Mark Bosnich: The much maligned ‘monster’ leading United revival; what Ange Postecoglou must do to rebuild his career
I really hope Ange Postecoglou comes home to Australia for a while.
He has been through a very tough patch in England and I think this is a good time for him to recharge the batteries and be around as much support as possible.
His Premier League reputation has been dented, there’s no shying away from that.
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Ange Postecoglou reacts from the sidelines. Mike Egerton/AP
But he also won the Europa League five months ago and other compelling opportunities will arise. I think he needs to look somewhere else in Europe for the time being.
The Premier League has drifted away from the style Ange likes to play.
Even Pep Guardiola – the godfather of modern possession football – has continually changed his stripes with Manchester City.
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Pep Guardiola at Emirates Stadium. Getty
Pep is the first to say that results are what matter most. Football might go in circles but it’s continually evolving and you must evolve with it.
Just like with any job, it’s about picking the right place at the right time for a football manager – and that goes for the style of football as well.
You can’t just go blindly playing one style if it’s not working and you have got to make sure the players are comfortable.
NEW PODCAST! Adam Peacock, Craig Foster, Mark Bosnich and Vince Rugari ask what next for Ange Postecoglou after a Nottingham Forest disaster
The Nottingham Forest players tried to change for Ange but it didn’t work and it became a debacle.
I found it interesting that the skipper, Ryan Yates, told the media that the players are very close to the owner, Evangelos Marinakis.
I thought that was quite pointed. They were uncomfortable under Ange and that was brutally evident with no wins in eight games.
Sean Dyche at City Ground in Nottingham. Getty
‘THE GINGER MOURINHO’
Ange’s replacement, Sean Dyche, got off to the perfect start with a 2-0 win over Porto in the Europa League.
Marinakis has made a series of bizarre moves and this is a reality check that Forest are now in a relegation battle.
They are in 18th place after eight games and play away to Bournemouth on Monday (AEDT).
The ‘Cherries’ are flying high near the top of the table, where they share third place with defending champions Liverpool.
Dyche is a strong option to at least keep Forest afloat in the top flight.
Marinakis’ experiment blew up in his face and in all fairness they’ve now admitted that the team is more suited to play in a pragmatic style. He will definitely give that to them.
Evangelos Marinakis reacts in the stands. Getty
A former Aston Villa teammate of mine, Steve Stone, is also on the coaching staff. I know Steve well and he was a very good player as well as a really pragmatic one.
Changing the mood will be No.1 on the priority list because Forest are obviously very short of confidence. Beating Porto is a great step in that direction.
Dyche teams are very organised and he got his ‘Ginger Mourinho’ nickname because of that pragmatic approach.
Solid, not taking too many risks at the back, they’ve got the speed to hurt you on the counter and Morgan Gibbs-White to provide the creativity when they need.
Dyche is definitely an appointment to steady the ship and make sure they stay in the Premier League, because we know how high the stakes are.
They’re getting that new manager bump but Bournemouth are absolutely flying at the moment. This is a tough game to call.
A UNITED FRONT
I was thrilled to see Manchester United upset Liverpool 2-1 last weekend. That is an exceptional win.
The stats say Liverpool dominated the game and they did have good chances but United defended very well and showed great spirit and great discipline.
All of that resilience was then rewarded when Harry Maguire popped up for the late winner. Beating the champs will give them tremendous confidence and they’ll need that.
Harry Maguire of Manchester United celebrates after scoring. Getty
Maguire may not be the most stylish defender but he’s the sort of guy that every club needs.
He cops a bit of stick from some England fans but when you play a certain way in a certain system, he’s a monster there at the back.
If you focus on his strengths and elevate them then he’s an exceptional man to have on your side. I’m also really liking what I’m seeing from the new goalkeeper, Senne Lammens.
The Belgian was outstanding and he’ll need to be again with Danny Welbeck’s Brighton returning to Old Trafford on Sunday (AEDT).
Danny played 92 games for United, started his career there, and is still playing good football at 34.
He grabbed both goals in a 2-1 upset of Newcastle United last weekend. They’re not an easy team to play against and Fabian Hurzeler is a sharp young manager but I like United to grab all three points here.
Ruben Amorim speaks to the media. Getty
Ruben Amorim continues to make brave decisions.
Benjamin Sesko has been absolutely outstanding since joining the club but he used him off the bench against Liverpool and it worked.
Let’s hope for his sake that this continues.
WHY LIVERPOOL ARE STILL MY TEAM TO BEAT
Arsenal are absolutely flying again this season.
Mikel Arteta has got the Gunners three points clear at the top of the Premier League table and they are one of only five Champions League teams to not drop a point from three games.
They’ll be thrilled with their position and they’ve done it while playing some of the best teams in both competitions.
Despite that, I still have Liverpool as my slight favourites to win the Premier League again.
Arne Slot’s men were under real pressure against Eintracht Frankfurt after losing their previous four games. Frankfurt then went 1-0 up before Liverpool showed what they are made of, pouring in five unanswered goals.
Hugo Ekiteke scored against his old club and he’s been one of the best signings of the off-season.
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
Football may be a young man’s game these days and Chelsea are leading the way with an assembly line of hot young prospects.
Three of their teenagers – Marc Guiu, Estevao and Tyrique George – scored goals against Ajax and they are on a roll at the moment.
That was the first time three teens from one team had scored in one Champions League game.
Enzo Maresca, the manager of Chelsea, lifts the UEFA Conference League trophy. Getty
They’ll be brimming with confidence and I love the fact that Enzo Maresca is backing youth. I was thrown into the deep end as a youngster as well and you know what you are going to get from young players.
They are going to give you everything possible.
You need to find the right balance but these Chelsea guys are certainly good enough.
Premier League champion Mark Bosnich is writing a weekly column for Wide World of Sports. Catch him on Stan Sport’s ‘Added Time, an Australian lens on the global game
