The Boss has spoken, and yet again he has slammed the very suggestion that he may abandon his attacking principles and change the way we play the game. Ange is clear on how he wants to approach next season; in the same way he did this one.
He was talking, this time, to the Australian media and when asked a question about whether or not he would adopt more defensive tactics he quipped that he had “never owned a bus” in his life.
So the idea of sitting back and parking one clearly isn’t being considered.
I know there are some in our support who think that Ange will have to change his style and his philosophy as we move forward; my advice to them would be “don’t count on it.” This guy will stand or fall by the ideas he presently espouses, and that will be as true in Europe as it right here at home in the domestic game. He is not for turning.
And in sense, why should he? Those tactics, that strategy, has proved enormously fruitful. We have not suffered for it; even our European exploits were above and beyond what many expected of the manager in his first campaign.
Bodo aside, I think we all enjoyed the rollercoaster ride tremendously. It was a credit to the manager that we got nine Europa League points from our group even if the God’s of qualification didn’t smile on us.
(Some clubs, with eight, went through. A fact few in the media ever mentions.)
With some good signings behind him, and an even stronger squad to work with next season, I fully expect us to be more ready for Champions League football than we have been in years. It is quite exciting to think that we’ll play attacking football whoever we get in those groups, and to be honest I can’t see any other way in which we’ll get success.
Sitting back, and letting the opposition make all the running, ends in disaster.
We aren’t built for it and this manager knows it.
He believes, wholeheartedly, that the best defence is a good offence, and he is correct to.
That is the way to victory.
You’re right that he won’t (and shouldn’t !) change his footballing philosophy and hopefully it will be successful in Europe BUT the 9points vs 8points statement hides one very important fact -we lost 3 games vs they only lost 2 – the less games you lose in the group stages you more likely you are to qualify because you’re not letting any of the other teams GAIN points on you in your head to head matches and it really counts in tight groups (whether that be all 4 teams having a chance to qualify OR 3 teams fighting it out and the 4th team being the lame ducks). Whatever the playing philosophy is, the key to getting out the groups is to avoid defeat wherever possible as it’s too short a league.
Ange clearly subscribes to the old Brazilian view of “As long as you score more than your opponents you’ll win”! Good. If we have to lose I’d rather we do it whilst trying to win instead of sitting back clinging on for dear life. Goal difference usually isn’t what takes a team through, it’s points on the board so going all out to win 3 is better than wattienacio-ing for a point. “Play to win or piss off” is a mantra that more managers in this country should adhere to…but won’t.
We probably won’t get very far in Europe with this approach, but it’s hard to criticise Ange as he has just won us the league and a cup. The league will always be our main priority, and if he keeps winning that, most people will be happy.
We’ve sat back twice against sevco. We looked utterly awful both times. If his plan is to stay away from that crap so much the better