The issue I have with this, is if this is ETH's vision, why is it so different from the way we were playing last year, i.e. playing with one deep isolated midfielder, and a huge gap between lines, pressing high and defending deep? this season we now have defenders available who are able to push up and play a high line defence, make line breaking passes and allow the team to execute a high press.... and instead we are finally playing with 2 deeper mids, retaining possession and covering the defence, I mean thank god that penny has finally dropped, but why did it take an entire season for ETH to rectify this basic error.
The other issue I have is that Zirkzee has effectively replaced Weghorst, (ok he is a massive upgrade), but he is playing deep as a 10 at best and dropping deeper, seems to me that for an ETH version of our team to function we have to play effectively with an extra midfielder and no striker, i.e. a 4-2-4, as soon as we switch to playing an actual striker then the system fails, our midfield is over run and we struggle to retain possession beyond the half way line, maybe that is a personnel problem? maybe Bruno is too wasteful with the ball, but cannot be dropped (I dunno, I like Bruno so not advocating this really), I think Hoijlund will continue to struggle with ETH as a manager, he does not seem to have a system which supports a proper number 9.
I love playing on the break, I love Ole-Ball, I mean this was the football I grew up on, Giggs, Sharpe, Kanchelskis, Cole etc... and I absolutely despise ticci-tacca yeah it is effective but so dull what is the actual point! but I watch an ETH side and it looks like slowed down ticca-tacca which resorts to long ball because the midfield is unable to retain possession beyond the half way line, irrespective of coaching and philosophies football is always going to come down to moments of individual brilliance, seems to me that we are trying to control matches by limiting individuality, something that players like Rashford, Bruno and Hoijlund thrive on.