Was definitely less messing about at the back, I get why we play out from the back but too often we would do this despite the defence being shaky and nervous, sometimes you just need to clear the ball and regroup. We would regularly play the same way from the back when u could see the defence was nervy and a loose pass would bring a ton of pressure on usLess messing around at the back. You could see that Tav was determined to clear the ball rather than looking for a man to play it to.
Have to say I laughed at that comment cos I was tempted last night after watching man city game .. there is the evidence needed for rondos playing out of tight situations and finding your manThe rondos are clearly working, felt we got the ball out from under our feet under pressure more quickly and composed tonight.
Quicker into the tackles and more direct in the attack, basically doing the basics.
Clear your lines, find your man, get in the box, one touch pass and move. End result.
It was very different tbh to those who know football. Like watching a different team tbh.
I’m feeling fairly convinced that SG has actually been at the root of the malaise this season after that.I think the fact Gerrard wanted away rubbed off on the players and he lost their buy in and hunger this season. So many were a different proposition tonight.
The press was back, we played in the spaces between defenders and created great chances. Once this squad gets some work done on the training pitch we will be fine. Still switched off for a spell or two. It will come.first of all we clearly pressed higher than we have been recently which paid dividends. Im not entirely sure why Gerrard wasnt implementing that this season like he had done seasons before.
Starting Aribo Kent and Hagi is a must for me as often as we possibly can. they have everything, creativity, work rate and awareness to get in between the lines and create space for themselves and others.
Morelos was more direct, which suits him alot more. he still ran the channels like he used to and won free kicks.
Cant get carried away but it certainly felt more direct and we played with a little less width than we did under Gerrard.
nailed it!A manager that wants to be here
Correct. Maybe that’s why there was more effort from the players.A manager that wants to be here
They done tonight what they should've done on Sunday,first of all we clearly pressed higher than we have been recently which paid dividends. Im not entirely sure why Gerrard wasnt implementing that this season like he had done seasons before.
Starting Aribo Kent and Hagi is a must for me as often as we possibly can. they have everything, creativity, work rate and awareness to get in between the lines and create space for themselves and others.
Morelos was more direct, which suits him alot more. he still ran the channels like he used to and won free kicks.
Cant get carried away but it certainly felt more direct and we played with a little less width than we did under Gerrard.
Agreed - I think the team sensed it and started feeling the sameI think the fact Gerrard wanted away rubbed off on the players and he lost their buy in and hunger this season. So many were a different proposition tonight.
hope so, if we play like that in the SPFL then we should start to get the 3/4/5 goal winsSomeone will be on the end of a right good pumping with how direct we looked.
Loved the reception young Nathan got when he came on.Not so rigidly sticking to 'the system'.
Eg. bringing Patterson on and playing him in front of Tav. You'd never have seen that before.
over the last few weeks Im leaning more to the theory that Gerrard had decided he was leaving months ago.
was just waiting on the right job coming up.
I think his main guys would have known that as well, Goldson, Tav etc
[/QUOTE
I don’t think Garrat was waiting for the right job, he was a one trick pony. His system had been worked out by second rate managers, he had nothing else to give.
Villa will be doomed in a few months, the managers in EPL are a bit smarter .. he will be out of a job quickly
Agree with this.Belief.
Gerrard lost that after Malmo.
So did the players.
It’s back now Gio and Co.
I predict we will go from strength to strength.
I don't like the comparisons!! We all know this season we were miles off it and as shocked/hurt/angry/whatever we were when Gerrard left, let's be honest, we needed a change, whether things were stale or there were issues is irrelevant, it happens and sometimes no one is to blame!! What I do know is, getting Gio will be great for us and the timing has probably done us a favour!! Amazing start and a fresh start and just the impetus, disruption even this squad and we needed!!! Not only will it kick us on and give us the initial reaction, we now have players fighting for their place, new hope!! New ideas, new tactics and training methods!! I think we would have won 56 anyway but it would have been harder than it should have!! Gio will guide us to and deliver 56, has already steered us into the last 32 or whatever they are calling it and I'm already impressed with what I've seen and the future is bright and definitely orange!!first of all we clearly pressed higher than we have been recently which paid dividends. Im not entirely sure why Gerrard wasnt implementing that this season like he had done seasons before.
Starting Aribo Kent and Hagi is a must for me as often as we possibly can. they have everything, creativity, work rate and awareness to get in between the lines and create space for themselves and others.
Morelos was more direct, which suits him alot more. he still ran the channels like he used to and won free kicks.
Cant get carried away but it certainly felt more direct and we played with a little less width than we did under Gerrard.
The 'system' if there was one did bring us some tremendous euro nights and victories that we hadn't seen for 11/12 years always be grateful to SG tho I was hoping for a third to ease the last few mins and to strike up a chant of are you watching Stevie G!Not so rigidly sticking to 'the system'.
Eg. bringing Patterson on and playing him in front of Tav. You'd never have seen that before.
We seemed much more organised, even in defence....but they weren't very good, were they ?
A manager that wants to be here
Davis said it, "when to go, when not to go". That's very Dutch. How and when to break down inferior opposition.
We can't go full blast for 90 minutes even when we've got all the ball, so it's short, sharp bursts. The timing of the attacks and patterns of play, subtle changes and a much more flexible side I thought.
Gerrard was a great player, but powerful and direct. Showed in his management at times.
Gio was classier, better at playing through rather than powering through opponents.
Keep it tight enough at the back (our only real worry about a Dutch style side in Scotland) and we'll be frightening. Gio will really get the best out of our creative players imo.
Real exciting time.
Patterson further forward gives me the biggest erection!
I’m feeling fairly convinced that SG has actually been at the root of the malaise this season after that.
I think he chucked it after the CL failure and checked out and it rubbed off on the dressing room.
“He achieved his remit” and that was that.
Gio has come in and lit the spark again. That was night and day to pretty much anything this season, bar the Celtic game, imho.
Every player found the gears to move up and looked like they wanted it.
Looking at Alfie getting a double then McGregor making those saves at the end was the most symbolic “we’re back” I think we could’ve asked for.
Two absolutely key players who have been dug shite all season instantly looked like they got their mojo back and the whole team was solid.
Special mention for Bassey. What a fcking performance from the lad. Absolute powerhouse and delighted for him. He looked buzzing at the end going off. Had a tremendous evening.
Is that true and when did Gerrard start to lose interest?This
Gerrard would have been driving up the road for the game today by all accounts.
Having a manager who hasn't checked out, and who is a serious serial winner without the bells and whistles of the "SG brand" are most probably the key factors.
I’ve been thinking for a while that it’s both.Maybe the fact Gerrard was working his ticket was rubbingg off on the players ?
Or maybe the team is and always has been good and just needed a few minor tweaks.
Just a tad…I think the fact Gerrard wanted away rubbed off on the players and he lost their buy in and hunger this season. So many were a different proposition tonight.
If two words summed up the difference those two are it. It seemed at times that Gerrards team only had one way of playing at times.
No they weren’t however they were probably better than 90% of the teams we are likely to play in Scotland.We seemed much more organised, even in defence....but they weren't very good, were they ?
Meant to be now. Changed it.Dont know what?
I agree with what you're saying mate. The season before covid and this season where almost beginning to mirror each other. I understand why some people think Gerrard lost interest.Let’s not forget Gerrard lead us into the position to qualify tonight and took us through the groups the two previous seasons.
A fantastic achievement considering where we were when he came through the door.
Gerrard is the past Gio is the future. It’s time to look forward not back.
Think this is more of a confidence and injury issue. That’s our first clean sheet in a while and the first saves of note mcgregor has made in a while. This will only start to bring the confidence back into the back 5One thing hasn’t changed… we were a bomb scare at the back a few weeks ago and we are still s as bomb scare at the back.
Gio needs a couple of defenders.
There will still loads. How many times were we fannying about too close for comfort at the back.not quite as many though, I only caught 1 set of to me, to you, to me, to you between kamara and bassey.
Still way too many backwards and sideways passes but a huge change from Sunday.A few things.
Barasic told to do more...Tav told to do less.
Used the ball in the last third by knocking into space which worked well at times. Tried in general to move the ball quicker. A few times lines were cleared whereas before more football was tried to be played.
In the main the change worked-effort was brilliant across the board however playing like that meant giving the ball away a bit more and I do think playing SG style we would have controlled the last 15 better we struggled to adapting back to holding onto the ball.
Absolutely a great performance, great start for Gio and a great night for the club after the nightmare on Sunday.