We will have to stick to the plan and that plan is over once ETH decides he has a better offer elsewhere. The “plan” only exist because of ETH - he is the plan
Yeah, but we keep fecking up recruitment. The plan isn't exactly difficult to see, it's just executed like crap.
- We want a striker who can both score goals and involve other players, preferably someone who can drop down, win aerial duels, hold the ball and link the midfield and attack while creating disruption in the forward line.
- We want wingers who drive wide and provide crosses and through balls into the middle, and that can cause disruption by beating man or two on the wings to get down to the line. But we also want them versatile enough to interchange with attack and midfield. (See Tadic). The Right winger should be able to interchange as an attacker and be the "front-man" when the team "rolls".
- We want a deep lying midfielder who can pick the ball up from deep and progress through the middle, and that is ready to recycle the ball when we lose it and the press further up is triggered. He also needs to be competent defensively.
- We want a left back that functions as a third ball-playing central defender and that can beat a high press by beating a man on his flank (see Gvardiol).
- We want the right back to bomb forward and act as a winger when the team rolls.
- We want two box to box midfielders who can provide physicality and cover the huge spaces in the middle.
- We want players who are physically capable of pressing and dominating the opposition physically.
- We want a goalkeeper that is involved in build up and help beat the high press.
What we essentially want is:
Kane
Grealish -------------------------------- Rodrygo
Guimares - Goretzka
De Jong
Shaw - Martinez - Van Dijk - Mazraoui
Onana
We just haven't built a team that is capable of doing anything near what we have been trying to do for the past 3 years. It's not that he hasn't tried either. Antony, Malacia, De ligt, Zirkzee, Hojlund, Mazroui, Mount, Amrabat and Martinez all fit the "profile" - but they aren't of sufficient quality. The best we have been able to do, is build a very expensive mid-table side with a sprinkle of young players who may one day become good enough and a few injury prone players. Why on earth we haven't recruited another left back given how important that role is for build up, is also quite bizarre.
The thing that boggles the mind is why on earth Ten Hag doesn't just adapt to what he has. We play counter to the strengths of our best players - Bruno, Casemiro, Rashford. We sell players who fit the style (McT), AWB (if we inverted what he is trying to do to accomedate Rashford(!)), and we recruit a midfielder who doesn't fit in anywhere (Ugarte). I have no idea how any of them is supposed to fit into his master-plan. From tactics, all through recruitment, it is just a big mess.
