Frank Give him time or get rid?

[braineclipse]

It appears we are simply not interested in signing midfielders who can offer a progressive pass option from deeper positions. Maddison would often drop in and pick the ball up off the CBs so as he could carry and then thread a pass into the forwards/attacking players. Right now, the only person to really do that is Romero (Porro sometimes).

I think it's in part difficulties finding players that can do that while also being defensively and physically good enough for that role in the PL.

Maddison was massively important to us in the previous two seasons and a big miss now.

 

[braineclipse]

I don't see that at all. We've very rarely played a high press this season and when we have it has been a coherent, well drilled one even more rarely.

Think it was better earlier this season. Injuries and fatigue a part of that probably.

How easily our high press is bypassed combined with how rarely we win possession definitely is a concern. But I do think a high press is something Frank wants from the team in phases.

 

[Mr Gogolak]

I don't see that at all. We've very rarely played a high press this season and when we have it has been a coherent, well drilled one even more rarely.

I don't hate myself enough to look back any further than the Villa game but, although it was poorly done, there were quite a few instances where they cut through our team in their own half because we were - impotantly - trying to press closer to their box. It's disjointed and very poorly executed, but I think it's there... or at least there's an intent.

Unfortunately, the only thing consistent about the team at the moment are the weaknesses that have been there for over a year.

 

[Muttley]

A through ball is defined in a statistical sense as being a ball played in behind the defence/through the defensive line - that's the type of pass this stat refers to.

So are there stats that really look at how we transition through the thirds? For me this is at the crux of the conversation you\re having with Steff. Take the Poch days. We had a genius like Dembele who would always progress the ball from our defensive third to the middle third. Then we had Dele / Eriksen with Harry sometimes dropping deep that would take us through the next third with Dembele. However, we could sit for ages on that line between the middle and attacking third and just hold possession. No doubt, teams parked the bus against us and we had a real weakness when we wouldn't cross the ball when we got in the wide areas. I used to be screaming at the screen at Poch about it. So back in those days we had possession through the thirds and real paranoia about losing possession so we didn't take enough risks in the final third. We had the odd good season like 16/17 where things clicked though.

For a long time now we seem to have an issue where we cannot progress the ball through the thirds. I'm talking every manager since Poch and definitely including Ange. Our approach from the defensive to middle third is mostly built around Romero. Without Solanke, our approach to keep possession at our feet into the final third has been desperate. However, as you say if a 6 plays it to a 10 in a natural 10 position then it won't count in the "through ball" stats anyway. These are the most important balls when you have someone like Xavi or Madds in your team. You have to find your best player. Eriksen managed to always be available as he just went into marathon runner mode. He would be up there in the running stats every season because he knew he had to keep on the move to play effectively. Him and Kane both quit on this concept before they left the club. Harry was terrible at it in his last 2 seasons and the big reason his assists dried up completely. However, as we all know he still was in the right place to put the ball in the net.

I actually find this conversation interesting. I do believe people miss the biggest point about Frank and I've mentioned it loads. There has been a disease at our club for 3 seasons and that is conceding goals. He should absolutely do whatever it takes to knock 20 goals of our current league levels even if it means negative outcomes at the other end. It is by far the most important stat at our football club but will never be popular with the fans. That means Frank needs to show some deaf ears to some of the detractors who are happy with Ossie football and no trophies. Even Ange figured that out in the last part of his tenure.