2021/22 Frank Lampard

[kenada_blue]

For Kane’s goal look at the shape!!

Zero communication going on there

That's called not having a leader in defence organising, shouting when to stay, go, move as a unit, who to mark, who to keep an eye on.

 

[gwladysnight]

That's called not having a leader in defence organising, shouting when to stay, go, move as a unit, who to mark, who to keep an eye on.

It is also about what happens in training. The manager and coaches should be drilling the back four to keep their shape. It has to become second nature.

 

[davek]

Would not blame him if he and his colleagues resigned rather than carry on with this mess.

If we stay up: if I was him I'd resign at the first hint players will be sold but all the proceeds wouldn;t go his way...which I can see happening given the parlous state of the club's finances now.

 

[Lanolin]

I’m not just talking about this season!

We’ve been in the bottom three before under both Koeman and Silva. We’ve had periods of ‘relegation form’ under every single manager since Koeman including Ancelotti by the end.

Most of these players have constituted the squad during that time and what’s most worrying is that most of our ‘best’ players this Godfrey Doucoure VdB Gray with the exceptions of Richarlison and Mina, only arrived in recent windows.

So whilst I get your point that it’s not exactly the same group that has been here for five years under different managers, and yes some of them haven’t played much this season, the team sheet is still starting every single game with Pickford Coleman Keane Holgate (who have all been here for ages) and then Kenny is now playing who was also playing in 17/18.

The midfield three is different now they’re all fit yes but this is really the first time we’ve had Allan Doucoure VdB together for any period. Just before the start of last season it was Davies Gomes Siggurdson Delph Gbamin as options. Last season as soon as one of Allan and Docuoure got injured we were straight into these players. Gomes has played a lot this season when Doucoure was injured.

It’s been the same forward upfront for years ‘supported’ by Tosun. It’s no surprise that Gray and Gordon look our best players this season and even Rondon offers more than Tosun.

So I get your point but I just don’t agree that there isn’t a critical mass of players at this club who have been here for years and have failed under successive managers to either perform in the first team or offer a decent alternative off the bench.

That’s not to say we haven’t also recruited poorly on top of these players, we have as well, or that managers haven’t made mistakes in that period because they have.

I just don’t agree that we’ve moved huge numbers of players in and out and the end result has been the same with all of them. Not when the back 5 still reads exactly the same now as it could have done in 17/18.

If I had to sum it up I’d say we have a rotten base of poor players that I’ve listed above. We’ve then bought numerous players who are only slightly better than them under each new manager. These newer players are more prone to injury so we end up right back with the poorer types.

You said:

'It's the same core... it’s certainly a very large core who have been here a while and keep getting selected in squads' and then went on to name a number of players who haven't been involved all season in order to make the point sound like it has more basis than it actually does.

I said earlier, we could literally put out a full, balanced side of players who've only been involved for the last 18 months, and still have some subs too (Begovic, Patterson, Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Godfrey, Allan, Doucoure, Van de Beek, Gordon, Gray, Rondon with Alli, Townsend, El Ghazi and some other kids left over. Even Kenny is coming back in after the best part of 2 years away from the club. The new players dwarf the old guard, if they aren't good enough to become key players then it's a massive failure of recent recruitment, this insistence on always blaming mistakes in the past does us no favours.

When I was telling you this time last year that our recruitment had been poor you consistently argued that it hadn't and that Brands was doing a great job improving the squad. Now that he's gone suddenly you're saying all the players he signed are rubbish. Weird that.

 

[Brownie]

…..I’d honestly play Townsend at LB. Wingers converting to full back is a real consideration, many of the great full backs started as wingers and we’ve seen it in more recent times at United with Ashley Young and Valencia extending their careers to good effect.

Townsend is more mobile and quicker than Kenny, he can be trusted in possession and is more of a threat in the top third. I’d actually trust Townsend more defensively than both Kenny and Mykolenko.

Thought this when he played there the other week. Definitely an option and would be a good career move for Townsend personally.

 

[neil999]

Wasnt townsend rubbish as wing back recently...

 

[DualityNSNO]

Wasnt townsend rubbish as wing back recently...

That was a ridiculous task for someone who's not very fast though - as a lone wingback he has the whole side to himself, which was dreadful.

Baines was a winger as well for a bit before us at time, wasn't he? I'd say do it, at least he's left footed ffs

 

[Pabbers]

His comments last night say to me that he didn't realise how weak / bad / soft this squad is mentally.

Cleary they are all decent-to-good footballers, as I refuse to beleive there are any bad footballers at this level, but we do seem a squad full of weak minded cowards, and not many fast / athletic types.

 

[BlueStevie35]

Wasnt townsend rubbish as wing back recently...

At wing back yes, as a straight left back it might work because of his tracking back. It’d be a big gamble though

 

[Saint Domingo]

You said:

'It's the same core... it’s certainly a very large core who have been here a while and keep getting selected in squads' and then went on to name a number of players who haven't been involved all season in order to make the point sound like it has more basis than it actually does.

I said earlier, we could literally put out a full, balanced side of players who've only been involved for the last 18 months, and still have some subs too (Begovic, Patterson, Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Godfrey, Allan, Doucoure, Van de Beek, Gordon, Gray, Rondon with Alli, Townsend, El Ghazi and some other kids left over. Even Kenny is coming back in after the best part of 2 years away from the club. The new players dwarf the old guard, if they aren't good enough to become key players then it's a massive failure of recent recruitment, this insistence on always blaming mistakes in the past does us no favours.

When I was telling you this time last year that our recruitment had been poor you consistently argued that it hadn't and that Brands was doing a great job improving the squad. Now that he's gone suddenly you're saying all the players he signed are rubbish. Weird that.

Like I said the last time you started all of this.

We’ll have to agree to disagree.

 

[Lanolin]

Like I said the last time you started all of this.

We’ll have to agree to disagree.

Started all of what?! Stating facts?

Anyway, I've liked what Lampard has been trying to do so far but last night was tactically poor. He's a big improvement on the last bloke though, that's for sure.

 

[Curtis]

I think the team would of been better suited if Frank employed the tactics he used against Man City. It was a flawed approach but hopefully he can learn from that debacle.

 

[blueblue]

The next two games will tell us a lot about where we will finish.
Both games at home, both games you would expect to win (in normal times).

 

[Carloblues]

At wing back yes, as a straight left back it might work because of his tracking back. It’d be a big gamble though

terrible idea

the lad is good for one thing only and that;s whipping the odd ball in and having the odd goal from range,

CDM and wing/full back shouts on here need to stop.

 

[KenyonLedford]

I have a wireless system for my dogs which I can loan them

You know mate, i think that's doable! but we'll havew to go around franks back for it because i
think he needs a good jolt too standing there all dour like the grandfather on the munsters wondering
who sucked the life's blood out of all the players before he could get to it