Agree and disagree. I think our weakest area is the full backs, which are crucial to Marsch's system. That's down to poor recruitment and inconsistency. Firpo has been a let down, and the jury is out on Rasmus, for me. Assuming Bamford is ever fully fit again, we should have enough options up top.
That said, I think we are less than the sum of our parts overall, and that is due to Marsch's tactics and coaching. The press is so easy to frustrate, we don't use enough of the pitch to make good use of our creative players, and we still have defensive vulnerabilities in open play; again, because of the lack of width.
We seem largely toothless, not due to of the lack of striking options, but because six months plus of Marsch's coaching hasn't enabled us to string together a coherent attacking system. It's so frustrating to watch moves breaking down again and again because we don't create enough space to allow for accurate passing and movement.
The first half yesterday was like watching a lower half championship game, with the amount of aimless hoofing and head tennis. I was repeatedly told it would take Marsch until this season, with his own signings, to implement his style. As suspected, that style is largely ineffectual, inconsistent and ill disciplined.
The question really is whether it is realistic to expect any better, if our 'target' every year is 17th. Whilst recognising the financial ceiling on a club like Leeds in the premier league, I see no reason why we shouldn't be playing a better style of football, even if our resources still place us lower mid table.
Agree on the fullback issue.
It seems odd that in a system that requires mobile and yet defensively sound full backs we have gone for Kristensen who isn't very mobile and Firpo who can't defend.
The fact Struijk whose a slow cb is playing LB goes to show the poor hand he has been dealt though. I seriously doubt Bamford will ever hit the heights of before.
Guy can barely train and isn't getting any younger, again highlights the poor hand Marsch has been dealt.
Share the concerns regarding the width, I don't understand the logic of making the pitch as narrow as possible in attack. I mean I do understand it in a sense (players more likely to score centrally basically) but you have to get there first and for that you need width imo.
That being said though the style Marsch uses is heavily influenced by Rangnick and Rangnick's style has heavily influenced all the successful German coaches like Nagelsmann and Klopp etc so clearly it does work but maybe it is a case of taking the best bits of the style and adapting it?
Similar to Bielsa in that sense, his protegees all took elements of his style and adapted it rather than copying.
Marsch is still young, maybe he just needs time to properly adapt his style?
In fairness to Marsch he is being asked to play with basically no natural number 9. Bamford is crocked, Joffy is more of a 10, Rodrigo is a second striker, if he had gotten Gakpo for example (who Is more of a winger). but is a big strong and pacey player able to hold the ball up and run in behind and create space for others then maybe it would have come together more offensively?
We've seen the impact having a proper 9 has had on City with Haaland.
We saw what having Bamford did for Bielsa (and how much he struggled without him)
Not getting Gakpo or similar has really hampered Marsch to abd probably is a major reason for our creative issues.
Not to say the style may not help at times but like with most styles, if you don't have the right players it likely won't work.
We have no proper striker
No left back
Wingers like Harrison playing as 10s rather than proper 10s.
If Marsch had the right players I think the style could be quite enjoyable.
But he doesnt
The full back issue is probably much larger than we think.
Offensively it provides our width and helps create space.
Struijk and Kristensen are slow and thus often to late or not willing to take up the opportunity to get forward at the right time.
With proper full backs those spaces we create wide by dragging the opposition narrow would probably enable us to create more.
But again recruitment hasn't provided the correct players.
