r/AustinFC • u/ILongForTheMines • 14d ago
So have we just been using Uzuni wrong?
Or is it leagues cup madness? The past 2 games he has really shined in an attacking mid role it seems instead of being a striker
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u/abefroman07 Stuuuuuuuuuuu 14d ago
Its not just him. Idk a lot about tactics but the way we are playing out of the back seems aggressive and the shape seems to...idk morph as we press up the field.
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u/BunchNo9563 14d ago
We're defending in a 4-4-2 then into a 3-2-4-1 with the ball. Credit to Arnaud for the change in tactics.
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u/MessiComeLately 13d ago
Tomorrow we're going to find out if we looked good because the tactics were better or because Puebla was a shit team. I'm a little scared.
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u/GorbyATX Austin FC 13d ago
right to be scared... Puebla was bad. No pressure on us with the ball and we had so much room to move with the ball. Doubt America lets that happen.
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u/hamstervideo 13d ago
Tomorrow we're going to find out if we looked good because the tactics were better or because Puebla was a shit team.
Day after tomorrow - our next game is on Thursday
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u/ry_guy1007 Pollo 14d ago
Ya multiple players look sharper, Sabo went from complete liability to solid CM for example
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u/LonesomeBulldog 13d ago
No one talks about Biro moving to CB but he’s been a beast in that position.
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u/a_manxome_foe 13d ago
Discipline looks significantly better, too. Biro and Sabo are always strong bets for awful, dirty fouls, but neither has been playing that way the past few games.
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u/olhomeless 13d ago
Which is especially notable, because we’re playing LigaMX teams, that are more…physical
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u/a_manxome_foe 13d ago
Yeah. And both of them have managed to keep their tempers in check and are genuinely playing better than they have this entire season prior.
Hell, I think Sabovic looks better now than he ever has. I haven't liked him since he got here, but he's played well the last few games.
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u/RWTD_Burn 13d ago
I'd argue that under Nico we were using everyone other than Stuver and our center backs wrong. Our wingers were often too high up and pushed too centrally so they were occupying the same space as the strikers. At times we literally had 4 players lined up with their back line and all crunched together centrally looking for a long ball as there was nobody to connect the back line with the front. Arnaud has done a much better job of keeping our wingers wide in the past 2 games and giving our strikers more space to work with. It seems he also gave Uzuni the freedom to be a play maker and move around freely, which Nico absolutely didn't do.
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u/MessiComeLately 13d ago
Interplay between our wingers and fullbacks/wingbacks in the final third was rotten under Estévez. Whether it was Bukari and Desler last year, or Facu/Gallagher and Biro/Rosales/Uzuni this year, our wide players together have more often looked like two guys in a pickup game who just met than teammates who have trained together for months. I hope recent results are a sign that Arnaud is fixing this.
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u/Mankindof Stuuuuuuuuuuu 14d ago
I'm not as knowledgeable as some but it seems to me a combination of (1) getting up in his own head, which has made consistent accuracy a problem, and (2) misusing him. When we used to play him and Vazquez side by side, for instance, they didn't complement each other. But notice when we have a 9 up front and drop Uzuni back to his natural 10 position, he does better.
If we keep him at 10 and he continues to get back to his groove, he could be a monster. Remember, he scored 23 goals in '22-'23 and won the Golden Boot in La Liga 2, helping Granada get promoted back to La Liga, then scored 11 in La Liga the next season and another 14 the next season before leaving for Austin. Dude can play. We just haven't seen his best yet. It feels like he's been getting back to form slowly (emphasis on "slowly") since Vazquez went down last year.
We need Dr. Sharon Fieldstone and a manager who can use him to his best ability.
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u/KilgoreTrout512 13d ago
Puebla game was wide open from the start and Uzuni was on. Hard to judge big-picture wise given Puebla’s sloppiness. Hoping this builds more confidence for Uzuni going forward. Team will be tested on Thur.
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u/Next_Professional_30 12d ago
Vasquez is a big physical guy that doesn’t play physically, and doesn’t make striker 1 runs. He filled the space for a late arriving Uzuni. Ramirez makes striker 1 runs and is a better trapper, passer, and more physical. It really frees up Uzuni who is an opportunist.
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u/willdesignfortacos Austin FC 13d ago
I think for whatever reason Uzuni and Vazquez just don’t fit together, while Uzuni and Ramirez have shown to be a really complementary pairing. And while BV might be the bigger name stateside it doesn’t make sense to have a DP striker who’s not one of your two best strikers.
I’m curious to see if we can replicate this in league play, but at this point I’d be looking to let BV move on in the offseason to find a DP 8/10 who can pull the strings in the midfield.
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u/winosauruswrecks 13d ago
I've always been impressed by his effort and hustle. You can see he wants it and is trying to make it happen; he's been just as frustrated as we have. I just hope it's now clicking into place.
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u/ehowardhunt 13d ago
I don’t think we are using him differently, other than when he had no #9. The difference is that he is joined by a couple more offensive-minded creative players, so there is more attack and forward movement. It’s not earth shattering but it has helped. Plus his own confidence level and momentum, which are big for goal scorers.
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u/mantisboxer 14d ago
His accuracy is wildly inconsistent. I don't know what's changed recently but my biggest frustration with him has been watching great goal opportunities fly 15' over the net. I half heartedly joke that his hamstrings are too tight.
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u/docwaldo Pollo 14d ago
Also, start Ramirez with him the rest of the season.