08/02/2026
🚨We finally have a clear pattern of play:
Build from the back
▪️Progress through midfield
▪️Create central overloads
▪️Release runners into space to finish
That part is working. The structure is there.
▪️The problem is the wingers, and it’s a very specific kind of problem:
👉 None of them give you the same thing consistently.
▪️LW situation (Garnacho vs. Gittens):
Garnacho gives intensity, directness, chaos... but his decision-making comes and goes.
▪️Gittens gives flair and control......but disappears for long spells.
▪️Depending on the game, you’re always missing what the other one offers. Start Garnacho, you miss Gittens’ composure. Start Gittens, you miss Garnacho’s aggression.
▪️RW situation (Neto vs Estêvão):
Neto looks like he should dominate games… then kills momentum with poor choices.
Estêvão has talent and ideas but lacks playing time at the moment.
That’s why, one minute you want Neto starting, the next minute you don’t want him touching the ball. It’s not hate....it’s frustration from unmet expectations.
▪️Why this hurts the system:👇
Our style depends on wide players stretching the pitch and making the right runs at the right time.
▪️But when your wingers are inconsistent:
Midfield dominance doesn’t translate to chances
▪️Fullbacks hesitate
Attacks become predictable and central
So yes..... the pattern of play exists.
Yes.....the buildup is clear.
But the wings are the weak link, and until one LW and one RW lock down those roles with consistency, the system will always feel incomplete.
