Trouble is, we didn't really have a choice.Lots of scapegoating and analysis on this thread (including some from me) but IMO the simple issue is when you have a relatively complicated system of play as we do under De Zerbi, it requires all 11 on the field playing the system 100%, when one or two fail to, it all starts to break down.
Unfortunately, the need to field so many new/inexperienced (to de zerbi ball) players because of our current schedule ( and after losing our MF in the summer and Encisco out ) is going to impact our play.
We will improve through the season but it may by then be too little too late for our European campaign this season.
Our AMs and strikers will not look impactful unless they are fed the ball from MF - the MF can’t do that if they fail to pick up any second balls and concede on every tackle - the defence is a mess because the play further up the field has forced them into defensive rather than an attacking mind set - the vulnerabilities of de zerbi ball will obviously be magnified when we are weak in MF and can’t transition or pivot to take the attack forward.
I said at the time Caceido was worth more than £110m to us because of his intrinsic value to the squad and I still feel that we should not have sold him.
Because when we are losing we commit everyone forward like maniacs and leave ourselves open, that’s why when we lose we can get tonked.That's the problem right there. We huff and puff and then one attack and they almost score. That's what we need to work on. We are porous.
Come on Billy and JP.
Surreal and very emotional.Wow never thought I’d hear “Albion! Albion!” bellowing out over a packed Marseille stadium!
Amazing support
First bit means he can't be offside.Fati was well behind the ball. The ball has to be passed forward to be offside.
Marseille are nasty little bastards but streetwise and cynical - just like their manager was as a player.BHA are hard. Marseille are weedy nob ends.
Aside from his involvement in the goal this has been an absolute shambles from Mitoma, what is he doing…