To be fair, the figures are blunt and they deserve to be looked at without hysteria. The run before the last six games read 12-2-1, with 23 goals scored in 15 and eight conceded. In the recent six we’ve hit 14 goals but again shipped eight. That’s the headline: more attacking, but also more porous.
Why the switch looks risky right now
Changing shape and intent in mid-season is never neat. You can see why the manager might want to be more progressive, bring two up front and ask the team to press higher and move with more tempo. The trade-off is obvious — you open spaces in transition and give opponents more invitations. Right now the price we’re paying for the extra goals is a worrying number of chances conceded.
Is the manager to blame?
Some responsibility does sit with the coach. Asking players to learn a new approach when fixtures matter is a gamble. Implementing a different balance between attack and defence takes training time, clarity in roles and sometimes personnel better suited to that approach. But it’s not automatic criticism to say timing matters. This is the business end of the season and margins are fine.
A pragmatic way forward
My take is simple. Right now, go pragmatic. Tighten up, concede less and nick results by the odd goal. That doesn’t mean abandoning ambition — it means prioritising points while the season is on the line. Use the close season to bed in a more progressive style properly, with the right work, drills and perhaps tweaks to the squad so players can learn it from scratch rather than on the hoof.
Others will look at the same numbers and come to different conclusions. Fair enough. For me it’s about cold arithmetic and timing: we’ve seen the reward for attacking intent, but also the cost. Find the balance now, refine the style later.
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