Minnesota - Postmatch

I was listening to the first half on the radio and the radio guy who isn't Glenn Crooks was saying that they seemed to switch defensive formations 2-3 times in the first 15 minutes. I'm sure he was right because he sounded English.

He was actually quite insightful: before the game started he called out the left side of the defense as a potential liability.
Heath apparently saw the lineup and immediately told his team to go right at Rocha. I assume as much, based on the fact that he was willing to say something to the commentary team like “if Rocha is playing on the left side of defense, I need Ethan to have the game of his life’. Seems code for “that guy sucks, can’t believe he’s handing us this gift”.
 
We should probably be playing 3 in the back now. Sands between Callens and Chanot, with the ability to step into midfield.

It allows Ring to roam freely and impact the game from box to box, while also not eliminating his ability to “clean up” messes.

Mata wide left in a 3 back scenario doesn’t expose him as much. There’s cover. Unless he’s supposed to partner with Rocha.

Parks and Maxi in the midfield. Mitrita and Heber up top. 3-5-2
 
We should probably be playing 3 in the back now. Sands between Callens and Chanot, with the ability to step into midfield.

It allows Ring to roam freely and impact the game from box to box, while also not eliminating his ability to “clean up” messes.

Mata wide left in a 3 back scenario doesn’t expose him as much. There’s cover. Unless he’s supposed to partner with Rocha.

Parks and Maxi in the midfield. Mitrita and Heber up top. 3-5-2
Who’s the coach with that formation?
 
We should probably be playing 3 in the back now. Sands between Callens and Chanot, with the ability to step into midfield.

It allows Ring to roam freely and impact the game from box to box, while also not eliminating his ability to “clean up” messes.

Mata wide left in a 3 back scenario doesn’t expose him as much. There’s cover. Unless he’s supposed to partner with Rocha.

Parks and Maxi in the midfield. Mitrita and Heber up top. 3-5-2
Isi has more goals in the last year than your entire midfield, just scored a brace, and he is on the bench? That’ll motivate the team.
 
Maybe. Three at the back does make some sense given we seem to have three solid CBs and both Tinny and Mata are good choices for WB. I think I'd rather see something more like a fluid 3-3-1-3, though, with the midfield 4 being Mata & Tinny as WBs, Ring between them at the 6, Maxi at the 10 and then a front 3 of some combination of Hebér, Mitrita, Taty, Isi and Lewis.

In "normal" or "attacking" mode Ring has more freedom to get forward and ball progression moves in and out of midfield. If it's time to lock it down you can pull Maxi for Ofori and have him sit next to Ring in a double pivot and drop the WBs deeper, relying on bypassing the midfield for ball progression.
 
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We should probably be playing 3 in the back now. Sands between Callens and Chanot, with the ability to step into midfield.

It allows Ring to roam freely and impact the game from box to box, while also not eliminating his ability to “clean up” messes.

Mata wide left in a 3 back scenario doesn’t expose him as much. There’s cover. Unless he’s supposed to partner with Rocha.

Parks and Maxi in the midfield. Mitrita and Heber up top. 3-5-2
Why does everyone have Keaton in there XI?
 
Look, also: I still don't like Taty as a player. He's too clumsily dirty. There was that early dive looking for a penalty, and the blatant handball to bring the ball down for his disallowed goal. With my lingering disgust from his faking a headbutt from Guzan last season, he's going to have to become a high-level producer for us to start turning my rating of him around.
 
Look, also: I still don't like Taty as a player. He's too clumsily dirty. There was that early dive looking for a penalty, and the blatant handball to bring the ball down for his disallowed goal. With my lingering disgust from his faking a headbutt from Guzan last season, he's going to have to become a high-level producer for us to start turning my rating of him around.

Like I told a friend, as a player he’s a dick with his antics, but if he produced with goals assists I let it slide, but for now he’s just a dick.
 
I think there were interesting tactical decisions in this match coupled with some REALLY stupid errors from Dome. When people were saying sands would be better as a CB I was skeptical that he would be able to handle it, but he looked so good. I think Dome had a hard-on for a left-footed player as the LCB, and also wanted someone he could easily sub out for mitri to change the formation, that was a stupid decision that cost us the game, we played like 10 men with an open lane all game to make Finley look like a boss, Ibehaga should have started without a second thought. The 3 CB formation is exciting though and I think when Callens comes back he would fit that LCB role pretty well, both our fullbacks suck at defending for 90 min and are pretty good when loosed into the attack, the more freedom they have the better. I think the front two Isi and Taty played awesomely with Taty holding the line and threatening vertically and Isi playing deeper and carrying the ball and I was expecting the same from Mitri and Heber but the formation shift screwed that up, I think that would unlock the most of Heber and Mitri though with Heber being the aerial and vertical threat, staying up and mitri coming to collect the ball deep and go on the dribble, but goddam does mitri need to learn how to pass the ball, we know he has a burden to score goals but come on assists are good too.
 
Look, also: I still don't like Taty as a player. He's too clumsily dirty. There was that early dive looking for a penalty, and the blatant handball to bring the ball down for his disallowed goal. With my lingering disgust from his faking a headbutt from Guzan last season, he's going to have to become a high-level producer for us to start turning my rating of him around.

He's a poor man's Suarez