For me, It’s neither about the players nor the formation. It’s all about morale and confidence.
We’ve had absolutely no momentum since last season when everyone expected Ten Hag to leave. The idea behind sacking Ten Hag mid-season and bringing in Amorim was to generate momentum with a new manager boost, but that all went out the window when he chose a formation that clearly doesn’t fit the squad and would inflict short-term pain for supposedly better long-term results. Wounding an already injured patient without painkillers sounds insane, but that’s what the higher-ups decided, and Amorim is only applying the medicine they asked of him. If the miracle occurs and the patient recovers, the results will be wondrous, but if it fails, we can expect to be in midtable for a few seasons instead of qualifying for the CL every other season like we used to.
Momentum is what everything boils down to, and it’s the part of the game that gets overlooked when results are bad. Even City looked awful when they lost their footing, while Forest are flying high off good results. The problem isn’t just about tactics or player quality, but whether the team as a whole believes in what they’re doing and the direction the club is taking. It’s hard to apply yourself to learning a new formation when half the players expect to be shipped off at the end of the season.
Confidence is the belief that the system can work and that their teammates will deliver. When that’s low, even the best tactics fall apart because players aren’t moving in sync or playing with conviction. A lack of cohesion means players aren’t pressing together, filling spaces, or supporting each other properly. It makes any system look like a mess. Right now, we’ve got fullbacks being used as wing-backs, players constantly moved around, and some stuck in positions they aren’t comfortable with. Over time, this kills confidence and leaves players second-guessing themselves, looking slow and “lacking physicality,” as some like to call it. When individual confidence dips, team morale tanks, and it becomes a vicious cycle.
It’s easy to blame individual players or the setup, but to me, the issue is deeper. The team just doesn’t seem to believe in the club, or maybe even in each other right now. Fixing that, rather than just shuffling formations or signings, is what needs to happen for things to improve. Amorim’s latest outburst was meant to be a defibrillator shock to try and get the patient moving again, but we’ll have to see if it ends up killing it instead.
We’ve had absolutely no momentum since last season when everyone expected Ten Hag to leave. The idea behind sacking Ten Hag mid-season and bringing in Amorim was to generate momentum with a new manager boost, but that all went out the window when he chose a formation that clearly doesn’t fit the squad and would inflict short-term pain for supposedly better long-term results. Wounding an already injured patient without painkillers sounds insane, but that’s what the higher-ups decided, and Amorim is only applying the medicine they asked of him. If the miracle occurs and the patient recovers, the results will be wondrous, but if it fails, we can expect to be in midtable for a few seasons instead of qualifying for the CL every other season like we used to.
Momentum is what everything boils down to, and it’s the part of the game that gets overlooked when results are bad. Even City looked awful when they lost their footing, while Forest are flying high off good results. The problem isn’t just about tactics or player quality, but whether the team as a whole believes in what they’re doing and the direction the club is taking. It’s hard to apply yourself to learning a new formation when half the players expect to be shipped off at the end of the season.
Confidence is the belief that the system can work and that their teammates will deliver. When that’s low, even the best tactics fall apart because players aren’t moving in sync or playing with conviction. A lack of cohesion means players aren’t pressing together, filling spaces, or supporting each other properly. It makes any system look like a mess. Right now, we’ve got fullbacks being used as wing-backs, players constantly moved around, and some stuck in positions they aren’t comfortable with. Over time, this kills confidence and leaves players second-guessing themselves, looking slow and “lacking physicality,” as some like to call it. When individual confidence dips, team morale tanks, and it becomes a vicious cycle.
It’s easy to blame individual players or the setup, but to me, the issue is deeper. The team just doesn’t seem to believe in the club, or maybe even in each other right now. Fixing that, rather than just shuffling formations or signings, is what needs to happen for things to improve. Amorim’s latest outburst was meant to be a defibrillator shock to try and get the patient moving again, but we’ll have to see if it ends up killing it instead.