A fresh start

My brother's in-laws are Reading so I have a passing interest (mostly to laugh at them when I am able) and my memory of him there is not good, just avoided relegation, I think.  Kind of the beginnings of their current troubles, but I could be compacting too many years.    His time in the Premier League is maybe better, Swansea were on the decline after coming up a few year before, riding Brendan Rodger and a wave of very smart young buys.  But he fairly safely kept them up with most of the buys already sold on.  The best thing I remember about them was Fabianski in net.    If we want coach who has work with some big-name players, he fits the bill.  He has won a lot as an assistant. I don't remember anything tactical that would sell him to me though.     

I'm drawing a blank, Ugbo and ... who's 2nd?

I'm drawing a blank, Ugbo and ... who's 2nd?

To be honest, mate, it is a big misunderstanding of the system based on the bolded fact.  If we are honestly comparing a very modern system to Canada '86, it should ring some huge alarm bells, don't you think? (Most) players are not complete idiots, they are not going forget principles over a few months.  

I like the idea of Smyrniotis and Wheeldon taking over our youth teams.

https://extra.ie/2024/02/27/sport/soccernews/paul-clement-who-is-ireland Bit of a short hand write up of his career. He was very much in the frame for the Ireland job. Has some international level experience with England u21s, Ireland u21s and coaches the full team for 3 games in the interim years ago.  It's a different ball game to club level. You deal with different pressures, conflicts and roadblocks, so I'd expect the panel deciding are looking for a few different attributes than we would perhaps harshly judge from an overview of a club level record in management.  Clement has lots of upside and is undoubtedly interested. We really need someone to inspire fans in addition to the players though. 

Generally I would try respectfully to say your understanding of this is many years out of date.  First 12 years ago and then almost 40.   First we have fit players in the forward areas. Second this is gegen-press, not all-out press as you have tried to say in previous posts.  It is based on greater player fitness - yes - but also video analysis, targeted pressing, staying compact and, honestly, is aided by have 5 subs.  To compare it to '86 is again, I'm sorry, honestly laughable.  There are what is called "rest phases" where you shape your self to get the ball at the feet of an opposition player that you have determined will less hurt you and wait to pounce on his next pass.  You also stay compact, so you aren't running far for 90 minutes.  If that does that mean you don't high press sometimes, so be it. There are three areas where Marsch specifically has talked about engaging the press, depend on the opposition and the moment. Only one of them is high.   You have said in previous post that our strength is with forwards and midfielders, that is who drives this.  We have, to name off the top of my head, players who would not neccesarily be in the first 11:  Millar, Nelson, Shaffelburg, Ahmed, Corbeanu, Russel-Rowe, Choiniere, Ugbo, even players like Brym or Fraser, who are playing to enough minutes at a decent level to maintain fitness. You have argued against your point yourself.  If you tell those players that not only will they get  minutes but also they are playing in a system designed to get them international goals, I think you have a lot that will work hard to know the system and be ready for their chance.   First, if we are going to move the goal posts and say we want a defensive system where we won't concede against world-class teams, then you win. This (or any) is not it. But it is designed to take pressure of the backline.   In the real world, we are not going to be running Vitoria in the back.  I can't see anyone not including Bombito and maybe Cornelius.  While they are going to be better at defending breaks than sustained pressure in my opinion, you, again are looking at this as all-out press, not gegenpress.    Overall, the principles are not that complicated and players aren't going to forget them when they go back to their clubs.  They mostly play at modern clubs where they will maintain fitness.     I take a little bit of an exception to the adore the system comment.  You don't need to read my other posts, but if you did you would know I like a lot of systems and like to see how they fit into Canada.  I like this one because it fits our players, as you have pointed out without acknowledging it, - young, fit, fast, in the mid-forward areas.    I like Marsch because he plays that system but also because he has experience in a number of places, including here,  I think he could garner the respect to get the players to play a system, which we need, and is actually realistically available. 

The TFC-Simcoe game used the current MLS Adidas ball, while the Nike swoosh is very visible on the ball in Cavalry-VFC. Now I'm wondering if Cavalry bought a bunch of Nike balls specifically to pull these shenanigans, because they would regularly use Derbystars for training and games. Or the less nefarious possibility is that they could have had a bunch of the Nike balls left over from the Concacaf Champions Cup, but I'm not sure how strict Concacaf is about taking back the equipment once games are done.

Good point. Showing my own age, I guess, Joe. Haha