That's the problem. We've only heard about it. Can't think of a game where he's won the tactical battle by responding to a manager's changes.
Even against Brighton, we surprised them for 20 minutes, but once they figured us out, ETH had no response. Similar to Spurs. Once they got on top after 20 minutes or so, we barely had a sniff. Arsenal away, we had to play our hearts out just to target a smash and grab. Where are these famed in-game tactical adjustments?
If the issue is that we don't have the players who can carry two plans in their brains or legs, then he should say that and be honest about which of his own signings are part of this problem.
I meant "heard about it" in analysis videos or posts from people I consider as more capable on having an opinion than me (and lets be serious here, the majority of CAF posters). I'll happily agree that ingame adjustments do not seem to his strength but to me, it feels a little too early to call it a weakness.
Real time coaching is something that has made leaps and bounds forward these past few years. Let’s be honest and say Klopp and Pep turned this aspect of the game on its head. You have to be able to make the right changes at the right times or you’ll be swamped before you know it. I think that’s been a massive cultural shock to ten Hag as they are way behind the PL elsewhere in regards to this.
He cannot be the stuttering general watching his troops getting flayed for too long a period (contextually) before making a deviation from what might have been a solid plan. Guess what? That plan didn’t work out; make a new one, sofort, or perish.
You certainly have a point, but I think, your equasion leaves out a few factors. How often has he said, that he is wondering about what we are doing and that this isn't what we are trying to do in training? And also: Klopp and Pep and probably even De Zerbi now have the advantage of having a great plan A. In games, this doesn't work, the opposition probably adjusted really well or really suprisingly. So yes, the managers I mentioned are really good in adjusting it and yes, without this trait, ETH might not reach the highest heights of coach-dom but he also is at a different point of the journey with his players.
As you say "making a deviation from what might have been a solid plan" - I am not sure, we have that solid plan. And I also think, he already showed, that he can be pragmatic. He switched comlpetely last season after the first two games. He switched just yesterday. So it isn't like he isn't trying - but we have to walk a very thin line - when you don't have a working plan A, what are you doing? Jumping on plan B or try to make plan A work? I don't have an answer for it. My stance is, if ETH thinks plan A makes sense and he planned, recruited and set up pre-season trainings for it, then it probably is worth a shot looking at the plan in action. And I think, many are a little harsh in calling it a failure already. We haven't really seen it with all pieces in play. I think, the worst outcome could be that ETH throws his ideas into the bin to go for some temporary solution that ultimately also will not make us reach the highest heights only for him to get the sack without even really going for what he thinks he is standing for...
It’s not a coincidence when you see a Klopp side turn the tide in that way that has you turn the channel as that temporary Schadenfreude dissipates, nor how a Pep team amps up as a game goes on. The tactical modifications always have their say, so sitting on your hands for too long has that equal and disparate affect… where games get farther and farther away from you, which is what we’re becoming increasingly familiar with. Those coulda wouldas happening too often points to tactical failings not bad luck.
I fully agree here. Only thing to note is that this is a spectrum, Pep and Klopp are really good at it. I think, this was also something Mou was really good at. LVG not so much, Ole as well. But as of now, I am not sure, where to place ETH. I'll happily agree that he doesn't seem to be too close to Pep and Klopp. But I think it is too early to put him next to LVG. He might also be somewhere in between, where it isn't a strength but also not a weakness.
I think ten Hag has to show he has the capacity to get with the program, because this isn’t a one or two team league where you can bludgeon your way through via superior players and doses of stubbornness when others doubt you. We need to see tactical nuance and the ability to readjust and execute a new plan that has its own solidity over heart and passion, which really isn’t that great a currency when so many teams already have bags of it by default.
Harsh but true.
