Ted Hughes wrote:Defensively we are not as good as under Mancini but we have more time. It's a lot to take on board though & it may take the season to sort it.
We look almost limitless in attack though so we could still win stuff by sheer brilliance.
I expect Arsenal to cause us a lot of problems but us to do likewise & we are better.
Too early to say that we are not as good defensively. We've only seen pre season and with everyone getting a chance to show the boss, so we just shouldn't read too much into that.
For all the complaints Vinny and Lescott still make one of the best set ups in the country.
DM we are as good if not better, plus we may see a new approach from the team in pressing, which will improve us defensively by default.
Usually I take a similar view that new systems and changes take a season to bed in. For some reason I can't quite pin; I get the sense with The Count that things are going to settle quicker... maybe it is something to do with the type of buys we have made and the existing team before that. EG. Dzeko looks like he is going to be used as he should. Nasri maybe too, Milner as well?
The balance has also shifted to take the weight off Silva and to some extent Yaya too, that imo bodes well.
I could see us getting better and better right though the season, but I just get the sense we won't struggle to pull it together to begin with. Pelligrini keeping it simple and communicating to players?
Anyways, Arsenal. By all accounts it would seem the game to take seriously, but reality is it is just another pre-season chance to try stuff and see players perform, stuff the result. Same for them though innit.
Based on that then we will take them apart.