This was a reply to a comment on the player ratings thread. i didn't read it but thought since there's a bunch of words, here, it should be a fanpost. ................................................................................ Well, I watched this.........show. Some truths first. 1.) Uzbek,......really? We're going to win a World Cup playing Uzbek and Oman in a window>..? Just No. This is "padding" the stat line for BerHALT-er. No shock there. 2.) Why starting all of the "lock" players in a match like this one, anyway? We know what CP does. We know what Weah is and isn't. Balogun we know has goals in him, but he got zero service today, anyway, so what did it prove to start him? We know what McKennie does (mostly his own thing anyway). Why not take an opportunity against a weaker nation that apparently is well coached (better than us, anyway) to get a starting rep for some of the backup potential fighting for 1st spot players, and new players? On to the match thoughts: A.) Berhalter ball yuck. Just yuck. I hate this obsession with fullbacks carrying the ball out from the back. I hate his obsession with advancing always down the flanks. (And to top that off, his wide players largely foul it up when it does go right, anyway). (But I'll get to that talking about players). You know what I want from a fullback......? I want a fullback to stop all wide attacks! I want a fullback to #1 priority....never....never...get beaten 1v1 in our own 1/3....resulting in a quick counter attack and a shot on goal the the keeper has to bail us out for! That's what I want! (Cue Rambo music)...."That's what I want"!- GB has a Pep obsession, but he doesn't understand "Pepball" at all. Pep does not....will not...tolerate fullbacks who give up 1v1 possession in bad, bad areas, like in front of your own box! (looking at you....Dest). Pep ball is much more diverse.....It's "Total football"....and not just advancing down the flanks and looking to cut inside or cross! Haaland didn't win the Golden Boot last season on only wide crosses, did he? FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, PEP PLAYED WITH NOT 1....BUT 2 #10 CAMS, MUCH OF THE TIME....PLAYERS WHO COULD BREAK THE MIDDLE DOWN LIKE A WELL BROKEN IN ENGLISH CLAYS BUSTER THAT STAYS OILED. He used Gundogan & DeBruyne much of the time together, and combined with their wide attackers, it opened up space down the middle for Erling so often last season that they became unstoppable. Why doesn't Berhalter see this? Either your striker has to act very efficiently as a "Kane"-post to play off of.....OR you need a CAM #10 who can unlock the middle of the pitch! Which brings me to the MOTM.....and it was Luca De La Torre (easily) until he went off injured. Players: 2.) Luca MOTM for the reason I just mentioned, (and he was very, very good). Did he miss a pass? Did he lose possession even once? He was very good, and the only reason we looked pretty good in the first 15-20 min and scored the goal early. When Tanner Tessman came on and did what he did....I wanted to cry..or sleep...or drink or something. Tessman was easily.....the worst player in the match! I want to give him a Negative number for a rating.....seriously. There's "bad", and then there is dumpster fire! He was a dumpster fire of dirty diapers. I thought I was watching the 2nd coming of MB90, and it made me almost physically ill. D.) Some of these players "don't fit" into GB's tactics! Period. No point in wasting time trying to make them into something they don't ever do....either change tactics.....or change the player! Case in point: The most "solid" players in possession on the pitch tonight were the usual suspects....apart from 1 mistake by Ream. They were: Ream, Robinson, Luca DeLaTorre Now...usually, we are adding Musah to this list, but he's not been playing much of late. And CP was having an off night too. But why am I talking about "solid" in possession players? Because many of these other players, do "their thing" (mostly) in whatever position they play. And that, in and of itself,....is not necessarily "bad". It can be a huge advantage, like Dest's ability to go on an unstoppable mazy run into the opposition box! But again....you have to look at how that player(s) fit into the tactics you're trying to serve up! Dest, McKennie, Weah, and many others in our first 23 players, would not make it into Pep's team at City. Ok, so that's not such a big criticism on talent vs. Pep's current team, is it? But one has to ask "why" they wouldn't make it? Pep won't tolerate a fullback getting burned from deep. But he will be fine with one who passes the ball....gets rid and defends like a son-of-a-gun, (Walker). He sold Zinchenko, remember. So why doesn't GB demand this also if he's playing a version of Pep ball? Pep would not tolerate a winger who beats his man, only to turn back and dribble backward instead of making the early move toward goal. He famously benched 100M Irish Jack Grealish, didn't he? And yet.....Weah does this all the time. He's always beating his man, only to turn back in the box or go ever wider, instead of leaning in, pressing inside the box for a shot on goal or a perfect pass. McKennie, at least.....doesn't suffer from this tendency, but he doesn't possess Weah's feat or athleticism, that quickness. So we have 1 player who's got more athletic ability if less quality, and the other with more quality at times, but less ability, and neither can do the job of that CAM that is missing from the middle area! Which is why we "can" and did look next-level when Reyna played centrally in Nations League in a non-Berhaltered setup! It allowed players like Weah, and Weston....who are really pretty 1 dimensional.....to keep to their dimension and not have to adapt and overcome, to not have to take on duties of another role in part! They simply aren't good enough, and understand the game enough.....to do this on their own. Everything they do is random. Musah, same thing in the final 1/3 of attacks....random actions and lacking a 1st, 2nd, 3rd tactical understanding. GB probably just throws them out there and "lets it happen"......as long as we play out from the back......and down the flanks to "widen the pitch". All of that means little against a team that can truly defend and understands defending. This is why GB can't break down teams that don't play "open" games. His tactics are lacking.....and on top of that.....he selects players who don't really fit every position to match is ideal way to play and score goals. Scally at RB, Sands, Musah, LDLT in a midfield 3.....with CP, Balogun, Reyna as a front 3 in a 4-3-3 that changes to a 4-2-3-1.....would more aptly suit GB's current tactical desires, imho. But he wants that Dest flair, that McKennie header in the box.....that Weah wide run......and all it ends up doing in the end.....is it combines what would be the best players from 2 different setups into 1 half and half tactical setup....that doesn't work!