Tough one for Kompany, weve looked a lot better in the 442 and again didnt concede from open play, to continue our better defensive record of late, so could argue it wasnt a system problem. But we still arent really picking up points, is it time to try something completely different or just hope with a few tweaks we can start to get some points, especially with Foster back.

Id probably go same again system wise next week as a last chance but with Ekdal, Taylor and Foster in, with either Jay or Tresor as the '10'.

If that doesnt work then would it be worth trying 3 at the back..something along these lines. Offers protection to Roberts and doesnt leave Ekdals lack of pace exposed.
Width offered on both sides with Tresor finding spaces between the lines and feeding Foster.

.................Muric

......Beyer Ekdal Taylor

Roberts Berge Brownhill JBG/Odobert

.........Benson........Tresor

...................Foster

It would be worth trying a new manager.

At 2 nil down today, I would rather have taken the pretty anonymous Amdouni off at HT for Foster and played a traditional two up front. Whip stuff in. Yes against physical CBs but the game was lost. We have been relying on one striker all season and that's not working well.

Twist

Stick

Twig... Sorry, wrong thread!

You have to go 4-5-1 with a double pivot and pace on the wings. We just don't have the ability to compete physically in a 4-4-2. You have to play a low block, compress the space and use pace on the break.

There is no other way.... If VK carries on as he is he will be sacked by Christmas he has to find another way.

.....................Trafford................

.........Vitinho..Beyer...Ekdal...Taylor..........

................. Cullen...Brownhill...........

.......Benson........Berge.......Odobert

...................... Foster..................

Feel like we’ve exhausted all options apart from the style/system that got us promoted

4231

Muric
Roberts Ekdal Beyer Taylor
Cullen Berge
Benson Brownhill Zaroury
Foster

Ultimately though I don’t think it matters because that team isn’t good enough sadly.

Bringing Redmond & Tresor on with 3 minutes to go!! What a waste of time. It wasn’t working at that end and they should have been on at about 70 minutes.

The stubbornness of playing Trafford week in week out and saying we are a young team learning is going to cost him his job /..He should be learning from the training ground and cup games not costing us our premier league status … it’s getting silly now and every other manager in the league knows to float high balls into the box at corners and he will be flapping or get nowhere near the ball

---------Muric
Vitinho-Ekdal-Beyer-Taylor
-------Cullen-Berge
Obafami-Brownhill-Zaroury
-----------Foster

Zaroury hugging the touchline like he did last year

Obafemi drifiting in from wide playing the Tella role, Vitinho Overlapping on the right.

Cullen filling in at fullback when Vitinho bobs on.

Brownhill recovery runs and pressing from the front

Nothing to lose.

Stick but accept relegation because I don't think anyone manages this squad to safety from this position & given the state/strength of the league this season.
Keep him & let him get the team playing the way he wants because it will at least see us in a strong position to take on the Championship again.

The way last season went I think there was a certain arrogance & fantasy from Kompany & the board that we could pull the same trick a second time (assemble a whole squad of young strangers & get them up to speed once the season has started). Trying to build the plane in mid-air was only going to end one way in the Premier League.

KRBFC wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 17, 2023 1:39 am

Feel like we’ve exhausted all options apart from the style/system that got us promoted

4231

Muric
Roberts Ekdal Beyer Taylor
Cullen Berge
Benson Brownhill Zaroury
Foster

Ultimately though I don’t think it matters because that team isn’t good enough sadly.

We must twist. And it has to be, or something very similar to, the above.

Twist, can't keep playing this boring, infective 'football' (if we can call it that).

Absolutely stick. It’s a long term project.

100% stick

Stick. Ahead of schedule, 5 year project. Keep trying to play the right way.

In the short term get Lyle back up to speed and Ekdal paired with Beyer. Roberts in for Vitinho as a more accomplished defender. Midfield 3 of Cullen (6), Berge (8) and Brownhill (8). Amdouni right wing drifting in, Odobert left.

shulgin wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 17, 2023 12:38 am

At 2 nil down today, I would rather have taken the pretty anonymous Amdouni off at HT for Foster and played a traditional two up front. Whip stuff in. Yes against physical CBs but the game was lost. We have been relying on one striker all season and that's not working well.

I think Rodriguez was injured.

100% stick. Young manager, young squad, both learning, both with very high ceilings. Both need giving time to learn.
People are massively over reacting to last night. It was blindingly obvious that we'd struggle to break down SD's stubborn Everton and that they'd get infront and keep us at bay. Not a lot that we could have done about it at this point of the season, luckily there aren't a lot of Evertons in the league.
And we also got Foster back, which is absolutely enormous. Once he's got some sharpness back we'll start carrying some threat from open play again.

Westleigh wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 17, 2023 8:39 am

I think Rodriguez was injured.

That's not what Kompany said.