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Florian and the (Slot) Machine

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Squiggles said:
The difference is that Slot and Edwards clearly had a coherent plan for how to get the best out of Wirtz on paper. It was convincing enough for him to choose us over Bayern, with Florian and his dad fully on board, so there was some alignment in a way there never was with Brodge and Edwards. The problem was what happened around Wirtz. The midfield never settled, with Gravenberch and Mac Allister struggling for form, Szoboszlai being moved around too much, and Salah’s output dropping off. It piled pressure on Wirtz to deliver straight away.

I do not think Wirtz has much reason to take issue with Slot personally. Slot has consistently backed him, given him plenty of minutes, and even when used on the left, he has generally been allowed freedom. Most of us also agreed Slot was right to move him out of a three-man midfield that was haemorrhaging goals. To be fair to Wirtz, he has kept his head down, continued to plug away, dealt with Salah's selfishness and the team's poor finishing, and has generally been the second-best player to Ekitike all season.

I think he's going to be a bit like Modric in that he'll make any team look and function far better, but he'll still need some superstars in the team to do the worldly stuff on occasion. We look to have one in Ekitike, but if we assume that only one of Ekitike and Isak is starting, then it's safe to say we're going to need some real quality, pace and goal-scoring threat out wide and some far, far better patterns of play than we've seen this season. He's crying out for players to get in behind and actually stretch the play.
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What? Dom has been our best player by a country mile no?
 
There is lots to like about Wirtz. The biggest challenge is that he doesn't quite fit into our formation, which reminds me of Coutinho. Was a bit too attack minded to be the AM in the midfield of a 433 but not enough of a direct wing threat to be the winger.

One thing he absolutely is, is a pressing beast. When he, Szob & Tekkers/Isak are up & running and in the right places (not at RB Arne) we suddenly have an incredibly dynamic set of players who could do damage on turnovers.

We still look predicable as fuck when we have the ball and the opposition just sits into two banks of 4. But on turnovers I think that is a very exciting set of attackers. It would work well if we were able to let the opposition have the ball without fear of our defence and DM line being torn apart every attack.
 
Think he fits beautifully central in that 4-2-3-1 or on the left in a 4-3-3. Not an issue for me regarding suitability.
Our next manager will most likely play 4-2-3-1 as the starting positions as well and can build the team around the gems we have in the team and the ones we are planning to sign.

Love the player and his recent games have shown whats to come in the future. Never in doubt regarding his ability.
 
Hansern said:
Think he fits beautifully central in that 4-2-3-1 or on the left in a 4-3-3. Not an issue for me regarding suitability.
Our next manager will most likely play 4-2-3-1 as the starting positions as well and can build the team around the gems we have in the team and the ones we are planning to sign.

Love the player and his recent games have shown whats to come in the future. Never in doubt regarding his ability.
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Now he's bulked up a little, I'd like to see him in the 10 again. Problem there is that with Ekitike out, we only have Frimpong as a willing runner and no one on the left (as chiesa won't play and Rio can't block his own minutes), so he'll continue on the left with the only willing person to make attacking runs being on the opposite flank

He's good on the left (he actually involves the fullback), but you're cutting out a bulk of opportunity for incisive passes
 
Fabio said:
Now he's bulked up a little, I'd like to see him in the 10 again. Problem there is that with Ekitike out, we only have Frimpong as a willing runner and no one on the left (as chiesa won't play and Rio can't block his own minutes), so he'll continue on the left with the only willing person to make attacking runs being on the opposite flank

He's good on the left (he actually involves the fullback), but you're cutting out a bulk of opportunity for incisive passes
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Agreed. I’d love to see him in the 10 with Rio out left
 
Yep, agreed on 10. He is being bulked up for that hopefully. No worries on Wirtz, 22 and looks a rare talent. Worth the risk and as long he is able to impact games, he deserves to start.
 
The Nomad said:
You mean like a Rio? We can see it... the fraud can't.
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Rio, as it stands, is a cut-in merchant in the same vein as Gakpo. Someone needs to teach him that it’s okay to run wide on occasions. And he doesn’t just cut in at the corner of the box like Gakpo, he cuts in everywhere on the pitch.
Probably fine playing against boys his age where he can keep running with the ball, but it simply won’t work at EPL level.
 
What? Wirtz is a pressing beast? When with us?

Now I have seen everything.

Only in the 2nd half against Fulham have I seen anything resembling a decent press in ages. Even then it lasted only 10-20 mins before we went back to being passive again.
 
I'm not seeing a pressing beast either but that's probably because we are woefully disorganised on the triggers. Wirtz puts in a shift but he's only periodically shown the creative genius we were expecting.

We have yet to see a fully fit and firing Wirtz, Ekitike and Izak in the same side and I guess we won't now until the end of March. If we can bore our way to the later stages of the Champions League and maybe FA Cup we might still end up in glory.

I know I know I'm deluded but WTF dream on.
 
The reason that we don't do things in big spaces is because other than frimpong, we have no elite pace in attack.

Wirtz isn´t going to be a pressing beast carrying a niggle, so I don´t think he has been recently, but pressing requires good coaching, particularly if you aren´t confident, and Slot has taken much of that out of the side in preference of simply getting back into position.
 
Fabio said:
It's fucking weird, but I get why Bradley would be top. Massively attacking, a winger who wants to bring him in to play, attacking mids bringing him in to the game.
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I just would have assumed Wirtz, Frimpong, Szobo, Gakpo would have more, given they should be in the attacking third more. But maybe I'm missing something.
 
Gerry_A_Trick said:
I just would have assumed Wirtz, Frimpong, Szobo, Gakpo would have more, given they should be in the attacking third more. But maybe I'm missing something.
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Depends though. Gakpo was back behind kerkez a lot and didn't pass much. Szob and wirtz kind of passed out of the final third as they were at the spearhead. Frimpong should be higher than Bradley, but his passes tended to be final passes in to the box which were unsuccessful a lot.

It's weird, but I can kind of understand it
 
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Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool Stats: Gunners Move Six Points Clear at the Top of the Premier League After Stalemate | Opta Analyst

A game uncharacteristically devoid of attacking quality between Arsenal and Liverpool saw a goalless draw played out in the Premier League on Thursday.
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Screenshot_20260109-193820.png


Pass map kind of shows Bradley passed a lot to wirtz, Frimpong and szob.

Also shows the borderline none existent relationship between gakpo and anyone else. Hardly any passes to kerkez or wirtz
 
Fabio said:
share.google

Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool Stats: Gunners Move Six Points Clear at the Top of the Premier League After Stalemate | Opta Analyst

A game uncharacteristically devoid of attacking quality between Arsenal and Liverpool saw a goalless draw played out in the Premier League on Thursday.
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View attachment 4419


Also shows the borderline none existent relationship between gakpo and anyone else. Hardly any passes to kerkez or wirtz
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Oh FFS come on ! There is a clear relationship between Ali and Gakpo after the ball bounced off Macca's head!
 
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