@MU655 I totally agree that people can have their issues with our style of play. Honestly, it's one thing I really want for us to improve upon. Obviously, it's also totally fair to question Ole on this front too.
However, there are several factors/variables at play that could possibly explain some of our disjointed football. Conversely, there far too many far fetched excuses at times, and a-lot of dramatics from Ole's biggest fans at the mere signt of criticism - no matter how constructive it is.
Nevertheless, the first post in here last night was to slag off Ole. We had just come away with a two nil win in the QF of the EL against a shit house team. Yes, the match wasn't great but it was a good result and no one really expected a great quality match. The other 3 games looked of similar quality and Arsenal could only draw at home to Slavia Prague. There's certainly a conversation to be had about Ole but some of the negativity is ridiculous. If you find the right posters, you will find a good balanced debate. There are plenty however from both 'sides' that you should steer well clear of, as they have no intention of a rational debate.
That's because I genuinely think people are missing the mark here. I don't see any people really complaining about our results in isolation. It's lack of progress from a collective, coaching stand point, for me. Results wise, I agree Ole is doing a good job. It goes back to that Jose second season for me though. To finish second given how shite we were in years prior, in isolation that is a very impressive achievement, but it was argued on here by many that it wasn't sustainable due to the football being played, that eventually teams who had coaches improving their players as a collective unit, would be more consistent and effective over the course of a season - which turned out to be true. There was a feeling that we were lacking progress, despite the actual position. That's how I feel with Ole too.
Whether or not you want to see it, he is a pragmatic, counter-attacking coach. He can play on the front foot when required, but the team as a whole looks far more impressive and effective when it is given the opportunity to counter attack, we far too often look clueless or have difficulty breaking down teams who sit deep - as a result, I don't ever see us having the consistency to win the league. Unpopular opinion, but I think this pragmatic approach to coaching is dead, the game has changed. The majority of the hugely successful pragmatic managers are now either coaching b level squads, out of jobs or struggling. See Mourinho, Allegri etc.
The difference far too often these days is the level of coaching. All major teams have great players now, I don't think it's simply enough, or possible, to expect our team to be so much more talented than the rest of the league/Europe that we can win the league or other major trophies by not putting far more of an emphasis on a system that improves the players as a collective.
I would be far more inclined to give him more time, if I saw some football I could place any sort of faith in, rather than our approach continuing to look like place holder football. I would even be willing to give him more time if he brought in some more technical coaches who could bear that responsibility for him - it's very obvious he's a great man manager, but currently I don't see many signs of either. I see a team that has hit it's ceiling, that I haven't really seen improvements from some time now. The squad will improve when we sign better players, but that's the same for any squad. When we strengthen, we won't be the only team to do so.
That being said, as long as he keeps getting results, he won't be sacked and rightly so. So here's hoping I'm wrong.
pure gold