Kobi
I Know Who You Are
It's obvious why most of these guys criticizing the style are very average managers themselves or never had a career in coaching.
Unai wants to play a certain way and it takes time to get that right, but the only way to improve is by doing it no matter what and not abandon it at the first failure. Just imagine Unai telling the lads 'Yeah, we want to press and play from the back, but not against City because I'm scared of them, and well maybe not against Chelsea either. Let's try it when we play Huddersfield at home in two months'.
I agree to an extent and as someone who wanted change I am more than willing to be patient with the manager and the shift in philosophy, it isn't something which is going to be perfected overnight.
Having said that I do have a few grievances, firstly if you going to play high risk passing football from the back against a team managed by the best conductor of the press, probably ever, why are we starting a goalkeeper who has a panic attack every time the ball comes near him and two clumsy centre backs?
Obviously the first one is easily remedied, Leno looked very good with his feet in pre-season.
However the second one is more annoying, the signing of Sokratis (age aside) seems completely at odds with what the manager needs, no idea if Sven got wind of a Dortmund player being available and just bombed off and signed him on his own or what.
It means we now have until at least January passing out from the back and defending with a high line with two slow, smallish defenders who aren't great on the ball.
Surely we should have gone for a centre back in the mould of Pique or Stones who can play a bit, even if they're raw, even if they make mistakes taking risks at least they would fit in with what we are trying to do long term.
Even take a risk and convert a midfielder, Pep does it it regularly, Toure (at Barca), Mascherano, Javi Martinez, if you are going to play this way defenders who are good on the ball is a must.