Hot Fuss
Just doesn't shut up
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2019
- Messages
- 5,745
- Reaction score
- 14,102
We reacted well to a very difficult change of circumstances in play v Fulham just a week earlier.It's an interesting point! The inability to react to events on the pitch is what Lage consistently demonstrated and, to be fair to the odious ****, Lopetegui did quite well at.
However, another way to consider it is to think about how players respond to events in a game. O Neill constantly talks about how he gets the side to set up against specific opponents and how he wants players to stay close to the game plan. And he's done very well with this, especially against sides that play on the front foot. However, we still seem to be lacking against sides set up to defend and counter attack. This is when players have to make decisions on the hoof, according to what is happening at the time.
Howe set up Newcastle against us, at their home, to play on the counter, and enabled a win, he out coached O Neill! That happens, and it's a learning process.
I'm not having a go at O Neill, by the way, I think he's done well, with always a lot of room for improvement as with us all. And to be fair he's shown himself mature and humble enough to probably accept that. But it's a fine line between organising and over coaching. Players have to react to the situation on the pitch at the actual time, and we don't seem to be able to do that with exceptions such as Dawson. This is what has cost us against Coventry and, previously, ManUtd.
It’s football.