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Roberto De Zerbi *OFFICIAL*

Agreed, also I think it was Ben Foster that said tears from a captain just aren’t great. He needed to be getting around the players boosting them up if he was going off. It might be harsh, but I agree with that. Tears in that moment is another sense of inevitability being against us.
On a related but kind of irrelevant note, and I fudging love the man completely, I always thought Poch crying after Ajax was a mistake. Wasn’t a good look from our leader and we’d only won a semi final.
 
Respectfully disagree on both Romero and tears...thought I can virtually guarantee our season will end with the latter and without the former!
 
Maybe not, but many of us have strong suspicions.

Oh I know he's a 'hate figure' in some parts here.
Whatever mate. I disagree, and disagree with some of the further stuff which has been expressed.
Perhaps would've been better if he hadn't been in position to screen that ball back to Kinsky; at least then people could've just slagged his lack of awareness and not his reaction to an injury based on, well, not much really...
 
Oh I know he's a 'hate figure' in some parts here.
Whatever mate. I disagree, and disagree with some of the further stuff which has been expressed.
Perhaps would've been better if he hadn't been in position to screen that ball back to Kinsky; at least then people could've just slagged his lack of awareness and not his reaction to an injury based on, well, not much really...
I don't hate him at all, but I do think he's one who plays for himself, and I don't think he's had the right attitude, least of all for the situation we're in. He's now one fewer option, regardless, which we could have done without, but I don't think putting Danso there represents a huge downgrade, by any means.
 
On a related but kind of irrelevant note, and I fudging love the man completely, I always thought Poch crying after Ajax was a mistake. Wasn’t a good look from our leader and we’d only won a semi final.

Yeah I get you.

I remember when we beat Chelsea away, with the Dier long pass onto Dele, it must have been 2018. And it was like the entire bench and staff made a concerted effort NOT to react to the result. They may have even talked about it straight after. But I loved that. It showed we weren’t done. I know Poch’s wife also commented to him on celebrating too much at that Everton home game.

The Ajax one is tough because it was genuinely one of the most miraculous nights in football, in the most incredible of circumstances. And after such a tough prior 18 months of the stadium build and no signings. So I do get why you almost have to give slack to Poch in that moment. But I’m also sympathetic to the idea that remaining ‘on the level’ is what leaders of sports teams need to be.
 
I don't hate him at all, but I do think he's one who plays for himself, and I don't think he's had the right attitude, least of all for the situation we're in. He's now one fewer option, regardless, which we could have done without, but I don't think putting Danso there represents a huge downgrade, by any means.

Fair enough my friend.
On Danso, a noble defender but poor passer/distributor. If DeZerbi insists on build up from the back I'd rather put Gray back there TBH...
 
Yeah I get you.

I remember when we beat Chelsea away, with the Dier long pass onto Dele, it must have been 2018. And it was like the entire bench and staff made a concerted effort NOT to react to the result. They may have even talked about it straight after. But I loved that. It showed we weren’t done. I know Poch’s wife also commented to him on celebrating too much at that Everton home game.

The Ajax one is tough because it was genuinely one of the most miraculous nights in football, in the most incredible of circumstances. And after such a tough prior 18 months of the stadium build and no signings. So I do get why you almost have to give slack to Poch in that moment. But I’m also sympathetic to the idea that remaining ‘on the level’ is what leaders of sports teams need to be.

Nah.
Not tough for me.
Tough is finding fault with those tears...
 
Nothing on his ability but I don't see this lasting.
when we go down I don't think the club will honour their promises, the senior players are not up to it or for it and just don't see how with his personality this doesn't blow up.
 
I don’t quite understand how he watched us under Frank and Tudor and thought “yeah let’s keep playing like that.” I understand his point on keeping things simple, not changing too much but surely at this point we need it.

It’s only one game and normally I would not draw conclusions like this, but when you only have 7 of them setting a standard early is crucial.

I hope we change tact and go high press, high energy vs Brighton.
 
Nah.
Not tough for me.
Tough is finding fault with those tears...

Would disagree on the tears.

He is the captain; there are 20 minutes left in the match; he should be leaving the pitch geeing up those still on it, not focusing on his own woes. As it was, they were going across to comfort him, which is understandable on a human level, but not something they should be having to do to their captain in the latter stages of a must-win relegation battle.

For me, it was a highly visible representation of everything that is wrong with this squad. Zero on-field leadership and an attitude amongst too many of our players which is centred on their own careers and not the team.

Oh for a Graham Roberts, a Gary Mabbutt or a Stevie Perryman.
 
I don’t quite understand how he watched us under Frank and Tudor and thought “yeah let’s keep playing like that.” I understand his point on keeping things simple, not changing too much but surely at this point we need it.

It’s only one game and normally I would not draw conclusions like this, but when you only have 7 of them setting a standard early is crucial.

I hope we change tact and go high press, high energy vs Brighton.
For me

All three of them have viewed, watched and trained the players and come to their own conclusions about what they are and are not capable of.

Things like Xavi not starting or the style we set about in. At some point us on the outside have to look at and say ok, maybe the players aren't good enough, individuals aren't good enough.

Again, he's probably looking at the game back and noting that we created (before they did) chances which should have resulted in a goal. Same as what happened under Frank and Tudor. I don't think it's likey he'll take from that, it's an issue where we need to be more front footed etc. He'll be pondering how to be more clinical. But as it always comes back to, how do you do that with what is at your disposal.

I wouldn't think there is much chance of enacting a working high press in a week.
 
Would disagree on the tears.

He is the captain; there are 20 minutes left in the match; he should be leaving the pitch geeing up those still on it, not focusing on his own woes. As it was, they were going across to comfort him, which is understandable on a human level, but not something they should be having to do to their captain in the latter stages of a must-win relegation battle.

For me, it was a highly visible representation of everything that is wrong with this squad. Zero on-field leadership and an attitude amongst too many of our players which is centred on their own careers and not the team.

Oh for a Graham Roberts, a Gary Mabbutt or a Stevie Perryman.
I wanted to say the exact same thing in the match thread, but thought it was a bit harsh. But yeah, we are knee deep in a relegation battle, losing our so called captain, and all he does is lurk out of the pitch like this is all about him. To me, that's no captain.
 
I don’t quite understand how he watched us under Frank and Tudor and thought “yeah let’s keep playing like that.” I understand his point on keeping things simple, not changing too much but surely at this point we need it.

It’s only one game and normally I would not draw conclusions like this, but when you only have 7 of them setting a standard early is crucial.

I hope we change tact and go high press, high energy vs Brighton.
I wish he would too, but I'm not sure these players are fit enough for that. Sometimes, you reach a conclusion and you see everything through that lense, but I the lack of movement has been a huge problem all season. The lack of passing ability hasn't helped but if you look at the games, we hardly ever pass it to a moving player which, in turn, makes it even more difficult for them to beat their man.

We're slow and static, which leads to more backwards and sideways passing. It also gives the impression that the players are lazy when, in fact, they might be unfit.

I wouldn't bet the house on it, but it's a feeling I've had all season.
 
Would disagree on the tears.

He is the captain; there are 20 minutes left in the match; he should be leaving the pitch geeing up those still on it, not focusing on his own woes. As it was, they were going across to comfort him, which is understandable on a human level, but not something they should be having to do to their captain in the latter stages of a must-win relegation battle.

For me, it was a highly visible representation of everything that is wrong with this squad. Zero on-field leadership and an attitude amongst too many of our players which is centred on their own careers and not the team.

Oh for a Graham Roberts, a Gary Mabbutt or a Stevie Perryman.

Maybe it really hurt? Maybe it was knowing he wouldn't be able to contribute to the next 6 games that really upset him?
 
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