YOUNG

❗️Brentford played United and City away B2B. Think the difference between the games tells a lot about the state of things. 🔺At Old Trafford, Brentford had 54% possession. Jensen and Damsgaard had 170+ passes. Jensen completed 79 of 94. At the Ethiad, Brentford had 40% possession. Jensen completed 35 of 52 passes. 🔺Watching the games — the cause for the difference on the pitch is clear as day. City lifted up their back 4, took away space from Brentford in the build-up, and Brentford could not handle it. Brentford even pushed high with 4 players at times, but City still didn’t drop back. Jensen and co are good, not elite. He was in way over his head against City. Against United, Brentford sent up 1-3 players and United dropped deep with 7 players and Brentford played through our press with such an ease. 🔺But why do Man Utd play which such a deep line? It has nothing to do with the midfield. You cannot press with a deep line. As seen in the picture below, Utd is 7 against 3 in our own half, and Brentford is consequently 7 against 3 in their half. You cannot press with 3 players against 7. It has everything to do with the lack of pace at CB. This is a problem we have had for a long long time. It does not get the attention it deserves. 🔺I really try to like the idea of Carrick getting the job. Sometimes I am excited about it. But it’s 2026. We have three games left of a season without a knife against our throat. We play Sunderland. What does Carrick do? The first name put on the the team sheet is Harry Maguire and we play an extremely deep line. This is what we need to work on. It cannot be up for debate. Why is Lenny Yoro sat on the bench? Why doesn’t we even try to improve here? When we play this deep, the best we can hope on is counter attacks because we will never be able to establish sustained pressure. 🔺Brentford and Sunderland are good. But it will — not — be any different in Europe next season. Well organized teams like Bodo-Glimt, FC Copenhagen, Sparta Prague and the likes will have a field day, just like Brentford, Sunderland and Leeds. People think we will do well in the big group stage of the CL just because we play in the PL. Most European teams can’t handle the physical nature of PL clubs. That is why Newcastle and Tottenham are top in the CL while bottom in the PL. When we play such a deep line — we get nothing of that. ⚽️My bar is extremely low, for what I would settle for with a new manager. Looking around Europe the last decade, what works is possession focused 4-2-3-1, high line and high counter press. Give me that and I would take it. Why? We simply cannot waste time building teams in the wrong direction. We have done it since Mourinho, who was past it tactically when we got him. I cannot be in favor of appointing a manager who clearly favors this ultra deep line counter attack style.