Thomas Frank - Head Coach

[Baleforce]

I don't disagree with us working on the defensive side of things - but we're playing football, we need to score goals as well. We're an extremely professional football club paying millions of pounds to hundreds of employees, yet we can barely muster up a chance while doing the core thing our club is meant to be doing (we get 38 points if we only not let in goals). Why are we not able to do the very core thing we are meant to be doing? I would say coming out saying our main focus is defending, when we can barely create a chance over a number of games, is shooting yourself in the foot. We need to create chances and score goals as well as defend. Our highly professional athletes are able to learn both things. It's their job to do so. It's also Frank's job to help them do so. I dont get this "focus on" thing - of course we have the time and the resources to work on both the defensive, and the offensive side of our game.

That’s what we are doing first.

Not only what we are going to do.

 

[harr1984]

I don't disagree with us working on the defensive side of things - but we're playing football, we need to score goals as well. We're an extremely professional football club paying millions of pounds to hundreds of employees, yet we can barely muster up a chance while doing the core thing our club is meant to be doing (we get 38 points if we only not let in goals). Why are we not able to do the very core thing we are meant to be doing? I would say coming out saying our main focus is defending, when we can barely create a chance over a number of games, is shooting yourself in the foot. We need to create chances and score goals as well as defend. Our highly professional athletes are able to learn both things. It's their job to do so. It's also Frank's job to help them do so. I dont get this "focus on" thing - of course we have the time and the resources to work on both the defensive, and the offensive side of our game.

It's counter productive, if we opt to knock it long and don't keep the ball it's inviting more pressure on the defence. And as we are seeing ours isn't some old school Italian defence capable of soaking it up. I'd be amazed if Frank wasn't working on attacking aspects aswell as the defensive side to be honest....

 

[SissokoWasGood (BoL)]

I don't disagree with him. We need to be able defend better than what we've shown not just under Ange but really since the end of the Poch era. Ange's was particularly bad but explained by his gung ho style, but we need to be able to defend I'm sorry if we don't like it but we can't going into season being happy to concede 60+ goals a season to score 60ish. Thats not going to lead us to anything.

Now what I want is a better balance between the attack and defence and I'm happy to give Frank the time to find that balance (if it's possible with this bunch of players).

For me it always comes down to the same thing, but better or produce better players and you will get better results.

I don’t think Ange was playing to score 60 to concede 60, just like Frank isn’t playing to score 40 and concede 40. If he was actually able to play his style of football properly an Ange team would score more than Frank’s and concede more too, but the gap in GS/A would be wider.

I absolutely agree we need to defend well and there needs to be balance. I don’t think inherently reactive football means we will concede less. Because if it’s not working, and clicking, we won’t win games.

I think any manager needs time to get their ideas across. Frank is tearing down an old culture to build up a new one. It’s not an easy job. I think it can work, and I want it to work. Because at our best under Frank we will make other teams look naive, and we will look smart. If it comes together.