force passes through quickly. He tried it, Arsenal intercepted, broke quickly with Liverpool's players out of position and scored. There's an example of ideas needing to bed in, but also the problem of some players not being suited. They worked it from the goal kick well, Allen and Sahin are suited, and you saw the benefit of them playing the goal kick the way they did, because once they worked it out wide, they had so much space because Arsenal had tried to press them. But it came to Gerrard, who isn't suited, and lost it. So it's the awkward mix of an unsuited player playing with suited ones, meaning they will all get caught out of position and concede chances, because they are set up to play a way only 7 of their players probably can.
So how quickly will Rodgers do it? I think it may take a while before they are really firing in the way he would like them to. It may take the time that it takes to move Gerrard out of the club. They needed someone like Sig or Dempsey, someone who is used to being more patient and waiting for the right chances, so they don't get caught out while trying to support their front players. He was absolutely right to move Carroll out, because no matter what his talents are, he would have been absolutely useless playing the way Rodgers wants them to play. They should have got another striker in, but Carroll had to go. They may get some good results and performances over the season, as Emirates Marketing Project showed, and because they do have some good players. But because of the fact they have influential players that aren't suited to the system such as Gerrard, and not much money to strengthen, it really is a tough situation for them.
How quickly can Laudrup do it? From what he has said, his style is broadly similar to that of Rodgers except that he wants to be a bit less patient when the right opportunity arises. So it was a fantastic appointment, even though his record is only average. They can do that, because they have had years of playing a certain way that the players already know. They have Martinez to thank for wanting to build something long term there. And they have a very clever chairman that knows exactly what he is doing in terms of preserving continuity. It's that kind of planning that means they don't need a DOF, because hopefully every manager they hire should at least be able to make use of the players at his disposal in some way.
Lambert? I'm not sure he is a system manager as much as a tactically flexible one that changes from game to game. But they put in an impressive performance at Saudi Sportswashing Machine today. His approach requires him getting the right tactics for each match, and making sure the players can carry it out. As long as the players are confident, they should be able to take on that way of working pretty quickly, even though there will be inconsistencies over the season.
AVB? It's interesting, because I thought with a whole pre-season to work with he would have been able to get us going with a system he wants us to play straight away, and was handed some good fixtures to get the results to back it up, especially considering our squad seemed much more suited to his ideal football than Chelsea's. So why haven't we stormed out of the traps? Maybe because for a lot of pre-season, he didn't actually have a lot of players he intends to use to make his system work, and has instead focussed these early games on trying not to disrupt things too much, adding some ideas but keeping it pretty simple. Keeping us solid, and hopefully not losing. Against Saudi Sportswashing Machine we seemed to press high and played it well but against West Brom and Norwich it seemed that we didn't quite know what we wanted to be.
In pre-season he has not had the goalkeeper he wanted, which is actually pretty important. He's had no real ball carrier in central midfield, except for Tom Carroll (Huddlestone is a passer rather than a carrier) and he hasn't had many strikers. He also gave games to players that seemingly wouldn't suit his ideal system in Rafa, Bentley, Dawson, Friedel, Huddlestone etc. So he's been forced into playing a way that accommodates some of the existing patterns of play in the squad, while seemingly adding some bits, but not wanting to go all the way with his ideal. That's meant maybe not pressing as high as he would like because he doesn't want to leave Friedel exposed. We've still had no ball carrier in midfield. He played Rafa against WBA, which was probably actually a Harry system performance considering he knew he would let Rafa go. So we haven't actually played the way he wants yet IMO.
I think now he has his keeper, now he has Dembele and Dempsey, and Ade will be fit after the break, we could start seeing what he really wants us to do. He doesn't want us to play negative football, I'm sure of it. But he's also not wanted to upset the squad. So he's tried to play them in a hybrid system, and tried to keep us solid (maybe what Santini was trying to do?) while he recruits the players for his system. And now they have been given a chance, he has allowed himself the opportunity to drop some players because they can accept a change is needed. Playing Rafa showed me he hasn't gone full whack with his system yet - where to me it's obvious Rodgers is already doing it for example.
We will now see more of what he wants us to play like IMO, and it will also take the players getting used to it. There are so many differing factors at each club that it is tough to say exactly how long a system takes to implement. But I think the key is simply getting the players that are capable of playing it. Laudrup has a nice situation, because he knows his guys already can. Rodgers has to play certain players that aren't suited due to political constraints and AVB was maybe waiting to get his business done before deciding exactly how to set us up this season. I simply can't believe he wanted us to awkwardly force it through to Defoe, and have rigid movement in midfield. He must have known what was going on against Norwich, because it was so obvious. But maybe he knew it was possible, and it was best to not lose games while he waits for the right time to properly do what he wants to do.
I think how long it takes depends on whether the players the system uses are suited to that style, and there may also be a period of time where players take on board something new depending on how adaptable they are.
If we look at Liverpool, Rodgers is trying to implement something there and it is going to take time for that to bear fruit. They've already dropped points a couple of times because of mistakes made. Against Emirates Marketing Project, Skrtel wasn't used to the way of playing, of always trying to keep the ball. In the position he was in for Tevez's goal, he probably would have preferred to clear it. But he has been drilled to take risks at all costs to keep possession. But he was uncomfortable, played the ball back in a poor pass and City lost a goal. That's an example of perhaps a player being unsuited, but also not really having had the time to get used to what is being asked of him yet.
Similarly today, it was very obvious what they were trying to do, before Podolski's goal. They had a goal kick, played it short, kept the ball, managed to play it out wide and had acres of space to move into because of how well they worked it, with players capable of doing that such as Sahin and Allen receiving the ball from defence. But then it came to Gerrard, who's natural inclination is to force passes through quickly. He tried it, Arsenal intercepted, broke quickly with Liverpool's players out of position and scored. There's an example of ideas needing to bed in, but also the problem of some players not being suited. They worked it from the goal kick well, Allen and Sahin are suited, and you saw the benefit of them playing the goal kick the way they did, because once they worked it out wide, they had so much space because Arsenal had tried to press them. But it came to Gerrard, who isn't suited, and lost it. So it's the awkward mix of an unsuited player playing with suited ones, meaning they will all get caught out of position and concede chances, because they are set up to play a way only 7 of their players probably can.
So how quickly will Rodgers do it? I think it may take a while before they are really firing in the way he would like them to. It may take the time that it takes to move Gerrard out of the club. They needed someone like Sig or Dempsey, someone who is used to being more patient and waiting for the right chances, so they don't get caught out while trying to support their front players. He was absolutely right to move Carroll out, because no matter what his talents are, he would have been absolutely useless playing the way Rodgers wants them to play. They should have got another striker in, but Carroll had to go. They may get some good results and performances over the season, as Emirates Marketing Project showed, and because they do have some good players. But because of the fact they have influential players that aren't suited to the system such as Gerrard, and not much money to strengthen, it really is a tough situation for them.
How quickly can Laudrup do it? From what he has said, his style is broadly similar to that of Rodgers except that he wants to be a bit less patient when the right opportunity arises. So it was a fantastic appointment, even though his record is only average. They can do that, because they have had years of playing a certain way that the players already know. They have Martinez to thank for wanting to build something long term there. And they have a very clever chairman that knows exactly what he is doing in terms of preserving continuity. It's that kind of planning that means they don't need a DOF, because hopefully every manager they hire should at least be able to make use of the players at his disposal in some way.
Lambert? I'm not sure he is a system manager as much as a tactically flexible one that changes from game to game. But they put in an impressive performance at Saudi Sportswashing Machine today. His approach requires him getting the right tactics for each match, and making sure the players can carry it out. As long as the players are confident, they should be able to take on that way of working pretty quickly, even though there will be inconsistencies over the season.
AVB? It's interesting, because I thought with a whole pre-season to work with he would have been able to get us going with a system he wants us to play straight away, and was handed some good fixtures to get the results to back it up, especially considering our squad seemed much more suited to his ideal football than Chelsea's. So why haven't we stormed out of the traps? Maybe because for a lot of pre-season, he didn't actually have a lot of players he intends to use to make his system work, and has instead focussed these early games on trying not to disrupt things too much, adding some ideas but keeping it pretty simple. Keeping us solid, and hopefully not losing. Against Saudi Sportswashing Machine we seemed to press high and played it well but against West Brom and Norwich it seemed that we didn't quite know what we wanted to be.
In pre-season he has not had the goalkeeper he wanted, which is actually pretty important. He's had no real ball carrier in central midfield, except for Tom Carroll (Huddlestone is a passer rather than a carrier) and he hasn't had many strikers. He also gave games to players that seemingly wouldn't suit his ideal system in Rafa, Bentley, Dawson, Friedel, Huddlestone etc. So he's been forced into playing a way that accommodates some of the existing patterns of play in the squad, while seemingly adding some bits, but not wanting to go all the way with his ideal. That's meant maybe not pressing as high as he would like because he doesn't want to leave Friedel exposed. We've still had no ball carrier in midfield. He played Rafa against WBA, which was probably actually a Harry system performance considering he knew he would let Rafa go. So we haven't actually played the way he wants yet IMO.
I think now he has his keeper, now he has Dembele and Dempsey, and Ade will be fit after the break, we could start seeing what he really wants us to do. He doesn't want us to play negative football, I'm sure of it. But he's also not wanted to upset the squad. So he's tried to play them in a hybrid system, and tried to keep us solid (maybe what Santini was trying to do?) while he recruits the players for his system. And now they have been given a chance, he has allowed himself the opportunity to drop some players because they can accept a change is needed. Playing Rafa showed me he hasn't gone full whack with his system yet - where to me it's obvious Rodgers is already doing it for example.
We will now see more of what he wants us to play like IMO, and it will also take the players getting used to it. There are so many differing factors at each club that it is tough to say exactly how long a system takes to implement. But I think the key is simply getting the players that are capable of playing it. Laudrup has a nice situation, because he knows his guys already can. Rodgers has to play certain players that aren't suited due to political constraints and AVB was maybe waiting to get his business done before deciding exactly how to set us up this season. I simply can't believe he wanted us to awkwardly force it through to Defoe, and have rigid movement in midfield. He must have known what was going on against Norwich, because it was so obvious. But maybe he knew it was possible, and it was best to not lose games while he waits for the right time to properly do what he wants to do.
If the system actually works it normally does instantly. You need a system that works instantly as well as develops into a longer term vision.
Using our own club examples, Jol took over and instantly got the team playing. HR took over and instantly picked up results, in fact I know people like to make Harry out as an idiot but what he did at Spurs was very clever. He changed the mentality by buying or playing tough physical players (we were known as a soft touch) and got us winning, built our reputation and confidence and gradually dropped your hard working Palacios/Zokoras/oharas and introduced more passers to play attractive football. That was a proper transition.
Using other clubs, Mourinho goes to Chelsea and Inter Milan and instantly picks up wins with his system. Wenger got up and running quite quickly at Arsenal. Mancini did ok and built on it (ok I know with 100s ££).
With the fixtures we have had, I'd have thought it would be perfect for players to put into practise a new system. However, I'm not even sure what the system is. I know what system people associate with AVB, I dont see that happening on the pitch. And I know people say Defoe up front on his own is not what AVB wants to do, but why not ask the players to temporarily play a different system ? seems kind of silly to say "you cant play this system, but please go and do it anyway". In business its known as tactical (short term) and strategic (long term goal).
Using our own club examples, Jol took over and instantly got the team playing. HR took over and instantly picked up results, in fact I know people like to make Harry out as an idiot but what he did at Spurs was very clever. He changed the mentality by buying or playing tough physical players (we were known as a soft touch) and got us winning, built our reputation and confidence and gradually dropped your hard working Palacios/Zokoras/oharas and introduced more passers to play attractive football. That was a proper transition.
Using other clubs, Mourinho goes to Chelsea and Inter Milan and instantly picks up wins with his system. Wenger got up and running quite quickly at Arsenal. Mancini did ok and built on it (ok I know with 100s ££).
With the fixtures we have had, I'd have thought it would be perfect for players to put into practise a new system. However, I'm not even sure what the system is. I know what system people associate with AVB, I dont see that happening on the pitch. And I know people say Defoe up front on his own is not what AVB wants to do, but why not ask the players to temporarily play a different system ? seems kind of silly to say "you cant play this system, but please go and do it anyway". In business its known as tactical (short term) and strategic (long term goal).
Hully
Tony Parks
Lambert's impact at Norwich was pretty much instant, his Colchester side beat Norwich 7-1 in the first game of the season Bryan Gunn was sacked after a couple of matches.
Lambert achieved back to back promotions and a 12th place finish in the EPL.
Now he didn't have a lot of money to spend, he had to bring in unproven or unfavored players and improve them.
The crucial thing is he lined Norwich up in a number of ways, using the entire squad. It wasn't unusual to see three different systems used in a single game depending on how the game went. No team could really prepare to face Norwich as they had no idea which formation they would play or which players would start. If you can successfully rotate a squad like Norwich had, you shouldn't have a problem with a squad like ours!
He was my first choice replacement for Harry. Watch him turn Villa around. Good point away to Saudi Sportswashing Machine yesterday.
Good post. In today's game, where fans' and players' patience is virtually non-existent, you simply can't have time to transition into a new system. If we're not getting results our best players will want to leave and our fans won't support the team.
Park Lane James
Andy Sinton
They're also playing against professional footballers. The margins are so fine in the Premier League nowadays that if the team hasn't clicked yet - then they can put in some really poor, dis-jonted performances.
Rob
Peter Taylor
I haven't read all of the other replies but I will do later as a quick skim of DHSF's first long reply was pretty interesting... What I would say is that, slightly o/t, AVB hasn't taken us apart and started from scratch. King retired and Modric was leaving anyway. Rafa wanted a move for personal/family reasons and due to the fact that we have cover (albeit not like for like IMO as none of the replacements have his 'Beckhamesque' passing range) he was allowed to leave. We still have the majority of the starting XI that we had last season (in the games so far we've had the same front three and five of the six at the back) it is purely that we have lost the heart of it that will take some adjusting to.
The question of adjusting comes down to whether or not we are actually seeing a dip in form as we adjust. The fact that we picked up 15 points from our last 13 games last season would suggest that we're not actually performing results wise any worse than we were then, especially if you allow that the three games this season is hardly enough time to judge. Plus the fact that we've not been able to give 4 of our 6 signings a preseason which renders the three games to date irrelevant when judging our whole squad. Give it 6 games from now and we should see an idea of the football that AVB is looking for with the players at his disposal. To be honest, the football that we played against Saudi Sportswashing Machine with the players who HAD had the preseason to get used to AVB's style was very impressive - we just faded in the second half as our options from the bench we're not of the same standard as we will see in the coming fixtures.
I know it's all kinda o/t but it's my left field view of the topic.
The question of adjusting comes down to whether or not we are actually seeing a dip in form as we adjust. The fact that we picked up 15 points from our last 13 games last season would suggest that we're not actually performing results wise any worse than we were then, especially if you allow that the three games this season is hardly enough time to judge. Plus the fact that we've not been able to give 4 of our 6 signings a preseason which renders the three games to date irrelevant when judging our whole squad. Give it 6 games from now and we should see an idea of the football that AVB is looking for with the players at his disposal. To be honest, the football that we played against Saudi Sportswashing Machine with the players who HAD had the preseason to get used to AVB's style was very impressive - we just faded in the second half as our options from the bench we're not of the same standard as we will see in the coming fixtures.
I know it's all kinda o/t but it's my left field view of the topic.
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nayimfromthehalfwayline
Andy Thompson
How long is a piece of string? There are so many factors to consider I dont think there is a straight anwer.
How close is the "new" playing style to the old?
Does the manager have the players needed for his change?
Are the players used to in depth instruction or not?
Is it a young or an old squad?
Can the manager communicate effectively?
Is the dressing room receptive?
Can the change be 'tweaking' the old system, or does it need to be torn down and rebuilt?
And loads more besides, I have no doubt.
Sometimes its a smooth and natural transition, sometimes its more of a blunt force approach
BrainOfLevy
Michael Carrick
So are you saying that our system for example will never work? Or that if Rodgers got his players in at Liverpool, it would never work, because it hasn't worked instantly?
Jol did get us playing well pretty much instantly, but that could have been a bit of the new manager bounce (Pleat also had it with us in 2004) and his system fell apart once he lost a key player in Carrick. So it shows how important it is for the manager to have players that suit the system. But at the same time, if they don't quite have all the players they need yet, because they want to put some work towards it so by the time they do get the players, they only need to make small adjustments to get it working.
I wouldn't say Mancini got it working well at all, considering the money he had. It took him a couple of seasons for City to really starft playing attractive, winning football. So it can take time in some instances. Lambert was instant results, but his was more tactical flexibility than a set system.
With AVB, Chelsea fans said the exact same thing. The football wasn't attractive at all, even though it was supposed to be. It was endless passing between defence, and not much forward etc. Exactly what we saw against Norwich. It's obviously not supposed to be like that, but I think it is because it hasn't clicked for the players yet, and because he hasn't gone all the way with his changes.
Pirate55
The Last Man Standing 17/18
Its always going to be difficult to judge the time it takes for the implementation of a new system.
It is even more difficult to assess the merits of the system if a key component (Moutinho) is missing.
To use an American Football analogy, if the first choice Quarter Back isnt there, how will the team perform without him.
We struggled without Carrick, AVB will have to adjust his preferred style to accomodate the players we did buy.
It is even more difficult to assess the merits of the system if a key component (Moutinho) is missing.
To use an American Football analogy, if the first choice Quarter Back isnt there, how will the team perform without him.
We struggled without Carrick, AVB will have to adjust his preferred style to accomodate the players we did buy.
JerusalemMan
Chris Perry
Very much so.
It also depends on how adaptable and intelligent the players are. Whether they have the capacity and understanding for fully implementing whatever new ideas the manager brings.
And that is something which is not immediately apparent in many cases.
Also depends on how good the manager is at bringing those ideas - how well he explains them, and how good he is at motivating his players to adopt them.
With regard to Spurs, it sounds as if the players enjoyed having a lot of freedom under Redknapp. It might be a challenge for Villas-Boas to persuade them that his approach will improve their performances, and / or they may simply resent having less freedom on the pitch.
The challenge for us is not just bringing in new ideas but also bedding in new players at the same time.
Compared to last season, we're potentially changing our keeper, definitely changing one CB potentially two (given that Verts has come in, Gallas looking awful and Kaboul injured for a few months), changing at least one CM given MOdric has gone and replacing VdV. Thats the spine of your team!
Had we had the same group of players as last year so we had a setttled squad then it would have been easier to implement new ideas. But changing a formation whilst changing half the team is a tough ask whoever the manager is
Compared to last season, we're potentially changing our keeper, definitely changing one CB potentially two (given that Verts has come in, Gallas looking awful and Kaboul injured for a few months), changing at least one CM given MOdric has gone and replacing VdV. Thats the spine of your team!
Had we had the same group of players as last year so we had a setttled squad then it would have been easier to implement new ideas. But changing a formation whilst changing half the team is a tough ask whoever the manager is
ringo
Tim Sherwood
Depends what AVB is trying to get the players to do. If he is going for 4-2-3-1 , and a certain style of play, the players may "get it" but that is entirely different from them being able to do it well. Have we got the personnel to make it work? Only if Dembele (or someone else) can be the playmaker, and Ade (or someone else) play the lone striker role in the way this system demands it. I'm not sure about either.
I'm betting on AVB changing the system (eventually) to suit the players.
I'm betting on AVB changing the system (eventually) to suit the players.
DHSF
Les Ferdinand
Do you not think though its very difficult to change players perceptions too? and the players openness to implement the changes and ideas?
The majority of those players may think - we are playing this way now and we arent winning and look brick where as last year we played a different way and was successful. So players would be immune to the change. Imagine a Bale? Lennon? BAE? Walker? imagine what they are thinking and how open they are to the changes.
You can only really implement new ideas if you have convinced the staff that it will work and lets be honest in this case AVB wasnt successful at Chelscum and that can play on peoples minds to new ideas.
There are so so many factors a Manager or anyone has to take in to account when implementing changes and new ideas. I think this is why it is vital for tweaking the system slowly to get players into the habit of trusting you and believing in your beliefs before trying anything extravagant and out there.
The majority of those players may think - we are playing this way now and we arent winning and look brick where as last year we played a different way and was successful. So players would be immune to the change. Imagine a Bale? Lennon? BAE? Walker? imagine what they are thinking and how open they are to the changes.
You can only really implement new ideas if you have convinced the staff that it will work and lets be honest in this case AVB wasnt successful at Chelscum and that can play on peoples minds to new ideas.
There are so so many factors a Manager or anyone has to take in to account when implementing changes and new ideas. I think this is why it is vital for tweaking the system slowly to get players into the habit of trusting you and believing in your beliefs before trying anything extravagant and out there.
nayimfromthehalfwayline
Andy Thompson
From what I have seen the players have been receptive and have broadly been playing to a very different beat they were last season.
I think lacking key players has really, really, hindered the effectiveness of the new set up.
I think the introduction of Dempsey and Dembele and (hopefully) getting Adebayor ready to start will help a great deal with this.
I also think practice makes perfect. There is no substitute for competitive games and its only then that you can really employ these ideas in a full on environment. Ive seen positives in the first two games, Ive seen people trying - but also not quite hitting the right note.
I think its far to early in our case to judge the effectiveness, but more over the next run of games.
In general these things are always unique, where a phased approach might work in one example it will certainly not in another. I also think that change can be taking shape very well without an outwardly visible marker.
A bit like learning to drive, in one lesson you are clumsy, slow, hesitant, your clutch control is jerky between gears... You know all the things you should be doing but also struggle because you are trying to master/use/think about multiple tasks at once (left hand - gear lever, right hand - steering wheel, left foot clutch up, right foot accelerator down, head looking out front, at rear view mirror, to wing mirror... brain trying to cope with it all at once!) - in the following lesson it clicks into place and you are doing things naturally without consious thought, you are driving smooth and skilled...
I think lacking key players has really, really, hindered the effectiveness of the new set up.
I think the introduction of Dempsey and Dembele and (hopefully) getting Adebayor ready to start will help a great deal with this.
I also think practice makes perfect. There is no substitute for competitive games and its only then that you can really employ these ideas in a full on environment. Ive seen positives in the first two games, Ive seen people trying - but also not quite hitting the right note.
I think its far to early in our case to judge the effectiveness, but more over the next run of games.
In general these things are always unique, where a phased approach might work in one example it will certainly not in another. I also think that change can be taking shape very well without an outwardly visible marker.
A bit like learning to drive, in one lesson you are clumsy, slow, hesitant, your clutch control is jerky between gears... You know all the things you should be doing but also struggle because you are trying to master/use/think about multiple tasks at once (left hand - gear lever, right hand - steering wheel, left foot clutch up, right foot accelerator down, head looking out front, at rear view mirror, to wing mirror... brain trying to cope with it all at once!) - in the following lesson it clicks into place and you are doing things naturally without consious thought, you are driving smooth and skilled...
Once the starting XI is settled, we'll have a clearer idea of what AVBs intentions are, and whether or not he's able to adapt his philosophy to suit the players if they aren't clicking. I don't think it's going to get much prettier before the end of this month.
The question for me is; did AVB inherit the Porto side, or did he buy Falcao, Moutinho and Hulk ?
The question for me is; did AVB inherit the Porto side, or did he buy Falcao, Moutinho and Hulk ?