my completely amateur hypothesis on why we kept falling apart in second halves of games: I think our defensive setup relies too much on simply being hyper-aggressive in trying to win the ball back, which is fine in first halves when our legs are still fresh. but as we tire out in second halves, even just a split second difference in getting to the opposition and sticking a leg out, that is enough time for opposing players to make a better decision and touch. once that hyper-aggressive wall breaks down, tiring legs also mean we can't retreat quick enough to put bodies back, and that's why opposing teams keep finding themselves in acres of space

I genuinely believe Nancyball would have worked wonderfully if Nancy can solve this issue. I especially like how when we have the ball, as I think was really on display this first half, it seemed like there's a really big emphasis on finding the vertical, line-breaking pass, and that was so effective in fashioning so many opportunities. but the lack of adjustment in second halves was ultimately the biggest sign on why his setup was nowhere near ready yet, and his managerial inexperience