We’re not getting both. I’ll bet my house on that. I think it’ll be Barcola then a cheaper option on the right.
Priorities for me are sorting the defence and balance in midfield first.
We’ve added Kostas back to the ranks but the right will always concern me unless we get a proper and durable RB in. No clue when Leoni will return leaving just Jacquet (a new lad, new country) alongside Virgil with Joe in and out (like he always is). A centre back needed in my view.
I’d like to see a new mid come in but I don’t think it’ll be a priority for Iraola. He’ll want a winger done first then go from there.
Last season the issue was the balance and coaching of our mid notably our brutally imbalanced mid block and rest defence shape plus the lack of urgent midfield triggers when we lost possession. Our lack of back-line protection was alarming, very little consistent support of either the back four or the press. This is all coaching stuff (not fucking individual players) THE system, THE tactics. It seemed every ‘turn over’ resulted in a proper chance for the opposition. Player roles weren’t defined, end of.
With Iraola, he ordinarily drops to a 442 when the opposition has possession and triggers a 3232 shape when the ball is lost in the attacking third so, for me, this is going to be more a coaching fix than simply buy a six and expect miracles. He might add an extra set of legs in there to make sure we stay on point in transitions.
Bournemouth were more zonal than man for man making sure ‘the system’ was the success in regaining possession than an individual one (last season we seemed to solely rely on winning the 1v1’s!).
As I mentioned, it’s clear we need personnel help in mid tho as Grav and Mac looked gassed in long phases of last season needing respite from a rotation system that never happened. I just don’t think we’ll go for a DM. Iraola’s double pivot doesn’t work that way out of possession. Iraola just executes his lines when the ball is lost (flat 442, 442 diamond, 3232 etc.).
The ‘system’ would organically provide cover not necessarily ‘a player’ if that makes sense but….again….
Last season was just a ROYAL A FUCKING TACTICAL MESS. It’s easy to point fingers at individuals (those that do that usually don’t have a gestalt type approach to things…it’s the individuals not the sum of all its parts and/or simply can’t provide a solution) but we all witnessed Slot and GVB thinking they knew how to fix it and couldn’t/didn’t. Thanks for the PL trophy but toodle-oo.
Here’s to organisation!….Hopefully.
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