2020/21 Carlo Ancelotti

[Ring master]

SOME OF THE ANCELOTTI PRE MATCH MAN CITY P/C

Injury update​

Not available for sure are Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Gbamin. The others are okay, they are going to train today. Pickford trained today and was okay, we’ll check today and if he is available he is going to play,

Allan in contention​

Allan is fit and good, he is okay. He is available to play.

Carlo on Lewin Return​

A matter of days, we hope he’ll be available on Saturday

Carlo On Fulham defeat​

Of course we are frustrated, disappointed that we lost the opportunity to climb the table but we have to try & find the solution to get points. We don't have a lot of chances against MCFC but we have a chance. Usually these kind of games, we did really well
It's an unpredictable season. The games that seem easier than others become more & more difficult. We had the experience against Newcastle & Fulham. It's this kind of season. We're not the only team that lost at home: United lost, Liverpool lost

Carlo On Man City Game​

We have to find a solution, try to prepare the right strategy to play against them. We have to use our strengths and quality to play efficient football. Most of the time City will have the ball, we have to use quality when we have to ball.

More On City​

I think the results coming from the quality of the players, from the organisation of the team, the fact Guardiola is working with them for a long time so they have confidence in this moment & a clear idea of football. It's not only one thing

Coping without Calvert-Lewin​

Calvert-Lewin is really important because he gives us the opportunity to play in a different way. We can play the long ball. We played really well without him against Sours. I’m not worried for the players who aren’t going to play, I have to be worried about the players who will play

Improving home form​

We have to improve. We are still in a good position in the table, not because of what we did at home. At home it has not been good enough. The best games we played at home were against top teams,

Carlo confident​

I have confidence these next two games will go well for us

​

Carlo on Table​

Of course we have to improve. We are still in a good position in the table but not because of what we did at home. The best games we played at home were against top teams: Arsenal, Chelsea. I hope it will be the same tomorrow

Heading in the right direction​

I think we are in the right way. In one year, the squad improved. We have more stability and knowledge. Of course we have to improve. We are not at the same level as the top teams. How long it takes I don’t know but in one year the work was good in every aspect.

On Everton ambitions​

It’s not the games against Man City that are going to decide our ambition. It’s still the same - to reach Europe. It’s easy to think we’re going to lose against City but in football, you never know. if we lose, our target is not going to change.

Summer signings praise​

We signed a good player in the summer, have had a good period and step by step we are going to improve again.

Pep Guardiola praise​

It’s really difficult to compare. I can judge the work that Pep is doing, I can judge the work that Pep did. I can judge his style of play and how he managed his teams. For what he’s doing, he can be considered one of the best in the world

Struggling against the 'lesser' teams​

I think that these kind of games are the sign that we have to improve. But every game has its own story. Against Newcastle our mental aspect was not good. The game v Fulham it was physical. But all these kind of things means we have to improve

On James injuries​

It is the intensity of the Premier League, there is a lot of contact. He suffered a contact against Fulham but it was a normal contact and he is available to play tomorrow.

He has nothing [else] to do. To avoid contact is impossible in football. He has to accept this. It was unfortunate because he had a knock in two games but how many players had knocks? It’s absolutely normal

Defensive struggles​

When we are forced to defend we did well, when we decide to play a more open game. It’s more difficult to add balance, we concede goals but we wanted to play more open games against United, Tottenham and Fulham. Tomorrow I think, for most part we defend

Carlo on Josh King​

His fitness level is ok because he trained normally at Bournemouth. He has to adapt to the team tactically but I'm happy with what he's doing. He is working hard and gives us all his quality & belief. For sure he's going to start in the future

 

[MikeH72]

Hyped for more false 9 Gylfi tomorrow.

 

[JLW]

6 points out of the next 2 games. WOW
4 points. Amazing
3 points. Would be happy
2 points. Means unbeaten in both and not too shabby
1 Point. Poor
0. points Wave goodbye to any CL aspirations

 

[mahermi1]

King is not match fit and it showed on Sunday

Dunno he still played better and looked sharper than most of our other players.

 

[BlueToff]

Not exactly blessed with options though. Amazing how possibly bernard and iwobi are huge answers to a problem.
Truth is. They aint. But we need something to cling onto as a reason.

But that system is dreadful and they are the answer to not play that system

we only had Dom out

he can’t complain we were outmatched physically when he defied to play Gomes, James and Gylfi in midfield together, with nobody up top

 

[Gilbert..]

But that system is dreadful and they are the answer to not play that system

we only had Dom out

he can’t complain we were outmatched physically when he defied to play Gomes, James and Gylfi in midfield together, with nobody up top

Saying only had Dom out. He's the only real centre forward at the club. He's crucial to the set up. King now but clearly needs game time.
Again, if the starting 11 we had at the start of the season are not all there the options are pretty ridiculous.
It isnt really anything we havent known. Major recruitment in so many positiins is still essential.

 

[Jim Hopper]

Saying we are not the only team to have lost at home this season is not an excuse for the defeat. The other teams have lost at home but they weren’t annihilated in every statistical department by clubs who haven’t won away all season or clubs who hadn’t won a single game in 10 or so games. We lost in the exact same manner we lost to Newcastle, there’s clearly a problem with the team selection, tactics and players efforts that needs addressing.

 

[Bullens Rd]

He knows he's getting 0 points from the next two games.

 

[BlueToff]

Saying only had Dom out. He's the only real centre forward at the club. He's crucial to the set up. King now but clearly needs game time.
Again, if the starting 11 we had at the start of the season are not all there the options are pretty ridiculous.
It isnt really anything we havent known. Major recruitment in so many positiins is still essential.

Richarlison is our 'back up' CF - this is genuinely how the club see it.

You can't excuse the tactics the other day. So stop trying. It's fine, when the manager gets it badly wrong, to say he got it badly wrong.

Bernard came on and scored the winner v Spurs. If you really don't wanna see Iwobi or King can't start, play Bernard and play that 4-2-3-1 with one of Gomes or Gylfi and then James on the right.

It's about a balance and, as shown in the Newcastle away game, 4-3-2-1 just doesn't work.

 

[catcherintherye]

That's it in a nutshell. As I said earlier, whether it would have made a difference to the result I don't know, but there's no doubt in my mind we would have looked more cohesive at least with players fulfilling roles they're capable in. The team looked unbalanced on paper on sunday, sometimes you can be surprised by how things turn out, and that has happened to me this season (Leeds away being a recent example) but this game turned out exactly like it looked like it would beforehand.

I know it probably sounds like I'm on a mega moan here, which I don't like doing, but we have a squad full of players who basically aren't very adaptable. If you put them in their optimum position, with the right players around them, they're great. But you ask them to do something slightly different, or change partner, or play a different way and they fall apart. We are well in contention for top 4 currently, but it's a castle built on sand. We shouldn't be getting complacent at all. This is probably why most of our players aren't at top clubs.

Within that, there is obviously an understandable criticism of both the recruitment, and the players themselves, which is an important discussion but also a seperate one in this instance.

Then you have Ancelotti, who I have concluded at times can't shift that he's not manaaging Real Madrid, (or peak Chelsea or Milan). This isn't asking Casemiro you're asking to do a job out wide, or Malouda you're asking to go from left to right- where you know they still give you a a base level good performance, and to use a football phrase "do a job" for you. Our reserves are also not of the same quality as those sides had, and in honesty the mindset of our reserves being good enough to defeat teams just doesn't exist.

So to keep weakening the team against poorer teams, and shoving people out of position (or giving them over complex half and half jobs) just seems to baffle the players and it really needs to stop.

At the risk of straying, it's a big reason why I've become so defensive of the 4 CB thing. At least we have some evidence it works and the players look fairly comfortable in it. With this team, for who'm 8 or 9 of them I would say struggle in anything other than their prime position, to have stumbled upon a bit of balance is a bit of a miracle. It will be a bigger miracle if we can do it again, especially if we keep changing it every week.

Most of the lead up to that is not Ancelotti's fault, but how he deals with it is on him. If he doesn't fsncy four CB's fine but at the very least we need simplicity, consistency in selection and people (where possible) playing where they are best suited.

 

[Jamesblue90]

Carlo will be well aware that we are going to get hammered twice in 4 days. Not just beat, but hammered.

It's going to be important that the morale isnt on the floor this time next week in spite of these hammerings.

The Fulham game is still knawing on us all, that was a terrible result.

 

[Jim Hopper]

Carlo will be well aware that we are going to get hammered twice in 4 days. Not just beat, but hammered.

It's going to be important that the morale isnt on the floor this time next week in spite of these hammerings.

The Fulham game is still knawing on us all, that was a terrible result.

After that Fulham game it’s clear the players aren’t arsed anyways. Embarrassing showing from them.

 

[Gilbert..]

Richarlison is our 'back up' CF - this is genuinely how the club see it.

You can't excuse the tactics the other day. So stop trying. It's fine, when the manager gets it badly wrong, to say he got it badly wrong.

Bernard came on and scored the winner v Spurs. If you really don't wanna see Iwobi or King can't start, play Bernard and play that 4-2-3-1 with one of Gomes or Gylfi and then James on the right.

It's about a balance and, as shown in the Newcastle away game, 4-3-2-1 just doesn't work.

Richarlison has played a few times as a central striker with his back to goal. And hasnt played well in any of them.

 

[Papa Shango]

So whats the home advantage. Inspirational blue seats?

Pitch dimensions, home comforts and familiarity I suppose.

 

[davids]

He sets the team up so negatively, we sit on our own 18 yard box and wait for something to happen, it's very passive and that is on the manager as much as the players.

He's really stuck with the squad he's got,it seems to work when the players are up for it,Leeds, Leicester, Arsenal. Too often they don't appear to want it enough.