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Manager Thomas Frank

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Are you Frank Out or In?

  • Total voters
    623
Not seeing much to impress me so far, but I didn’t expect to, as still very early days.

So far, all a bit last season, but with a better defence. Which should be expected when it’s not Kinsky playing behind Gray and Davies. And the playing of an actual defensive midfielder is helping massively too.

I’ve got hope that Simons, Kudus and Muani will add impetus to our attack as they settle in, so I’m hopeful for the future.
 
AberdeenYid said:
Not seeing much to impress me so far, but I didn’t expect to, as still very early days.

So far, all a bit last season, but with a better defence. Which should be expected when it’s not Kinsky playing behind Gray and Davies. And the playing of an actual defensive midfielder is helping massively too.

I’ve got hope that Simons, Kudus and Muani will add impetus to our attack as they settle in, so I’m hopeful for the future.
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Yeah we seem far more stable now. Some of the football and performances have been pretty ordinary but its probably the best possible start we could have asked for. We've got results, clean sheets and the players seem to all be behind Frank. I'd have bit your hand off to be in this situation last month. But in the meantime I hope the football gets a bit better!
 
If Romero and VDV can avoid injury then I genuinely think we will go close for top 4. But that's a massive if. Can only imagine that we'll drop off considerably again if they do end up spending months on the sidelines again!
 
Block252 said:
Bigger problem is progressing the ball through midfield. We aren’t creating much from open play
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Yeah exactly my point. We won’t create much without Maddison and Kulu.
Simons needs time.

So the reduction in chances means clinical finishing is vitally important.

Johnson probably our best finisher is on the bench.

Johnson, Son, kulu and Maddison were a massive chunk of our goals and assists last year. None of them starting was always going to have an effect on how we play.
 
Don Pedro said:
If Romero and VDV can avoid injury then I genuinely think we will go close for top 4. But that's a massive if. Can only imagine that we'll drop off considerably again if they do end up spending months on the sidelines again!
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Think its too soon to be talking top four. We were a horrible mess of indecision and poor choices implemented by people with very little EPL level understanding about how to win games. The evidenced of poor coaching was everywhere from throw ins, to the incompetent triggering of a press. Honestly I knew we'd stop shipping goals and getting battered by everyone but Southampton because almost anyone could of improved on Postecoglou by the end.

However the next bit takes more time and is harder. The creative control of a game the building through the thirds and opening up of oponents with regularity and precision is contingent on time: the correct drills, pace in the right places, and being clinical when you have unbalanced your opponent. Also it takes leadership, most obviously from the Centerforward the ten and the wingers.

Our 9 isn't at the elite level nor likely to grow into it our left wing isn't correct either. So there's plenty to do. But it took Pochettino a season and a half before we got to be able take down anyone. I can't see Frank in a harder league being any quicker. We need another three elite buys before we are a real threat imho.
 
BJK said:
We can probably carry on playing like this for a few more weeks, as the upcoming fixtures are still on the kinder side. In the next 30 days we're playing:

Brighton away (by far the most difficult one of the bunch)
Doncaster
Wolves
Bodo away
Leeds away

We might hit a brick wall after that, not dissimilar to the one we hit under Ange at around the same time two seasons ago, as injuries, suspensions and fatigue all come into play in addition to tougher opponents.
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I don't see how it's even remotely worthwhile comparing to what happened with Ange when he came up against tougher opposition.

We look a completely different team, one that doesn't look wide open and has actually some defensive capabilites.

I mean it's night and day stuff

Anyone expecting champagne attacking football with defensive solidity after a few games, and given the state of us last season, is completely mad.

You have to address the defensive side first to lay the foundations.

I'm amazed he's done that so quickly. We are limiting teams to one or two biggish chances a game that was it. It was double figures for most games last season.

The attacking patterns of play will develop as new players gel more with current ones.

But the defensive side actually excites me because everyone knows a truly successful team is built on a rock solid defense.

There was no defensive blueprint with Ange and that was brutally exposed after his honeymoon period and everyone thereafter had his number.

Total opposite with Frank. Doesn't feel like a managers bounce just like he's organised them and made them resilient. Attacking combinations can and will get better, then we'll see how much potential this team really has with Frank...and that excites me.
 
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CJJ said:
Not really - Brentford, Man Utd, Bournemouth,Burnley, Sheff United were the first 5 and we conceded 2 to Brentford, 2 to Burnley, and 1 to Sheffield United in that time.

It looked a bit leaky from the stat
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It was definitely all a bit ramshackle, but the thing people don't remember/contextualize is how radically different the personnel and style of play was, instantaneously.

The overnight transformation from an old, stale, turgid, cowardly, reflexively negative side that was dragging around an anchor of toxicity over the unfulfilled promise of the Poch era to this young, new, exciting group was a breath of fresh air
 
FightingIllini said:
It was definitely all a bit ramshackle, but the thing people don't remember/contextualize is how radically different the personnel and style of play was, instantaneously.

The overnight transformation from an old, stale, turgid, cowardly, reflexively negative side that was dragging around an anchor of toxicity over the unfulfilled promise of the Poch era to this young, new, exciting group was a breath of fresh air
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It's a big step up, yes. We'll be a work in progress for the bulk of this season, and it could go either way. To a great extent they're still playing like strangers and our playing style isn't show a great deal of cohesion yet, but that should improve.
 
Allejo10 said:
In fact he did, he took Palhina off, but I think that Bentancur punish us more in games like this. It's pointless to have the ball but don't progress it. The ideal, I think, for games like this, would be Xavi and Bergvall at midfield, with Palhinha holding.
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I like that trio and think that after a few more weeks they should work better together. We need to start playing Xavi as a 10 sometimes and trust in Odobert on LW.

If Madders and Kulu ever get back to their levels then we will have great midfield options.
 
I think frank and the staff are still working it out. We have to remember that despite have a pretty good squad we are starting from ground zero structure wise.
Thats why in some games even against weaker opposition we can be made to look poor as those teams are set in their patterns and ways whilst we are very much limited to counter punching rather than dominating and fully controlling proceedings.

Having said that for me there's some low hanging fruit to be had.

Xavi and spence doesn't work well, as xavi will always want to come inside and djed has no threat on the overlap, it limits passing lanes and is much easier to defend against. If we had udogie and xavi or spence and odobert than that would optimise that left hand side much more.

Secondly the midfield 3 is lacking in overall skillset. Sarr and bergvall have performed admirably but neither give anything like a 10 would. It would be foolish to expect them to find those pockets and spaces between the lines, recieve on the half turn then efficiently play from their as a proper 10 would. Its a different skillset required.
Lastly we could really do with muani and solanke upto speed. Richy is nowhere near good enough at holding the ball up, moving it on and he seems really slow on the eye. Hes not able to get in behind, nor drag players out of positions to create space for others, its just not enough at all.
 
How long do you think this will take. Are we gonna be offensively inept all season and should we honestly accept that? Are we gonna see the Bournemouth performance a few more times? I guess its inevitable we give 12 points to Woolwich and the Chavs based on your view this is a new coach "getting up to speed" with a load of new players who are lacking. Based on your post, I reckon I should reign in my expectations and settle for an 11th / 12th finish...very Brentford.
 
Optimistic_Spur said:
I think frank and the staff are still working it out. We have to remember that despite have a pretty good squad we are starting from ground zero structure wise.
Thats why in some games even against weaker opposition we can be made to look poor as those teams are set in their patterns and ways whilst we are very much limited to counter punching rather than dominating and fully controlling proceedings.

Having said that for me there's some low hanging fruit to be had.

Xavi and spence doesn't work well, as xavi will always want to come inside and djed has no threat on the overlap, it limits passing lanes and is much easier to defend against. If we had udogie and xavi or spence and odobert than that would optimise that left hand side much more.

Secondly the midfield 3 is lacking in overall skillset. Sarr and bergvall have performed admirably but neither give anything like a 10 would. It would be foolish to expect them to find those pockets and spaces between the lines, recieve on the half turn then efficiently play from their as a proper 10 would. Its a different skillset required.
Lastly we could really do with muani and solanke upto speed. Richy is nowhere near good enough at holding the ball up, moving it on and he seems really slow on the eye. Hes not able to get in behind, nor drag players out of positions to create space for others, its just not enough at all.
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Great post. I'd be a little more optimistic with a Spence–Xavi or Udogie–Xavi left wing under the coaching of Frank and his team. Spence can and has done stuff out wide and getting to the line, while Xavi cutting inside is what we want to see. I've seen too much of Udogie as an inverted full back to judge whether he can adapt his game appropriately.

Everything you say about Richie is sadly true, but, but, but... he can play great games through sheer disruptive energy, physicality and sh*thousery. And there's a role as a left-sided forward. Just thinking of first half of the Europa final, or his game against Burnley.
 
_mehstg said:
How long do you think this will take. Are we gonna be offensively inept all season and should we honestly accept that? Are we gonna see the Bournemouth performance a few more times? I guess its inevitable we give 12 points to Woolwich and the Chavs based on your view this is a new coach "getting up to speed" with a load of new players who are lacking. Based on your post, I reckon I should reign in my expectations and settle for an 11th / 12th finish...very Brentford.
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Well... Frank adapts quickly and has flexibility in his strategic and tactical approach, so it's not a one-size-fits-all thing. Against the 'big' teams, we've already seen what he can do against Woolwich in pre-season, PSG in the Super Cup, and the early season Man City away game. I like the pragmatic focus on defending, set-pieces, and the long ball. But we should expect reverses in a two-steps-forward and one-step-back way. Meanwhile, as many have already said here, it will take time to develop build-up play and attacking combinations.

We saw what Poch did, and it took maybe six months to embed his system. People were initially thinking he was 'very Southampton', but he moved to a higher level.

Frank is already doing better, and I think is on a faster arc of improvement. It will take two more transfer windows, January and next summer to develop the squad strength in depth he needs for trophies.

I'll nail my colours to the mast: Frank, supported by the right transfer policy, could be one of our greats. Three or four years hence, the super clubs will be in for him. We'd just better make sure we do all we can to retain him.
 
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