LCFC 0-2 Arsenal | Post-match thread

[The Doctor]

10 minutes ago, Tom12345 said:

I think RVN can be a good manager. His ideas and the way he talks are elite level and you can see the team generally improving. But the team is so average that it is hard for RVN to produce elite results using an average squad.

 

Cooper on the other hand was pragmatic. He didn’t impose a style that endeared to fans but he produced results. Understood the team is average and he need to play one sided football (literally) to narrow the pitch so as to compensate. Yes it was not pretty to some and we played only one winger when the fans were screaming for both (including me for a short while actually) but in hindsight I say he was right. If we tried to replicate other team and try to play free flowing attacking football using the width of the pitch, we would come out losing every game (just like under RVN).

 

Cooper always made us look like scoring every game but our defence was just crap beyond repair - individual errors from Faes and Justin in particular lost us so many points. Both were not Cooper signings. Okoli by the way looks good.

No he wasn't. He grossly misused the squad he had, focusing on a style that didn't suit the players abilities at all. Pragmatism is not "defensive football", it's playing to the strengths of your squad, rather than to a set tactical plan.

[ceebeefox]

10 hours ago, murphy said:

I think that Forest have shown the blue print for what we should have been doing.  20th in the league for possession and for 20th for completed passes yet sitting third in the league with their counter attacking strategy.

 

It's what we should have done as soon as Enzo left.  We should have recognised that we don't have the squad to go toe to toe in this league, playing on the counter should have been the obvious choice.  Instead of buying geriatric defensive wingers we should be playing a forward line with pace.  I wouldn't have had an issue with Cooper's bus parking tactics as long as we had a threat and an outlet ourselves.  Jordan Ayew and BCDR do not provide that.  Sadly, nor does a 39 year old legend.

 

 

Agree with all this, other than apart from Daka we have no genuine pace at the club to match Florist’s full backs and wingers sadly. Until Fatawu comes back, and maybe Alves on the other side? I’m not having Mavadidi.

[murphy]

32 minutes ago, ceebeefox said:

Agree with all this, other than apart from Daka we have no genuine pace at the club to match Florist’s full backs and wingers sadly. Until Fatawu comes back, and maybe Alves on the other side? I’m not having Mavadidi.

True, but we bought a DM for £25m that we didn't need and can't even get into the team, plus we bought two wingers with a combined age of about 70.  Then we overspent on Okoli in my view.

 

If we had had a clear plan we might have been able to bring in some players that could implement it.  Cooper's fixation with experienced journeymen was never going to make the difference for us.

[kingpower]

If you look at the majority of the teams who have overtaken us in recent years (Bournemouth, Forest, Brighton etc) they all have pace, power and purpose out wide. (Semenyo, Outtara, CHO, Elanga, Mitoma etc etc)

 

its something we lack in any of our forward/winger options (exc. Fatawu) and hence why we barely create or take any chances per 90mins 

Edited 16 February by kingpower

[SafewayFox]

11 hours ago, murphy said:

I think that Forest have shown the blue print for what we should have been doing.  20th in the league for possession and for 20th for completed passes yet sitting third in the league with their counter attacking strategy.

 

It's what we should have done as soon as Enzo left.  We should have recognised that we don't have the squad to go toe to toe in this league, playing on the counter should have been the obvious choice.  Instead of buying geriatric defensive wingers we should be playing a forward line with pace.  I wouldn't have had an issue with Cooper's bus parking tactics as long as we had a threat and an outlet ourselves.  Jordan Ayew and BCDR do not provide that.  Sadly, nor does a 39 year old legend.

 

 

Spot on.

 

I know the few Cooper fans on here suggest he wasn’t involved in signing off on Ayew and Reid but what other PL club signs two wingers both past their prime?

 

Our squad has been poorly balanced for years though and that’s on the DoF as the one constant.

[ceebeefox]

2 hours ago, murphy said:

True, but we bought a DM for £25m that we didn't need and can't even get into the team, plus we bought two wingers with a combined age of about 70.  Then we overspent on Okoli in my view.

 

If we had had a clear plan we might have been able to bring in some players that could implement it.  Cooper's fixation with experienced journeymen was never going to make the difference for us.

Agreed, pace from the championship was the way forward, not oldies and not unknowns from poor foreign leagues.

[DJW1]

Many of the goals we have conceded this season, like the 2 yesterday, came from poor marking in the penalty area. For the 2 goals yesterday we had more than enough defenders in the box, but Faes (1st goal) and Kristiansen (2nd) were ball watching. Goals against Crystal Palace (H) and Brentford (A) come to mind  also.  They defend with numbers not intelligence.

[Tom12345]

On 16/02/2025 at 17:33, The Doctor said:

No he wasn't. He grossly misused the squad he had, focusing on a style that didn't suit the players abilities at all. Pragmatism is not "defensive football", it's playing to the strengths of your squad, rather than to a set tactical plan.

I don’t know mate, but I have given up this season. I feel genuinely we deserve relegation. Before Cooper left, yes I was frustrated too but it was more because of how I felt we could do better and be mid-table. Now I am just in despair because we genuinely look shxt.