From today's cameo it seems pretty clear we need Wirtz in a deeper central midfield role.
WE’ve got no chance with the league. We have lost 3 already. We have to go in on the European Cup.
Money would have talked, had he been offered a salary that he was after, he would have stayed I believe.It wasn't an option though. In an ideal world I would also have preferred Diaz to stay, but he'd made his mind up to leave.
Hindsight is 20/20 but based on what we're seeing from Salah, his contract should have gone to DiazHe was on £2.5 mill.a year with us. Bayern are reportedly paying him £14 mill. Not a chance we'd have given him that kind of pay hike.
Slot would rather aim for the iceberg than play that line up.I'd be tempted to get Wirtz onto the ball a bit more and see if Isak and Ekitke can play together. Something like
Ali
Bradley Gomez VVD Robbo
Szobo Gravy
Wirtz
Chiesa Ekitike Isak
Never happen like.
What's crazy is, that's my preferred line-up and I think it needs some money spending on it. After we've just spent £450M.Slot would rather aim for the iceberg than play that line up.
Slot would rather aim for the iceberg than play that line up.
Was worth every penny in hindsight, when comparing to salary and choice performance so far….He was on £2.5 mill.a year with us. Bayern are reportedly paying him £14 mill. Not a chance we'd have given him that kind of pay hike.
I still think the remedy is time. We are exactly where I expected us to be at this stage of the season.
That said, I am shocked by the goals conceded, by the form of Salah, Macca, and Konate (until today, when he was fine and VVD slipped).
We should absolutely take off the experienced players that are playing shit, but give the rest time. And, Slot deserves time to implement his new ideas. He is a victim of last season’s success.
That’s not quite accurate - we had two players who left and two today that replaced them, that’s a four player revolving situation.We had two new outfield players. It was like the other 8 didn’t know who each other were.
This isn't all on Hughes et al though (not that you said that). We lost Diogo, TAA, everyone wanted Nunez gone and Robbo fell off a cliff. Frimpong is a backup not a starter so nothing wrong with strengthening the bench. Mama just replaced Kelleher. We did what was necessary. Wirtz the only 'luxury' signing but that is surely based on a tactical switch, necessary after the end to last season when we were starting to struggle.TBH after the third or fourth summer signing I decided that would probably be curtains for our chances of the league this season anyway, as there were simply too many of them to meld into a proper unit quickly enough.
I still think the remedy is time. We are exactly where I expected us to be at this stage of the season.
That said, I am shocked by the goals conceded, by the form of Salah, Macca, and Konate (until today, when he was fine and VVD slipped).
We should absolutely take off the experienced players that are playing shit, but give the rest time. And, Slot deserves time to implement his new ideas. He is a victim of last season’s success.
It is 100% accurate and is something pretty much every side does each year. One of the players “revolving” was on the bench. The other is either a brain dead donkey or someone who was never 100% fit. When you are spending close to £200 million on those two changes, it should not be a challenge.That’s not quite accurate - we had two players who left and two today that replaced them, that’s a four player revolving situation.
Not only have you got to compensate for the 2 who left, you have 2 new players to fill that void on and off the pitch.
When you replace a first teamer….you have two challenges, not one.
Every change presents a challenge mate, this notion that money disguises that is nonsense.It is 100% accurate and is something pretty much every side does each year. One of the players “revolving” was on the bench. The other is either a brain dead donkey or someone who was never 100% fit. When you are spending close to £200 million on those two changes, it should not be a challenge.
Excellent post. 100% this.
When you pay absolutely top dollar for something you need it to work and straight away. Otherwise you could have gone elsewhere and worked on something to build as part of a project. You don’t buy the most expensive house in the world and expect to do shit loads of work on it.Every change presents a challenge mate, this notion that money disguises that is nonsense.
It simply gives Arne a better hand if you like.
One of Arne personal challenges and is still so, his family does not live here. This job will consume him if he can’t goes ball deep and build his future with it.
Any manager at this football club who has achieved anything worth while has had their family with them. He’s needs to commit 100% to the challenge ahead, his family have to be with him. He and his family will benefit.
The challenge remains the same whether you spend a fiver or £500m - of course the pressure ramps up if you have the latter. But the challenge remains the same, and of course for Arne, he didn’t have that challenge last year, he did however oversee similar ones at his previous club (massive turnover of players and win a title)When you pay absolutely top dollar for something you need it to work and straight away. Otherwise you could have gone elsewhere and worked on something to build as part of a project. You don’t buy the most expensive house in the world and expect to do shit loads of work on it.
I completely agree on the family part.
If you cannot convince your family to get onside - how the bloody hell are you going to get the players to commit.If I was his family I'd be thinking yeah, so this is why I don't want to move. I think they're done with exams now so it's a perfect time for those sun obsessed fun lovers to head to the ceaseless grey damp of an English winter to watch everyone hate your dad and pretend it's for reasons other than he's losing football games.