Arne Engels

There was no space in the first half though as tactically marked our players to stop us playing out.

In the 2nd half they sat back with basically a row of 9 at the back and 1 guy up front the way Motherwell, St Mirren and whoever do and when they booted it up the park our defence could pick it up easy and bring it to the halfway line.

2nd half was an easy game with time and space on the ball, first half was a tactical outclassing.

 

Oh well, as long as he has an excuse...

 

It's not just him its all our defensive players and over multiple games against the huns.

They know we only play one way, pass it out from the back.

But compared to us playing Aberdeen and Hibs, we bottle it from Taylor playing inverted, he doesn't even do that against the huns. That limits our options to pass out and then the huns compared to all the other teams we play actually man mark 4 of our players in our half, so that we need to play gambling risky passes.

They do that as we keep repeating the exact style of play without changing anything and it's too easy for them to set up against.

Stevie Wonder could play us and say yous 4 mark McGregor, Johnston, Schlupp, Trusty, leave CCV on the ball don't close him down and never close down their keeper. If CCV passes it to the keeper swap from Trusty and close down CCV force them to pass it to Trusty then wait again.

Keep doing that until Celtic are forced to start trying to pass it to the guys being marked, then win the ball or force them back to the keeper.

Just keep doing that until the whole defence are rattled and under pressure and they start making mistakes.

That is basically all the huns do to us and it works every time because we don't change what we are doing even though it's nearly impossible to do what we're being asked to do. Because their 4 players in our half are always going to nullify the chances of us being able to pass out with any type of success. They are going to force us back most of the time and then every 1 in 10 we're going to give the ball away because people are going to force things under the pressure of being on the ball too much and being stuck in our own half.

 

I actually was looking forward to seeing him in the deeper role, thought he'd relish it..

He just didn't get involved enough, didn't try to shake Diamonde and hid a bit tbh..

I like him, he's young.. but he's isn't a 6.. maybe in a double pivot but certainly not as the deepest in a 3..

 

There was no space because yes, they did absolutely do that but also because he wasn’t moving and showing to receive the ball.

And that made it easy. He moves, and drags guys with him, there’s space. Or if he doesn’t drag them with them, he has the ball and that role is our platform to attack.

We are so used to the guy in the 6 in McGregor always, always being there for a pass, we were automatically looking for that when we were under pressure on the ball. And it wasn’t there, because he was hiding. Not just because McGregor is a different level.

And that majorly * us. He was hiding in more ways than that, McCowan was doing a lot of running for him trying to close down the guys, and was ending up doing nothing because chasing everything, and getting nowhere near them doing that himself no help off Engels or Kuhn, * that. And it made his first half look like he was lost, and ye know what? That’s fine that, a bad performance is fine. Shitebagness, a lack of effort isn’t.

 

I genuinely think our players are being coached to stand behind opposition players (blatantly unable to receive a pass), in order to be in a position to receive the 2nd pass.

I saw it happen at least twice yesterday when it actually came off (Hatate and Engels) and then we are off and away from them up the pitch.

I could be way off here but it seems like another of these new modern football type moves. Great when it works but it looks * horrendous when you see a player standing in such a stupid * position.

 

McGregor has uncharacteristically done that in a few games this season, and isn't the only one....so you may be right mate..

There's no way a coach can watch that untold in a game and no notice, so it may be orders as you say..

Seems so weird, you're just limiting the options and almost gambling it may fall to you as opposed to doing all you can to get free and on yhe turn..

 

Yeah man exactly. I can see why and how it would work. But you probably need proper world class players for it to work consistently.

I noticed Engels doing it in the Leipzig game and it's something, like you say, seeing more of.. will keep my eye out for it

 

Aye im gonna keep an eye out as well mate as I've slated McGregor for hiding a couple of times and noticed Bernardo and Engels at times running way beyond the opposition defensive midfield lines when McGregor sometimes has it, leaving our midfield looking mentally wide open..

 

Should have been hooked alongside Kuhn at half time. Popped up for corner kicks but was otherwise anonymous.

 

Be happy to break-even / take a small loss on this guy and use proceeds to try and re-sign MOR.

 

Need to stop pretending he’s class.

We’ve overspent. Has a long long way to go before he’s at the level we need him to be

 

Getting robbed trying to turn in acres of space and * passing in open play..

He's * me off..

 

Not a bad idea actually. Engels is not suited to our game or the SPL.

We were rooked paying £11M for him.

I would happily take MOR back.

 

I thought Hatate was far worse than him today tbh.

He wasn't great either way, his form has definitely dropped off over the last month.

 

£20m for him and Idah is embarrassing really. Add Trusty in there and it makes you question whether giving BR more money to spend in the summer would be a good idea.

 

Or they are hiding and not taking responsibility, I know which one is more likely.
It's an issue for midfield especially, feeble physically and often mentally.

 

He needs to be offering more. He’s had some really good performances but a lot of absolute shockers.

How many goals from open play?

 

Agreed. We badly overpaid for players last summer (see Idah & Trusty as well)

 

£26m on Idah, Engels and Trusty is * shocking.