A balanced analysis requires an acknowledgement that Carlos Queiroz inherited a mess. Defensively, the team was lost under Addo, his player profiling was often misaligned to his tactical approach & his team was not future-proofed nor injury-proofed.
Addo had built his team around the elite escapability of Mohammed Kudus alongside a spine of 33 YO Ben Asare, 31 YO Djiku, 33 YO Partey & 34 YO Jordan Ayew. He had not prepared for Kudusβ absence or the ageing of Partey & Ayew, in particular. He used Ghanaβs most dynamic, exciting midfielder at RB.
One should therefore acknowledge that, should Queiroz leave now, he leaves the team in something of a better place. Zigi (29) at GK, with younger options Anang (26), Agbasi (25) & Reverson (21) involved on some capacity. Senaya (25) at RB. Adjetey (22) & Opoku (27) as CBs. Yirenkyi (20) established in midfield. Semenyo (26) increasingly centred. There were strong defensive efforts, so there is more of a base to build from.
However, I think itβs also fair to say that Queirozβs approach entirely neglected the attacking phase & was even more reliant on individuals than Addoβs conception. Semenyo, battling (seemingly alone) in his prime-age, top-form WC, not managing a shot on target highlights the extreme limitations of Ghanaβs offensive approach. 1 shot on target per match, 5.8 in total.
The glimmers of hope provided by the second half vs Croatia & the fourth quarter vs Panama were not meaningful. Players were isolated, there was no repeatable plan of any substantial value to move the ball forwards.
More widely, players were horribly misprofiled, the team remained dependent on Ayew & Partey, the set piece strengths were wasted due to a lack of set pieces (2 corners per match).
It will be interesting to see whether Queiroz remains or the torch is passed to a new man to lead. Ghana need a more intelligent, proactive, offensive approach to succeed & reconnect with the fans.