Nod.E

I just don't think we can fully judge Enzo ball when we have 8s that are not 8s and we come up against low blocks most weeks. Our 8s are a mile off in terms of the technical ability required to function in that role. Such a huge part of what makes the system work. It's why we often miss them out and refuse passes and why we often look hesitant. Enzo won't be against first time balls around the corner, our midfielders just really struggle with that type of football. Maybe, then, he shouldn't play this system. Fair enough, maybe we'd have more points if he mixed up the formation a little. But then in all honesty I think any team with a total lack of creativity in the middle is going to hit issues one way or another, regardless of the system. Liverpool famously made it work, but they had Salah on the wing and Trent pulling the strings. Who's pulling the strings for us? Where's our 30 goal wide player? He is making mistakes though, I'll say that much. Some of the subs and in-game management is concerning. Faes being allowed to continually play and lose positional discipline every game is crazy to me, for instance. I just feel that the combined impact of the huge likelihood neither N'didi or KDH will be with us next season, and the fact that basically no side is going to sit deep and defend against us next season if we go up, means you simply cannot transpose much from this season onto next. I genuinely believe that the football will feel more entertaining when we're playing better sides, hopefully with more technical midfielders. It's wrong to assume this profile of player is automatically more expensive and out of reach. It'd be nice to have De Bruyne, but Sensi is a start. Worth noting our competitors are experiencing similar issues with scoring goals of late. It's an obscenely competitive league and a tiring battle of a season. Hopefully we have enough to get over the line (I think we will - I think games against WBA and Southampton at home will work in our favour.) Take stock and go again next year. If by November/December we look like this season's Burnley, then look to make a change. Enzo has the squad playing for him even when half of them won't be here next season. That's a positive sign and I'm willing to back him.

Do you think full backs bombing on and leaving Faes and Vestergaard as our centre halves to beat is a solution that's likely to end well? Who are they bombing on to provide crosses for? Think we sold Hirst. I'm not a football snob, I just don't think that would work mate.

How about specifically?

It was more than that though, it was effectively a different formation. N'didi was deeper than in previous games for some reason. We'd have been better served being more like our Plan A, wouldn't we? Regarding playing around the back and long balls, it's because we get stuck. Our 8s are frankly crap at taking the ball on the turn or finding that around the corner pass. I'd be tempted to leave N'didi out on Friday for a combination of this reason and the fact he looks cooked. Praet looked decent when he came on. Eventually the centre halves get sick of our 8s' failed attempts and think sod this, and either lump it or go on a risky run. Either way they look to miss them out. This system will work. And although KDH has popped up with a lot of goals this season, he doesn't suit the system in what is the key position to make it work. Same with N'didi. The way I look at it, if this can be true and yet we're still top of the league, there's a lot of potential there for us to tap into. Imagine how good plan A could look with two actual 8s. It wouldn't make sense to reinvent the wheel this late into the season. It's too late. The best thing Enzo can do now is insist that Faes stops his mazy runs (or, better, drop him), and keep plugging away with the inside runs from our 8s. If we can get our wide men involved from diagonals a bit like how we did vs. Norwich, it gives us more opportunities to get our 8s on the ball attacking the box. Pretty important that, given they appear utterly incapable of doing anything with their backs to goal. Emphasis on diagonals. Straight long balls from centre halves are too easy to defend. It just felt tonight that we never really had the ball in our possession in their half in central areas. Credit to Millwall I think, but also I think revisiting the core principals of Plan A would be no bad thing. Not sure I'm liking the look of Plan B!

People take manager interviews too literally. He probably thought it was shite, but he doesn't strike me as the type of manager to go in depth in interviews, even less to publicly throw his players under the bus. Personally I think that's a refreshing change from the previous administration.

Don't mind it tbh. Must happen all the time that players hold their head without actually getting caught. Amazing the ref didn't give it. Once it wasn't given he did the right thing to get back and help the team.

You expect to get those. It was a high foot whether he connected or not

But I thought he had no plan B? That he's rigid? We mixed it up and fvcked it up. Yet I'm still reading the same tired crap on here. We played long, it was wasteful. Yet apparently we're still playing slow around the back? We saw players moving out of position. It led to their goal and chances. Yet we're rigid, too structured. We continued to miss good chances. Mavididi, Ricardo, Iheanacho, Daka. Yet we're ineffective? Am I going insane?

I don't think it's a phrase that's used in football fella.

That's not what pound for pound means

Just play Coady. Faes and his adventures cause us problems game after game. In games that we need a goal (and that's going to happen at the business end of a season by the way), he takes it upon himself to take on every player in front of him, leaving acres of space behind him. We don't need to do that. Keep finding your wingers, maybe bring Iheanacho on or anyone willing to take the ball on the half turn in the middle. But don't let this accident waiting to happen surge up the pitch like Sideshow Bob cosplaying as Sol Bamba. Coady or Souttar are both more than capable enough of doing a solid job defensively and keeping it simple. Crucially I trust both to stay switched on for 90 minutes.

If he was in navy you'd call it a great clearance.

Thing is we did have a fair number of shots. They were so deep (and commited, let's be fair), that they blocked every one of them. 5 blocked shots according to the stats. In tight games like tonight you need to make the most of the chances/moments you do get. Mavididi's one on one first half was a huge moment, and he fluffed it. Daka and Iheanacho both missed good chances with their head. Ultimately we got it wrong. We should have stayed patient. As evidenced by the big chances afforded to Iheanacho and Daka in the closing stages, those chances were going to come. We didn't need to force the issue. I'd rather our desperation to score manifested itself as bringing more attackers on early, than letting Faes start to go walkabouts.

We literally do play direct football. At one point in the second half it's all we did. Pinged it hopefully in the general direction of their goal. Our fans have, for some reason, got a hard on for slagging us off for short, patient play. Even when that's not what's happening on the pitch. It's bizarre.

I'm not sure your sarcasm detector is switched on. It was doom and gloom. We were slating the mentality of the players, that they wouldn't cope with the mental slog that is a Championship season. Farke and Martin also inherited Premier League squads. Last time I checked we're above both. Again, we're not perfect. I think Enzo seriously needs to look at his in-game decision making. But the style of play is working. It'll be even more effective when we find a creative player or two to play through the middle.