Don’t think Taylor is a good manager.
Is this part of your university thesis?Everything starts with the mindset. Everything. First game of the season at home in the WSL, before your own people. Against a team that caused damage last season. A team that has further strengthened and improved, as others have already mentioned. It's difficult to understand, never mind accept, this kind of performance. Underestimating Brighton? How can that be? Nervousness in the first home game, a game we must win, as Chelsea have already made the 2x2 wins while we've already dropped points vs Arsenal? I sincerely hope it's the latter -and not a reflection of stuff we're not aware of, stuff associated with the atmosphere in the dressing room, for example...
It didn't take more than like 5-10 minutes to realise the difference in terms of mental preparation. Brighton were ready, a good team with a solid structure, discipline and physicality, determined to operate in a very specific manner, with / without ball. Their identity is clear from the opening minutes, you know what is coming, you know what to expect. On the other hand, you have concerning signs -which were simply confirmed by the end of the first half...
A difficult start for Naomi, one to forget. The girl clealy lacks confidence, hopefully she will leave that performance behind, return stronger. A bad day for Aoba, never recovered throughout the 90'. Which leads (these two combined, I mean) to a problematic right side. Kerstin, on the other side, did have two overlaps, one of them providing the assist for the winning goal, and some activity towards the end of the second half, but that's not enough for me. She has to contribute substantially more offensively, she definitely needs to be more reliable defensively, in terms of positional awareness, dealing with duels, avoiding panic and errors (at one occasion, like 2 minutes before Bunny's goal, she almost assisted an opponent inside the box, in what was supposed to be a header clearance)...
Expanding a bit on the last comment, fullbacks can be crucial in City's game. I watched our first official match in Paris, it provides an instructive example: Opposistion is defending with 1+1 centrally upfront, wide midfielders tend to position themselves narrow, apparently their manager wants them compact centrally. There are clear opportunities for City either to release one of the triangle Laia - Alex - Yui, or advance the ball through one of the fullbacks. Yet it rarelly happened because Laia lacked confidence in that match AND the fullbacks were too "shy" / cautious. We did accomplish a comfortable result, yet our build up process struggled. Kerstin and Leila were probably candidates for the worst players on the pitch, Alex was the only player with purpose in her passing game from the back...
To continue, one of the worse Jess's displays in a City shirt, quite a surprise. Which leads to another tactical note: I'm assumming Vivianne is not at 100% in terms of fitness, the same with Jill. With one of them on the pitch, balances in midfield are bound to become delicate, Jess needs to be seriously focused -and the same applies to the whole back four. Otherwise, Yui will struggle AND the team will concede chances and goals, as simple as that...
Of course City had Alex and Yui: I don't think we will ever question their professionalism, it's who they are as human beings. We also had Bunny and Lauren, wonderful, talented players, determined and lively. But with people around them underachieving, they will also commit silly mistakes, it's fucking contagious. Nevertheless a team with a generally reliable, solid backbone centrally (in our case, CB - DM - SC) plus a serious attacking threat from the flanks (in Lauren), will always have a chance to survive: Bunny's finishing in the dying moments of the first half seemed -and was- a relief...
It was a goal that had a negative effect in Brighton's moral: It dropped significantly, I don't think they ever recovered throughout the second half. Which was good news since we were unable to build momentum -and it was really really REALLY frustrating to watch. We never really established rhythme and control in our game, nevertheless Lauren and Bunny will miss sitters early in the second half, then Bunny again, then Mary, than Jess, I mean fuck me, enough already! Brighton were there for the take, gifting us opportunities to kill the game, but we seemed unwilling to accept them. Fucking up again and again, one wrong decision after the other, a team begging for Gods of football to punish it. Which didn't happen (this time at least...), still playing the clock down in the dying moments down the left corner was a totally ridiculous spectacle, hardly telling the story of the game...
A few final coments regarding GT: He's facing serious criticism in this forum, a lot of people have doubts regarding his abilities. Some of the stuff written are complete nonsense, some of it are harsh. Much of it are definitely unjustified, totally unfair. City under Gareth is a team with a clear identity. A group of players familiar with each other's game, most importantly with specific tactical ideas which they pursue as a unit. In our good days, we operate in harmony, in the framework of clear patterns implemented effortlessly. Of course we need to improve, individually as well as collectively, identifying weaknesses, adding stuff, expanding our game, and so on, but the fact remains that there are clear signs of gradual progress, City have indeed built a competent team. Which is not debatable. The question is: Is this level enough?
Well, if you ask somebody like Pep, for example, you're probably fucked. There is no absolute perfection for him, there is always room for improvement, always room for evolution. And if competition does not present challenges any more, like in his Barcelona days, the objective will be to beat ... yourself. You keep developing, as much as that is possible, so as to beat ... the perfect team you have already created! Always the process. But Pep is an alien, he lives in a world with different rules, so we should probably just forget about him...
One way to answer this question relates to existing, current competition: Without the likes of Chelsea around, Gareth's work could probably be enough. WITH the likes of Chelsea around (for a start...), reality has already proven that it definitely is not. That's the lesson we learned (?) last season, extremely harsh, extremely painful (is there a City fan who will ever forget Steph's tears in the end?)...
Having answered that question, the next ones are inevitable: Has GT identified areas his team needs improvement? And if so, will he be able to deliver? The way he responds regarding these issues will determine the final judgement on his work...
You see, there is a difference between a good manager, a very good manager and an exceptional manager (once again, forget Pep, he is beyond the latter). Arsene Wenger was a very good manager (in his prime I mean, in his decline he became part of the problem people like Emery and Arteta inherited), but not exceptional. That Arsenal was his team 100%, everything about it reflected his personality. Still I'm afraid even the fanatics of AFTV deep down will agree that Arsenal did not fulfill their true potential under Arsene's command, in Europe for example. The same with Pochettino's Totenham at a lower level. He did build a good team at Spurs. But did they achieve what they should have during his tenure? As much as I respect Claudio Ranieri, does finishing second behind Leicester make a successful season, for example (the same question applies for a series of managers regarding the 2015-16 season, by the way...)? And so on, and so on, and so on...
All the above examples -and numerous others- reflect limitations of the managers in question in areas such as tactical awareness / flexibility, man management, personality, game management etc. In Gareth's case, I would like to focus on the last two a bit, since I consider them key:
It develops with time, as long as the team keeps progressing on the pitch, transmitting confidence in the dressing room (if it doesn't, the team will always appear vulnerable and insecure in difficult moments). It refers to intangible qualities such as consistency in terms of performance, determination, maturity, character. And it will define the way the team handles situations under pressure. Were Chelsea the "better" team on the pitch last season? I doubt it. I'm not even sure they were mentally stronger. They were more experienced though. While City did not respond in critical moments as the manager, the girls and the fans would have hoped...
- Personality
The game in question provides an instructive example. As I said, Bunny's goal in the dying moments of the first half is a shock for Brighton, they never truly recovered. Still they will remain alive till ref's final whistle. Their manager reacts radically on 57' with 3 subs, followed by another on 70' and a final one on 90'. Whether they were the right calls is another issue, the guy intervenes in an effort (desperate perhaps) to influence the proceedings of the match. City are having a problematic day, unable to build on their lead, establish their authority on the pitch. Technical and tactical mistakes, decision making all over the place, wasting opportunities for fun. Opposition is there for the take, but City cannot put the fucking game to bed. Yet Gareth will react on 77' (Mary for Bunny, probably for an injury concern) and 81' (Jill for Viv), that's it. Period. I'm not questioning the subs here. The point is they were both late as well as insufficient. Aoba, just an example, is having a bad day. You are not helping her or the team by keeping her on the pitch. Sure you can always hope that her talent can provide a decisive action, but the odds are against you. Exactly because she and others are underperforming, the balances remain delicate. Which means it's more likely that City will not kill the game, with Brighton finding a desperate equaliser and stealing a point. You have experienced players on the bench to influence proceedings. "Hungry" players willing to prove themselves, making a difference, helping the team, enhancing internal competition. Yet City will struggle till the very last moment to keep the win. An unnecessary risk and / or an inability to "read" the game correctly, which could have cost...
- Game management
To conclude this, I do not doubt the quality of the work invested on the training ground. I expect this process to continue though. Leading to better control, fluidity, rhythme. To effectively handling a variety of situations. To executing patterns to perfection, adding more patterns etc. A process guarranteeing that the team will keep growing. At the same time, we need to improve in terms of personality and game management, I think it's obvious to everyone. Expectations are high, they have to be. The resources are there, a squad full of quality. It's down to Gareth. As I said above, the way he responds regarding the aforementioned issues will determine the final judgement on his work. Good luck to the manager and the girls...
I remember Nelinho’s amazing goal in the 78 WC. Not sure what you mean in reference to Ranieri - wasn’t he the Leicester manager who won the league?Everything starts with the mindset. Everything. First game of the season at home in the WSL, before your own people. Against a team that caused damage last season. A team that has further strengthened and improved, as others have already mentioned. It's difficult to understand, never mind accept, this kind of performance. Underestimating Brighton? How can that be? Nervousness in the first home game, a game we must win, as Chelsea have already made the 2x2 wins while we've already dropped points vs Arsenal? I sincerely hope it's the latter -and not a reflection of stuff we're not aware of, stuff associated with the atmosphere in the dressing room, for example...
It didn't take more than like 5-10 minutes to realise the difference in terms of mental preparation. Brighton were ready, a good team with a solid structure, discipline and physicality, determined to operate in a very specific manner, with / without ball. Their identity is clear from the opening minutes, you know what is coming, you know what to expect. On the other hand, you have concerning signs -which were simply confirmed by the end of the first half...
A difficult start for Naomi, one to forget. The girl clearly lacked confidence, hopefully she will leave that performance behind, return stronger. A bad day for Aoba, never recovered throughout the 90'. Which leads (these two combined, I mean) to a problematic right side. Kerstin, on the other side, did have two overlaps, one of them providing the assist for the winning goal, and some activity towards the end of the second half, but that's not enough for me. She has to contribute substantially more offensively, she definitely needs to be more reliable defensively, in terms of positional awareness, dealing with duels, avoiding panic and errors (at one occasion, like 2 minutes before Bunny's goal, she almost assisted an opponent inside the box, in what was supposed to be a header clearance)...
Expanding a bit on the last comment, fullbacks can be crucial in City's game. I watched our first official match in Paris, it provides an instructive example: Opposition is defending with 1+1 centrally upfront, wide midfielders tend to position themselves narrow, apparently their manager wants them compact centrally. There are clear opportunities for City either to release one of the triangle Laia - Alex - Yui, or advance the ball through one of the fullbacks. Yet it rarely happened because Laia lacked confidence in that match AND the fullbacks were too "shy" / cautious. We did accomplish a comfortable result, yet our build up process struggled. Kerstin and Leila were probably candidates for the worst players on the pitch, Alex was the only player with purpose in her passing game from the back...
To continue, one of the worse Jess's displays in a City shirt, quite a surprise. Which leads to another tactical note: I'm assuming Vivianne is not at 100% in terms of fitness, the same with Jill. With one of them on the pitch, balances in midfield are bound to become delicate, Jess needs to be seriously focused -and the same applies to the whole back four. Otherwise, Yui will struggle AND the team will concede chances and goals, as simple as that...
Of course City had Alex and Yui: I don't think we will ever question their professionalism, it's who they are as human beings. We also had Bunny and Lauren, wonderful, talented players, committed, determined and lively. But with people around them underachieving, they will also commit silly mistakes, it's fucking contagious. Nevertheless a team with a generally reliable, solid backbone centrally (in our case, CB - DM - SC) plus a serious attacking threat from the flanks (in Lauren), will always have a chance to survive: Bunny's finishing in the dying moments of the first half seemed -and was- a relief...
It was a goal that had a negative effect in Brighton's moral: It dropped significantly, I don't think they ever recovered throughout the second half. Which was good news since we were unable to build momentum -and it was really really REALLY frustrating to watch. We never really established rhythm and control in our game, nevertheless Lauren and Bunny will miss sitters early in the second half, then Bunny again, then Mary, than Jess, I mean fuck me, enough already! Brighton were there for the take, gifting us opportunities to kill the game, but we seemed unwilling to accept them. Fucking up again and again, one wrong decision after the other, a team begging for Gods of football to punish it. Which didn't happen (this time at least...), still playing the clock down in the dying moments down the left corner was a totally ridiculous spectacle, hardly telling the story of the game...
A few final comments regarding GT: He's facing serious criticism in this forum, a lot of people have doubts regarding his abilities. Some of the stuff written are complete nonsense, some of it are harsh. Much of it are definitely unjustified, totally unfair. City under Gareth is a team with a clear identity. A group of players familiar with each other's game, most importantly with specific tactical ideas which they pursue as a unit. In our good days, we operate in harmony, in the framework of clear patterns implemented effortlessly. Of course we need to improve, individually as well as collectively, identifying weaknesses, adding stuff, expanding our game, and so on, but the fact remains that there are clear signs of gradual progress, City have indeed built a competent team. Which is not debatable. The question is: Is this level enough?
Well, if you ask somebody like Pep, for example, you're probably fucked. There is no absolute perfection for him, there is always room for improvement, always room for evolution. And if competition does not present challenges any more, like during his Barcelona days, the objective will be to beat ... yourself. You keep developing, as much as that is possible, so as to beat ... the perfect team you have already created! Always the process. But Pep is an alien, he lives in a world with different rules, so we should probably just forget about him...
One practical way to answer this question relates to existing, current competition: Without the likes of Chelsea around, Gareth's work could probably be enough. WITH the likes of Chelsea around (for a start...), reality has already proven that it definitely is not. That's the lesson we learned (?) last season, extremely harsh, extremely painful (is there a City fan who will ever forget Steph's tears in the end?)...
Having answered that question, the next ones are inevitable: Has GT identified areas his team needs improvement? And if so, will he be able to deliver? The way he responds regarding these issues will determine the final judgement on his work...
You see, there is a difference between a good manager, a very good manager and an exceptional manager (once again, forget Pep, he is beyond the latter). Arsene Wenger was a very good manager (in his prime I mean, in his decline he became part of the problem people like Emery and Arteta inherited), but not exceptional. That Arsenal was his team 100%, everything about it reflected his personality. Yet I'm afraid even the fanatics of AFTV deep down will agree that Arsenal did not fulfill their true potential under Arsene's command, in Europe for example. The same with Pochettino's Totenham at a lower level. He did build a good team at Spurs. But did they achieve what they should have during his tenure? As much as I respect Claudio Ranieri, does finishing second behind Leicester make a successful season, for example (the same question applies for a series of managers regarding the 2015-16 season, by the way...)? And so on, and so on, and so on...
All the above examples -and numerous others- reflect limitations of the managers in question in areas such as tactical awareness / flexibility, man management, personality, game management etc. In Gareth's case, I would like to focus on the last two a bit, since I consider them key:
It develops with time, as long as the team keeps progressing on the pitch, transmitting confidence in the dressing room (if it doesn't, the team will always appear vulnerable and insecure in difficult moments). It refers to intangible qualities such as consistency in terms of performance, determination, maturity, character. And it will define the way the team handles situations under pressure. Were Chelsea the "better" team on the pitch last season? I doubt it. I'm not even sure they were mentally stronger. They were more experienced though. While City did not respond in critical moments as the manager, the girls and the fans would have hoped...
- Personality
The game in question provides an instructive example. As I said, Bunny's goal in the dying moments of the first half is a shock for Brighton, they never truly recovered. Still they will remain alive till ref's final whistle. Their manager reacts radically on 57' with 3 subs, followed by another on 70' and a final one on 90'. Whether they were the right calls is another issue, the guy intervenes in an effort (desperate perhaps) to influence the proceedings of the match. City are having a problematic day, unable to build on their lead, establish their authority on the pitch. Technical and tactical mistakes, decision making all over the place, wasting opportunities for fun. Opposition is there for the take, but City cannot put the fucking game to bed. Yet Gareth will react on 77' (Mary for Bunny, probably for an injury concern) and 81' (Jill for Viv), that's it. Period. I'm not questioning the subs here. The point is they were both late as well as insufficient. Aoba, just an example, is having a bad day. You are not helping her or the team by keeping her on the pitch. Sure you can always hope that her talent can provide a decisive action, but the odds are against you. Exactly because she and others are underperforming, the balances remain delicate. Which means it's more likely that City will not kill the game, with Brighton finding a desperate equaliser and stealing a point. You have experienced players on the bench to influence proceedings. "Hungry" players willing to prove themselves, making a difference, helping the team, enhancing internal competition. Yet City will struggle till the very last moment to keep the win. An unnecessary risk and an inability to "read" the game correctly, which could have cost...
- Game management
To conclude this, I do not doubt the quality of the work invested on the training ground. I expect this process to continue though. Leading to better control, fluidity, rhythm. To effectively handling a variety of situations. To executing patterns to perfection, adding more patterns etc. A process guaranteeing that the team will keep growing. At the same time, we need to improve in terms of personality and game management, I think it's obvious to everyone. Expectations are high, they have to be. The resources are there, a squad full of quality. It's down to Gareth. As I said above, the way he responds regarding the aforementioned issues will determine the final judgement on his work. Good luck to the manager and the girls...
Everything starts with the mindset. Everything. First game of the season at home in the WSL, before your own people. Against a team that caused damage last season. A team that has further strengthened and improved, as others have already mentioned. It's difficult to understand, never mind accept, this kind of performance. Underestimating Brighton? How can that be? Nervousness in the first home game, a game we must win, as Chelsea have already made the 2x2 wins while we've already dropped points vs Arsenal? I sincerely hope it's the latter -and not a reflection of stuff we're not aware of, stuff associated with the atmosphere in the dressing room, for example...
It didn't take more than like 5-10 minutes to realise the difference in terms of mental preparation. Brighton were ready, a good team with a solid structure, discipline and physicality, determined to operate in a very specific manner, with / without ball. Their identity is clear from the opening minutes, you know what is coming, you know what to expect. On the other hand, you have concerning signs -which were simply confirmed by the end of the first half...
A difficult start for Naomi, one to forget. The girl clearly lacked confidence, hopefully she will leave that performance behind, return stronger. A bad day for Aoba, never recovered throughout the 90'. Which leads (these two combined, I mean) to a problematic right side. Kerstin, on the other side, did have two overlaps, one of them providing the assist for the winning goal, and some activity towards the end of the second half, but that's not enough for me. She has to contribute substantially more offensively, she definitely needs to be more reliable defensively, in terms of positional awareness, dealing with duels, avoiding panic and errors (at one occasion, like 2 minutes before Bunny's goal, she almost assisted an opponent inside the box, in what was supposed to be a header clearance)...
Expanding a bit on the last comment, fullbacks can be crucial in City's game. I watched our first official match in Paris, it provides an instructive example: Opposition is defending with 1+1 centrally upfront, wide midfielders tend to position themselves narrow, apparently their manager wants them compact centrally. There are clear opportunities for City either to release one of the triangle Laia - Alex - Yui, or advance the ball through one of the fullbacks. Yet it rarely happened because Laia lacked confidence in that match AND the fullbacks were too "shy" / cautious. We did accomplish a comfortable result, yet our build up process struggled. Kerstin and Leila were probably candidates for the worst players on the pitch, Alex was the only player with purpose in her passing game from the back...
To continue, one of the worse Jess's displays in a City shirt, quite a surprise. Which leads to another tactical note: I'm assuming Vivianne is not at 100% in terms of fitness, the same with Jill. With one of them on the pitch, balances in midfield are bound to become delicate, Jess needs to be seriously focused -and the same applies to the whole back four. Otherwise, Yui will struggle AND the team will concede chances and goals, as simple as that...
Of course City had Alex and Yui: I don't think we will ever question their professionalism, it's who they are as human beings. We also had Bunny and Lauren, wonderful, talented players, committed, determined and lively. But with people around them underachieving, they will also commit silly mistakes, it's fucking contagious. Nevertheless a team with a generally reliable, solid backbone centrally (in our case, CB - DM - SC) plus a serious attacking threat from the flanks (in Lauren), will always have a chance to survive: Bunny's finishing in the dying moments of the first half seemed -and was- a relief...
It was a goal that had a negative effect in Brighton's moral: It dropped significantly, I don't think they ever recovered throughout the second half. Which was good news since we were unable to build momentum -and it was really really REALLY frustrating to watch. We never really established rhythm and control in our game, nevertheless Lauren and Bunny will miss sitters early in the second half, then Bunny again, then Mary, than Jess, I mean fuck me, enough already! Brighton were there for the take, gifting us opportunities to kill the game, but we seemed unwilling to accept them. Fucking up again and again, one wrong decision after the other, a team begging for Gods of football to punish it. Which didn't happen (this time at least...), still playing the clock down in the dying moments down the left corner was a totally ridiculous spectacle, hardly telling the story of the game...
A few final comments regarding GT: He's facing serious criticism in this forum, a lot of people have doubts regarding his abilities. Some of the stuff written are complete nonsense, some of it are harsh. Much of it are definitely unjustified, totally unfair. City under Gareth is a team with a clear identity. A group of players familiar with each other's game, most importantly with specific tactical ideas which they pursue as a unit. In our good days, we operate in harmony, in the framework of clear patterns implemented effortlessly. Of course we need to improve, individually as well as collectively, identifying weaknesses, adding stuff, expanding our game, and so on, but the fact remains that there are clear signs of gradual progress, City have indeed built a competent team. Which is not debatable. The question is: Is this level enough?
Well, if you ask somebody like Pep, for example, you're probably fucked. There is no absolute perfection for him, there is always room for improvement, always room for evolution. And if competition does not present challenges any more, like during his Barcelona days, the objective will be to beat ... yourself. You keep developing, as much as that is possible, so as to beat ... the perfect team you have already created! Always the process. But Pep is an alien, he lives in a world with different rules, so we should probably just forget about him...
One practical way to answer this question relates to existing, current competition: Without the likes of Chelsea around, Gareth's work could probably be enough. WITH the likes of Chelsea around (for a start...), reality has already proven that it definitely is not. That's the lesson we learned (?) last season, extremely harsh, extremely painful (is there a City fan who will ever forget Steph's tears in the end?)...
Having answered that question, the next ones are inevitable: Has GT identified areas his team needs improvement? And if so, will he be able to deliver? The way he responds regarding these issues will determine the final judgement on his work...
You see, there is a difference between a good manager, a very good manager and an exceptional manager (once again, forget Pep, he is beyond the latter). Arsene Wenger was a very good manager (in his prime I mean, in his decline he became part of the problem people like Emery and Arteta inherited), but not exceptional. That Arsenal was his team 100%, everything about it reflected his personality. Yet I'm afraid even the fanatics of AFTV deep down will agree that Arsenal did not fulfill their true potential under Arsene's command, in Europe for example. The same with Pochettino's Totenham at a lower level. He did build a good team at Spurs. But did they achieve what they should have during his tenure? As much as I respect Claudio Ranieri, does finishing second behind Leicester make a successful season, for example (the same question applies for a series of managers regarding the 2015-16 season, by the way...)? And so on, and so on, and so on...
All the above examples -and numerous others- reflect limitations of the managers in question in areas such as tactical awareness / flexibility, man management, personality, game management etc. In Gareth's case, I would like to focus on the last two a bit, since I consider them key:
It develops with time, as long as the team keeps progressing on the pitch, transmitting confidence in the dressing room (if it doesn't, the team will always appear vulnerable and insecure in difficult moments). It refers to intangible qualities such as consistency in terms of performance, determination, maturity, character. And it will define the way the team handles situations under pressure. Were Chelsea the "better" team on the pitch last season? I doubt it. I'm not even sure they were mentally stronger. They were more experienced though. While City did not respond in critical moments as the manager, the girls and the fans would have hoped...
- Personality
The game in question provides an instructive example. As I said, Bunny's goal in the dying moments of the first half is a shock for Brighton, they never truly recovered. Still they will remain alive till ref's final whistle. Their manager reacts radically on 57' with 3 subs, followed by another on 70' and a final one on 90'. Whether they were the right calls is another issue, the guy intervenes in an effort (desperate perhaps) to influence the proceedings of the match. City are having a problematic day, unable to build on their lead, establish their authority on the pitch. Technical and tactical mistakes, decision making all over the place, wasting opportunities for fun. Opposition is there for the take, but City cannot put the fucking game to bed. Yet Gareth will react on 77' (Mary for Bunny, probably for an injury concern) and 81' (Jill for Viv), that's it. Period. I'm not questioning the subs here. The point is they were both late as well as insufficient. Aoba, just an example, is having a bad day. You are not helping her or the team by keeping her on the pitch. Sure you can always hope that her talent can provide a decisive action, but the odds are against you. Exactly because she and others are underperforming, the balances remain delicate. Which means it's more likely that City will not kill the game, with Brighton finding a desperate equaliser and stealing a point. You have experienced players on the bench to influence proceedings. "Hungry" players willing to prove themselves, making a difference, helping the team, enhancing internal competition. Yet City will struggle till the very last moment to keep the win. An unnecessary risk and an inability to "read" the game correctly, which could have cost...
- Game management
To conclude this, I do not doubt the quality of the work invested on the training ground. I expect this process to continue though. Leading to better control, fluidity, rhythm. To effectively handling a variety of situations. To executing patterns to perfection, adding more patterns etc. A process guaranteeing that the team will keep growing. At the same time, we need to improve in terms of personality and game management, I think it's obvious to everyone. Expectations are high, they have to be. The resources are there, a squad full of quality. It's down to Gareth. As I said above, the way he responds regarding the aforementioned issues will determine the final judgement on his work. Good luck to the manager and the girls...
Is this part of your university thesis?
My version would have been - all round sub-par performance this team is winning sod all.