What does ETH demand of his midfield.

I don't know if this question is for here: ewe all want a DM, and rightly so, but who is our back-up option for Mainoo? Eriksen clearly doesn't have the legs to play that role in anything other than an emergency situation and we have no one else who can play that role well. Are we assuming Mount would be the guy when Mainoo is out or needs a rest? Or are we going to sign someone? Have not seen any links to a player of that ilk.
 
A lot of sensible posts and an interesting question tbh.

I think his first season it was pragmatic approach that was effective with either of Eriksen / Fred partnering Casemiro. Then in second season he lost his mind leaving Casemiro on his own in midfield. Then, Mainoo broke down his plans as he is very clearly not the "1" in his favored 4-1-2-3 setup, therefore a new dynamic DM is very needed. Which apparently we're after now (Ugarte)?

I think midfielders have undefined role to play in this "system", they don't do much in the buildup, they are not set to defend transitions (not with Casemiro / Amrabat / Mainoo deep).

I think bigger issue is actually the balance/configurations of players we have rather then the idea itself. It's an unsolvable problem with current bunch of players so I don't have high hopes actually.
 
I think he wants to recover the ball high and get the ball into the opposition third as quickly as possible. With the intention of then creating through quick passes and creative wing play in the final third.

He has struggled with the physical demands of the English game. The ruggedness of the Premier League allows for far faster transitions in play than the Eredivisie. This means that when those quick balls are sent up from defence to the attacking third, where at Ajax, possession would be kept due to Haller, Tadic, Gravenberch and Berghuis having the time, space and physicality to retain possession or win duels, in England that accounts to a 50/50 situation; which can easily lead to a counter attacking opportunity for the opposition.

The idea behind playing with 2 free 8's, was to provide 2 central presences that could provide passing options to the central striker, allowing for easy movement and fluidity across the front 5. However for that to occur, the ball needs to reach the final third, which is not a guarantee given the physicality of the league. This also comes with the added downside of leaving the midfield exposed when duels are lost because there are reduced numbers at the back and in central positions to protect against the counter.

The immediate solution for Ten Haag is to revert to the 4231 as it offers protections against these central threats. This may result in us being more defensive than he would initially like, but we would be able to ensure enough solidity to be a strong team. It also forced a heavy reliance on wide players for attacking solutions. ETH has to find a way for Bruno to be a strong part of his creative solutions in attack outside of the counter attack. He'll also need to find other creative solutions in our attack outside of individual abilities and the counterpress. For me, last season was a result of a poorly thought out risk taken due to past success in the Eredivisie without a true recognition of the nuances that make that formation and tactic combination so reckless in England. This season, he needs to build on when he did in 2022/2023, reverting to the 4231, accepting the use of individual brilliance, whilst also looking and finding new attacking solutions in new spacial movements and combinations.
 
Wish someone goes into his office and slap him. Eriksen is a shell of himself, but it was clear we managed to control games against lesser opponents. Like Lidl version of de Jong he was part of deeper build up and had freedom to roam around the pitch. Most of all, we had large periods of games we were dominant in opposition half (against lesser teams)

What the feck went through his head, God knows. Probably thought I can't fully build this system with Bruno and Rashford. Still, he will either revert to what he was doing or be gone.
 
I’m hopeful the new management team, Wilcox in particular, will force him to play a more sensible structure in midfield. They’ve all witnessed the catastrophe of last season, so it must be as obvious to them as to us, that those suicidal tactics must be binned. Whether we’ve got the right players to do that is the big question, just as much as what do we do with Mount?
 
He can play Mainoo/Ugarte. But it is asking a hell of a lot from Mainoo, but thiink it might work.

George The Best said:
Whether we’ve got the right players to do that is the big question, just as much as what do we do with Mount?
Click to expand...

Baffling. Although I would play him from time to time instead of Bruno. Feel sorry for the man, he got almost no chance here after being hunt all summer.
 
Insanity said:
I don't know if this question is for here: ewe all want a DM, and rightly so, but who is our back-up option for Mainoo? Eriksen clearly doesn't have the legs to play that role in anything other than an emergency situation and we have no one else who can play that role well. Are we assuming Mount would be the guy when Mainoo is out or needs a rest? Or are we going to sign someone? Have not seen any links to a player of that ilk.
Click to expand...

NEW DM/CASEMIRO
MAINOO/MCTOMINAY
BRUNO/MOUNT
 
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