Match Day 14 - TFC @ Austin - Sat May 20 8:39pm - I Have Nothing But Pride

[OgtheDim]

We remain a shambles.

His tactics remain a mistake for this team. We're playing a team with five men pressing us high, and we're still setting up through the drop-back six, as if Michael were here.

It's just fucking woeful to watch.

Jloome, did you see the second half? We weren't doing that for the last 45..

BB actually got it right in the second half - we started playing it out wide.

Chaos goal gets them the result but Austin in the second half did not look like scoring - nor did we. Neither team is all that good.

*********

A lot of people at the beginning of this game saying we were going to get shelled.

We wern't. Almost stole a point.

I get it...some people in here were waiting 90+ minutes to write "I Hate this!" I'm not happy either. Its not good enough & our 2 DP's are not worth their pay this season.

But that was not Armas ball pathetic.

I'm out till tomorrow...

[Amir.]

1 win 2 draws 5 losses without Michael Bradley...need a solution for central midfield...all three dps havent been good enough and need to step up...hedges is a beast and one of the only bright spots right now

[SoccMan2]

Best move Bradley did all night was take Bernadeschi off , guy looked lost out there and is a give away machine , it’s really embarrassing to watch a guy still in his prime and with his pedigree play like he has been playing most of this season . Moreover, Insigne has been just as bad I have no words to explain how bad these two guys have been so far this season .

[Bushmancan]

^^^I am glad we didnt steal a point in hindsight, then we would be saying not so bad. WE DIDN’T HAVE A SHOT ON GOAL. This isn’t the MLS cup and we are playing for penalties. Either the veterans step up or sit them and play TFCII. It was great to see Hedges back.

[Soccerpro]

After watching game #1 last year, it was obvious that a #6 ball winner was required (think Andreas Cubas in Vancouver).

For some reason, BB has been cool with opposing teams steamrolling through our midfield for the last two years. Only he can answer why. We've never won the midfield battle since BB arrived. Why BB and so many others are fine with ignoring that major reason as to why we're so uncompetitive has been baffling to me.

Other obvious issues: Lack of a solid MLS goal scorer. Jimenez was a decent striker but seemed to fall out of favour at the club. Dimonande (who hasn't played much on his 4 teams in the last 2 years) and Akinola (who is a fat, out-of-shape, terrible soccer player who would be lucky to be in CPL) was our forward line before BB brought in 34 year old Sapong, who is an average MLS striker.

Besides Laryea, we also have absolutely no width. Opposition teams just pack the middle and we can't do much about it.

MAK has been a shadow of himself since coming to TFC. Osorio also hasn't been the same since his serious head injury a year ago.

The Italians are clearly frustrated. Signing two DP wingers, who don't stretch the field and lack the pace to be 1v1 threats was also a very bad sporting decision.

Think about it, 2 DP wingers? Why???

Several players we start every match have no business being in MLS.

To summarize:

We are old, unbalanced, overpaid, and broken.

[Ultra & Proud]

Jloome, did you see the second half? We weren't doing that for the last 45..

But that was not Armas ball pathetic.

With Armas ball we created chances and had shots. This team is playing worse than that one but with better players.

If you Play a match anywhere, give up everything, do nothing, and your hope is a scoreless draw with the highest paid team in the league then you need to look in the mirror.

Austin isn't a good team either and they missing their main good player.

[Oldtimer]

Ratings, defence 7/10, offence 0/10, substitutions 6/10, referee 6/10 (handled potential violent situation well). BB overall 3/10. Someone like Vanney would have adjusted the formation to be able to pull off a tie, BB is too inflexible for a situation like this.

[Ultra & Proud]

Someone like Vanney would have adjusted the formation to be able to pull off a tie

Well he'll be available tomorrow probably.

[reggie]

this is year one level crap

[Red CB Toronto]

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/TorontoFC/status/1660068148240949249

What is up with TFC listing 9 on the bench Saturday, is that two too many or am I missing something here?

[Amir.]

nine allowed in mls

[Soccerpro]

Ratings, defence 7/10, offence 0/10, substitutions 6/10, referee 6/10 (handled potential violent situation well). BB overall 3/10. Someone like Vanney would have adjusted the formation to be able to pull off a tie, BB is too inflexible for a situation like this.

His team is currently in last place in the West with some great players on his team.

[Mr. Inbetween]

On SJ; all the time in the world. Various angles…

Check out this tweet at [URL]https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1660110377915674625[/URL]

[noxx98]

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/plattoli/status/1660129050038267904

Shots fired...

[ag futbol]

I thought the defence played quite well tonight. Attack wise we are beyond hopeless. There is no way we have a coherent plan in that area. It’s basically “throw it out wide and someone bottle the magic” every time.

The party line that’s coming out about injuries is ridiculous. Why should we wait around for everyone to get healthy when they couldn’t even win games as a first choice 11?

[Areathrasher]

https://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro/sta...SLJuXPYdA&s=19


Heh

[jloome]

https://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro/sta...SLJuXPYdA&s=19


Heh

It's all tendencies and trusting players to see opportunities then?

I mean it's not like we haven't seen that from other MLS managers like Mariner and Mo.

[Mr. Inbetween]

For the record, seems Insigne was not on the flight…

Check out this tweet at [URL]https://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro/status/1660069106253455360[/URL]

[FiveThreeTwo]

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/plattoli/status/1660129050038267904

Shots fired...

At least he confirms what many folks on here have been saying for a while about there being a lack of specific moves and plays, or just a basic foundation of movements that the team can build off of in the buildup or final thirds. It would also explain why when he switches to a more youth/TFC2 lineup they look like lost puppy dogs out there having no reference point/chemistry to build plays and really just yolo around the pitch hoping to find an opportunity. Brutal

That still doesn't change from my view that berna's has been sub-par with sloppy uninspiring play... the lost balls, overdribbling, tough passes and just giving up on plays and walking around as the opponents counter attack off a ball they just stole from him/his peers- and probably deserved a sub-off as a wakeup call at somepoint.

Like someone else mentioned earlier... if Berna and Insigne feel there's a lack of direction and ownership of setting up a basic tactical framework from Bob and his coaching staff (and they start just ignoring him), I'm wondering how long before these two start doing their own coaching on the field with all the young guys on the pitch and just start ignoring Bob on ingame adjustments or calls (if there any). That's a good way to loose a locker room if he hasn't, and MB4 isn't going to be on the field to regulate. Either way it feels like were coming to a head if things don't change - and Berna speaking out like that feels like a pretty big shot

[Red CB Toronto]

nine allowed in mls

18 is the norm, when did 9 come into MLS, have never seen TFC dress that many?

[Amir.]

around covid time they increased and it is now that

[noxx98]

18 is the norm, when did 9 come into MLS, have never seen TFC dress that many?

Pulled up a random box score from this year... https://theathletic.com/football/gam...P6EPHwojBqjwu/ I think the 9 subs became the norm post COVID.
Liverpool also had 9 on the bench today: https://www.google.com/search?q=live..._tc;ln;fp;1;;;

[Amir.]

vs philly for example both teams had nine subs

https://www.transfermarkt.com/philad...ericht/3993748

[Slick]

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/plattoli/status/1660129050038267904

Shots fired...

Good for him. This has got to be Bob's last game.

[notthesun]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/arti...ed-toronto-fc/

Bernardeschi, speaking to reporters in a virtual availability after the game, praised his teammates saying they had left it all out on the field.

But the former Juventus player, who wears his heart on his sleeve, then seemed to take square aim at Bradley's tactics.
"We don't play," the Italian star, the fourth-highest-paid player in the league at US$6.295 million this season, said in English. "We play long pass. We don't have an idea to play."

"I think this city, the fans, everybody, don't deserve this," he added. "And I think maybe we need to change something. We need a little bit more tactics. We need an idea how we play, because this is the real problem for me. It's impossible to play like this when we play without idea."

Asked whether the problem was in executing the game plan or the game plan itself, Bernardeschi replied: "We don't have a construction in the game. When the player has the ball, we don't know how to pass the ball. This is the real problem. Because we don't train that.

"We lose every game. We tie, we lose, we tie, we lose. Sometimes we win. But I can't believe this, sincerely. This is no good for the young players. They need to get better and grow up with an idea of football … We need the idea of football."

Fucking yikes.

[jloome]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/arti...ed-toronto-fc/



Fucking yikes.

It's Mo/Mariner ball all over again. They teach them to work in triangles, they teach them to attack from the top corners of the box as the most dangerous zones, and to overlap and support.

But they don't prescribe/plan their offensive movement. I know that sounds mind boggling but this seems to come up a lot with managers who developed in MLS. They trust the players to read the game and take the opportunities... but that's incredibly fucking naive, basically expecting any level of pro to play what amounts to Total Football.

I'm horrified if that's what's going on here. Our player base is too diverse in talent to have no guidance in the offensive zone other than the basics.

Good, modern managers put together patterns of movement and shifting the ball to move defenders out of position and create imbalances or mismatches. These guys manage like NCAA. IT's just tactically insufficient to the level the league is now at. If we had a more balanced lineup, ala LAFC, we would just win more with this style because the 1-on-1 matchups would fall to us.

But we don't have a squad as deep or talented as them. We have a top-heavy squad. WE need more rigidity and planning to make up for that.

But I don't think he knows how to coach that way. We clearly need a Tata-style adaptive coach. Not just in shape on gameday, but in depth of training and preparation for each opponent.

[los sonadores]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/arti...ed-toronto-fc/



Fucking yikes.

Saw the game late… we managed to get through the poor, over-run first half and make the necessary adjustments to push higher. I thought even though they had Rigoni, Zsardes and Fagundez to bring on and we had… who the hell was that? A point out of the game would not have been unjust. 92nd minute, fuck that’s tough.

But Bernie in the press conference… that’s got to be one Italian officially in mutiny. We’ll see what’s said tomorrow but I can’t see how that’s not calling for a change of manager.

[los sonadores]

It's Mo/Mariner ball all over again. They teach them to work in triangles, they teach them to attack from the top corners of the box as the most dangerous zones, and to overlap and support.

But they don't prescribe/plan their offensive movement. I know that sounds mind boggling but this seems to come up a lot with managers who developed in MLS. They trust the players to read the game and take the opportunities... but that's incredibly fucking naive, basically expecting any level of pro to play what amounts to Total Football.

I'm horrified if that's what's going on here. Our player base is too diverse in talent to have no guidance in the offensive zone other than the basics.

Good, modern managers put together patterns of movement and shifting the ball to move defenders out of position and create imbalances or mismatches. These guys manage like NCAA. IT's just tactically insufficient to the level the league is now at. If we had a more balanced lineup, ala LAFC, we would just win more with this style because the 1-on-1 matchups would fall to us.

But we don't have a squad as deep or talented as them. We have a top-heavy squad. WE need more rigidity and planning to make up for that.

But I don't think he knows how to coach that way. We clearly need a Tata-style adaptive coach. Not just in shape on gameday, but in depth of training and preparation for each opponent.

That does sound nuts!

Edit: I’ve been listening to Bradley during the after match questions and he doesn’t often have much to say about tactics… there is a sort of dumbness there (“this happened and then this happened and then this happened”) but it’s difficult to believe that there is no attempt to train pattens of movement, and to prepare for specific opponents, etc… except to see the static-ness of our attack (which was true even when we were winning after the Italians arrived last year). “We have no idea of football” is pretty damning.

Okay, I’m with you. Tata for a season. Otherwise, I shudder to think about who Manning’s next choice will be. And the problem is that who has any idea how to replace Manning? which is really what needs to happen. How many American corporate suits who also would have to deal with the Argos know anything much about football? Certainly the upper management who would be hiring this person knows very little. This is the problem with a deathly slow moving mega-corporate ownership. When things happen to fall into place (almost by chance) the flowing money is much to our advantage.

[portu]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/arti...ed-toronto-fc/



Fucking yikes.

Rare to see a quote actually be worse than the Twitter snippet.

"Fire BB" without saying "Fire BB" from Fede here.

[Mr. Inbetween]

... But Bernie in the press conference… that’s got to be one Italian officially in mutiny. We’ll see what’s said tomorrow but I can’t see how that’s not calling for a change of manager.

Let's see if BBradly just got fragged? Have not reviewed all BBradley post match comments. Though he seemed to not want to add any confrontational fuel to any fire from the few I did; in a damage control or CYOA mode. Interesting to see in the next few days if anything plays out; walk backs like Fede was just misunderstood, etc.

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/Gian_411/status/1660116438697353218