2019/20 Marcel Brands

[GwladysBlue]

Can’t wait to hear what this clown has to say about how this season has panned out.

 

[Zatara]

The wider problem is if you want to implement a style, you need a DOF to recruit a manager to suit that style. Ancelotti is a great manager but he is clearly a very different style to what we were doing before. So saying we were actually adapting styles to fit, we'd have had 18 months of planning for 4-3-3, honing skills of strikers who can play on their own, wingers who look to score goals, defensive midfield players etc.

We'd now have to witch to a 4-4-2, teaching strikers to play together, no DM, wide players expected to track back, so essentially re-writing the rule book and starting again. It sounds one of those things that is very easy to do, but in practice is much harder. Then imagine in 4 years you've gone from Martinez, to Koeman, to Allardyce, to Silva and now Ancelotti. How many different changes have we got there?

I'm not saying it's right, but you can see how Unsworth has just thought "to hell with it, I'll do my own thing". If you were in a job, and your remit was radically changing every year or 2, you would understandably say you can't work to that proposal.

I really do think that we need to focus on certain skills in players, rather than getting bogged down in a system. Teach players to be comfortable on the ball, mobile and to play with their head up. More importantly than that, where we see a lad who has potential push them on through the age groups. Essentially skills tmhat are transferable to different systems.

The idea though, that we can implement an Ancelotti system through the club is laughable. The guys a one off. He massively varies his systems, often in game, and when he leaves he will be almost impossible to replace in a like for like manner.

I wonder if Atletico play the same formation through the club...

442 seems to give players more responsibility apart from the forwards.

I think we do do that though. Most of our players are quite solid and versatile. The thing is you are lookign for the 1 every so often that has star quality, like Gordon appears to have.

The stability Moyes gave certainly helped the academy. However we are not miles weaker now at academy level. The under 17's are good and the under 16's very good. I worry what happens much beyond that and whether between Unsworth and the first team we really push enough lads through. I think what the Gordon experience shows, is that if a player has special quality they need to be fast tracked. Hopefully Lewis Dobbin is another who an be pushed through in that vein.

Only Dobbin?

My big worry is that we’re talking about Gordon way too much way too early, it wouldn’t be hard to stand out in that team just by applying a bit of effort. We’ve all seen players who look like stars at youth level not quite cut it with the first team.

I will admit Gordon has something about him and the stuff regarding his training regimen and mindset is promising, I just don’t think we should be looking at him and trying on him to be our shining light just yet.

Hes showing he's a first choice on the left at the moment. Young players often have loss of form though so need to be careful with him.

We spent over £100m in the last window, and I don't think any of them will be in Ancelotti's preferred plans.

Iwobi? Kean? Gbamin? Delph? Sidibe? Gomes?

Maybe Gomes?

Kean will be here i think. Gbamin wont be going anywhere for 12months at least..

The rest will be available hopefully.

 

[BNJ1878]

1248 pages on a subject that takes 4/5 years before any sensible judgement can be made.

Well in.

 

[Moomin]

1248 pages on a subject that takes 4/5 years before any sensible judgement can be made.

Well in.

You saying we should have kept Steve Walsh on!!!

Crazy.

 

[Saint Domingo]

You saying we should have kept Steve Walsh on!!!

Crazy.

we didn’t let him finish the job. 30 mill on Lamina Kone, 25 on Arnautovic, 40 mill on Giroud, 30 mill on Lanzini. What a team we would have had if only we’d backed him.

 

[jazzy]

we didn’t let him finish the job. 30 mill on Lamina Kone, 25 on Arnautovic, 40 mill on Giroud, 30 mill on Lanzini. What a team we would have had if only we’d backed him.

Bloody hell that's not too far from the truth of what might have happened.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Bloody hell that's not too far from the truth of what might have happened.

still can’t believe him/Koeman messed it up. Here’s a spine of Stones Barkley Lukaku, here’s an unlimited budget, put a few good players around them and go and win something. Instead they created a squad that will probably end up taking us 5 years to clear out, and straddled us with loads of FFP problems.

 

[brieverton]

I'm inclined to think Walsh / Brands have bought a lot of players who just aren't very good, and don't have much in their locker, rather than players not being "suited" to different managers and systems.

You can get the best from what you have obviously, but you can also shuffle deck chairs on the Titanic.

They are not suited just because a lot of them are bog standard.

We badly lack pace, athleticism, strength, passing ability and goalscoring ability in the squad as a whole. Has not Brands seen that? Will it be recognised this summer or will Ancelotti have to write it down and bring it to a meeting, the glaring deficiencies we can all see?

Will there be another summer of denial and blindness on these fronts?

Dear me, looking at the midfield in particular, its a wonder we are even as high up as we are.

 

[catcherintherye]

Only Dobbin?

Not only Dobbin by any means, but Dobbin looks the one most like to be plucked to me. He has bee the one who'splayed up on himself, often in a key position (number 10) as Gordon did. Looks to have a good build as well. Yes that being pushed up seems to have stopped at under 23's but it sort of did for Gordon as well and perhaps says more about the under 23's than the player.

There are other candidates certainly. There are lads in the 23's currently who are doing well, training with the first team but at present can't get on the bench. You sort of think if not now then when?I suppose you have to balance it and say 20 games ago we'd have said Gordon was a long way off.

There are also lads in the 16's who are really well thought of, and more than 1, but it's a big jump. Kouyate, Small, Butterfield, Isaac Price to name 4. Kouyate in particular is worth watching, but until I see more of them for the 18's, Dobbin would seem the one who's likely to be pushed up.

 

[catcherintherye]

I'm inclined to think Walsh / Brands have bought a lot of players who just aren't very good, and don't have much in their locker, rather than players not being "suited" to different managers and systems.

You can get the best from what you have obviously, but you can also shuffle deck chairs on the Titanic.

They are not suited just because a lot of them are bog standard.

We badly lack pace, athleticism, strength, passing ability and goalscoring ability in the squad as a whole. Has not Brands seen that? Will it be recognised this summer or will Ancelotti have to write it down and bring it to a meeting, the glaring deficiencies we can all see?

Will there be another summer of denial and blindness on these fronts?

Dear me, looking at the midfield in particular, its a wonder we are even as high up as we are.

I make you right really. I also think this is probably more true for Brands than Walsh. I think some of the players Walsh bought, were probably ok but he just didn't think about it.

Brands first season, to me there's no complaints. Last summer though, some of the signings are questionable.

 

[DaChunk]

I wonder if Brands knows he's failing...hmmm

 

[Woolverhampton_Blue]

still can’t believe him/Koeman messed it up. Here’s a spine of Stones Barkley Lukaku, here’s an unlimited budget, put a few good players around them and go and win something. Instead they created a squad that will probably end up taking us 5 years to clear out, and straddled us with loads of FFP problems.

Koeman should have been executed by firing squad in front of his family for what he did to us. Walsh life imprisonment with hard labour.

 

[murphy89]

Other than the fact the players aren't currently performing, I don't really get the hate for Marcel Brands. I actually don't his signings have been bad, other than the odd one:

Digne - came in and is our first choice LB. Could move in the summer to a club further up the table

Mina - thought he was playing well alongside Holgate and then was dropped. Is he league winning/CL quality? No. Is he better than most CBs at clubs relative to us in terms of current standing in football? Yes.

Gomes - massively improved the quality of our midfield. Clearly suffering a loss of form atm mainly due to fitness. People bringing up his assist numbers etc. However, Gomes was brought in to play in a midfield 3 where his job is to keep the ball moving. Opening up the pitch. His best performances have come in a three with a holding midfielder (Gueye) and an inform AM (Sigurdson).

Zouma - performed very well.

Bernard - worth a punt on a free. Hit and miss with form. Another player who is in and out the side and this has impacted his ability to form any partnerships. Wouldn't say a bad signing. Comfortably gets into any side outside the 'sky' top six.

Richarlison - our best player

Sidibie - on loan. Wouldn't keep him. Allowed us to send Kenny out on loan which could prove to be a good move long term. Given its a loan wouldn't say it was a bad signing.

Delph - bad signing. no questions.

Iwobi - poor signing. although I don't think he is a winger, was brought into play in Silva's 4/3/3 system. I think its unfair to completely blame this on Brands. The alchemy of circumstance more so.

Moise Kean - highly rated youngster. Still needs time. Jury out. Surely worth the risk if it works out long term?

Gbamin - can't judge.

I think we have to remember we are midtable side. Brand was never going to come in and just buy loads of superstars.

 

[DanEFC92]

Other than the fact the players aren't currently performing, I don't really get the hate for Marcel Brands. I actually don't his signings have been bad, other than the odd one:

Digne - came in and is our first choice LB. Could move in the summer to a club further up the table

Mina - thought he was playing well alongside Holgate and then was dropped. Is he league winning/CL quality? No. Is he better than most CBs at clubs relative to us in terms of current standing in football? Yes.

Gomes - massively improved the quality of our midfield. Clearly suffering a loss of form atm mainly due to fitness. People bringing up his assist numbers etc. However, Gomes was brought in to play in a midfield 3 where his job is to keep the ball moving. Opening up the pitch. His best performances have come in a three with a holding midfielder (Gueye) and an inform AM (Sigurdson).

Zouma - performed very well.

Bernard - worth a punt on a free. Hit and miss with form. Another player who is in and out the side and this has impacted his ability to form any partnerships. Wouldn't say a bad signing. Comfortably gets into any side outside the 'sky' top six.

Richarlison - our best player

Sidibie - on loan. Wouldn't keep him. Allowed us to send Kenny out on loan which could prove to be a good move long term. Given its a loan wouldn't say it was a bad signing.

Delph - bad signing. no questions.

Iwobi - poor signing. although I don't think he is a winger, was brought into play in Silva's 4/3/3 system. I think its unfair to completely blame this on Brands. The alchemy of circumstance more so.

Moise Kean - highly rated youngster. Still needs time. Jury out. Surely worth the risk if it works out long term?

Gbamin - can't judge.

I think we have to remember we are midtable side. Brand was never going to come in and just buy loads of superstars.

On Kean, the jury has come back and the verdict is 'pants'.

 

[Bob Elstone]

Other than the fact the players aren't currently performing, I don't really get the hate for Marcel Brands. I actually don't his signings have been bad, other than the odd one:

Digne - came in and is our first choice LB. Could move in the summer to a club further up the table

Mina - thought he was playing well alongside Holgate and then was dropped. Is he league winning/CL quality? No. Is he better than most CBs at clubs relative to us in terms of current standing in football? Yes.

Gomes - massively improved the quality of our midfield. Clearly suffering a loss of form atm mainly due to fitness. People bringing up his assist numbers etc. However, Gomes was brought in to play in a midfield 3 where his job is to keep the ball moving. Opening up the pitch. His best performances have come in a three with a holding midfielder (Gueye) and an inform AM (Sigurdson).

Zouma - performed very well.

Bernard - worth a punt on a free. Hit and miss with form. Another player who is in and out the side and this has impacted his ability to form any partnerships. Wouldn't say a bad signing. Comfortably gets into any side outside the 'sky' top six.

Richarlison - our best player

Sidibie - on loan. Wouldn't keep him. Allowed us to send Kenny out on loan which could prove to be a good move long term. Given its a loan wouldn't say it was a bad signing.

Delph - bad signing. no questions.

Iwobi - poor signing. although I don't think he is a winger, was brought into play in Silva's 4/3/3 system. I think its unfair to completely blame this on Brands. The alchemy of circumstance more so.

Moise Kean - highly rated youngster. Still needs time. Jury out. Surely worth the risk if it works out long term?

Gbamin - can't judge.

I think we have to remember we are midtable side. Brand was never going to come in and just buy loads of superstars.

gomes is all fur coat and no knickers.