Our formation

[Bertie Wooster]

I'll add to the previous post - there is absolutely nothing wrong with Santos, IMO he's our best player. The stick he got last Saturday was ridiculous, the standing on the ball etc. this was because no one in front of him was moving, he had no options at all, none - he had no one in front of him to pass to.

If we had the funds (either Evatt or a new Manager), I'd be looking to bring in at least 2 new starting midfielders as a minimum, as midfield is our weak link.

Santos is our captain. He was in the middle of what was happening. He and Evatt deserve the stick they got. Find a solution!

He's a defender (and a good one at that), he's not a fecking Quarter Back dictating the play - Evatt deserves the stick for using Santos as a QB all game, as his main creative option - it just sums up Evatt's lack of creative options & ideas. A defender is their to defend not be a Pirlo or a Gerrard.

[officer_dibble]

He’s a good one when he’s on form. He’s pretty inconsistent…just like the team he captains. Barnsley over two legs, first leg he was brilliant, imperious. Second he was bullied and an absolute mess. For me we need a consistent 8/10 man at centre half and we need a leader - he’s the one to replace.

[Bertie Wooster]

He’s a good one when he’s on form. He’s pretty inconsistent…just like the team he captains. Barnsley over two legs, first leg he was brilliant, imperious. Second he was bullied and an absolute mess. For me we need a consistent 8/10 man at centre half and we need a leader - he’s the one to replace.

It's all about opinions Dibs, I just think that he's being asked to do to much with Evatt's tactics. Let him just defend, he's been carrying a calf injury for the last 2-3 months and looked like he had lead boots on at Wembley, however when he's fully fit he's one of the best CB's in the league & I doubt that we would get any better unless there is decent money to spend.

We have far bigger issues a than Santos IMO, if we had a decent midfield that actually moved in front of him he would be fine....the expectation that his job is to defend and then create & play like Van Dyke is madness (IMO), let him win the ball and then play a short pass to a midfielder in space & let them create. It's Evatt's shite tactics at fault not Santos.

[officer_dibble]

Yeah it is opinions mate, totally respect the majority I see on here. I would say as the spare centre half in a three he has a lower workload than the others…but yeah he’s being asked to be a b-tech baresi and spray it about…but with league one legs and brain.

[Bertie Wooster]

Yeah it is opinions mate, totally respect the majority I see on here. I would say as the spare centre half in a three he has a lower workload than the others…but yeah he’s being asked to be a b-tech baresi and spray it about…but with league one legs and brain.

Spot on.

[TANGODANCER]

Having watched our games, England men and women and the youth teams at play, there's a worrying sameness creeping into all the game plans. Even Bosnia tried to emulate the same dollying about at the back to keep possession to draw defences out then wellying high balls to where strikers might happen to be. Using the keeper as twelfth man is also about as new as La Ligua 1990. Add the fact that fouling, tripping and shirt-grabbing is more like tag-team wrestling than football, and the whole match experience is containing long periods of anything positive happening. Up to half-time , last nights England game was verging on boring. Despite all else, the seems to be a much higher injury factor than for quite a while.

I think it's about time the Referees Association had a serious meeting to define a few new-old rules back in the game. Some of the decisions are blatantly wrong. Okay, that's it.

[Worthy4England]

^^ Bit like being bought up on Motorhead, to be told by your kids Greenday are a rock band...

[BWFC_Insane]

I’m agreeing with TD here. Modern top flight or high level football is excruciatingly dull now. You get the odd exception. Liverpool at their best under Klopp played some really exciting stuff. But mostly it’s dull.

FA cup final being a good example. One side playing technical football and trying to send everyone into a coma. The other sitting deep and breaking with pace.

There is no full throttle transitional games that put hairs on your neck now. It’s two teams either sitting deep or ‘defending with the ball’.

If you enjoy that fair play.

[Mar]

I’m agreeing with TD here. Modern top flight or high level football is excruciatingly dull now. You get the odd exception. Liverpool at their best under Klopp played some really exciting stuff. But mostly it’s dull.

FA cup final being a good example. One side playing technical football and trying to send everyone into a coma. The other sitting deep and breaking with pace.

There is no full throttle transitional games that put hairs on your neck now. It’s two teams either sitting deep or ‘defending with the ball’.

If you enjoy that fair play.

I think Liverpool were exciting under Klopp for the simple fact that Klopp set out to entertain and that he had a duty to entertain. Unfortunately in that early season of his they couldn't sustain the tempo throughout but it was decent as far as an end product goes.

The type of football that Klopp and Pep and Evatt showcase can be great when attacking, but when the teams sit back and just kill off a game by passing around at the back it becomes ever so tedious. I never particularly enjoyed watching Messi and Barca when they'd dominate possession with passing, sure there were enjoyable moments but its not like it helped make the game competitive.

The frustrating thing is that the game can get really exciting when the teams have to go for it. When we didn't, like Oxford, its just turns out... shi*

[TANGODANCER]

Glad it isn't just me then that finds top-end levels of football in decline. Worthy's Motorhead comparison is near enough it. Accepting the fact that climate and temperature are relevant factors and you can't play 100 miles an hour football for ninety minutes non-stop, the Italians, and to some extent the Spanish have taken a lot of the fight factor out of the game and replaced it with "Ole" ball, meaningless pass the parcel possession stuff where not conceding goals seem more important than scoring them.

A good old-fashioned scrap where a foul is a foul and winning is still a big pride factor, is eminently preferable to clean sheets and nil-nil bore factors. Where have the Tommy Banks, Dave Mackays, and the Tony Adams, Smith and Case tough guys gone today? Even Big Sam's "Don't shoot till you are in the box" orders restricted the magical talents of J.J.Okocha's mind-bending skills against the dread of losing the ball. Let's have a bit more Richard Sneekes "put the laces through it " and get back to real football.

[BWFC_Insane]

I’m agreeing with TD here. Modern top flight or high level football is excruciatingly dull now. You get the odd exception. Liverpool at their best under Klopp played some really exciting stuff. But mostly it’s dull.

FA cup final being a good example. One side playing technical football and trying to send everyone into a coma. The other sitting deep and breaking with pace.

There is no full throttle transitional games that put hairs on your neck now. It’s two teams either sitting deep or ‘defending with the ball’.

If you enjoy that fair play.

I think Liverpool were exciting under Klopp for the simple fact that Klopp set out to entertain and that he had a duty to entertain. Unfortunately in that early season of his they couldn't sustain the tempo throughout but it was decent as far as an end product goes.

The type of football that Klopp and Pep and Evatt showcase can be great when attacking, but when the teams sit back and just kill off a game by passing around at the back it becomes ever so tedious. I never particularly enjoyed watching Messi and Barca when they'd dominate possession with passing, sure there were enjoyable moments but its not like it helped make the game competitive.

The frustrating thing is that the game can get really exciting when the teams have to go for it. When we didn't, like Oxford, its just turns out... shi*

I don’t think you can put Liverpool and City in the same bracket. City have the best team in Europe or certainly are right up there any given year.

They are superb at what they do. The best at it. But what they do is not often particularly exciting to watch. You can admire it. For how good it is. How good their players are for sure.

Liverpool play that higher tempo, counter punch, direct German style of football at their best. It’s a good watch when it’s in full flow.

But the lack of variety is very dull now. Everyone is broadly trying to be city and if they aren’t good enough at their respective level they essentially become a ‘low block’ spoil the game side or just a bunch of hard running press merchants.

You go back a decade or two and you have really interesting games between different sorts of teams and players that were interesting to watch on an individual basis. I feel this is massively diminished now. Some outstanding players sure but they ‘stand out’ a lot less, because it’s all technical coaching that reduces the impact of individual talent.

[TANGODANCER]

I think I may have invented a new term "Ole-ball"......

[Worthy4England]

Unfortunately the style often reminds me of 1980s Italian play out from the back when it lacks intensity. As others say, not just a criticsm of us. But I really struggle with it.