Tottenham Hotspur (H) pre match

[les-tah]

6 hours ago, yorkie1999 said:

I don't think it matters, the top sides seem to play a prem game followed by a european game then most of their players go on international duty, come back, do it again with the same players and still look fitter and stronger than us.

yeah they are used to it. Will make no difference for us. We got  bossed by Man utds weakest teams in years. The only chance we have got is if Brendan doesnt play the same formation and 2 DMs.

[Muzzy_Larsson]

3 hours ago, sacreblueits442 said:

... is Rodgers managing with fear?

Could it be he lacks confidence in the CB to do this, or does he have one eye on his job! 

 

The thing about shoehorning players out of position (Maddison for example) to accommodate two holding midfielders suggests to me he's being overly cautious and a bit uncharacteristic in that regard yes.

 

That's why I mentioned Maguire who was very good at stepping into midfield with the ball, had he still be in situe then I imagine this conversation would be moot.  You can only assume he doesn't trust any of his current centre back's to encourage them to do this yet.  Maybe he's playing two holding midfielders all the time as a way to try and compensate for this, who knows.

[Muzzy_Larsson]

1 hour ago, KingsX said:

 

 

I dug up this graph

 

 

 

 

showing that Benkovic (and his CB partners) were ultra-conservative passers last year.  Contrasting all-hoof Livingston   Is this indicative of a hard-and-fast preference for the gradual buildup?  Does Rodgers-ball totally exclude the long ball from the back?    #freeverdy

 

 

 

I'd be happy with a good complementary duo at the back.  A ball-player who can defend like a hero (Cags), and a hero defender who can play the ball (Evans).  I’ve been seeing Benko as the eventual Evans replacement, with Soyuncu as Maguire’s.  But it sounds like they could become not just a well-rounded pair, but a pair where each one is well-rounded.

Very interesting that graph, thanks for posting.  That said those kind of stats can be a bit misleading sometimes as a lot of the time, Benkovic would surge forward but it would usually lead to a pass out wide which would in turn lead to a chance, so more often than not the centre back moving into midfield would create an indirect chance if that makes sense.

 

On the point of the long ball I'd say yes, Rodgers absolutely vetoes it and never plays it, which can be to his sides' detriment sometimes.  For example, we'd try and pass it from the keeper (who was poor with the ball at his feet) inside our own 18 yard box against Neymar, Cavani and Mbappe and ended up getting caught out every time and getting a pasting.  That PSG away game is the hardest game I've watched as a Celtic fan as it was like footballing suicide, even after shipping 5 goals with 30 minutes still to play we were still trying to do it.

 

As great a coach as he is one of my few criticisms of him is he's too stubborn in sticking to his idyllic principles at times, even when it's obvious it's to the team's detriment.

 

It feeds into an interesting debate that's raging on just now around Rodgers and Lennon.  Domestically Rodgers was the master and untouchable and over the piece undoubtedly the better manager (maybe coach is more accurate).  However in Europe we did and probably will achieve far better results under Lennon as he's aware we can't play expansively and try and beat better sides at their own game.

[yorkie1999]

48 minutes ago, les-tah said:

yeah they are used to it. Will make no difference for us. We got  bossed by Man utds weakest teams in years. The only chance we have got is if Brendan doesnt play the same formation and 2 DMs.

I really hope he doesn't turn out to be a not lose type of manager instead of a win type. He's got the players.

[Countryfox]

On 16/09/2019 at 17:37, Donk said:

 

I Personally like a lopsided 4-1-4-1:

 

---------------------------------  Vardy

 

Barnes---------------------------------------Maddison

 

-------------------Tielemans-------------------------------------------Albrighton

 

Chilwell--------------------------------------- Ndidi

 

 

----------------------Evans------------------Soyuncu-----------------Riccardo

 

 

-------------------------------Schmeichel

 

 

 

Looks more   3 2 2 2 1  to me ....   and why are Albrighton and Ricardo starting in the front row seating ? .....    novel, but very odd.

[Pete from the USA]

They will come out full tilt and try to get the early goal. Teams know from last season that Leicester struggle to score against packed-in defenses. Score early and sit in and you will win. This is what Man U did last week. 

 

If we can survive the first 30 min without conceding we have a chance to get something. 

[foxfanazer]

They look a completely different side without Son. So slow and robotic

[TheLittleBigMan]

I cannot stand losing to the spuds. Please be aggressive and play with courage at the very least. 

[Guest All foxed out]

Kane hattrick incoming??

[Guest All foxed out]

2 minutes ago, TheLittleBigMan said:

I cannot stand losing to the spuds. Please be aggressive and play with courage at the very least. 

Just something about losing to Spurs. Makes yer skin crawl. 

[m4DD0gg]

Already 2-0 up. Son will be rested and will be ready to punish us on Saturday when brog plays 11 defensive midfielders.

[moore_94]

Bottled a 2-0 lead and now drawing 2-2 with 55 minutes gone

[ARM1968]

6 hours ago, yorkie1999 said:

Bet they won't be. These are young lads who are capable of playing 2 and 3 games a week and do it for fun.

You travelled a lot with young lads?

[Dan]

I just. I can't.

 

[Finnegan]

1 minute ago, Dan LCFC said:

I just. I can't.

 

 

Genuinely a bit lost for words by this. I know everyone sees the world differently but I don't get how anyone could watch Maddison, watch us play, watch how we are when he's in the middle, watch how we are when he's "wide", put all of those things together and then say that. 

 

And I mean anyone, even someone that doesn't follow football. 

 

To hear a top flight football manager with a solid track record of tactical awareness say it is just utterly bizarre. 

[Donk]

5 hours ago, Countryfox said:

 

 

Looks more   3 2 2 2 1  to me ....   and why are Albrighton and Ricardo starting in the front row seating ? .....    novel, but very odd.

It looks different on my phone than on my macbook....sorry not very technical and cant explain why 😎

[Dan]

2 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

Genuinely a bit lost for words by this. I know everyone sees the world differently but I don't get how anyone could watch Maddison, watch us play, watch how we are when he's in the middle, watch how we are when he's "wide", put all of those things together and then say that. 

 

And I mean anyone, even someone that doesn't follow football. 

 

To hear a top flight football manager with a solid track record of tactical awareness say it is just utterly bizarre. 

I can't make a single bit of sense of it. I cannot work it out. It's done me.

[m4DD0gg]

11 minutes ago, Dan LCFC said:

I just. I can't.

 

incredible 

 

shine is really starting to wear off a bit, starting to remind me of a smooth talking micky adams

[Finnegan]

6 minutes ago, Dan LCFC said:

I can't make a single bit of sense of it. I cannot work it out. It's done me.

 

It really depresses me to be honest. 

 

I do maintain faith that he'll get over it and it's just a phase but it's so disappointing. 

 

I feel now a bit like I did in 16/17. Why do managers do this? Why do managers have a winning model in their hands and have to change it. There was no need for Claudio to force change after 15/16, it was mad. 

 

The way Rodgers ended the year last year was on such a high note, a note we've shown is still there with Bournemouth. 

 

So why are we forcing this rubbish. 

[Ric Flair]

13 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

Genuinely a bit lost for words by this. I know everyone sees the world differently but I don't get how anyone could watch Maddison, watch us play, watch how we are when he's in the middle, watch how we are when he's "wide", put all of those things together and then say that. 

 

And I mean anyone, even someone that doesn't follow football. 

 

To hear a top flight football manager with a solid track record of tactical awareness say it is just utterly bizarre. 

I cannot believe what I am reading, if he carries on spouting shit like this and the evidence backs up its shit then he can do one as far as I'm concerned. What on earth is he up to? 

 

How can he view the performances and results in the 9-10 games he has played 4-1-4-1 with Maddison and Tielemans in the centre together vs the 5-6 games he's had him on the wing that's not resulted in a single victory yet?

 

I'm speechless

[Dr The Singh]

22 minutes ago, Dan LCFC said:

I just. I can't.

 

AHH well, the kid will be gone next season

[ScouseFox]

like i said to dan on twitter, the worst part about that comment is "manchester united do it too", as if we should aspire to be manchester united. they're fu cking garbage.

 

if we've gone all out to get rodgers and given him full control of everything and all he can come up with is an attempt to copy tactics off ole gunnar solskjaer then he can get fu cked. 

[foxfanazer]

And with one statement my enthusiasm for this season is gone. Baffling assesment from Brendan

[ForeverandEver]

Deluded Brendan 🥴

[Finnegan]

2 minutes ago, ScouseFox said:

like i said to dan on twitter, the worst part about that comment is "manchester united do it too", as if we should aspire to be manchester united. they're fu cking garbage.

 

if we've gone all out to get rodgers and given him full control of everything and all he can come up with is an attempt to copy tactics off ole gunnar solskjaer then he can get fu cked. 

 

But Man United don't do it. 

 

The only team in the Prem that I can think of that play with a wide play maker is Man City on the odd occasion that Bernardo Silva plays, David Silva doesn't and Gundogan and Fernandinho are both sitting deeper doing the water carrier bit. 

 

But it'll work for them because they've got about 80% possession and territory, plus he's faster and more skillful than Maddison anyway. You don't need pace when you're playing one huge game of rondo around the oppositions eighteen yard box. 

 

A team like us that's going to stump around 55-60% possession can't have a lad with no pace offering minimal width lumped out on the "wing" as a primary playmaker. It makes no sense. 

 

The worst bit is that he's already connecting the attack and the defence from where he is, in the alternating 8/10 slot with Tielemans either side of Ndidi. 

 

The problem with Puel is Madders was too far forward, isolated with nobody linking front and back. Rodgers was brilliant because he got Madders deeper and on the ball earlier to start us moving. Now he's removed it again and replaced it with Hamza. I mean, what?