2024/25 Dwight McNeil

[Toffe3m4n]

I think we terrify our players into not being creative because they scared not to make a mistake.

As a result none of them want to try anything in case it goes wrong and the crowd turns on them.

As a whole me may be stifling our own team’s creativity. Look what happened yesterday once the confidence came.

Ndiaye was cheered on and was by far the most forward looking player.

Agree mate.

Once that first goal went in, they all noticeably got a lift. McNeil included.

I think whilst we aren't ahead in games the players generally looked terrified to take any risks, as you say. They need to be brave enough from the off.

 

[dannyboy]

I think we terrify our players into not being creative because they scared not to make a mistake.

As a result none of them want to try anything in case it goes wrong and the crowd turns on them.

As a whole me may be stifling our own team’s creativity. Look what happened yesterday once the confidence came.

Ndiaye was cheered on and was by far the most forward looking player.

I think it's just the fact they just aren't very creative and it helped a lot that they were playing against League 2 level opposition.

 

[dannyboy]

Agree mate.

Once that first goal went in, they all noticeably got a lift. McNeil included.

I think whilst we aren't ahead in games the players generally looked terrified to take any risks, as you say. They need to be brave enough from the off.

Can be as brave as they want but there isn't an ounce of creativity in DCL or Doucoure for our team to play off and the full backs barely get past the half way line. This alone makes it so easy for the opposition to stifle us because our offensive play comes from two players in McNeil and Harrison. Two players who we signed from teams that were relegated.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Can be as brave as they want but there isn't an ounce of creativity in DCL or Doucoure for our team to play off and the full backs barely get past the half way line. This alone makes it so easy for the opposition to stifle us because our offensive play comes from two players in McNeil and Harrison. Two players who we signed from teams that were relegated.

Whilst I agree mate, I think we generally underestimate how much 'chemistry' comes into play when it comes to football. Certain players will lift their game/play with more confidence with certain players around them. I reckon Ndiaye could end up being important for us for this reason - in that second half last night you could see his positivity give the other forwards a bit of a lift.

 

[dannyboy]

Whilst I agree mate, I think we generally underestimate how much 'chemistry' comes into play when it comes to football. Certain players will lift their game/play with more confidence with certain players around them. I reckon Ndiaye could end up being important for us for this reason - in that second half last night you could see his positivity give the other forwards a bit of a lift.

I agree that we could be getting more out of them. Dyche has just never shown in his career that he's capable of that. I'd imagine Baines and Pienaar worked for hours on the training ground to get that chemistry. I wonder if anyone has done anything at all with Mykolenko at Finch Farm - if really doesn't look like it.

 

[pfim]

I think it's just the fact they just aren't very creative and it helped a lot that they were playing against League 2 level opposition.

Yeah, goals 2 and 3 seemed to happen in slow motion. We'll never get that much space in a PL match. It's good we got the goals and hopefully that builds confidence, but realistically the gulf in talent is why we won yesterday.

 

[PhilM]

I agree that we could be getting more out of them. Dyche has just never shown in his career that he's capable of that. I'd imagine Baines and Pienaar worked for hours on the training ground to get that chemistry. I wonder if anyone has done anything at all with Mykolenko at Finch Farm - if really doesn't look like it.

The relationships, as you say, come from training on the pitch, but also the general relationship between the two: it comes down to trust and knowing each other.

You don't need to see the players in a position, but rather know they will be there. As we don't do any overlaps on the left, I suspect we do not focus on it in training.

If they don't practise, how can they build that relationship?

 

[Eggs]

I agree that we could be getting more out of them. Dyche has just never shown in his career that he's capable of that. I'd imagine Baines and Pienaar worked for hours on the training ground to get that chemistry. I wonder if anyone has done anything at all with Mykolenko at Finch Farm - if really doesn't look like it.

….top footballers are on the same wavelength, Pienaar, Baines, Osman and Arteta had a blend that comes naturally. You bring players together you feel will blend, they link naturally because they are on the same wavelength.

You can do all you want with a Baines and a Doucoure on the training ground but it wouldn’t make it work.

 

[pfim]

….top footballers are on the same wavelength, Pienaar, Baines, Osman and Arteta had a blend that comes naturally. You bring players together you feel will blend, they link naturally because they are on the same wavelength.

You can do all you want with a Baines and a Doucoure on the training ground but it wouldn’t make it work.

The type of interplay that Pienaar and Baines specifically had comes from practice and repetition.

 

[Eggs]

The type of interplay that Pienaar and Baines specifically had comes from practice and repetition.

….when you play in a team for a while, there are players you naturally engage more with. It often looks like certain players mainly pass to certain teammates but they are on the same wavelength, they trust in each others ability.

I always thought Gordon was a difficult player for a full-back to blend with because his game was unpredictable in possession.

Weirdly, a few seasons ago at Leeds McNeil and Patterson worked really well together in a defensive capacity. Their tireless efforts largely allowed us to get something from that game.

 

[maccavennie]

….when you play in a team for a while, there are players you naturally engage more with. It often looks like certain players mainly pass to certain teammates but they are on the same wavelength, they trust in each others ability.

I always thought Gordon was a difficult player for a full-back to blend with because his game was unpredictable in possession.

Weirdly, a few seasons ago at Leeds McNeil and Patterson worked really well together in a defensive capacity. Their tireless efforts largely allowed us to get something from that game.

I'd go as far to say as it was probably their best games for us.

Patterson had a great chance to open his account that night

 

[Groucho]

Once that first goal went in, they all noticeably got a lift.

And the crowd settled, the nerves went and they kicked on.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence. We’re a confidence team.

 

[Saint Domingo]

I agree that we could be getting more out of them. Dyche has just never shown in his career that he's capable of that. I'd imagine Baines and Pienaar worked for hours on the training ground to get that chemistry. I wonder if anyone has done anything at all with Mykolenko at Finch Farm - if really doesn't look like it.

Better players make teams play better. Can do all the work on the training ground you want, there’s absolutely no substitute for technique and intelligence and we don’t have much of either in the squad. Even a tiny bit in one player changes the whole game though.

There was a passage early on where Garner received it off the CB, got pressed, spun out, went to find a pass, turned back the other way and split the midfield with a left footed ball forward. Any amount of work on the training ground can’t make Gueye do that sort of thing. As a result their midfield stopped pressing Garner as much, in the same situation they press Gueye even more because he’ll prob lose it.

City are so good because all their players can do this to a far better level so teams don’t know whether to sit in or try and press and most teams get it wrong and get cut open or worn down. We have very few players who don’t soil the self as soon as an opposition player runs at them and wants to pass it backwards.

Get Branthwaite back in, Patterson at full back, Garner Iroegbunam in midfield, Ndiaye in ahead of Doucoure and without changing a single tactical thing on the training pitch the football would improve no end because these are fundamentally better football players than Keane Young Gueye Doucoure which let’s face it (Young aside) has been a spine down the middle of a team that has struggled to play football for any manager from Ancelotti onwards.

 

[Walken]

Played well in that position, lovely assist

 

[knowing your history]

Played well in that position, lovely assist

Yes. Hopefully dosen't get lost in the calamity of the last 10 minutes but I thought he was more of a threat centrally and some nice link up between him and Ndiaye.

Does feel Dyche all over he'll bring Doucoure back for the Villa game due to "experience" when I'd keep it as it is as the attack wasn't an issue today at all.