Slaven Bilic has declared there is a great atmosphere around the training ground with everybody looking forward to tonight’s game against Manchester City.
And the manager has warned we can’t chase Pep Guardiola’s men around the pitch when beaten 5-0 in the FA Cup because “that’s exactly what they want you to do.”
Slav said: “There is a great atmosphere around our squad at the moment and on the training pitches, so we are looking forward to the game.
“In the 5-0 game, we started to chase them all over the pitch and that’s exactly what they want you to do. They can use that space behind and in-between your lines with pace and quality and they don’t miss the opportunities and chances they get from that.
The game was over in ten minutes – from 1-0 to 3-0 so quickly. We have spoken about tactics and we can’t give them that space in-between the lines again. If we give them space, we give it to them in front of us and we have talked about that. If we do that tonight, we have a chance.”
How sad that the obvious has become so clear now!
Let’s hope that with the use of a better formation, and an emphasis on ‘pressing’ them within their own back lines, we can make better use of any possession which will be hard to gain and maintain through out the game.
Maybe it is time for Slav to model his formation structures around the abilities of the players who he has within the squad. Hit them early, hit them fast, but score early, we must!
COYI
I agree- if we stand off and defend too deep, we will concede.
Big game tonight. If we slip back in this one it could be a grim second half of the season. A good performance and maybe something can be salvaged. I really hope & pray the new signings do well so that turd Durham on Talksport can be politely asked to eat his hat on air ( some hope- no hat big enough for his bounce). Could not believe the drivel he was spouting on Monday evening. Nearly crashed the car on the way home. I know he probably doesn’t care one way or the other- it’s all about getting people wound up enough to phone in. Even so…..git.
You can imagine the conversation between Durham and Gough before the show.
“Ok, these are the two controversial/opposite views: which one do you want?”
Durham is the consumate wind up merchant and revels in it. His arrogant and superior attitude provokes the gullible to respond by phone. Not me – at least while he’s got his grubby hand on the volume control.
They are a hard team to beat, agree with Max that with the players we have in the squad the best tactic is to press them high and win the ball as close to their penalty area as possible, that way we should create chances, the other option is to shrink the pitch to 18 yards wide which would be a good way to deny them the space 😛
Tried that last time 32 look what happened. Read above