The bounce we didn't get with a new manager. Lets compare Everton and us.
Duncan Ferguson turns up for the team talk: " People used to say I was a hard man - but I am pretty easy to get along with if you win. So here is my team (throws team sheet on table) - I want you to remember I have your names and addresses and if you overpaid f...ers don't win, you will get a visit from me and same mates and you need to live in fear for the rest of your miserable lives." = Everton 3 Chelsea 1

Freddie: "I used to model underwear." = no wins in 2 games

Watching Man u and spurs on MOTD, the pace and movement up top is frightening and exactly what we’re missing. Son is in the top 5 players in the league for me. Moura, Rashford, James, martial all electric. Then lingard and alli busying a guy to make runs beyond them.

Also clear how many shots they take, relatively selfish players who can hit clean shots with power and on target. You’d have thought that would be pretty simple for a professional footballer but I’d only back Aubameyang in our team to be able to do this. Even Lacazette has so many miss-hits or scuffs when he doesn’t quite catch it right

Everything we do is at half pace. I fundamentally dislike the profile of players we’ve been recruiting over the past 5 or so years.

In the last post I mentioned Adams, etc., we also had Dixon and Winterburn, who had been bought cheaply from the lower leagues to replace our big stars at the time, Kenny Samson and Viv Anderson, so we don't necessarily have to spend huge amounts of money, it's the organisation.
Whether Freddie has the personality to do that, with the players at his disposal, that's the 2 questions.
Back-to-basics wouldn't be a bad idea.
Defending isn't difficult. You don't have to be super-talented. What you have to have is a plan, you have to stick to it, and you have to have players that will give you 100%. They have to stay in position, be disciplined, run back instead of jogging, and fight for the team.
It can be 3 or 4 or 5 at the back, just make sure they all know their part in the system.
Now here's the problem.
Freddie doesn't appear to have a strong enough personality for that. As a player he had Vieira and Lauren to help him, as a manager he has Mertesacker.
Quite clearly the players aren't up to the job yet either. Whether a new manager could change our handsomely paid little divas attitudes? I very much doubt it. They've arrived... they're where they want to be... they've got their contracts...why change?
We won't be relegated, it's a transition season, Aubameyang is probably off, his replacement will come in, plus a few new signings, and we'll try again next season. The TV money is there, the season tickets have been sold, and we'll carry on for the foreseeable future like this, slowly deteriorating, but always with the hope that next season will be a lucky one.
American Sports Franchise... F#*£ Yeah!

When interviewing next boss candidates what questions would you ask? I would ask ,how will you get the team back to winning ways, how will you get their confidence back, how will you improve the defence, who would you have as your no 2, who will be Captain, who do you want to sign, thats for starters .

In the last post I mentioned Adams, etc., we also had Dixon and Winterburn, who had been bought cheaply from the lower leagues to replace our big stars at the time, Kenny Samson and Viv Anderson, so we don't necessarily have to spend huge amounts of money, it's the organisation.
Whether Freddie has the personality to do that, with the players at his disposal, that's the 2 questions.
Back-to-basics wouldn't be a bad idea.
Defending isn't difficult. You don't have to be super-talented. What you have to have is a plan, you have to stick to it, and you have to have players that will give you 100%. They have to stay in position, be disciplined, run back instead of jogging, and fight for the team.
It can be 3 or 4 or 5 at the back, just make sure they all know their part in the system.
Now here's the problem.
Freddie doesn't appear to have a strong enough personality for that. As a player he had Vieira and Lauren to help him, as a manager he has Mertesacker.
Quite clearly the players aren't up to the job yet either. Whether a new manager could change our handsomely paid little divas attitudes? I very much doubt it. They've arrived... they're where they want to be... they've got their contracts...why change?
We won't be relegated, it's a transition season, Aubameyang is probably off, his replacement will come in, plus a few new signings, and we'll try again next season. The TV money is there, the season tickets have been sold, and we'll carry on for the foreseeable future like this, slowly deteriorating, but always with the hope that next season will be a lucky one.
American Sports Franchise... F#*£ Yeah!

Chris Smalling is being mentioned as an option this morning

And to think, we had Adams, Keown and Bould at one time in the same team.

Your right on both counts. Its like having a resident oracle when you post.

Watching kiwi's feed, and it's got Robbie Earle in the studio.

Christ, he looks old now.

Our central defenders don't communicate enough. Luiz loves to canter about, as if he can easily rob the balls from attackers. But he can't! Sok is full of energy and sometimes create catastrophic mistakes, especially in trying to dribble out of the penalty area with 2 attackers near him. Mustafi, is Mustafi.

I mean seriously we are about to make another Spaniard who can’t speak English our manager. Defies belief

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... s-21053969

I mean seriously we are about to make another Spaniard who can’t speak English our manager. Defies belief

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... s-21053969

Is that your only criteria. When I worked in England in the 80’s a Geordie used to come to the bar & I couldn’t understand a word he said. I think you can add Geordies & even some Scots to your list if that is the selection criteria.

Warrior ... what happened to post where I provided that link for John .... ? I wanted to re- use it .

Hmm... so the board see us more like Valencia, Sevilla, Villarreal rather than Barcelona and Real Madrid or even Ath Madrid.

Aubameyang is showing less and less commitment to the team.

PM sent

Freddie must be brave to pick the more driven youngsters to wear the shirt. Drop those who play with little conviction. IMO, those to be dropped are Luiz, Xhaka, Aubameyang, and Özil.

We've got shite CBs so one thing that might help is to stop our fullbacks playing like auxiliary wingers and bombing forward all the time leaving us totally exposed when the play breaks down and they are stranded high up the pitch as teams counter.

Dixon and Winterburn were decent going forward and could supplement attacks when needed but their first objective was to defend.

For the time being let's get back to the days when the fullbacks rarely crossed the halfway line, play with two wingers and let them get on with the task of creating things.

We've got shite CBs so one thing that might help is to stop our fullbacks playing like auxiliary wingers and bombing forward all the time leaving us totally exposed when the play breaks down and they are stranded high up the pitch as teams counter.

Dixon and Winterburn were decent going forward and could supplement attacks when needed but their first objective was to defend.

For the time being let's get back to the days when the fullbacks rarely crossed the halfway line, play with two wingers and let them get on with the task of creating things.

The key is getting the attacking wide men so the full backs aren’t tasked with being the only ones supplying the width

I want us to go back to a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. Flat back 4 who defend first and foremost, a solid midfield 3 who provide a stable base to defend and attack from, 2 proper wide men who can dribble and beat a man and take shots and Aubameyang up front

Since we got Aubameyang and Lacazette, might as well play old school 4-4-2 rather than Aubameyang wide. Pépé, Saka and Nelson can rotate to be the wide players.

I would try Guendouzi as a wide right mid ala Ray Parlour.

He’s the only player who has done anything this season

Not his fault he keeps getting played wide. We’d be totally up a creek without a paddle without him.

The key is getting the attacking wide men so the full backs aren’t tasked with being the only ones supplying the width

I want us to go back to a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. Flat back 4 who defend first and foremost, a solid midfield 3 who provide a stable base to defend and attack from, 2 proper wide men who can dribble and beat a man and take shots and Aubameyang up front

Agree ........

Leno
Bellerin Sok Holding Tierney
Torreira Guendozi
Pépé Willock Saka
Aubameyang

Since we got Aubameyang and Lacazette, might as well play old school 4-4-2 rather than Aubameyang wide. Pépé, Saka and Nelson can rotate to be the wide players.