David Moyes' Claret and Blue Army!

[jabbaglob123]

Yet some of his biggest successes were with the skillful Spaniard Arteta, the South African Steven Pienaar and the Nigerians Yakubu and Yobo. In contrast his flops include James Beattie, Croatian Vlasic and the Dane Per Koldrup.

Why do you keep comparing to teams Moyes managed 20 years ago. Completely and totally irrelevant to the debate.

[Hammer.CA]

Why do you keep comparing to teams Moyes managed 20 years ago. Completely and totally irrelevant to the debate.

You’re new here aren’t you?

[snooperpooper]

Not quite sure who's taking the piss more here, The Times for employing DM as a pundit on how to beat teams, or DM for trying to tell us how to beat teams

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how- ... -hlbpt5720

[Ozza]

Why do you keep comparing to teams Moyes managed 20 years ago. Completely and totally irrelevant to the debate.

At least his points are based on some facts rather than made up b*llocks

[Tezza65]

At least his points are based on some facts rather than made up b*llocks

20 years is along time in Football.You have to move with the times I'm afraid.Moyes's tactics have been worked out and that is the reason why we have been struggling for nearly a year.It's a real shame that Moyes will not change his philosophy. Let's just celebrate that Europa League Semi Final for the next 10 years,aye.

[YorksHammer]

Not quite sure who's taking the piss more here, The Times for employing DM as a pundit on how to beat teams, or DM for trying to tell us how to beat teams

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how- ... -hlbpt5720

I am in Florida at the moment

Well, I guess that puts to bed the rumours he was in Qatar on holiday.

[Doc H Ball]

Well, I guess that puts to bed the rumours he was in Qatar on holiday.

Apparently he was going to Qatar but was put off when he learned they didn’t speak English so he went to Florida where they do, almost.

[S-H]

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

Checks thread title. Yep, it definitely says claret and blue, not blue and white.

[MB]

Well, I guess that puts to bed the rumours he was in Qatar on holiday.

You’d think he’d have had enough of Mickey Mouse this season

[Ironing Board]

20 years is along time in Football.You have to move with the times I'm afraid.Moyes's tactics have been worked out and that is the reason why we have been struggling for nearly a year.It's a real shame that Moyes will not change his philosophy. Let's just celebrate that Europa League Semi Final for the next 10 years,aye.

I'm not sure how the passage of time has any effect on whether he can coach players from other countries. The idea was he can only coach British and Northern Europeans but his record does not bear this out. In fact he brought in guys from places as far flung as the U.S. and China and has always been quite keen to experiment in untapped markets. Even here he brought in the Czech lads who nobody had heard of before.

[westham,eggyandchips]

Have we been over-performing for the last two seasons and now we're under-performing this season?

[Tezza65]

"I'm not sure how the passage of time has any effect on whether he can coach players from other countries. The idea was he can only coach British and Northern Europeans but his record does not bear this out".

Where did I mention anything about this in my comment?

[Beavis Danzig]

Have we been over-performing for the last two seasons and now we're under-performing this season?

watching this WC and the league so far i think we've been caught out by a meta-shift in football. previously, the underdog play a low block and try and spring chances on the counter, now it seems for a lesser team the best approach is to play a mid block and press like hell, making up for lack of individual ability with pure athletisism. rather than sitting deep and challenging a team of superior players to break you down, you simply don't let them play their game by being as in their face and disruptive as possible. then when you do pinch the ball you're in a much better place to spring a threaded through counter rather than having your winger chasing a high ball over his shoulder.

makes the game far more enjoyable to watch too. teams like the saudis would've just spent 90 minutes camped in their box against argentina not long ago.

we've particularly suffered from this as there are two things we don't do well at all, pressing and being pressed.

[DusseldorfHammer]

watching this WC and the league so far i think we've been caught out by a meta-shift in football. previously, the underdog play a low block and try and spring chances on the counter, now it seems for a lesser team the best approach is to play a mid block and press like hell, making up for lack of individual ability with pure athletisism. rather than sitting deep and challenging a team of superior players to break you down, you simply don't let them play their game by being as in their face and disruptive as possible. then when you do pinch the ball you're in a much better place to spring a threaded through counter rather than having your winger chasing a high ball over his shoulder.

makes the game far more enjoyable to watch too. teams like the saudis would've just spent 90 minutes camped in their box against argentina not long ago.

The Saudis just had 30% of possession and only 3 shots against Argentina. Not a good comparison.

[Beavis Danzig]

The Saudis just had 30% of possession and only 3 shots against Argentina. Not a good comparison.

did you watch the game at all? it was the perfect example of how setting a mid block and pressing like hell can overcome a massive gulf in ability. if they sat deep and let messi and friends dictate how and when they wanted to carve them open then it wouldn't have been a game at all.

[1895Hammer]

did you watch the game at all? it was the perfect example of how setting a mid block and pressing like hell can overcome a massive gulf in ability. if they sat deep and let messi and friends dictate how and when they wanted to carve them open then it wouldn't have been a game at all.

Agreed, the Argentina possession was deeper and disrupted as a result of Saudi pressure. I’d have expected a siege of the Saudi goal, it didn’t happen, even the disallowed goals were more breakaways. So far pace and athleticism are levelling things up in Qatar against all but the very top sides, the Yanks against us yesterday as example, their midfield is technically inferior but swarmed all over us and were prepared to risk getting early forward passes in. I think it’s one of the reasons we look so slow in open play, we have too few quick athletes and don’t move the ball fast enough. Five subs helps the plan too, let 2 or 3 gas themselves in 60 minutes to be replaced by more athletes, you’ve still got sub options.

[MB]

I don’t think there is a set way as much as it is important that you have all the tools you need to play the way you want to.

Mid block, low block are fairly irrelevant. What is important is winning the ball back and transitioning quickly before the other team has a chance to regroup if you are going to play low possession football.

It is our transition play which has suffered since he who shall not be named left. It forces Rice to be a ball carrier and we’ve lost the zing in our counters. By the time we get into the opposition’s half they are set and ready. We are pedestrian.

Watching Iran, Saudi and the US play then it is more about the pace and movement once they have won the ball rather than how they defend.

[El brooko79]

I don’t think there is a set way as much as it is important that you have all the tools you need to play the way you want to.

Exactly.
Don't play a low block if you lack pace up top.
To press high with a high line if you don't have pace at the back.

Oh wait here lies a problem.

We are going to have to find a compromise somewhere in between.
If you do find yourself without the tool you need after big investment you have to ask why.

[1895Hammer]

Exactly.
Don't play a low block if you lack pace up top.
To press high with a high line if you don't have pace at the back.

Oh wait here lies a problem.

We are going to have to find a compromise somewhere in between.
If you do find yourself without the tool you need after big investment you have to ask why.

Agreed, as of today we just don’t seem to know what our preferred system is, and seem to have recruited with no real pattern in mind, albeit individually the players have quality. Mad though it sounds I think we need to repeat this summers spend whatever system we are going for, quality full or wing backs, another centre back, another central midfielder, a striker to replace Antonio and another wide forward to be truly competitive, and it’s 2 in midfield if Rice goes. Maybe Moyes thinks he’ll still be there with another big kitty next summer and accepts it’s a 2 year job ?