I still think with our current squad, Iraola fits really well. Everyone else seems to have styles far too removed from the players we have currently. He's up and coming, prem proven, also seems to use youth within his squad and none of this 3 back nonsense.
Best manager to suit our current squad.
- Thread starter Oo0AahCantona
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Pochettino. We just need a bridge gap.
Diogo Dalot clocked the highest speed out of all our players in the Prem last season. Besides, speed in the head and timing is considerably more important - and that's certainly something a cohesive play style and pattern recognition aided by a strong coaching staff can help with. I really don't think we have a lack of speed in the squad, perhaps with the exception of our midfield. But there more than anywhere speed of thought, positioning and technical execution are far more important than running speed.
In my opinion there are two main problems:
1) The entire board has no idea how to run an effective football club. When your bosses are weak/incompetent, the whole company suffers. Seen that too many times in other fields of business.
2) The players they brought in over the years just weren't great. Name me one true "world class player" that came here (or developed into one) since SAF left. Not some oldies on their last legs or overhyped youngsters, but players that could really be considered a top-10 player in the world at any point in time while they were here. There was none.
Agreed completely on both points.
I’ve worked a bit as a Transition Manager and advised new management after an acquisition, weak leadership can ruin an entire structure even if you have competent managers below, and it takes a whole lot of time to implement new processes and habits at company level.
I also believe that while we are severely underperforming, ours were never squads capable of more than top 4 and some cups along the way. Although our European track record has been abysmal in the UCL in the last 10 years.
Watch Bournemouth and you’ll see.
Mike Bassett.
Pogba, Zlatan (would have had 2/3 years were it not for the cruciate), Di Maria, Sanchez (debatable given his 6 months before) and Ronaldo are the only ones I can think of that were world class or thereabouts.
A lot of our spending post-Jose just seemed to be spending insane amounts of cash - 80 on Maguire, 50 on AWB, 50 on Fred etc on players who were supposed to develop but somehow we had to pay world class prices for
Don’t know much about Xavi as a manager, but suspect he is a bit hyped based on the fact he was a good player.
A little bit exited, but I am neutral for now because it will be a risky hire.
A little bit exited, but I am neutral for now because it will be a risky hire.
would be fantastic
Conte?
Said it in another thread, but Mancini fits the bill for me.
Big personality and is used to managing egos, he is tactically flexible in that he can play good football or pragmatically when necessary, knows how to win, is currently unemployed (since last week), and if it doesn’t work he’s not the kind of guy to hang around as he’ll probably implode.
His previous City connection is somewhat problematic, but I can look past that if somebody like Thomas Frank is the alternative.
Big personality and is used to managing egos, he is tactically flexible in that he can play good football or pragmatically when necessary, knows how to win, is currently unemployed (since last week), and if it doesn’t work he’s not the kind of guy to hang around as he’ll probably implode.
His previous City connection is somewhat problematic, but I can look past that if somebody like Thomas Frank is the alternative.
Also inzaghi. Knows how to win
He’s probably fuming aswell. He’s literally just got the England job a few weeks ago. If he had waited he could be the front runner for us right now.
If Lee flipping Carsely had managed to beat the mighty Greeks who knows, Tuchel may still have been available!
Ole.
I think before we start throwing names, we should know what the objectives for this season are and perhaps where the club wants to be in the next 2-3 years.
For example one of the threads here has Berrada mentioning that he wants to see the club with the PL in 2028. If that’s the plan, can whoever appointed this year, accomplish that objective? Are the board, players and fans all willing to work towards that objective?
Before making an appointment, there should be an honest discussion on who/how many of the existing players are deemed as deadwood by the incoming manager.
If say Xavi is identified as the new manager, but if he wants the squad overhauled, then it’s not going to be possible to be challenging for the title in 2028. That strains the finances too.
For example one of the threads here has Berrada mentioning that he wants to see the club with the PL in 2028. If that’s the plan, can whoever appointed this year, accomplish that objective? Are the board, players and fans all willing to work towards that objective?
Before making an appointment, there should be an honest discussion on who/how many of the existing players are deemed as deadwood by the incoming manager.
If say Xavi is identified as the new manager, but if he wants the squad overhauled, then it’s not going to be possible to be challenging for the title in 2028. That strains the finances too.
A new manager should be able to have some input into the squad, but no new manager should be able to dictate an overhaul of the squad. It’s exactly what we’re trying to move away from.
Although there were a few additions this summer which looked like ten hag signings, I think all of them stand on their own two feet either as being decent players who were improvements on what we had, or were low/mid cost punts.
The most expensive f**king poundshop of all time!
Honestly, as much as I hate the guy, get Pep after he's done at City next summer.
I don't think there's much point choosing a manager to suit the squad, when the squad is a weird mishmash that doesn't really suit any style. We need to choose the style first, then the manager, then build the squad, so all three are a good fit for each other.
I genuinely believe that Amorim would do well with our current set of players and how he sets the team up. In possession he likes to go with a 3-2-4-1, which would look something like this (when all fit);
With Possession and Without
It works. It genuinely works. We wouldn't have to run with out and out wing play and could instead switch into two 10's to accommodate Bruno/Zirk. All I know is that I'm kind of sick and tired of seeing our 'wingers' running down the wing and fail to produce anything of note. We need to change it up.
With Possession and Without
It works. It genuinely works. We wouldn't have to run with out and out wing play and could instead switch into two 10's to accommodate Bruno/Zirk. All I know is that I'm kind of sick and tired of seeing our 'wingers' running down the wing and fail to produce anything of note. We need to change it up.
Sarri-ball. Vertical passing, goal keeper who’s good at the first phase, occasional 3 at the back.
Jesus of Nazareth?
Precisely - a guy who can use zonal overload to his team's advantage, who is savvy about pressure coefficients, who's comfortable utilizing a rogue trequartista, who isn't daunted by the demands of vertical compression and who's well versed in the art of diagonal engagement.
Pogba - never even sniffed the top-20 while being here
Zlatan - still good when he got here, but nothing more at this point of his career
Di Maria - started off hot, but fell off a cliff after a month or so
Sanchez - clearly not a top-10 player anymore when he played here
Ronaldo - way past his prime when he got here, far removed from even the top-20
When we are talking about "world class", we're talking about the level that players like Vini Jr., Mbappe or Rodri currently have. Or a decade ago players like Modric, Iniesta, Neymar, Ribery, Robben etc. had. I'm not even talking about the two aliens (Messi, Ronaldo).
We had nobody close to that since SAF left.
Most obviously, the squad doesn't suit extremely possession-focused football.
But most of the managers being linked to us don't play that type of football anyway, and the trend in the PL currently seems to be moving towards a more direct style too.
So I don't see that aspect particularly being an issue. The tactical meta shifting away from Pepball suits a team who can't play Pepball.
Whether we can play a back three is possibly more relevant, as that's a shape managers like Alonso, Amorim, Inzhagi and Frank all play either some or all of the time. The Athletic also reported that it was one of the reasons Liverpool opted against Amorim in the summer, as they felt it didn't suit their squad.
But most of the managers being linked to us don't play that type of football anyway, and the trend in the PL currently seems to be moving towards a more direct style too.
So I don't see that aspect particularly being an issue. The tactical meta shifting away from Pepball suits a team who can't play Pepball.
Whether we can play a back three is possibly more relevant, as that's a shape managers like Alonso, Amorim, Inzhagi and Frank all play either some or all of the time. The Athletic also reported that it was one of the reasons Liverpool opted against Amorim in the summer, as they felt it didn't suit their squad.