₦airaland Forum

bamdexfarms:
Point of correction, the USA never helped Russia to defeat Hitler. Operation Barbarossa (invasion of Russia) failed as a result of unwavering resistance of the Red Army, Russian winter and logistic problems encountered by the Wehrmacht. The Russians singlehandedly defeated the Nazis from their campaign in Eastern Europe.

Thanks for correcting the misrepresentation of history up there...

afrodoc2:
He did very well and was our best player I think. He broke up the play well but most of his best work was done with him running with ball.

Against better opponents his defensive positioning and ability to turn with the ball and pass it in tougher situations will be tested.

Very true...

During the game and at one point when he broke forward with the ball, I told myself that he runs with the ball because he doesn't trust his passing at first instance...A quick pass is most times better than trying to bulldoze your way forward...

Leyqute:
His options were VDB and maybe Lingard. Don’t know how that will help defensively.

He was on the touch line shouting "control" How do you control a game by bringing on Maguire when you have VDB and Lingard as options on the bench? The sub didn't make sense to me.

Leyqute:
You’d be pissed too if you were subbed off for Maguire

LOL...

I think our collapse at Villa Park was fresh in the mind of RR thus he had to make that sub...Next time, he should load the midfield instead of sunning in a defender...

nitrogen:
Played really well. I noticed he was struggling in the last 5-10 mins. Hope all is well with him.

I hope it's just a knock sha...

Fred has recorded 3 assist in our last 3 games and should have had a 4th if Bruno didn't mess up that chance...As much as I would love to see VDB getting minutes, it's definitely not going to be the case, not when Fred has just upgraded his jazz...That pass to pick out Elanga was sublime and the finish from the young lad was too notch...

3 pts in the bag...Up next, West Ham...

Afrodoc, I know it's just Brentford but what do you make of McTominay's performance?

elampiro:
McTominay is on another level. Gave the pass to Ronaldi chest......

Started the third goal...

Has been bursting forward like Ramires....

He was the man of the match...

Improved second half performance...

Bruno has been a joy to watch.

odizeey:
Vs Burnley his supposed competition was not in the squad but he was still benched.

Stop the cap

No mind that guy...

De Gea dey try for us...

Tjis team Sha. When DE Gea dey form, defense go dey mess up, when De Gea drop form, defense go step up...Can't we just have it all?

eph12:
You think that guy will start DVB?

Fingers crossed...

afrodoc2:
I have been calling for this 4-3-3 for years. The way football is now played with possession and with the way teams press these days it is the best formation in my opinion.

With regards your suggestion about midfield lineups, there is no capable 6 in the squad.

Fred and McTominay are pure 8s, Bruno and VDB are 10/8. Matic the only 6 that we have is a pensioner. Leaving only 1 out of Fred, McTominay, Matic to play 6 alone brings up serious problems.

They need to invest in CDM. Fans have been saying the same thing for years now. How blind are the people running this club?

They're obviously blind however, I rather we play Matic or any of the twins if we don't get to sign a good DM because it's of no use starting Fred and McTom yet our defense gets easily exposed...

I will like to see play VDB and Bruno as eights just to see if we will keep the ball better...

Oasis007:
Rangnick: "We have now decided to play in a 4-3-3 like we played against Aston Villa, with one holding six and two eights, with three offensive players."

The eights should be Bruno and VDB and the holding six should be one of Fred, McTom or Matic...

airmark:
Man utd or Milan fan?

In Italy, Milan is his favorite team...

Very annoying end to the game. The ref should have allowed that play on...Poor officiating.

Roland17:
Halftime 1-1

How?

Roland17:
But of course, my boy Leao scores! A well taken loop over the goalkeeper

AC Milan 1-0 Spezia
#FORZAMILAN

Leao is a very good player...

After that penalty miss, I began to wonder if it was going to be one of those days...

Skimpledawg:
Egbon mi, trust you are recovering fine.

Sure bro...

eph12:
I was also expecting RR to take off Cavani and bring in VDB. Lingard has some energy, bring him too for Elanga. Looks like RR became lost and confused

The man reacted late...

eph12:
I think Fred is pressing forward because our attackers don't have it in them., they can't press, they can't close down passing channels, they won't pass/create chances for each other. This is a big problem

If we can't press up front, isn't it sensible to remain compact in the midfield and defense rather than risk recovering the ball up front only to be exposed defensively?

Another mistake over the weekend was RR's poor reading of the game hence delayed subs...Gerrard in a bid to exert more control and attacking output brought in ball players in the midfield and attack but RR didn't respond and on time. Cavani should have been replaced by VDB while Lingard come in for Elanga with Greenwood moved up front. With VDB and Lingard (especially) you are sure of more pressing and control in the midfield...We totally surrendered possession to Villa after the hour mark or thereabout which left me wondering what the control RR talks about so often in his pressers is all about...

eph12:
Shaw has crosses in him. In fact, he crossed to Ronaldo recently that Ronaldo made a mess of. For the same tactical reason, or lack of tactics, Shaw has not been doing enough of that. That's the same excuse you're making for Telles now.

But my post was not particularly about last match. I'm still waiting for the crosses, assists and goals that was promised if Shaw and AWB were benched for Dalot and Telles.

And yes I understand your point, and you should understand mine too. We were promised crosses, and that's it. Last match was not the only match they have played

Telles has a better cross in him than Shaw and with him, you are sure of 2-3 good crosses per game. One thing is certain, not every good cross leads to a goal...I have no qualms with Shaw as he has 8t in him but AWB is not just it...

I am not judging our players using whatever happened during Ole's reign but from when Rangnick took over and even then, RR opted for a strange 4-2-2-2 that had the whole team struggling. I just hope he reverts to a proper 4-2-3-1 that has 2 DMs or a DM and CM who can help us retain possession. The idea of Fred pressing forward especially when he is paired with Matic is one tweak that is not sustainable as Matic just doesn't have the legs to over when we are attacked through the middle and Fred is out of position.

I rather have us play 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 where our full backs have the license to bomb forward and we have our wing men tucking in to see us have more bodies in the box...

Skimpledawg:
Bros, I just can't talk about Alonso. Almost all the time I was on the edge as soon as the ball found its way to his wing. But, he later grew into the game.

I wouldn't fault the Kova - Kante partnership today that much cos we've seen what they can do. Kante missed KDB by few seconds that normally he would have gotten and saved the team.

Our front three was what let us down today and not really the middle pack.

See all the balls Lukaku got today for instance from the same midfield that he fluffed time and time again.

Ziyech playing like he should have gone for Afcon and Pulisic running everywhere doing nothing.

Spot on...

eph12:
Oh and the game before? and the one before that? How many crosses, assists, goals from both? Or its now tactical decisions?

You asked a question and I explained what I observed to you and now you're back with another question as if you didn't see some of those games to know that Shaw and AWB were preferred and even when Telles and Dalot played, we opted for 4 2 2 2 which saw the whole team struggling...We only reverted to 4 2 3 1 in the Fa Cup game and the game on Saturday and in those games, for some reason, Rangnick rather instructed Fred to press forward meaning Dalot can't bomb forward as usual as we will be open to counters...Maybe you should go back and watch our game again to understand my earlier reply...

The essence of 4 2 3 1 or 4 3 3 is to give the full backs the license to bomb forward while the wingers play as inverted forwards but here, we rather see Fred pressing high up the pitch meaning Dalot has to be cautious in his offensive play.

Mrviktor:
Bruno was covering for Fred..

Fred was pressing for Bruno


The problem came when matic was tired.

They just ran us down nd took their chances..



Greenwood should have killed d game off too if he passed d ball.

Bruno is poor at marking and positional play even though he covers a lot of distance...

Talking about Greenwood, I noticed from the replay that once he gets the ball, he makes up his mind to go for goal so, he doesn't even raise his head up to see if someone else is better positioned...It's one part of his game he needs to change...

eph12:
How is that myth about Telles and Dalot supplying crosses and assists coming?

Telles sent in some very good crosses yesterday one of which resulted in a shot from Greenwood which Martinez did well to save.

Dalot not bombing forward looks like a tactical decision because I noticed that Fred was instead given the license to press forward and that contributed to our midfield being dominated because Fred couldn't fall back into position as quickly as Aston Villa attacked thus Matic was left isolated most times.

See VDB wey the mad man dey bench...

What is the usefulness of playing Matic and Fred?

Gerrard was making positive subs, our coach was sitting there like zombie...

What exactly is the point in playing Matic and Fred when we are still so open through the middle? Abeg nothing anybody go tell me, VDB can not be any worse than Fred...

Where is the control Rangnick keeps talking about? At 2 goals up, control the game ffs...

eph12:
Somebody said Bruno will have a man of the match performance today. LMAO looks like with Ronaldo on the pitch Bruno can't score those goals he's known for

I think it was a reference to the formation change rather than the absence of Ronaldo that preempted the comment.

slimghost:
Very lively but I worry about this quality in the final 3rd. Not sold on the lad yet.

He will only get better from here...