Carlo Ancelotti

[Btay]

On 13/12/2020 at 10:07, Romey 1878 said:

Yeah, he had it wrong for weeks but tonight it was a perfect game plan and formation.

The 3 at the back nonsense will hopefully we done with now. Tonight the players looked organised and like they knew their roles. Shock, horror!

I agree. Although - I’m a big big fan of the 3 at the back but it needs the right players and we tried it when we had those players out injured. 
Great to see a clean sheet as well. Hopefully we are building some nice momentum into a busy period. 1 win off the top 4 so hopefully we can fight for some big points - get a player or 2 in the window and really kick on.

[Romey 1878]

52 minutes ago, Btay said:

I agree. Although - I’m a big big fan of the 3 at the back but it needs the right players and we tried it when we had those players out injured. 
Great to see a clean sheet as well. Hopefully we are building some nice momentum into a busy period. 1 win off the top 4 so hopefully we can fight for some big points - get a player or 2 in the window and really kick on.

I don't think it suits us even with the likes of Digne and Coleman because our CB's can't play it. It's about them for me and nothing else.

If we have CB's capable of it then that's a different story and gives us a different way of playing but until then it just needs to be forgotten about.

[Btay]

40 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

I don't think it suits us even with the likes of Digne and Coleman because our CB's can't play it. It's about them for me and nothing else.

If we have CB's capable of it then that's a different story and gives us a different way of playing but until then it just needs to be forgotten about.

Godfrey and Holgate are the types you want in a 3 in my opinion. Mina and Keane - absolutely not. 
 

Regardless, I don’t mind the flat 4 right now. We’ve got goals in us I just hate seeing us concede every week. It’s boring but I’d rather see us win 2-0 then 4-3.

[Romey 1878]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/dec/15/carlo-ancelotti-vows-to-make-everton-compete-at-top-to-repay-moshiri 

[markjazzbassist]

He got it right again today.  Tactics to let them have the ball and counter worked.  They couldn’t get through us, 2 games in a row against quality teams.  Arsenal and United will be more tough tests but we are moving in the right direction.

[Romey 1878]

5 hours ago, markjazzbassist said:

He got it right again today.  Tactics to let them have the ball and counter worked.  They couldn’t get through us, 2 games in a row against quality teams.  Arsenal and United will be more tough tests but we are moving in the right direction.

We've got to play on Arsenal's insecurities so I hope we go for it a little bit more (as said in the matchday thread). If they go behind they could fall apart, and we'll have the added bonus of having fans in the ground to get at them as well.

[Palfy]

5 hours ago, Romey 1878 said:

We've got to play on Arsenal's insecurities so I hope we go for it a little bit more (as said in the matchday thread). If they go behind they could fall apart, and we'll have the added bonus of having fans in the ground to get at them as well.

Agreed you shouldn’t show Arsenal to much respect they are masters at finding there way through the tightest defences with short intricate passes, take it to them without being to gun ho and test there back line, if we can get the an early goal who knows we might get a hat full.

[chicagoblue]

100% need to get on the ball and dominate them.   Don't give them any hope.  Early goal and they'll really struggle.

[StevO]

5 hours ago, Palfy said:

Agreed you shouldn’t show Arsenal to much respect they are masters at finding there way through the tightest defences with short intricate passes, take it to them without being to gun ho and test there back line, if we can get the an early goal who knows we might get a hat full.

They don’t do that so much anymore. Arteta keeps talking about getting more crosses in the box will make more goals for them. If they try that against us with Keane and Mina at the back I can’t see them having too much luck. 

[markjazzbassist]

1 hour ago, StevO said:

They don’t do that so much anymore. Arteta keeps talking about getting more crosses in the box will make more goals for them. If they try that against us with Keane and Mina at the back I can’t see them having too much luck. 

I was going to say the same.  The days of arsenals silky midfield with wenger are long gone.  Auba and Lacazetta I’d be worried about but that’s about it.  

[Romey 1878]

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12162449/carlo-ancelottis-ambition-has-everton-on-right-track-as-italian-prepares-to-mark-one-year-anniversary

[Bailey]

On 17/12/2020 at 15:10, Palfy said:

Agreed you shouldn’t show Arsenal to much respect they are masters at finding there way through the tightest defences with short intricate passes, take it to them without being to gun ho and test there back line, if we can get the an early goal who knows we might get a hat full.

That Arsenal side was about 5 years ago Palfy! 

Against Spurs they went all Moyes and crossed them to death. 

At the moment you can play them and as long as you are organised they won't create many chances. If you open up, they still have the players to finish the chances. 

Invite them on to us, defend like we have and then pick them off. 

[Palfy]

1 hour ago, Bailey said:

That Arsenal side was about 5 years ago Palfy! 

Against Spurs they went all Moyes and crossed them to death. 

At the moment you can play them and as long as you are organised they won't create many chances. If you open up, they still have the players to finish the chances. 

Invite them on to us, defend like we have and then pick them off. 

They weren’t like that against Southampton Arteta rung the changes in personnel and they played the ball on the floor very Wengeress, looks like he’s fighting for his job by changing his tactics which obviously weren’t working. 

[StevO]

5 hours ago, Palfy said:

They weren’t like that against Southampton Arteta rung the changes in personnel and they played the ball on the floor very Wengeress, looks like he’s fighting for his job by changing his tactics which obviously weren’t working. 

They might done that, but they only had 35% of the ball, managed to have 9 shots, but gave away 13 shots. So even his change of tactics didn’t work. I think Arteta is out of his depth personally. 
They aren’t a team we should be worrying about. Should be a game our players are looking forward to. The chance of three wins back to back, against Chelsea, Leicester and Arsenal should be exciting for them. And then follow it up with the cup game. Im excited anyway!

[Btay]

4 minutes ago, StevO said:

They might done that, but they only had 35% of the ball, managed to have 9 shots, but gave away 13 shots. So even his change of tactics didn’t work. I think Arteta is out of his depth personally. 
They aren’t a team we should be worrying about. Should be a game our players are looking forward to. The chance of three wins back to back, against Chelsea, Leicester and Arsenal should be exciting for them. And then follow it up with the cup game. Im excited anyway!

Two teams in pretty similar spots last year when new managers came in. Looks like we’ve progressed however they have won a trophy. Strange but I’d probably rather be in our position than theres, despite our wait for a trophy.

[markjazzbassist]

1 minute ago, Btay said:

Two teams in pretty similar spots last year when new managers came in. Looks like we’ve progressed however they have won a trophy. Strange but I’d probably rather be in our position than theres, despite our wait for a trophy.

Good post.  I think their issues have mostly been recruitment IMO, 72m on Pepe a prime example.  We have bettered them in the last few years.  Honestly I think all the arsenal free fall shows how well wenger was doing.  He was skint and put together great sides, they have splashed the money more since he left and been worse.

[Btay]

44 minutes ago, markjazzbassist said:

Good post.  I think their issues have mostly been recruitment IMO, 72m on Pepe a prime example.  We have bettered them in the last few years.  Honestly I think all the arsenal free fall shows how well wenger was doing.  He was skint and put together great sides, they have splashed the money more since he left and been worse.

Think their recruiting has been largely poor for a long time. Back to when they bought Arteta off us is when it began in my opinion - I love Arteta but he wasn’t fantastic when we sold him and I thought it was strange a “top 4” team was after him at that age & level of performances.

An injury to Auba and they are done.

[Palfy]

5 hours ago, StevO said:

They might done that, but they only had 35% of the ball, managed to have 9 shots, but gave away 13 shots. So even his change of tactics didn’t work. I think Arteta is out of his depth personally. 
They aren’t a team we should be worrying about. Should be a game our players are looking forward to. The chance of three wins back to back, against Chelsea, Leicester and Arsenal should be exciting for them. And then follow it up with the cup game. Im excited anyway!

I agree he is out of his depth, and to think he was widely tipped to come here at certain points, as much as I loved him as a player we definitely dodged a bullet by not having him as a manager. 

[Palfy]

4 hours ago, Btay said:

Think their recruiting has been largely poor for a long time. Back to when they bought Arteta off us is when it began in my opinion - I love Arteta but he wasn’t fantastic when we sold him and I thought it was strange a “top 4” team was after him at that age & level of performances.

An injury to Auba and they are done.

I would disagree with your thoughts on Arteta he was at the top of his game when he left us, if anything we never got over his loss for sometime we just couldn’t get a decent replacement to do what he did for the team, and he became a bit of a hero at Arsenal the fans loved him and let’s be honest they were in a good position to know a good player when they saw one they had witnessed many for years before Arteta arrived. 

[Shukes]

A good friend of mine is an Arsenal fan, and he thought Arteta was fantastic for them. Said he never realised just how good he was until they had him.

[StevO]

5 hours ago, Palfy said:

I agree he is out of his depth, and to think he was widely tipped to come here at certain points, as much as I loved him as a player we definitely dodged a bullet by not having him as a manager. 

Completely agree mate. Ancelotti is worlds ahead of him. He seems like all of that time with Pep and Wenger was a waste, he’s turned up looking like Moyes! Only I’d expect Moyes to do better with the players they have at Arsenal. 
I hope he turns it round as I love the guy (he was the last sale that genuinely upset me) and don’t want to see him fail. He might just be a very good coach but not good at being the manager. 

[StevO]

5 hours ago, Shukes said:

A good friend of mine is an Arsenal fan, and he thought Arteta was fantastic for them. Said he never realised just how good he was until they had him.

He was very good for them, but he was never going to be as good as Fabregas when he replaced him. Very big shoes to fill. 

[Btay]

27 minutes ago, StevO said:

He was very good for them, but he was never going to be as good as Fabregas when he replaced him. Very big shoes to fill. 

That’s my point more so. I’m never going to say Arteta wasn’t good - I only ever got his name on my shirts and he was without a doubt my favourite player ( well above cahill ). 

[Btay]

34 minutes ago, StevO said:

Completely agree mate. Ancelotti is worlds ahead of him. He seems like all of that time with Pep and Wenger was a waste, he’s turned up looking like Moyes! Only I’d expect Moyes to do better with the players they have at Arsenal. 
I hope he turns it round as I love the guy (he was the last sale that genuinely upset me) and don’t want to see him fail. He might just be a very good coach but not good at being the manager. 

I think the size of the task ahead of him is just being realised and is perhaps yet to be realised by their fans. They are no longer a top 4 team - sometimes you think a team is 2/3 players away from challenging, I think they are (loss of) 2/3 players from really, really struggling.

[Bailey]

12 hours ago, Btay said:

Think their recruiting has been largely poor for a long time. Back to when they bought Arteta off us is when it began in my opinion - I love Arteta but he wasn’t fantastic when we sold him and I thought it was strange a “top 4” team was after him at that age & level of performances.

An injury to Auba and they are done.

Personally, I think Auba is part of the problem in the way they play. He doesn't have the all round game to be the sole striker Arteta wants and he isn't a good enough player in that wide role as he isnt creative. 

Last season it looked like Auba was going to be the second striker from the left much in the way David Villa / Henry / Muller have been in the past for their various clubs. The PL is very defensive and you just don't get that space in behind that often against most of the league and they also don't have enough of a creative outlet in other places on the pitch to create those chances for him.

As I have said before, you can see they have done a lot of work on the training ground and they go through phases of play like a Pep side or Wenger's Arsenal but when they get into the final third they have become more Moyes and that is probably the worst combination you could ask for!

I think Arteta is showing his inexperience at the moment. He has a tough job on his hands and it started really well which has raised expectations much higher than they really should have been and now they are really struggling. It doesnt help having someone sent off every game either though!

[Palfy]

49 minutes ago, Bailey said:

It doesnt help having someone sent off every game either though!

Would it be fair to say that’s what you call a slight exaggeration

[Btay]

58 minutes ago, Bailey said:

Personally, I think Auba is part of the problem in the way they play. He doesn't have the all round game to be the sole striker Arteta wants and he isn't a good enough player in that wide role as he isnt creative. 

Last season it looked like Auba was going to be the second striker from the left much in the way David Villa / Henry / Muller have been in the past for their various clubs. The PL is very defensive and you just don't get that space in behind that often against most of the league and they also don't have enough of a creative outlet in other places on the pitch to create those chances for him.

As I have said before, you can see they have done a lot of work on the training ground and they go through phases of play like a Pep side or Wenger's Arsenal but when they get into the final third they have become more Moyes and that is probably the worst combination you could ask for!

I think Arteta is showing his inexperience at the moment. He has a tough job on his hands and it started really well which has raised expectations much higher than they really should have been and now they are really struggling. It doesnt help having someone sent off every game either though!

Perhaps but if I’m a the manager of an average team with 1 world class player that happens to be a striker and I’m not setting the team up to best use his attributes then that’s the real problem in my opinion. 
 

Reminds me of us under Koeman when we were loads and loads of reds. Strange 

[Bailey]

2 hours ago, Palfy said:

Would it be fair to say that’s what you call a slight exaggeration

OK well 3 of their last 5 premier league games! Bloody stats

2 hours ago, Btay said:

Perhaps but if I’m a the manager of an average team with 1 world class player that happens to be a striker and I’m not setting the team up to best use his attributes then that’s the real problem in my opinion. 
 

Reminds me of us under Koeman when we were loads and loads of reds. Strange 

Maybe and maybe not. 

I would agree that any side will play its best football with its best players. That would include Ozil for me as well. 

That being said, the team is more important than any individual. If the other 10 players play better one way then it would be right to sacrifice the star player. It isn't working out like that though!

 

[markjazzbassist]

Have to give him credit.  Teams that used be always give us trouble (big 6) he has us getting points and in most cases wins against.  We aren’t afraid to play anyone anymore and it’s excellent.  Not perfect yet, still a work in progress, but very much headed in the right direction.

 

bravo carlo

[Isaiah]

What stands out to me is his game management. I noticed it especially against Chelsea, how he was constantly in the players' ears and shifting small things around in order to prevent Chelsea working out a game plan to score against us. Under previous managers I almost expected us to throw away leads in the 2nd half but I don't have that fear under Carlo. His vast experience and knowledge of the game really shows.