This is one of those games that are not supposed to mean as much, being inter conference play. And DC is okay, not horrible so far this season. But, I think, it's an important match up for us, because we will see how we look versus a side with similar expectations, after our first full week of practice between games. We should be fresh. We should be healthy. Manu and Shapi should have had a good chance to bed in. Jovelic should be more in sync than he has been. That said, we know that Benteke is a force, and he will challenge what to date has been a moveable object. If we are going to move up the standings, at all, we need to start gathering points. This is a good team against which to pull in a point. My prediction for us in this one: Pulskamp Brody Rosero Voloder Ndembe Davis Bassong Shapi Manu Afrifa (okay, probably Thommy) Jovelic So, can we score a goal in the run of play? That would be nice. It would be nice if we weren't listing our entire roster, in alphabetical order, as the leading assist man, with everyone tied at 0.
I'd love to break our losing streak! But also I share your fear - I don't know that we have a defensive answer to Benteke. Rosero is probably our strongest and best defender in the air, and he might be able to stop up plenty of crosses. But anything he can't get his head on, Benteke will be basically free. Guess it comes down to if we can stop the service. Really curious to see our rested, more-integrated lineup will be. I hope your lineup is right. I think we have a shot with that crew and that setup.
The numbers also make it very clear that Benteke plays a one touch game, don't they? He's one of those guys, all he does is score goals (and make assists). Carries? Take-ons? Pah, what's the point? Back of the net is what matters. He averages 6 touches in the box per game and 3.1 shots on goal. That really is crazy efficient.
I expect the same stale non-dynamic PV style attack and the same uncoordinated defensive performance. Even though I hope its not another groundhog day performance, with PV at the helm, it's just more of the same.
The tactics writers, the king of whom is Wilson for, well, everyone these days, are suggesting that this is season in which possession trully goes out of fashion. Seeing as we don't have the talent to play a possession game (because it kind of demands you are upper tier at every position, and we are not at a single position), i do hope some level of practicality sets in. But, as noted with Vermes, it will not. He is now bailing even after the waves have swamped him.
Is that a tactical read of MLS tactics, or soccer as a whole? Because, like Vermes, MLS is just trailing behind the leading trends by a few years.
It's a "even Pep is failing with possession" type of take. I've seen it a couple times. It was being repeated in the runup to ManCity (first overall in possession in the prem) and Forest (something like last overall in possession in the prem).
It's a truly garbage take if it's based only on the season Man City is having. That said, positionism is certainly starting to see a decline at the top tiers. Center backs and goalkeepers have been prioritized based on their ball skills (a problem we definitely have) rather than their straight up defensive prowess. Chaos and aggression has seen a resurgence among forwards, and these slicker passers are getting shredded by pace and strength. Soon the academies will correct and giant brutes who can defend all day will be back in numbers. That's my broad read, and it's kept sort of inaccurate because the crop of big, strong strikers remains smaller than I'd expect.
I admit I am a bit of a fan of Wilson's, but his analysis of the game is anything but garbage takes. My explanation was for brevity. "Burnley and Southampton in the past two seasons have exemplified the danger for teams who were promoted playing out from the back trying to maintain that approach in the Premier League. Last Sunday, Tottenham had spells when they couldn’t get out of their half, largely because they kept trying to pass it short and ran into the Aston Villa press. Even Manchester City, the team who popularised the approach in England, keep being caught out now. Last Saturday, it was Nico González who was overpowered as he dithered on the ball, leading to Leyton Orient opening the scoring. On Tuesday, it was a misplaced pass from Ederson that led to the second Real Madrid equaliser." for instance. There's a lot more.
If you had to pick an SKC defender who would best deal with Benteke, I do think it's Rosero. This is the sort of match in which Radoja really can prove he still has worth. That is a midfield waiting to be bossed.
10th loss in a row. Haven't wo since September. 1 shot on goal in 90 plus. PV sitting on air cooled leather seat, not a care in the world.
I'll say the same thing I said on socials tonight. Should PV be on the hot seat? 100%. Will he be on the hot seat? No. To expand, I have zero reason to believe ownership will fire him. They've shown nothing that makes me believe it'd happen.
He's he'll bent on never playing a 4-4-2. Never doing anything different tactically. Never changing tactics in game Only capable of like for like changes when it's obvious what they are doing isn't working. He's incompetence personified.
Glad I chose to have dinner with some friends I had not seen in a while. Just watching the last 10 min and some of the replay was depressing.
But, to be fair, DC has a strategy, to press, get the ball back and ping it in to Benteke. We didn't do a bad job of closing him down, which meant they had to resort to plan B, and they also do not have one. That was a lot of boring soccer. DC were clearly, however, the better side. But we look lost, all the time. We have no idea who we are supposed to be. Vermes'time is long passed. As noted, that will not be acknowledged, Vermes will continue to trot out a team that is set up to play in MLS circa 2016. Our goal was really nice, though. I liked that. And holy crap if Agada could put a ball on frame (well, just inside) he'd have 20 goals a year.
I wasn't criticizing DC for their style. There are a lot of ways to play the game and be successful. But their style, where you are playing long balls and hoping to win the second ball, is not what I like to watch.
Which is strange since he's playing some of the kids. I guess he only needs three wingers though and Afrifa is the odd man out.