21 Mar 2024 12:17:45
I know ETH is the hot topic at the minute, rightfully or wrongfully, but I read some interesting stats about his domestic cup performances I thought were worth sharing.

ETH is 16-2 in domestic cup competitions since joining, with a win rate of 89.5%. For comparison, Pep has a 82.4% win rate in domestic cups whilst Klopp is 67.4%.

We have the potential to reach our third domestic final out of four in 2 years if we beat Coventry. This is the same amount of domestic cup finals we have reached across all managers since Ferguson's retirement.

Its also worth noting that in 2024 ETH has a 75% win rate, having W9 / D1 / L2.

So I guess the question is, whether you like him or not, is the speculation about ETH justified?

1.) 21 Mar 2024
21 Mar 2024 12:51:26
We have lost 20 league matches in under 2 seasons under eth. More than any other manager since fergie.
We finished bottom of our cl group this session for 1st time.
Based on those numbers questioning him is justified as is replacing him
We are currently 6th in the league.
For every ying there is a yang.
Some want him to stay some don't there are arguments for both.
People in the know will make the decision either way I'll support that decision. I know what i'd prefer.

2.) 21 Mar 2024
21 Mar 2024 12:56:30
I saw the same thing Kurtis, and he had a very similar record at Ajax.

I nearly posted it yesterday before thinking it gives the doomsayers the opportunity to tell us that ETH is a cup manager.

I think the speculation is very unjust and the conversation has been done to death on here.

3.) 21 Mar 2024
21 Mar 2024 13:05:35
Ron Atkinson won 2 fa cups and lost a league cup final in 3 seasons. It was largely recognised that he was not the man to bring the club forward. He was replaced by fergie. Good call that.

4.) 21 Mar 2024
21 Mar 2024 13:17:53
The key there tumble is IN THREE SEASONS.

5.) 21 Mar 2024
21 Mar 2024 13:28:38
No DB the key is he was fired despite doing well in domestic cups. That's not the benchmark.

6.) 21 Mar 2024
21 Mar 2024 13:35:03
I think the primary driver for INEOS is to have a manager in place who is primarily a coach who can get the best out of all his players and happily know his place in the hierarchy - ie big decisions being left to the Sporting Director and getting the most out of the players that have, driven by data and analysis of how they fit into the long term plan and culture, been given to him.

Is ETH prepared to accept this new role - and does he have the personality to carry it out?

7.) 21 Mar 2024
21 Mar 2024 15:45:25
Wallace I don't see eth's time here as a total failure at all. There has been lots of good things imo.
But I don't see it even getting a whole lot better and I don't think he has what it takes to close the gap on our rivals no matter what the structure.
There are stats that are good but others that are damning so we can only base our opinions on our own gut feeling and we all need to realise our opinions are based on little or no intimate knowledge of the situation so there is no right or wrong.
Perhaps all the players really like working under him and maybe they are all really happy and can see great progress in training that some of us don't see on the pitch yet. Perhaps sjr and team really see a great future with eth at the helm and can see foundations he is laying down. They are based place to judge
Maybe eth is delighted with a new structure above him and less input into transfers and strategy but he might also find that a bridge too far.
I think everybody on here wanted a new structure with subject matter experts in key roles. Now that they are close to being in place everybody wants to tell them how to do their jobs. Who to sell who to sack who to buy who to keep.
I think we all need to trust in the judgement of the new team and give it a year or 2 to see if the decisions they make this summer can see us showing consistent improvement. If we are showing that then we will be in the right track. If not they will need to pivot.
We have the DOF we wanted a new ceo a new team around the DOF.
I'll be giving a chance for them to do their job and seeing how it goes.
We have what nearly everyone wanted
But it turns out it's not what people wanted at all because they only want what they want.

8.) 21 Mar 2024
21 Mar 2024 16:47:53
That’s really big of you Ken, prepared to give them a chance. Will mean a lot to them.

9.) 21 Mar 2024
21 Mar 2024 17:17:54
I'm glad you recognise that ports I think it's important to let them have time to implement their ideas before pushing judgement as a customer, after all they are the experts.

10.) 21 Mar 2024
21 Mar 2024 19:27:33
I look forward to hearing how your first performance review goes with them!

11.) 21 Mar 2024
21 Mar 2024 21:42:03
That will be confidential.

12.) 21 Mar 2024
21 Mar 2024 21:47:18
I think his performances in cups shows he is capable of setting up a team to win every match. But approach to cup games is different to league games. SAF had the same approach to any game. Saw an old clip yesterday recirculating where Neville interviews SAF and he talks about being a goal down and getting players in the box to score and risk being countered but the risk is worth the reward.

ETH showed on Sunday he is prepared to throw players on to get back in the game but you have to in a cup or you’re out. In the league it’s to easy to “not lose” first. Be braver, go for wins. You’d be best winning 3 out of 5 then winning 1, drawing 4.

13.) 22 Mar 2024
21 Mar 2024 23:29:42
Shrewd observation Ports.

But ironically, I think we’ve seen what happens now we’ve ditched the double pivot of McFred under OGS. Far too open, far too easily cut through and we concede for fun.

Think ETH has got a little confused this year on what we are supposed to be.

14.) 22 Mar 2024
22 Mar 2024 05:53:49
Think the midfield issue is caused by the back four, imo I think he wants a defence to be capable of playing ten / fifteen yards higher up the pitch which closes that midfield space straight away! Unfortunately he can’t with Evans Maguire lindelof etc as they’ll be exposed! He looks like he’s caught in the middle of it at the minute!

15.) 22 Mar 2024
22 Mar 2024 10:39:33
Eth has achieved what he has achieved with the worst assembled squad in most of our living histories.
Give him another season, if we are tracking in the right direction after Christmas, give him an extension. Eth is not the problem, it has been the squad, backroom staff etc etc etc.

In short, it isn't the manager. Both Klopp and pep would have struggled with our squad over the last few years.

Done to death, move on.

16.) 22 Mar 2024
22 Mar 2024 11:53:36
Speed of CBs, afraid to get caught.

When midfield push up, cbs too often than not don't push up with them. Leaves a lot of space in the middle.

You can see what ETH wants them to do, we just don't have the players to do it. You can see that, when martinez is there, it makes a massive difference.

And then, when there's that much space in behind, Casemiro looks worse than he actually is.

ETH is a good coach, but square pegs in round holes never work.

17.) 22 Mar 2024
22 Mar 2024 13:16:55
A valid point Angel, but on square pegs, it didn't hurt the Dutch 1970s team including Cruyff, who played. well, pretty much wherever he wanted by all accounts in a loose, more fluid 4-3-3 where the entire team were able to move around and fill the holes accordingly. Probably just great players all round although the midfield was constructed of three key players with specific roles - a tackler (Wim Jansen), runner (Johan Neeskens) and a passer (Willem van Hanegem) . Pep's Barcelona were similar.

18.) 22 Mar 2024
22 Mar 2024 14:11:56
Spenno, when you have the players, as you said above, you can then be more flexible. We do not have the personnel at the club to do what ETH wants.

However, give him the right amount of time and the correct resource, we will be able to.

19.) 22 Mar 2024
22 Mar 2024 15:48:10
You're right Angel, I jest. The thought of telling 3/ 4 of our squad to go out and play where they wanted fills me with terror.

20.) 22 Mar 2024
22 Mar 2024 20:05:28
Same here mate ?.