• The KillerFrogs

2023-2024 European Football Thread

Purp

Active Member
I'm still late in the first half, but I see 2 huge problems causing most of our troubles.

1) Sam Vines needs to be out of the player pool until/unless he develops better. He's playing way too deep, which is causing Gio to play way too deep and it's disrupting our tactics and shape in attack. We can't sustain anything forward on the left side bc of it.

2) Aaron Long and is not sharp. Way too many lazy passes against a team that presses high and he's not moving well off the ball. He and McKennie have had 4-5 missed opportunities where you can tell they have different ideas. Long wants to play slow out of the back and Weston wants to build an attack. If Long wants to play at this level he needs to start making more incisive passes rather than the lazy crap he's rolling around.

The turnover that led to their goal was a Long/McKennie mishap. Weston expected his center back to step into space and Long stayed back for no reason. Weston laid it off into space for Long to run onto it and build, but Long senselessly stayed back in a defensive posture and we turned it over.

Turner has been solid, but he's wasted 2-3 balls off his feet. He's got to improve that aspect of his game.
 

Moose Stuff

Active Member
I'm still late in the first half, but I see 2 huge problems causing most of our troubles.

1) Sam Vines needs to be out of the player pool until/unless he develops better. He's playing way too deep, which is causing Gio to play way too deep and it's disrupting our tactics and shape in attack. We can't sustain anything forward on the left side bc of it.

2) Aaron Long and is not sharp. Way too many lazy passes against a team that presses high and he's not moving well off the ball. He and McKennie have had 4-5 missed opportunities where you can tell they have different ideas. Long wants to play slow out of the back and Weston wants to build an attack. If Long wants to play at this level he needs to start making more incisive passes rather than the lazy crap he's rolling around.

The turnover that led to their goal was a Long/McKennie mishap. Weston expected his center back to step into space and Long stayed back for no reason. Weston laid it off into space for Long to run onto it and build, but Long senselessly stayed back in a defensive posture and we turned it over.

Turner has been solid, but he's wasted 2-3 balls off his feet. He's got to improve that aspect of his game.
Vines and Long were the main 2 I mentioned that don’t belong.
 

Purp

Active Member
Half time subs are stupid. McKenzie for Long is good, but Dest should have gone to the left side instead of off. Jordan Morris should also not be playing. Berhalter is very disappointing.

Did you hear Twellman's commentary before the match started about Pefok? He basically confirmed my fears that Berhalter's language about profile and "we know what he is" sounds like Pefok is out of the WC unless one of the 3 strikers in camp is out of form. That should be a firable offense.
 

Purp

Active Member
Pretty sure I saw Sam Vines at the Cologne Cathedral Wednesday afternoon. That ugly mug is unmistakable. I didn't recognize the guy he was with, which gave me doubts. But seeing his face more on TV I'm pretty certain it was him.
 

Purp

Active Member
The tactical shift in midfield is a problem for me too. De la Torre next to Adams with McKennie alone in front of them makes no sense. If you have to do that to protect your back line with Long and Vines on the left side of it then you're admitting you made the wrong selections there. Adams is an elite stopper. He doesn't need help. By putting de la Torre back there with him you diminish them both. De la Torre plays a lot like Musah. Would you invert your midfield triangle with Musah out there? The entire midfield is disjointed and I think it starts there.
 

Chongo94

Active Member
Half time subs are stupid. McKenzie for Long is good, but Dest should have gone to the left side instead of off. Jordan Morris should also not be playing. Berhalter is very disappointing.

Did you hear Twellman's commentary before the match started about Pefok? He basically confirmed my fears that Berhalter's language about profile and "we know what he is" sounds like Pefok is out of the WC unless one of the 3 strikers in camp is out of form. That should be a firable offense.
Btw, all subs at halftime were “pre-planned” haha.
 

dawg

Active Member
Did you hear Twellman's commentary before the match started about Pefok? He basically confirmed my fears that Berhalter's language about profile and "we know what he is" sounds like Pefok is out of the WC unless one of the 3 strikers in camp is out of form. That should be a firable offense.
Cannot rep this post enough. Putting aside his [ Finebaum ]ty tactics for the moment.... "we know what he is." Really? Really??!! Because it sure as hell looks to the rest of the world that Pefok's playing at an elite level right now -three goals and three assists in six matches- for the Bundesliga top club.

My main takeaway…. We will NEVER reach our potential with Berhalter in charge.
This one too. Crashing out at the group stage would suck, but it seems where we're headed. That moron needs to be gone after the WC; we need a legit manager to lead the national setup into 2026, when our talent should be peaking. And when, you know, WE'RE HOSTING THE DAMN THING*.

Yeah yeah Canada and Mexico will have group matches and a quarter, but the business end of the tourney will be here.
 

Moose Stuff

Active Member
Cannot rep this post enough. Putting aside his [ #2020 ]ty tactics for the moment.... "we know what he is." Really? Really??!! Because it sure as hell looks to the rest of the world that Pefok's playing at an elite level right now -three goals and three assists in six matches- for the Bundesliga top club.


This one too. Crashing out at the group stage would suck, but it seems where we're headed. That moron needs to be gone after the WC; we need a legit manager to lead the national setup into 2026, when our talent should be peaking. And when, you know, WE'RE HOSTING THE DAMN THING*.

Yeah yeah Canada and Mexico will have group matches and a quarter, but the business end of the tourney will be here.
Part of me wants us to go 0-3 so that we can be rid of him.
 
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