Of course. Double Secret probation shitty. At least our next game is against weak west coast competition. Should be a breeze.../s I'm going to view that cakewalk in person.
Any system is shit if it doesn't account for the number one threat from the opponent. This particular system had no interest in picking up Gil, even after he unbalanced the defense with every single pass off his foot. I'm sure he's a tough mark, but this wasn't an attempt that failed, it was no attempt at all. Making anyone else but him beat you, or at least try that first.
The problem, as I see it, is our ongoing inability to clearly define the issue. You can't solve the problem if you don't understand it. To wit: Is it a giant donkey, or does the donkey have some kind of ball-related ailment?
At least there is some structure. But --- this roster still needs much further revitalization. On the Gil goal, Palsson was screaming for the players to get into a solid formation, but everyone, Guediri and Rodriguez in particular, just lollygagged back and Gil was gifted with a sitter. On a more macro note, I came to these conclustions: Guediri isn't starting quality. K. Smith actually looks like a project that "might" work. He needs to improve his conditioning and learn how to defend as a LB, but if Rooney can pull this off, Smith could be a weapon next season. I don't think Najar is the answer at RB. I love Andy as a player and his life story is amazing, but he's got too many miles on those legs to be a full time 90 minute player. He was gassed last night by minute 65, you can't be making subs to your back line due to fatigue. In a 4 man back line, Birnbaum and Alfaro are serviceable. Their relative immobility isn't exposed as often. Losadaball did them no favors. The midfield is fine, Durkin is slowly becoming a force. Clearly Rooney does not rate Canouse (who probably will get a run out in LA). The forward corps, absent Taxi, is meh on a good day. I've seen enough of Berry to realize he's not starting material. Kamara is too slow to play outside and Benteke will be a much more lethal target. The last 10 games will be an audition by guys on the bubble to show they belong on the roster next year. Of the current group, my guess is that Canouse, Kamara, Pines and Robertha will be gone. That's a huge chunk of salary to use on players better suited to this system.
I’m assuming LAFC will rest multiple starters against us. We should be able to stay within 4 goals that way.
I would argue that the size of the donkey relative to the size of its balls is irrelevant to the problem, as we’re clearly in position to suck them either way. Whether we have to borrow a ladder or lie prone on the ground to do so is more a matter of convenience than anything else.
This. Understanding roles in a new system and apparent work rate are often correlated — because you’re doing the wrong thing, it looks like you’re not working hard enough. Either way, Gil punished that one error and should have had at least one more. Agree. General conditioning needs to improve — which I find ironic, because Losada’s approach to fixing that problem is why he was run out of town. It’s an ongoing issue. It depends. If you’re getting your width from your fullbacks, then replacing both of them after the hour mark isn’t uncommon. You’re asking a lot of those players. These days, with more subs, you can ask more of both your strikers and your flank players because you can bring them off for fresh legs. I don’t mind that. The problem is, can he do the job you’re asking of him. That’s an open question in my mind, but who are you going to get? Barely serviceable. Two or three centerbacks is more a function of shape than numbers. In essence, you’re dropping a defensive midfielder into the backline to cover a different area of the field. With Najar given license to roam, you’re asking your two other centerbacks to cover the same area that they’d be covering in a four man line. The difference between the two systems is more about how you cover the midfield. And that’s where the differences among Skundrich/Djeffal, Canouse/Durkin and Palsson/Morrison in central midfield are so glaring. I think their apparent serviceability is much more related to personnel in midfield than anything else. See above. It’s amazing what having quality midfielders will do for the performances of everyone else. I think “meh” is overly optimistic. The problem with both Benteke and Kamara is you’ve got to get them the ball in dangerous positions. The hope is that Benteke is more efficient with the chances you generate for him. We’ll see. I hope we’re dropping more pieces than that. We need to replace those slots with starting material. And that’s not going to be easy this winter.
That’s cool, I didn’t notice him last week as much as this one. Yesterday, I thought his defense was sound but his passing was a highlight. Sometimes risky, but playing next to Birnbaum, someone needs to press the issue from time to time.