Chequebook Conte must go. Marsch too. And Sancho is on his last chance at Man Utd…

The Mailbox reacts to the Prem weekend by calling for the heads of Antonio Conte and Jesse Marsch. Sacking a manager certainly seems to have worked for Villa.
Get your views in to theeditor@football365.com…
Midfield misery
Quick transition from an opposition mistake…long ball over the top to Salah…1-0
Salah shot ricochets off a defender for a corner. Van Dijk rises…2-0
In the alternate (for instance Ancelotti/Real Madrid/Champions League) universe, the opposition doesn’t play a suicidal high line and give Salah the freedom of Liverpool (Hi Pep), they set up a low block with a couple of fast guys hanging around waiting to pounce on Salah and prepare themselves for the dead ball assault.
This has been coming for a few years, and it’s quite simple. Liverpool has no creativity in midfield – just runners and blockers. Henderson manages a goal every year or so, Thiago has always had laughable goals/assist/key pass stats, Fabinho has an occasional rocket in him, and that’s about it. Compared to, for instance, Man City (De Bruyne, Silva, Gungodan, Foden, etc) – it’s like night and day. Same even for ManU and Arsenal. Even Chelsea and Spurs score from midfield occasionally.
Liverpool don’t score or create from midfield. They’re a one-trick pony and now they’re in transition. Maybe Harvey Elliott can be that creative guy, but at the moment he seems more focused on winning those all-so-important free kicks from 40 yards out.
Bellingham can’t come quick enough.
Matthew (ITFC)
Last-chance saloon for Sancho
Great result and made ever sweeter by how we snatched that at the end. Casemiro’s passion is glorious to witness and that roar in to the crowd while celebrating was primal! I think we were well worth the point at the bare minumum and possibly even 3.
This has been a very promising start to the season in many ways (improved defence, Ten Hags system gradually being implemented, getting points from games we lost last season) but a lingering disappointment that remains is Sancho. I’ve defended him fiercely since he signed but am now resigned to the fact that maybe it is just not meant to be. There is simply no drive or conviction in his play and he doesn’t seem to have the type of personality to enforce himself upon games.
And I don’t want to hear a word about his age. Haaland who is the same age is a freak sure, but even if you look at other clubs, Kulusevski came in last year mid season and hit the ground running. Diogo Jota was just under a year older than Sancho when he joined Liverpool and his impact there has been immense. Age is an excuse we like to throw out to protect players. If you are good enough, you are old enough.
The truth is that I think Sancho has the rest of this season to prove he has what it takes to be a key player. And he needs to be, because we all know he is talented and that’s why we spent the big bucks on him. But if he doesn’t have the personality to turn that talent in to end product and start influencing games regularly, he must be moved on at the end of the season before his profile and subsequently market value dips. His end product is simply not good enough for a player of his talents and for the resources that were invested to bring him to the club.
Addy, Brisbane
Marsch has gotta go
I write this having left the house, with Leeds being 2 – 1 down to Fulham.
Jesse Marsch has only been in the job for 10 months but I hate to say it – he’s got to go.
No wins in eight, leaking goals and no clear system other than change players every game. He’s been backed – 5 new senior players for the loss of two and I don’t think we’ve missed Philips (we have missed Raphinha though).
It’s like Bielsa ball but much worse. The Chelsea game feels like a fever dream now, even though we genuinely played the best we had for 18 months or so. He seems clueless (what’s the American for “fackin run around a bit”?).
Hate to sack managers but this is relegation form and all Bielsa’s solid work has been undone. Going down would be disastrous for our team.
Nuno would be my replacement. The spurs job was too much for him but his wolves teams were always solid and I’d settle for midtable football. What do other leeds fans think?
Oh, and F365, you were right. Not an apology more than acknowledgement.
Tom
Read more: Leeds brittle defence puts Marsch on the brink of his Elland Road farewell
Arsenal thoughts
Well, we didn’t lose. But, if Arsenal want to seriously have a shot at City, they’ve got to be a lot better than that. I realise it’s not exactly terrible to be 2 points clear at the top of the table, but games against the likes of Southampton are the sort that need to be won if you want to challenge and keep City at arms length for as long as possible.
If you can’t win, don’t lose, and in fairness, we did that.
My main concern is with scoring goals. We’ve been managing, but we really need a proper goalscorer. Jesus is not that man. He’s really good for the team and works hard but he just isn’t going to get us 20+ league goals.
Neither is Eddie. I don’t care how many people say give him a chance. He is not good enough for a top PL side. I doubt he’ll get more than 5 league goals between now and the end of the season. I appreciate he comes off the bench a lot, but when he does the idea is that he scores, or at least looks a threat.
Partey was a bit pants as well today. Gave the ball away too much. Granit however, wow! Where has this form come from?
It was all a bit too slow and casual today but given our excellent recent form, it can’t really be considered too bad. Just a bit of a missed opportunity.
However, I realise this makes me sound sour and/or spoiled and I’m not. We’re top of the league on merit. We’re miles ahead of where I thought we’d be, so credit to the whole club for that. It’s a good time to be an Arsenal fan. No doubt about that.
We won’t win the league, but top 4 looks very possible. We do need a striker in the Jan window though. Trouble is, who?
That Haarland bloke looks alright. Cheeky bid in January?
Stu, realistic gooner in France.
Conte out
Nothing about Antonio Conte should be surprising by now. He continually cries out for more money more money more money despite the players he’s brought in and the system he chooses not working. A midfield of Hojberg, Bentancur and Bissouma not being creative enough. Who’d have thought.
I genuinely think he gets more out of his job by spending other people’s money than he does winning things.
Whoever employes Conte next better be ready to be constantly told to spend more money ‘for sure’. The only club I can think that would put-up with his petulance and financial demands is PSG. I’d give that relationship 4 months at most.
Will, London
Read more: Spurs get caught in a storm of their own creation against a gritty Newcastle
Seething over Spurs
That’s the first time I’ve gotten actually angry at Spurs in that second half. How badly do we need an Eriksen type??
Also, no, Wilson’s goal wasn’t a foul. Hugo messed up.
Jon (deflated), Lincoln
…Just spent 45 miserable minutes watching Newcastle’s players roll around on the grass, Joelinton the worst of the lot. Prayers and thoughts – what a trooper for somehow coming back from all those serious injuries. What a complete disgrace he is, Podence levels of fakery.
No idea who that ref was but so so naive. Why do they all have to wait until the goalkeeper wastes time until their fourth or fifth goal kick that takes a minute, rather than book them the first time? Nick Pope sprinting about at the end of the game last season after cheating for Burnley was a huge highlight – he certainly takes over Ben Foster’s mantle.
Last moan – it’s just ridiculous that paying fans can’t see the VAR incidents on the screen – it seemed obvious to an entire stand that Wilson moved his weight back into Lloris to block him at the time, but I have to wait to get home to look at it again?? What was that handball VAR thing all about – it was so obvious it was a block??
Dave (Levy out, Conte in. That back 5 is abysmal and it needs massive investment – it’s to Conte’s unbelievable credit that we are anywhere near competitive), Winchester Spurs
Dier do
To adapt the old Phill Neville chant:
“If Eric Dier plays for England so can I”.
The triumverate of mediocrity:
Dier, Mount and Sterling.
It’s going to be funny in Qatar.
The Don.
Villa after Gerrard
I really enjoyed that. What a win and what a way to play.
Inevitably there will be chat about where these players were all season and why they didn’t perform for SG. Answer is simple, he didn’t play this team and he didn’t play this formation. 4-2-3-1 is a hell of a lot different to 4-3-3.
Super John McGinn needed to be taken out and SG didn’t have the cojones to do it. McGinn will be back fighting and playing well but he was being played in the wrong position and was struggling. It seems like SG didn’t trust himself to make that decision.
Anyway, onto the next.
UTV
Paul
Wish granted
Loved to read Ryan’s letter on Sunday morning in which he asks for consistency and somehow suggests that United will not get punished because The FA is biased.
It would be funny if not for the fact that The FA charged Manchester United with the exact same offence less than a week ago.
Kim Johannesen (Don’t care which team you support)