Enzo Maresca frustration boils over as he says 'moment there's doubt about the idea, I will leave'

[Gubbins]

1 hour ago, StriderHiryu said:

Warning for everyone else: I can see this turning into a massive nerd fest!

 

The setup we use I think is genius. I was really impressed with Brighton last season for much the same reason I am impressed with Maresca. When the system works, it's incredible. Your opponent doesn't get the ball so can't harm you, but tire them out and generate high quality chances. If you stop and think about it, it's an ingenious approach to the game.

 

The only real downside I would say is that no matter how good a team is, playing out from the back always carries an element of risk. But the system itself is the response to the use of high-presses across European football. If you know that every week you are going to play against teams that press high... then it makes sense to create a team and tactic that circumvent it. The obvious solution is the more traditional counter-attack like we used in 15/16, but then you come unstuck against teams that don't attack you. And that happened before our very eyes in 2016 when teams turned up and parked the bus against us. So this style means you can beat either approach, as evidenced this season.

 

Perhaps the worrying evolution of this is that games will become more like American Football, which is almost like a Chess match but with real players. We've already had some matches like this; Preston turned up and went 451 instead of 541 that Maresca expected, and we couldn't get going at all, till half-time when he moved Ricardo back and we smashed them. Essentially, Maresca moved his Knight to a different position on board!

 

FWIW, I do feel sympathy for fans that don't like the style of play. For 99% of fans, football is about the spectacle, with a casual understanding of the nuances of the sport. In Music, some people like Rock and some people like Classic. Who is to say one is "better" than the other in terms of enjoyment?

 

However, it is sad that we have one of the most forward-thinking managers in the game in charge of the club, are smashing the division, have turned an academy player into easily the best player in the division and are blooding more and more academy players. All this whilst creating moves that are absolutely beautiful to watch! Some people will never be happy.

I do think a large part of the dissatisfaction that I and many others feel is just to do with the current stage of football evolution (God that sounds rubbish!). Not being a tactics nerd I'd often in recent years watch us fail to get past a low block or get pressed into mistakes whilst in possesion and be completely clueless about what we could do to counter these tactics.

 

I fully understand how our endless passing about in our half is supposed to eventually both draw out the low block, get past the press and eventually tire out the other team. Its proven (against poor quality opponents) to work well, sporadically it looks really good and goodness knows I can't think of another method to do it. This is probably the way most top clubs will move towards playing for the next few years.

 

However I hate it. When the opposition aren't drawn out far enough it is literally just the cbs and goalkeeper passing to each other, yes eventually itl work but it's a drag having to wait for it to happen and frustrating as all hell when we do break the press only to quite often turn around and start over again, sometimes out of necessity, sometimes seemingly not. The comparisons to chess have been made a few times on this thread and there is a reason why it's not a big spectator sport. Part of me would honestly like to give up on football as not really enjoying watching us when we're winning combined with the cheating, greed, VAR, media bias and all the other awful stuff that makes up football nowadays should be the final nail in the coffin. It's just very hard to kick a 30 year habit.

Edited 1 February by Gubbins

[Long Eaton Fox]

Ok, I love how we have played pre Christmas, with quick movement from side to side , tiring teams out and taking over second half, but this slow ponderous play across the back recently is giving the relatively poor opposition chances. It is also stressing me out. I know it's Enzo's plan but he needs to adapt too. Of course I love winning but watching the last few games  has been very  frustrating. As a fan for many years I hope we can all stand together in our attempt at a premiership return.

 

[Jattdogg]

Maresca needs to focus on doing what he is doing. Players need to focus and execute on the plan. We need to support them both. Positivity is encouraging (whether in stadium, online) and who knows might inspire the lads to go at it with more tempo whilst playing in essentially the same style. 

 

We can find fault in any manager. They all have their own styles, manners, faults but the end result is all that matters. Eyes on the prize.

 

 

[lee7]

I would not be shocked if Enzo gets us promoted (breaking records along the way) and then leaves in the summer. 

 

He has asked multiple times this season for the fans to get behind the team which is absolutely absurd really when you consider that we have been sat at the top of the table for the majority of it. In response to his pleas for the fans support he is met with the stadium being half empty by the 90 minute mark regardless of the score and the players playing in silence. 

 

 

A large portion of the fanbase do not seem to appreciate just how well Enzo has done to turn us into a side that consistently win. Especially when you consider the mess he had to sort out when he arrived. 

 

 

 

 

Edited 1 February by lee7

[Wymsey]

Make an Enzo tifo or create a chant for him to show fan appreciation?..

[Gwyn]

We love you Enzo, we do

We love you Enzo, we do

We love you Enzo, we do

Oh Enzo stay with us 

[Nalis]

8 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

I'd argue that the Maresca / De Zerbi style is to counter-attack whilst having possession. Look at the first goal against Swansea again. We hold the ball until the spaces appear and then for the goal we have a 2 on 1 against their keeper.

 

The end product looks like a counter-attacking goal, but was created through controlled possession! That's why the style is kind of genius in my opinion. All the advantages of possession (control, stability) with the upsides of counter-attacks (clear-cut chances, explosive moves).

 

 

 

Thanks, yeah guess I always saw it as slow slow quick but you're right that it is essentially counter attacking but with the ball. Never really thought about it that way before.

[Voll Blau]

9 hours ago, Nalis said:

Maybe we are guilty of romanticising counter attacking football in comparision to possession based football a bit too much due to 2015-16.

The thing is, though, that you're meant to romanticise stuff when you're shit. Getting on the back of a manager and team who are cruising the league in a way that's likely unprecedented in our club's history is demented.

[lanefox]

9 hours ago, Wymsey said:

What do the supporters at Leicester Tigers say to their players?..

Chuck it backwards

[Lionator]

9 hours ago, Wymsey said:

What do the supporters at Leicester Tigers say to their players?..

It’s funny because a similar thing happens. Modern rugby is all about tactical kicking and field position.
 

So to the disengaged eye, it looks conservative and boring, and yet the most conservative and boring plays bring you the best field position to then go for the jugular. Sound familiar? 

[dooflip]

This is going to backfire on him massively. I have been supportive of Maresca, but if he wants to start acting like Brenda he can pack his bags and I’ll wave as he exits. You are not bigger than the club Enzo, you are an amateur manager, never had a proper job apart from at a poor Italian club outside the top league, and you failed miserably as that.  ffs and WE ARE MASSIVE!!!!!! Maresca is being a spoilt child and doesn’t realises it’s us who have given him a chance, not the other way around. Get in the bin.

[Nalis]

27 minutes ago, Voll Blau said:

The thing is, though, that you're meant to romanticise stuff when you're shit. Getting on the back of a manager and team who are cruising the league in a way that's likely unprecedented in our club's history is demented.

But thats my point in terms of then and now. Romanticising at the time was 100% warranted of course.

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

10 hours ago, Wymsey said:

What do the supporters at Leicester Tigers say to their players?..

TIGERS

To two different tunes. Really thought provoking stuff.

[Kinowe Soorie]

Is it just me that thinks he’s been a little too sensitive? Just gerron wiv it.

[Happy Fox]

I think the message is clearly to the board not to the fans. It’s very unprofessional if we have the likes of Rudkin on the jolly at Top’s wedding.

 

I am not saying it’s not okay to attend but at least have back up staff that can do the tasks for transfers.. it’s so unprofessional we are reliant on one individual  to do this. No wonder Enzo is pissed.

[coolhandfox]

14 minutes ago, Happy Fox said:

I think the message is clearly to the board not to the fans. It’s very unprofessional if we have the likes of Rudkin on the jolly at Top’s wedding.

 

I am not saying it’s not okay to attend but at least have back up staff that can do the tasks for transfers.. it’s so unprofessional we are reliant on one individual  to do this. No wonder Enzo is pissed.

 

[Guest David Oldfields Gate]

20 minutes ago, Kinowe Soorie said:

Is it just me that thinks he’s been a little too sensitive? Just gerron wiv it.

Bit like my missus. Spends all day making a lovely dinner then I make a comment that it's not quite as good as my mother used to do it.

 

Then I start booing.

 

 

[Claudio Fannieri]

8 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

Warning for everyone else: I can see this turning into a massive nerd fest!

 

The setup we use I think is genius. I was really impressed with Brighton last season for much the same reason I am impressed with Maresca. When the system works, it's incredible. Your opponent doesn't get the ball so can't harm you, but tire them out and generate high quality chances. If you stop and think about it, it's an ingenious approach to the game.

 

The only real downside I would say is that no matter how good a team is, playing out from the back always carries an element of risk. But the system itself is the response to the use of high-presses across European football. If you know that every week you are going to play against teams that press high... then it makes sense to create a team and tactic that circumvent it. The obvious solution is the more traditional counter-attack like we used in 15/16, but then you come unstuck against teams that don't attack you. And that happened before our very eyes in 2016 when teams turned up and parked the bus against us. So this style means you can beat either approach, as evidenced this season.

 

Perhaps the worrying evolution of this is that games will become more like American Football, which is almost like a Chess match but with real players. We've already had some matches like this; Preston turned up and went 451 instead of 541 that Maresca expected, and we couldn't get going at all, till half-time when he moved Ricardo back and we smashed them. Essentially, Maresca moved his Knight to a different position on board!

 

FWIW, I do feel sympathy for fans that don't like the style of play. For 99% of fans, football is about the spectacle, with a casual understanding of the nuances of the sport. In Music, some people like Rock and some people like Classic. Who is to say one is "better" than the other in terms of enjoyment?

 

However, it is sad that we have one of the most forward-thinking managers in the game in charge of the club, are smashing the division, have turned an academy player into easily the best player in the division and are blooding more and more academy players. All this whilst creating moves that are absolutely beautiful to watch! Some people will never be happy.

Great post, as you say this kind of football isn’t for everyone, personally I absolutely love it and I love watching the patterns of play, our movement and how we retain possession awaiting the opponents to make a mistake in their defensive shape and pressing lines and then boom 💥 we pounce with speed and precision to try and take advantage. 
 

and yeah I think I am a bit of a football neek as my lad would call it (nerd/geek) 😂

[ARTY_FOX]

46 minutes ago, dooflip said:

This is going to backfire on him massively. I have been supportive of Maresca, but if he wants to start acting like Brenda he can pack his bags and I’ll wave as he exits. You are not bigger than the club Enzo, you are an amateur manager, never had a proper job apart from at a poor Italian club outside the top league, and you failed miserably as that.  ffs and WE ARE MASSIVE!!!!!! Maresca is being a spoilt child and doesn’t realises it’s us who have given him a chance, not the other way around. Get in the bin.

Bore off. I'd be fuming aswell if some geriatric clowns were booing my record breakers aswell. Only thing that needs throwing out is the hoofball merchants in the stands

[HighPeakFox]

48 minutes ago, dooflip said:

This is going to backfire on him massively. I have been supportive of Maresca, but if he wants to start acting like Brenda he can pack his bags and I’ll wave as he exits. You are not bigger than the club Enzo, you are an amateur manager, never had a proper job apart from at a poor Italian club outside the top league, and you failed miserably as that.  ffs and WE ARE MASSIVE!!!!!! Maresca is being a spoilt child and doesn’t realises it’s us who have given him a chance, not the other way around. Get in the bin.

This is next level parody, congrats. 

[Noahfence]

27 minutes ago, Kinowe Soorie said:

Is it just me that thinks he’s been a little too sensitive? Just gerron wiv it.

To be fair I can see his point, maybe it’s a bit far to say he’d leave but imagine doing all this work and you get fans doing sarcastic cheers after a forward pass. That’s the sort of stuff you hear when a team is genuinely shite 

 

End of the day this football won’t be for everyone. But he probably feels like he isn’t getting the credit he deserves from the fans. 

[SemperEadem]

3 hours ago, Wymsey said:

Make an Enzo tifo or create a chant for him to show fan appreciation?..

There is a chant and a banner was shown for him.

[OnlyOneCity]

With regards to managers asking for more support from the fans, how many times has Pep done the same at Man City? We actually do show support by turning up during freezing winter nights and difficult roadwork problems. My frustration with the current style is when we pass between the keeper and defenders so many times, that we are put under pressure by the opposition, and mistakes made, leading to potential goals when we are only a goal in front. The way we started on Tuesday, I thought was great and some lovely football played. Should have been 2 in front at halftime. I also get annoyed with the recent  habit of players throwing their arms in the air at the fans to gee them up. There are ways of communicating the need for encouragement rather than treating us as though we’ve been given free tickets and should make more noise. Whatever you say about organised singing, what happens on the pitch evokes a response from the crowd. A spell of attacking football naturally gets fans excited whereas too much play between the keeper and centre backs causes anxiety. We are top of the league and probably need another 7 wins to guarantee promotion. Up the City.

[Mike Oxlong]

36 minutes ago, Kinowe Soorie said:

Is it just me that thinks he’s been a little too sensitive? Just gerron wiv it.

I can understand why he is being sensitive but also think he’s being a little over sensitive. MON was prone to that at times whilst doing great things for the club 

 

But if you’ve been in football a long time you must know how varied, fickle and ungrateful fans can be unless everything is near perfect 

 

Marenza-ball is successful and nowhere near the end product. It’s still early days (hopefully) in his time with us and he said post match on Tuesday that there were a number of things he would like to improve 

 

Nonetheless, if he threatens to leave any time a portion of fans express discontent he’s not going to be happy or staying anywhere for long. He need to develop a bit of a thicker skin IMO. 

 

The numbers that left early on Tuesday though was a disgrace. I’d be disappointed to see that if we were 3-0 down never mind 3-0 up. I wish those attendees would permanently fvck off to give the chance of a season ticket / match ticket to fans  who would actually appreciate going to the game and who would be more likely to get behind the team 

[Chelmofox]

Best not do a 'Stand up, if you love Enzo' chant at 85 minutes during the next home game.