Did cost ‘The Goblin King’ a sore back.Originally Posted by reggie
Edit: A more current- Ted Lasso- reference than say… ‘Kajagoogoo’!
Did cost ‘The Goblin King’ a sore back.
Edit: A more current- Ted Lasso- reference than say… ‘Kajagoogoo’!
Last edited by Mr. Inbetween; 05-18-2023 at 06:53 AM.
For now, believe, Aime Mabika ( current status and potential ) > Lucas MacNaughton = Josh Williams.
Mabika looks great. One positive out of the last few games. I have a feeling he could become a fan favourite too. By “fan favourite” I mean if I were to get one of our hideous home shirts that’s who I’d get at this point. 😂
Last night called for something special out of our DPs. Unfortunately we’ve gotten nothing from either so far this year. That’s who really needs to step up.
Last edited by Canary10; 05-18-2023 at 06:44 AM.
Interesting use of him tactically. We are so rigid. I cannot ever recall us having Lucas or any CB forward like that while in attack. We only do it on corners.
BB should seriously think about that with Mabika.
You know who will notice that? John Herdman. CMNT do it too, with Vitoria flooding the box.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
It was a freekick that took about 4 recycles to get in to him - nice run though - Miami didn't track him.
Yes it had a bit of a broken play feel.
My point is - our guys would never do it. MacNaugton has height and, if the MFs know he might do that, they can cover.
Others have the freedom to just play soccer sometimes.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
FWIW…
Check out this tweet at [URL]https://twitter.com/mclachbot/status/1659069699500433408[/URL]
Not a bad performance.
Franklin played much better than his usual self.
Mabika displayed a lot of confidence at the back.
Insigne was excellent, with some great passes.
Fede looking better.
The team is in a rut and will eventually climb out. Take the point and move on.
Also…
Check out this tweet at [URL]https://twitter.com/mclachbot/status/1659069680466776064[/URL]
Kosi Thompson played quite well. We passed well all night, just the same problem of no production in the offensive end. Broken record, quality striker, broken record, quality striker.
It's a problem, but you expect wingers to be doing more than ours are.
Was Thomspson playing as a CB? I wasn't sure. Looked to me like we mostly had a 3 man backline last night. Or maybe he was playing as a deep midfielder. At any rate, I give Bob some credit for juggling that lineup with all the injuries.
There was a moment last night, maybe TFC, or my own, PTSD from the previous match, that after a whistle stoppage, seemed they briefly re-lined up in a formation of 5-2-3. I would say Short Shorts was in DMid mode, maybe a double pivot with Servania?
We were in a 343 for most of it, which is basically the same thing.
We also had a stretch in the second half when he switched us to 4231 which was weird.
What I would give for Bob to do this. 4-4-2 that switches to a 4-2-2-2 on attack. Get Richie in the attack!! He's so good at it.
I feel like you're saying we should get Richie into the attack.What I would give for Bob to do this. 4-4-2 that switches to a 4-2-2-2 on attack. Get Richie in the attack!! He's so good at it.
So according to those stats
Petretta played a good game
Sapong looked like he was inching closer and closer to scoring. Why was he subbed off? Should have gone at least 60 minutes.
Easily his best since he's been here.
People think that game was dogshit, but I genuinely disagree. What it was was incredibly defensive and careful, with constant pressure on the ball from both sides. We basically counter-pressed a press.
The result was if you look at the passing map the entire thing was played in the middle zone. We might as well have had man-to-man cover at times.
I just thought it was the first time this season where our players have looked focused and worked hard the entire game, where they understood the required output.
We still have no offensive fluidity or intelligence. I'm genuinely baffled as to what they're coaching offensively during the week. When Insigne got into a position to put a ball, typically, we had no one in the box yet. They are just so offensively tentative, absent Richie. Insigne was working much harder and was more effective, but both he and Bernardeschi are not used to having to read and pick out every pass, they're used to players moving into space where interceptions are difficult.
So their completion rates are quite low (and I know they're wingers; wingers usually have low pass percentages because they cross the ball a lot. Ours DO NOT, so that argument does not apply.)
I still feel, watching us play, that we're so intent on not losing, on not giving up anything defensively, that we're just always overmanned in the box, except when we manage a good fullback overlap late.
I think he took Sapong off because his distribution was shit. But that was a mistake. I'm just not seeing anything from Ayo except support play. He never takes a chance to try the backline, he just plays back to goal and dishes the ball.
My feeling watching that was, that's it for Ayo. That is the last time we see him.
Feel bad for him, serious injuries are really serious sometimes…. but it isn’t there.
He seems like a great person. Goddamn shame.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
I wouldn't feel too bad.
How does 34 year old CJ Sapongs Fitness & Stamina levels blow 23 year old Akinolas out of the water?
If a serious injury wrecked a very promising player’s career, I feel bad. Especially when it seems (just based on interviews etc) that Ayo is a good kid.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
I feel bad for that injury and the timing but I'm not sure he was any good. I think the odd world of the MLS is Back tournament and his bizarre production in it inflated his value. Remove that and what we're seeing now is pretty much his norm; slow, out of shape, always back to goal, winning zero balls, walking around, blowing chances.
Yeh, this scene comes to mind - not quite the level that occurred in this scene but the "none of us know what's going on in each other's lives" is an important reminder
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/giselleb1234/status/1656124866012094464
I agree. Nothing against him personally. As ENSCO said, seems like a good guy.
But even that MLS is back play felt kind of one dimensional. I don’t know if I’ve ever really seen the skills to justify the billing.
Hmmm... I wonder if any enterprising reporters will have the sense to try calling a few ex-players and see if they can get at least on an anonymous or background basis some description of the differences between their current and prior coaching, why they suddenly play with such freedom and abandon?
(Anyone who thinks shit like that doesn't work is, if a reporter, someone got spanked regularly by colleagues who know what they're doing. It's in how you ask things, the question order, the tone etc.)
The number of things media people WOULDN'T bother trying always massively outnumbered what they would. Most now just wait for shit to happen and then get six seconds of coverage out of it before it's across twitter.
He played really well.
It’s interesting how BB clearly favours centre halves who are mobile, can get forward and really pass (Hedges is a f-ing necessity and passes well enough but I’m guessing he’s not Bob’s ideal). Two wingbacks as CBs might have looked pretty good, hah. Richie was getting forward in the second half. After our wingers he was involved in the most actions in or into their box - playing CB. With a 20 year old mid (Kosi Thompson) filling in at CB when Richie went forward. Maibike was quite mobile as well.
Doesn’t sound like dog shit to me. If you like football that’s interesting stuff.
We did a bit of that last year but not with a wingback in central defence and a kid covering… and nothing like that as far foreword.
Last edited by los sonadores; 05-18-2023 at 10:42 PM.
Another option, previously mentioned by me, maybe Lollo in the AM/SSTKR role?
Last edited by Mr. Inbetween; 05-19-2023 at 05:55 AM.
I think the US/Canada tug of war also contributed to the value inflation. You had basically everyone hyping potential trying to entice him to commit to them. Basically it was a never ending stream of constant pleasing and praise hyping him as the next big thing in the recruitment process. Probably contributed to him getting a early first team deal at 17, as if we didn't some US team would've been encouraged to pluck him from our academy.
The hype might've created a false confidence, meanwhile guys like Tajon and Jonathan David just quietly did their thing and surpassed him
Last edited by rydermike; 05-18-2023 at 05:31 PM.
Probably true. And meanwhile he was being converted to striker and that never quite entirely worked out.
It’s astonishing how poor he’s been anywhere near goal. One would have to think that if he can score even one goal, or even get off a good and admirable shot(?) that it might lead to something. At least something more than we’ve got so far.
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