Much better. Anyone expecting us to go straight from the shambles of Napoli to perfection defensively is nuts - it'll take time, there will be lapses, and we'll continue figuring it out.
But the improvements were there for all to see - first, it's personnel. You bring in Matip, Thiago, and Jota and your play will improve. There's a lot of football IQ in those players. God, I hope Thiago and Matip continue to remain injury free. And if Melo, once he gets to speed, even brings a fraction of control that Thiago brings, we'll be a better team for it.
Second, tactically, we were a lot more compact than the previous game. You could see with Elliot especially that he was asked to play infield much more than previously and the midfield three were generally much tighter. Even in attack, at least in the first half, we were more confident in playing through the middle rather than always expecting Trent and Tsimi to provide creativity from the wings. However, I do think Elliot might be a weak link in our midfield at this moment. This is nothing against the lad as he is young, talented, and learning. But the high risk, high reward style that we play on the right hand side with Trent and Salah requires a different kind of midfielder, in my opinion, to complete the triangle. Again, I'm hoping it's Melo (or Keita once he's back) that provides both control and creativity.
Third, on a foundational level, just really glad to see the intensity and counter pressing back. The rest will do us good here, at least in the short term. There'll be a pile up of fixtures on the other end but I think the lads need to regain some freshness, both in limb and in mind.
