West Ham home. Tuesday night.

[LVFox]

1 minute ago, RedSoxUK said:

Mostly likely variation of 3241 than what is seen as a 343.

 

Interesting to know who the **** he intends to bring into midfield from defence, or defence from midfield... 

 

Hamza as RB into DM, Vestergaard as CB into DM.. few dodgy options 

Doesn't necessarily mean anyone into central midfield.

 

Could be one defensive full back and one pushing slightly higher into a wide midfield role.

[davieG]

19 minutes ago, Lako42 said:

Wow, I've just seen how many tickets are available....

 

 

All over the stadium, empty seats in every block. The family stand is going to look empty. 

 

 

I'm not going an 8.15 KO is terrible for public transport. I can't risk not getting or even getting on the last bus and forking £60-£80 on a taxi.

[CloudFox]

5 minutes ago, moore_94 said:

RVN Pre-Match Press Conference vs Man Utd

Plan?

“Structures off the ball it’s a 4-4-2, we look to give pressure on the opponent in different formations. But the basic structure 4-4-2. There was a three-box-three that I used at United and that was developed by Enzo here. I saw that as an advantage coming here. It saves me a bit of work!”
 

Approach?

“I’m thinking of one thing and that’s winning every game. When you play top teams or mid-table teams or lower-ranked teams, it sometimes requires a different approach. The style of play adjusts depending on how we win. I’m not a romantic manager who puts style ahead of a result. We’re not the dominant side in this league.”

This is so good to hear. Some actual continuity and building on the work that was done last season is such a relief. And to hear we actually want to win games? I'm sure Cooper said so too at some point, but it would be nice to actually believe it. Blimey.

 

I take a lot of heart from Ruud sounding surprised about the level of interest in him after the stint at Man United. He seems grounded, but ambitious all the same. Fingers crossed it works out for him here 🤞🏻 

[Ric Flair]

Shame nobody asked him about coaching staff

[CloudFox]

1 minute ago, LVFox said:

Doesn't necessarily mean anyone into central midfield.

 

Could be one defensive full back and one pushing slightly higher into a wide midfield role.

From what @moore_94 posted, sounds like Ruud is in favour of the box four in the middle. So likely will be a full back coming inside. I'm sure someone mentioned about his PSV side having full backs come to play narrow too, which would help give some solidity to the slush that is us centrally at the moment.

[Happy Fox]

1 minute ago, Ric Flair said:

Shame nobody asked him about coaching staff

 

January transfers?

“That was a topic of discussion. The two conversations were very open and clear. It’s important to know how things are in the near future and the further future. January was discussed. The current squad was discussed. I have to have a good assessment over the coming weeks ahead of January, giving every player a chance. I’m working with people at the club but I’m looking to bring in other people.”

[adejo92]

Genuinely think a couple of players are close to getting booed if they start tomorrow night. 

 

It's getting that toxic and rightly so.

[CloudFox]

Just now, Ric Flair said:

Shame nobody asked him about coaching staff

That is odd. Maybe they've been briefed that some folk are on their way in, but can't announce it yet? Surely they must be on their way—he currently doesn't have a coaching team!

[Happy Fox]

Just now, CloudFox said:

That is odd. Maybe they've been briefed that some folk are on their way in, but can't announce it yet? Surely they must be on their way—he currently doesn't have a coaching team!

 

Ruud mentioned: "I’m working with people at the club but I’m looking to bring in other people.”

[Finnegan]

He didn't say 343, he said three-box-three, which is slightly different.

 

It's a way of interpreting how we lined up with Enzo. The 'three' are Doyle/JJ, Vestergaard, Faes. The "box" is Ricardo, Winks and the 8s. The attacking three obviously is Vards/Daka with Mav and Fatawu.

 

Then defensively, Ndidi drops more defensively in to a "four" with Ricardo going back to full back and KDH pushes on with Vards to make it a 442 without the ball.

 

Will be interesting to see how Ruud imagines actually does that though because at PSV he did use a "Doyle-style" semi-CB coming narrow off the right to make a back four, who he praised for having a good passing range. But the opposite side full back was Patrick van Aanholt and he wasn't doing the Ricardo bit cutting in to the midfield, he was bombing on down the left letting Xavi Simons cut inside and roam.

 

I really ****ing hope Ruud isn't thinking of doing the same here with VK being his PVA. VK can't do it and it hobbles Mavididi if we take away his width and expecting him to cut in. Would much rather put a RB on attacking duties and let Facundo cut in ahead of them, especially with Fatawu out injured now anyway.

 

[RedSoxUK]

2 minutes ago, LVFox said:

Doesn't necessarily mean anyone into central midfield.

 

Could be one defensive full back and one pushing slightly higher into a wide midfield role.

Logic would say Okoli plays as the LB OOP and forms the back 3 in possession letting a RB go to midfield or wing. That's either Hamza, McAteer or Justin.

 

We've never seen Justin or McAteer go into the middle and feel if they were to venture off like Justin was doing wed just get exposed again. So likely Hamza until we get a RB replacement in Jan/Ricardo back. If that's what he intends to do as suggested. I'm not convinced Hamza will be thrown in at RB though. Depends how much arrogance and 'eh? Only one plan ' Ruud has.

 

[RedSoxUK]

There's always the... Ndidi CB out of possession plan.

 

Don't tell Ruud.

[Muzzy_no7]

31 minutes ago, Lako42 said:

Wow, I've just seen how many tickets are available....

 

 

All over the stadium, empty seats in every block. The family stand is going to look empty. 

 

 

Awful scheduling on the back of a ridiculous amount of international windows 

[brookfox]

10 minutes ago, davieG said:

I'm not going an 8.15 KO is terrible for public transport. I can't risk not getting or even getting on the last bus and forking £60-£80 on a taxi.

Wtf is it an 8:15 ko for, that’s horrible. Obviously a rhetorical question, not expecting you to answer!

[AjcW]

"I spoke to Enzo after Chelsea"

 

.... on the 3rd of November  

 

Blimey that's going to sting for Cooper.

[pmcla26]

I wonder if Faes might be used as the player stepping up into midfield in possession as we have conceded a lot of goals down the right hand side, might be better to keep JJ back there and I don't think Kristiansen is suited to invert either.

 

Back 3 of Okoli, JJ and Kristiansen has a lot of pace in transition if we lose possession. 

[goose2010]

4 minutes ago, brookfox said:

Wtf is it an 8:15 ko for, that’s horrible. Obviously a rhetorical question, not expecting you to answer!

blame Amazon for this...

[pmcla26]

2 minutes ago, AjcW said:

"I spoke to Enzo after Chelsea"

 

.... on the 3rd of November  

 

Blimey that's going to sting for Cooper.

Think he meant after our game against Chelsea. 

 

Said in another interview he called him last week. 

[Muzzy_no7]

Where the hell is this idea that he is going to play a conventional 3/5 at the back coming from? 
 

He’s dutch and played 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 variants at PSV at all levels. 
 

Did people learn nothing from the 3box3 from last year 😂😂😂

[Dahnsouff]

4 minutes ago, AjcW said:

"I spoke to Enzo after Chelsea"

 

.... on the 3rd of November  

 

Blimey that's going to sting for Cooper.

Does at least show long standing reservations from the club

[LcFc_Smiv]

3 minutes ago, AjcW said:

"I spoke to Enzo after Chelsea"

 

.... on the 3rd of November  

 

Blimey that's going to sting for Cooper.

I assume he meant after we played Chelsea and when Cooper was dismissed and he was approached. Could be wrong though as there were reports when he went in for the Coventry job he had spoken to us as well- would that have been in the same timeframe?

[davieG]

1 minute ago, brookfox said:

Wtf is it an 8:15 ko for, that’s horrible. Obviously a rhetorical question, not expecting you to answer!

I presume it's Amazon as they have some KOs at 8.15 and some at 7.30 

[Ric Flair]

16 minutes ago, Happy Fox said:

 

January transfers?

“That was a topic of discussion. The two conversations were very open and clear. It’s important to know how things are in the near future and the further future. January was discussed. The current squad was discussed. I have to have a good assessment over the coming weeks ahead of January, giving every player a chance. I’m working with people at the club but I’m looking to bring in other people.”

Sorry missed that bit, I originally read that as players not staff.

[Happy Fox]

1 minute ago, Ric Flair said:

Sorry missed that bit, I originally read that as players not staff.

 

I am intrigued who he will bring in, I would imagine he would like to get them in in the coming weeks ahead of the January transfer window. Rene Meulensteen would be ideal.

[AjcW]

2 minutes ago, LcFc_Smiv said:

I assume he meant after we played Chelsea and when Cooper was dismissed and he was approached. Could be wrong though as there were reports when he went in for the Coventry job he had spoken to us as well- would that have been in the same timeframe?

I just felt that 'spoke to after Chelsea' implied when they were together, face to face.

You could well be right. I also think the 'I met the owner twice in London' is telling as top arrived 3 days earlier than usual for a game visit so I think he's met him the week before our Chelsea game and obviously last week too. 

 

I imagine we had that first meeting as he was being inundated with offers after Man Utd