Right now Jedi is significantly above the next gen fullbacks (Scally, Reynolds, Tolkin, JoGo, Wiley). Speaking aspirationally, it would great if one of them could close the gap and give us some options. Options are always a good thanag.
The part of Pepi's game I like the most are the deft little flicks. They are risky and usually lead to turnovers. But that is what we want from our forwards and that was glaringly missing in the WC.
Something else. And this has been a problem the entire tenure of G. The supportive runs are awful. Complete disconnect between the midfield and the attack. Hence calls for an ACM. Didn't we lead the WC in crosses thru 4 games? Well for a team setup to cross an astronomical amount, we had very few runners in the box to connect with. Never mind if that was the intent it would be more of an argument to bring Pefok. Now look at England crossing. They have 3-4 runners in the box. It's not because they're better. That's just tactical intent. What's better is their players' ability to finish. McKennie at Juve makes great runs in the box. Reyna at BVB also makes great runs as a threat in the box and is a pretty dynamic trailing finisher. Both were complete non factors in that respect under G.
Agree. He's 19, and to put him on point for defending in the WC is definitely a challenge. I think a lot of folks overrate him here right now though I expect him to be quality in the next cycle. He's just got the defensive intensity -- he sort of reminds me of young Jedi in that he still makes mistakes but the tools are all there. That said, the reason why I push it is that Jedi was not good offensively for us. We covered the CBs with MMA, so we really only had 5 attackers -- the late runs by CMs were absent. But our CF sucked, so we had 4 attackers. But Jedi was pretty damn poor, so we had three attackers... I think we can score with five primary attackers + occasional CM stuff. I don't think you NEED a CAM or a sixth guy. But you actually need contributions from those five, especially if you pull back your CMs. If we played Scally at RB, I think he'd be a better stylistic fit with a Reyna at RW than Dest is. Those two could interplay well but no one is making endline runs. Scally can play the high and wider role at RB.
We crossed into very static situations. It is always better to cross into dynamic situations where players are making runs into the box.
I would have liked to see Vazquez as well. I don't think his ball skills match up, but I actually think what we needed a lot more of was like 2019 Zardes. Did we have anyone who would make annoying run after run after run into the box? Someone that pulls anyone or opens up space? Our CFs are so static at times.
The late arriving CM has been a staple of Berhalter's tactics for a long time. It's how Lletget got all his goals and a lot of McKennie's value. In fact, Berhalter was using McKennie this way before Juve figured it out. That tactic changed for this World Cup, and I think it was defensive cover for Ream and Zimmerman. I don't know if they needed it, but I suspect a lot of defensive tactical shifts we've done have been to protect the CBs.
Occasional mistimed runs is on the players. A pattern of mistimed runs to static options- which I agree with- is a tactical failure and a byproduct of poor coaching. In a well schooled team runs are supposed to be timed off the ball being advanced to certain zones and certain channels filled. And the player with the ball should know which players are filling certain channels. That component is absent from us.
If Robinson and Richards can get healthy and get into form they'll at least not require that level of protection at center back.
Yep. That's the tactical cascade. In general, I think the other two are at LB and CF. Berhalter really put a lot on Jedi offensively, and he's been very erratic. A viable question is whether you sit him back / take him out for a more defensive player and add an attacker in his place. Somewhat like how Berhalter played in 2019. You look at our five main attacking pieces: Pulisic, Dest, Weah, Jedi and CF. The first three play their roles very well. But Jedi was not strong offensively this WC and CF was actively bad. If you can solve those issues, the offense provided from Wes and Musah -- #6 / #7 in attack suddenly seems much more sufficient. Or you shift LB and CM on the offensive role spectrum. Or fix CF.
Vanney is a "patience" guy, in case people are interested in his passing / possession type play for USMNT. (I'm refering to the theme in Muller's analysis on the Athletic which you linked). In regard to the question is 'iran really that bad", they ceded that space which is crucial to McKennie getting time/space on the ball to execute the diagonal ball to Dest on the goal. That space was always going to be hard to defend in their defensive style but they made no effort. Compare it to how Dutch played. Looks like Berhalter was trying to figure out what McKennie's position is. He moved 3 times in group, they said. For me, he is turning into a long passer and is best used the way Allegri uses him. I.o.w., no, he doesn't excel further up the pitch. He's a bit clumsy and ragged in attack and is best used moving into space and wait for the ball to fall to him and take a shot at goal or run on to a header. Our battering ram is really Arsonson. It's too bad Berhalter didn't use him. Look at how LVG used Klaasen. The "energy off the bench" was a naive Americanism. MMA couldn't hold the Dutch defensively which might have justified continuing with it. The space above our cb's was open for each of the Dutch goals. I don't want to turn Adams into a 3rd cb because we need his counterpressing and leadership. I'd rather drop McKennie for a 3rd cb and go with Adams and Musah in central mid which allows us to use Gio in a libero role and I'd drop the Giroud type cf because we don't have one and use Aaronson as the diamond 10 (Klinsmann used Bradley like that, you'll recall).
Check out carries into the box (right side) where Laryea appears. He was converted from mid/attacker into wingback at Toronto by Greg Vanney. Didn't catch on at Nottingham Forest. Seems he has some special talent, right?
G played McK as a central midfielder. At Juve he is an outside mid (sub set "mezzala"). Big difference.
wrt the McKennie position and moving around, some data that's not a lot of box-crashing to take shots. I think he has an attacking eye for a pass and a shot and right now there is a lack of bodies up front getting central to do either thing, why I suggested he might be pushed a bit further forward in possession
Gonna say this, for those who don't actively follow analytics twitter and know this guy's history Come for football analysis, stay for “facts”. https://t.co/hTenWh1RD7— Raphael Honigstein💙 (@honigstein) December 18, 2018 bruh what pic.twitter.com/42aBqmba3r— Alex (@alexfrco) March 2, 2020 It’s bad pic.twitter.com/IHO5JQh0sw— Alex (@alexfrco) March 2, 2020 1278045120781258757 is not a valid tweet id
Semi-disagree. He didn't put it on box score stats but Jedi was one of the few players (along with Weah) willing to make selfless vertical runs. For whatever reason the '22 World Cup team way overindexed "guys who want to drop back and dribble." (This is part of the reason why I think it was a mistake, but not a blunder, to not play Reyna more.)
Also I forgot 1266530188327870466 is not a valid tweet id 1278071650215493640 is not a valid tweet id I'm more of a Maradona guy than a Pele guy, I'd say there is a good breadth to this fellow's Twitter (have been following him for a long time), but peak Charlie Kennan was unbeatable Yup
i also semi disagree also, he did not deliver compared to Dest but Dest might be an absolute top end attacking FB. But I do understand Robinson didn’t completely deliver
Looks like another idiot who knows nothing about IQ tests and assumes they can tell you more than very limited information, and are but a snapshot in time. I just listened to a guy who had an 87 IQ as a kid and now has a PhD in psychology with a specialty in....IQ research.
Can we delete these posts and keep it about us World Cup and going forward? I’m fine to private message anyone about other topics but it’s not related to this topic and this thread is a very good one