Diego Simeone

[JamDav1982]

Happens all the time... but not all on Kounde/Balde.

Flick wants them narrow and high to try and stop space through middle for early ball and extreme high line being open to it.

But teams more and more and just going wide rather than trying to break offside immediately... Kounde/Balde then have to go wide to meet the player on ball fronting up and the opposition steam palyers through middle trying to run off CBs.

Then it is just chaos with no shape if onside.

Midfield cant track them early as risk breaking the offside trap and it is all just manic from there.

Players from opposition hitting box from all angles and CB/Midfield trying to scramble to stop it with no shape.

 

[serghei]

The setup is not on the players. It's the manager that stubbornly asks players to press everything that moves when half the time the better option would be keeping position and controlling / limiting the opponents options on the ball.

 

[serghei]

This is not the first time when we are a disaster away vs energetic and intense teams. You have shite performances vs Dortmund, Chelsea, and now AM. Hell, you could add Brugges also, conceded 4 there too (yes, 4, not 3).

Part of it is down to tactical issues, part of it is down to lack of funds to sign proper athletes who can play at this elevated intensity. Don't want to see more technical small players who get intimidated by adversity.

You can't go to war vs big teams with likes of Olmo, and Ferran. OK, Lamine and Pedri are weak physically and get bullied also, but at least they are differential players on the ball. We could have used that 100m much better and we ended up with Olmo and Torres. Not a top job there at all.