2025/26 David Moyes

First 20 mins we pressed high. Barry in the middle and Ndayie and Grealo up on the full backs and Dews blocking the out ball to Xhaka and it worked a treat. But the moment we came under any sort of pressure we ended up on our 18 yard box and Tarks standing 3feet in front of our keeper deflecting shots everywhere. We cant just fall apart like that because a striker misses achance.
 

Top 6 form under Moyes with Doucoure running his marathons.
But in the middle of that we had a run of 9 points from 10 games, as opposed to the 12 from 10 we have now, so it doesn't really show anything. I said the same numerous times last season both about the team under Moyes and about individual players - trying to extrapolate future form in the long term based off small samples just doesn't work. For all the talk of it being top 6 form, it was basically two runs of winning 3 on the bounce with a dozen or so games in between where we went at about a point a game.
 
Is he a better manager with limited resources ?

Are heads butting behind the scenes ?

Are we just riding the inevitable bad wave at this moment ?

I'm still sure that in recent years every international break we head into with a win, we end up coming back to a loss. Though that could just be a feeling..

Biggest issue is not using the resources in front of him.

He has to click, the team has to click,
Than the Morale will click.
 

Who is winning the balls pumped forward from deep?
Forget winning.
Who is even challenging for the balls pumped forward from deep?
Forget challenging.
Who is even in the nearish area to be considered close to being in an area where the ball is dropping into from being pumped deep?
Forget nearish.
Who even looks like they want to even watch the ball as it's pumped in from deep? Because Beto and Barry don't want to know. So we gift possession back and then have to work to try and get the ball back only to bluff with it once again.

We don't have any physicality to be getting on the end of clearances or long punts or emergency foot ins. We are a powder-puff side to easily brushed off the ball. Bigger heavier nastier sides will expose this over the rest of the season.
But for all that you have 4 goals and 1 assist. Charging around with no end product is not winning games. The lack of quality when in possession is what has been our downfall and resulted in repeated circling around the relegation drain. The likes of Doucoure were great at hounding the opposition but we can't afford to have players who can barely control a ball. We have it again with Beto. Would love to see N'Daiye given a chance through the middle and give both Barry and Beto a break. I'd love us to try a 4-3-3 but can't see it happening.
 
But for all that you have 4 goals and 1 assist. Charging around with no end product is not winning games. The lack of quality when in possession is what has been our downfall and resulted in repeated circling around the relegation drain. The likes of Doucoure were great at hounding the opposition but we can't afford to have players who can barely control a ball. We have it again with Beto. Would love to see N'Daiye given a chance through the middle and give both Barry and Beto a break. I'd love us to try a 4-3-3 but can't see it happening.
I don't want end product, I want any product, because we still haven't overcome the loss of his physicality and running. This isn't a love letter to Doucoure, it's an acknowledgement of the gaping hole in the side that we refuse to address. Gotta get a grip.
 

How would you adjust?
I would play 3 in midfield anyway.
I wouldn't keep trying the same thing every game .
I would maybe play some of the players on the bench for more then 10 minutes they get.

But I'm not been paid millions to solve the issue . But if a premier league manager can't solve the issue of no Doucoure then I despair .
 
Where and when did Ndiaye say this. He got his goal picking the ball up on the right touchline and cutting inside to score . He is our best player.
Moving him wont make us better
Don't know where this keeps coming from with Illy, but thats not his game.

Illy is what you have explained, a lad you just let off the leash to run at players, you dont stick that in the middle of the park.
 
Don't know where this keeps coming from with Illy, but thats not his game.

Illy is what you have explained, a lad you just let off the leash to run at players, you dont stick that in the middle of the park.
Unfortunately he kept trying to do that near our box yesterday and whilst he is our main threat, he gave it away several times in our own half when he tried to take multiple players on. Put JOB under huge pressure.

The whole team just seemed a bit out of sorts.
 
I would play 3 in midfield anyway.
I wouldn't keep trying the same thing every game .
I would maybe play some of the players on the bench for more then 10 minutes they get.

But I'm not been paid millions to solve the issue . But if a premier league manager can't solve the issue of no Doucoure then I despair .
It doesn't have to focus on Doucoure, it could be Fellaini or McTominay for instance. We need a bit of presence, some blood sweat and tears. We're playing balls to a player that isn't there. This isn't ghost football, we can't use the 'force'. There's a gap in the side, and it continues to expose us.
 

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