I've sometimes thought the same thing. Notoriously there was that stretch back in 2021 where we didn't score for something like 4 games and that had me begging for a backup plan.
However, its nuanced. Gio might not be able to instill an entirely different, alternate style but he has had quite a few instances of good halftime adjustments t…
I've sometimes thought the same thing. Notoriously there was that stretch back in 2021 where we didn't score for something like 4 games and that had me begging for a backup plan.
However, its nuanced. Gio might not be able to instill an entirely different, alternate style but he has had quite a few instances of good halftime adjustments that paid off.
Rifer had a sentiment a few months back that encapsulates the problem here: MLS (and especially the timbers) really seems to prefer being secretive and not cater to us nosey folks who want to know about stuff. We don't get the inside scoop and so we have to just extrapolate
But, like, playing style is visible. We don't need inside scoop to know they were once trying to be a counterattacking team; we don't need underlying numbers to see that they can't play any other style with any coherence. We can see that play out to varying degrees of success on the pitch.
Half time adjustments are important when things aren't working, but what's more important is being able to impose your style on an opponent from the very start as much as possible. And if a team doesn't have a style that works, that'll never happen.
I've sometimes thought the same thing. Notoriously there was that stretch back in 2021 where we didn't score for something like 4 games and that had me begging for a backup plan.
However, its nuanced. Gio might not be able to instill an entirely different, alternate style but he has had quite a few instances of good halftime adjustments that paid off.
Rifer had a sentiment a few months back that encapsulates the problem here: MLS (and especially the timbers) really seems to prefer being secretive and not cater to us nosey folks who want to know about stuff. We don't get the inside scoop and so we have to just extrapolate
But, like, playing style is visible. We don't need inside scoop to know they were once trying to be a counterattacking team; we don't need underlying numbers to see that they can't play any other style with any coherence. We can see that play out to varying degrees of success on the pitch.
Half time adjustments are important when things aren't working, but what's more important is being able to impose your style on an opponent from the very start as much as possible. And if a team doesn't have a style that works, that'll never happen.
embrace the chaos, because you get goals like the second one. Guys just being creative.
Oh, for sure, and I'm not dogmatic about THERE MUST BE A STYLE AND IT MUST NEVER BE DEVIATED FROM. It's fun to watch something come from nothing.
But if all the Timbers do is play chaosball, that's not exactly sustainable long-term. There has to be some underpinning of a system to fall back on.