Lordeffingham
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 1 Oct 2009
- Messages
- 1,012
I have had a bellyfull of the constant articles written in almost all the mainstream media and compounded by many posters on here and other forums, which point out quite clearly, Italian managers are too defensively minded and are full of negativity.
Lets get the basics sorted first. Not since before the 60's at the very least, has any top flight team in English football, won any major trophy without having a real top class keeper at the top of his game. If you doubt this, just check the stats, even when Wimbledon won the FA Cup, they had a keeper in Dave Beasant who was at the peak of is career and who's penalty save gave them the victory.
I believe if you asked any of the world class managers who forged their reputations in the English game over the past five decades where they put their emphasis in the building blocks of formulating a great team, the defense would be the starting point and foundation, without this element the rest of the show is a none starter and unsustainable.
The defensive unit needs to be just that, a unit that functions as one and that is formidable. It must have power, fluidity and understanding of position, along with great belief in their safety net, the keeper.
Once our current group have had a sustained run of injury free games, it must be said we look exceptionally good right accross the back four:
Boateng..............Toure.............Kompany..............Kolarov
No point in going into the keeper situation, Hart is likely to become one of the very elite bunch of world class keepers, if he might not quite yet be at his pimacle.
Once you realise the importance of this aspect and this element with a backup of good young tallent awaiting their chance with the likes of Boyata, Lescott, mee etc, etc, etc, you start to get an idea of a master tacticians plan.
Next there needs to be a second wave of players who fill the midfield and come in various guises, from out and out defensive midfielders like De Jong, to those more central but with great strength to stop the oppositions supply to their front line like Barry, Yaya, and Vierra, who have to be able to dissrupt and protect as much as they are also able to read the game and innitially distibute seeds for forward moves to develope.
A team worthy of greatness has to contain a blend of youth and experience, along with real class. It must have options for wing play when required and to play narrow against differing types of opponents who play with nothing but a tactical intent to smother and spoil your advances.
We have an abundance of execptional tallent in an attacking midfield sense, Tevez, who for me is not and should never be classed as an out and out striker, Silva, a truly world class artist with the creativity and style of Messi, Milner, a powerhouse athlete with an engine and all round ability almost worthy of filling king colins boots, Johnson, a real gem with an ability that for all your huff and puff can open up opponents in a way almost forgotten in the current crop of lightening fast wingers who have pace, pace and pace but very little else. A true two footed magician with the abitity to put even the very best defender in the world on his arse, just like Buzzer used to do. SWP not always at his best these days but still capable of some great work, plays his heart out and always puts in a shift, quite clearly seen now as a squad player but would walk into almost all the top teams.
Now lets come to the icing on the cake, Balotelli, sheer class, possibly capable of become the greatest striker in the world in this era, and unfortunately at this point our only true option. Adebayor is very gifted but too often seems to need pushing into action, and not consistant enough for the level we need to be at. Mancini I'm certain has realised his limitations and will again move to bolster our attacking option in January, maybe Dzeko, possibly Torres or Pato, but certainly Balotelli will soon have better support to finish off this Italian masterpiece.
Rome wasn't built in a day, a cliche I know, but very valid in this case, Mancini's priorities were to stabalise our team and build from the back, and though patience is required, he has had to start somewhere. I don't for one second think his style either as a player or a manager was ever to be involved with a team that played without great flair and style, and though he has had to endure many articles suggesting a negativity, those came at a time where due to our developement and fragility brought about by an unlucky run with injuries he has had to be maybe more cautious on occasion than he would otherwise have liked.
I have not mentioned many other players and a mass of very promising youth tallent and that is also crucial in the longer term, but beieve me we have probably got some of the very best up and coming kids in the world.
This man will take us places, we are now starting to see the validity of walking before we start to run, but the future is certainly sky Blue and the promised land is in my opinion just around the corner.
Lets get the basics sorted first. Not since before the 60's at the very least, has any top flight team in English football, won any major trophy without having a real top class keeper at the top of his game. If you doubt this, just check the stats, even when Wimbledon won the FA Cup, they had a keeper in Dave Beasant who was at the peak of is career and who's penalty save gave them the victory.
I believe if you asked any of the world class managers who forged their reputations in the English game over the past five decades where they put their emphasis in the building blocks of formulating a great team, the defense would be the starting point and foundation, without this element the rest of the show is a none starter and unsustainable.
The defensive unit needs to be just that, a unit that functions as one and that is formidable. It must have power, fluidity and understanding of position, along with great belief in their safety net, the keeper.
Once our current group have had a sustained run of injury free games, it must be said we look exceptionally good right accross the back four:
Boateng..............Toure.............Kompany..............Kolarov
No point in going into the keeper situation, Hart is likely to become one of the very elite bunch of world class keepers, if he might not quite yet be at his pimacle.
Once you realise the importance of this aspect and this element with a backup of good young tallent awaiting their chance with the likes of Boyata, Lescott, mee etc, etc, etc, you start to get an idea of a master tacticians plan.
Next there needs to be a second wave of players who fill the midfield and come in various guises, from out and out defensive midfielders like De Jong, to those more central but with great strength to stop the oppositions supply to their front line like Barry, Yaya, and Vierra, who have to be able to dissrupt and protect as much as they are also able to read the game and innitially distibute seeds for forward moves to develope.
A team worthy of greatness has to contain a blend of youth and experience, along with real class. It must have options for wing play when required and to play narrow against differing types of opponents who play with nothing but a tactical intent to smother and spoil your advances.
We have an abundance of execptional tallent in an attacking midfield sense, Tevez, who for me is not and should never be classed as an out and out striker, Silva, a truly world class artist with the creativity and style of Messi, Milner, a powerhouse athlete with an engine and all round ability almost worthy of filling king colins boots, Johnson, a real gem with an ability that for all your huff and puff can open up opponents in a way almost forgotten in the current crop of lightening fast wingers who have pace, pace and pace but very little else. A true two footed magician with the abitity to put even the very best defender in the world on his arse, just like Buzzer used to do. SWP not always at his best these days but still capable of some great work, plays his heart out and always puts in a shift, quite clearly seen now as a squad player but would walk into almost all the top teams.
Now lets come to the icing on the cake, Balotelli, sheer class, possibly capable of become the greatest striker in the world in this era, and unfortunately at this point our only true option. Adebayor is very gifted but too often seems to need pushing into action, and not consistant enough for the level we need to be at. Mancini I'm certain has realised his limitations and will again move to bolster our attacking option in January, maybe Dzeko, possibly Torres or Pato, but certainly Balotelli will soon have better support to finish off this Italian masterpiece.
Rome wasn't built in a day, a cliche I know, but very valid in this case, Mancini's priorities were to stabalise our team and build from the back, and though patience is required, he has had to start somewhere. I don't for one second think his style either as a player or a manager was ever to be involved with a team that played without great flair and style, and though he has had to endure many articles suggesting a negativity, those came at a time where due to our developement and fragility brought about by an unlucky run with injuries he has had to be maybe more cautious on occasion than he would otherwise have liked.
I have not mentioned many other players and a mass of very promising youth tallent and that is also crucial in the longer term, but beieve me we have probably got some of the very best up and coming kids in the world.
This man will take us places, we are now starting to see the validity of walking before we start to run, but the future is certainly sky Blue and the promised land is in my opinion just around the corner.