Thomas Frank - Head Coach

[Finney Is Back]

Arteta is a clam but he’s right about the actions in each box being critical.

We might be (are) improving our play, but it means nothing if we concede stupid goals and don’t tuck the ball away at the other end. Not scoring enough is the root of the issue. Our defence becomes focused on generating attacks and scoring and switches off on their main jobs. We are compromised and unbalanced, but there are positive shoots. 4 times out to 5 we’d win that game. And some of the build up play was actually decent. Yes it’s Burnley but they sat deep and made it hard. That final third ruthless precision is the missing X factor. All of our attackers are a bit shy. None have that pomp that Kane had and Son developed. Maybe Frank isn’t as strong a psychologist as say Pochettino. Or maybe Poch would also need time to get these back up players firing. Frank can turn average players into quality attackers, his record of that is there, but will he run out of time first? Probably.

Telling for me that once Burnley came out with some intent (second half) we were very much second best. If a team plays low block against us (like Sunderland at home first half) then it cons some people into thinking we are playing in a more adventurous, attacking way. As soon as a team push up and press us then we can’t cope (mainly because the team has no attacking patterns to play through a press).

 

[Finney Is Back]

He ditched us a player I’m sure if he did something half decent he would have been off to United again.

Let’s just concentrate on the first part of the plan and have a manager do something decent so,that a big club like Man Utd actually do want him…. Could you ever imagine Man Utd hiring Thomas Frank?

 

[Benny_Lad]

We bought Richarlison and Solanke, big money, proven Premier League signings. They haven't been what we need, but I'm not sure what more you'd expect?

Go on then @billyiddo, what would you expect?

Shall we dissect 'proven'?

Richarlison averaged a goal ever 250 mins in the season before we bought him. He's kind of delivered that.
Mbuemo averaged a goal every 170 mins the season before Utd bought him. He's kind of delivered that.

You get what you pay for.

There's also the eye test. My eyes tell me Richarlison often cant control a bag of cement and sometimes cant be bothered.

 

[Finney Is Back]

With three CBs I can see that. Equally, I can see a world where Xavi (by design or instinct) moves into that space, brings a marker with him and allows a square ball to Bissouma who would have a lot of space to move into or (if he chose) feed it out wide (I'd rather he went for a channel run personally). Or he takes that pass on the half-turn and attacks the space/channel in front of him, maybe creating a shooting opportunity or drawing a foul from the two Burnley defenders who would have to deal with him.

I think the wider issue is that no-one is going there. And that cannot be by accident sadly...

Sorry mate, Xavi moving into that space doesn’t do much if anything for us to be able to create a chance, it doesn’t open up opportunities through the centre. Bissouma needs to make the triangle with Oddobert, we would then be in a great situation, where the next pass has us in a really good position. Yes, there is a wider issue is that nobody is going in there, but it is really the RIGHT player going in there that is important. Bissouma would create the overload, under Frank we don’t create overloads because the tactics are negative, safety first ones.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Answered in a reply just above this. I can see both scenarios creating a lot more than no-one moving. The real coaching 101 is that time and time again, in those moments, we don't have anyone moving.

I think the biggest issue with Biss and not Xavi going at that moment is if possession is lost then Biss is out of position. This, of course, is why Frank is so risk averse that no-one looks to play or move much through the middle.

Again, for me, we can debate who should be moving into those pockets and what is or isn't coaching 101, the biggest issue is there is no-one moving because of this 'style' he insists upon inflicting.

I disagree, Xavi going in there closes down the zone of space for the right player to go in there, Xavi knows he is in a good position should our CM make the run that would be expected under any semi attacking manager. If his player then closes down Bissouma (likely as he is facing play) then Xavi has a 3 on 2 overload in a great position. (Coaching 101 is also staying still and waiting for the situation to develop as it should do when you are already in a good position ). I don’t want my number 10 moving into that space, killing a promising attack when we are 2 simple passes away from having an overload in a great area of the pitch.

 

[glorygloryeze]

Where do people see our next PL win coming from?
And when it happens, will we be in the drop zone?
Lastly, if by March/April we are officially in the drop zone or very VERY close to it, do we have the players to handle such a scrap?

 

[tommysvr]

Shall we dissect 'proven'?

Richarlison averaged a goal ever 250 mins in the season before we bought him. He's kind of delivered that.
Mbuemo averaged a goal every 170 mins the season before Utd bought him. He's kind of delivered that.

You get what you pay for.

There's also the eye test. My eyes tell me Richarlison often cant control a bag of cement and sometimes cant be bothered.

In what way was Richarlison not proven in the Premier League? All you’ve done is compare him to one other specific player.

“Can’t be bothered” is gonads too by the way. You could throw that at many players. Richarlison ain’t one of them.

 

[Baleforce]

Where do people see our next PL win coming from?
And when it happens, will we be in the drop zone?
Lastly, if by March/April we are officially in the drop zone or very VERY close to it, do we have the players to handle such a scrap?

Well we have City next and we always beat them.

 

[glorygloryeze]

Well we have City next and we always beat them.

Not at home these days, we don't...

 

[tommysvr]

Not at home these days, we don't...

You're right that that they've won the majority of recent matches at home, but we've still got a pretty incredible record against them in the last 20 years: https://thfcdb.com/teams/manchester...erBy=date_desc&selectedView=list&homeOrAway=H

 

[Robspur12]

Really doesn’t look like it!

I think it does with respect when our defenders are leading the scoring.