PSV away - UCL Matchday 3

[False 9]

What else is he supposed to do?

Slag Hugo off in public?

He said “Don’t blame any particular player
Blame the manager “

I’m sure he had words with both Hugo and Toby afterwards

Yea forgot you were there with them in the dressing room

 

[Cravenspurs]

Trust me PSV were shit. Bossing the Dutch league only means so much.

We beat ourseves last night.

That last bit is what I am on about. I have little faith right now in our resolve. Squeezing out wins against opposition while playing ugly football is fine, but we haven’t shown a great deal of getting out of the funk.

It sounds like we played rather well last night, which is good to hear, but my sentiment going into the game was “I am not confident”

 

[asterdroid]

We can't really strip Hugo of being captain. But given how he's usually far from the action, and Harry has dropped deeper it might as well be an honorary title and have Harry as vice captain carry out the duties of screaming at everyone, because Poch is not a manager who jumps up and down in his area going nuts at the players like Klopp would.

 

[Airfixx]

That last bit is what I am on about. I have little faith right now in our resolve. Squeezing out wins against opposition while playing ugly football is fine, but we haven’t shown a great deal of getting out of the funk.

It sounds like we played rather well last night, which is good to hear, but my sentiment going into the game was “I am not confident”

I wasn't disputing your confidence, just the credibility/relevance of the surrounding points.

Onwards, and hopefully upwards.

 

[asterdroid]

Groundhog day - Constantly hearing alarm bells and reaching for the snooze button every time instead of opening one single gummed up bloodshot eye.
At this rate we won't roll out of bed and land face first in yesterday's soiled kecks until the place is on fire and the sprinklers come on.

 

[Airfixx]

We can't really strip Hugo of being captain. But given how he's usually far from the action, and Harry has dropped deeper it might as well be an honorary title and have Harry as vice captain carry out the duties of screaming at everyone, because Poch is not a manager who jumps up and down in his area going nuts at the players like Klopp would.

Klopp doesn't hammer the players; he just bafoons around like a performing monkey.

Karrius gate?

 

[Bazali]

He slagged Son off in public so why not..... if we dont have a winners mentalility after 4 years of him in charge whose fault is it

He shouldn’t have slagged off Poch in public so maybe he’s learned his lesson

No manager should do that and expect respect

Can’t recall SAF ever doing it

Winning mentality is a separate but valid argument

 

[Bazali]

To be fair, without watching it could seem it was 'same old, same old' - but the performance from ourselves (errors aside) was genuinely fun. Easily our best performance of the season and we were like Tottenham of old.

But you just knew the equaliser was imminent after Trippier conceded the free kick

 

[Bazali]

Yea forgot you were there with them in the dressing room

Grow up

 

[Bazali]

Tbf, Llorente ought to have been that guy.

At time of signing he ticked all the boxes.... Even EPL proven.... Chavs appeared to think so at the time too.

Maybe he is but we just don’t play to his strengths just like ManU don’t play to Lukakus

 

[Airfixx]

He shouldn’t have slagged off Poch in public so maybe he’s learned his lesson

No manager should do that and expect respect

Can’t recall SAF ever doing it

Winning mentality is a separate but valid argument

What's this talk of Son/Poch beef?

This last night's presser or old news that i missed?

 

[Airfixx]

Maybe he is but we just don’t play to his strengths just like ManU don’t play to Lukakus

Re Lukaku.... Not sure what his strengths are apart from flat-trackin' weaker teams (also see Belgium), tbh.

 

[iz futbal]

Haven't had a chance to watch the game, but in all honesty, I was expecting us to lose. I have not been convinced with body language, performance and just general fun the team is having out on the pitch. It is great that we keep winning in the league against the teams we should beat, but I for me those performances were full of languid play and a bunch of below par, individual performances.

PSV might not be Juventus or Barca, but they have a solid team that are champions of their domestic league. Remember when we waffled at Young Boys? Don't take any team lightly is the motto, but we just seem unable to kill a team off this year.

WC hangover? I'm not buying it. For me this is years of stagnancy finally catching up with us. The midfield has been our weakness since Modric left and Poch has done wonders to cover the patches, but the wood filler is chipping away.

We have quality in this team no doubt, but we greatly lack imagination and confidence on the ball in midfield and that greatly hampers our ability to kill teams off.

This opinion is not based on the PSV game as I haven't watched it or read any match report; this is based off 10 plus games now where we have struggled to look like a team. From the front to the back, things are out of sorts and I hope Poch can right the ship because next week we are in for a real test.

BTW...the best game aesthetically that we have played this year was in preseason with Skipp, Amos, and Marsh in midfield IMO.

Our midfield was brilliant when we had Sandro/Dembele and also in 15/16 and 16/17 with Dier/Dembele or Wanyama/Dembele. Also coincided with some of our strongest premier league finishes. In the recent times the only time we were shite with poch is when poch was infatuated with 'youf' and played Mason/Bentaleb as the main two. I hope he doesnt go for your suggestions of youth again with skipp,amos,marsh,winks in the middle. It will send us to the pre redknapp era.

Even last night when Dembele comes off we ended up with Winks (who is a hybrid of Mason and Paulinho without the attacking abilities) who has no awareness of where to be , running like a headless chicken. Our centre of midfield became flimsy as fuck , which screws up our defenders and then Lloris has to do retardedly difficult things to try to make up for it.

 

[Mariner]

Poorly timed and went studs up with his left foot. Just because he didn't break Lozano's leg doesn't make it not reckless.

Studs up is what Snodgrass did to Moura last Saturday, not what our keeper did, look again mate that need to blame Lloris is making you look a fool. Maybe Hoddle agrees with you.

 

[Airfixx]

Our midfield was brilliant when we had Sandro/Dembele and also in 15/16 and 16/17 with Dier/Dembele or Wanyama/Dembele. Also coincided with some of our strongest premier league finishes. In the recent times the only time we were shite with poch is when poch was infatuated with 'youf' and played Mason/Bentaleb as the main two.

First part i totally agree with but think back... Mason & Bentaleb got their break because Capoue & Paulinho (+ Stambouli. lol ) were a bust and Dembele was patchy as fuck at the time, not cos Poch was on some moral crusade.

Even then M&B proved vital in helping us transition from the shitfest of the preceding 18 months.

You don't have to rate them as world beaters, but respect is definately due.

 

[Team Tanguy]

Ah, screw you.
I have not seen you blaming inactivity in the transfer window for our best ever start to EPL!

This could-have-should-have-might-have hoodoo is absolutely empty and you know it yourself. And you come out saying that somenone else analysis was "superficial"? Gimme a break!

Just as legitimate can be hoodoo view of "but maybe we would have brought superstar player X and he would have come into the team and took place of established starter. This would have taken confidence of this established player who would have picked for the PSV game and he made error due to that". This could have happened as well.

Fact is that we had a strong side on the field, yet we still bottled it. I see hardly much material for wanking again around our summer window.

But at least I am happy for John Thomas. When we had this run of wins in EPL and record start, I started to think something has happened already! But ofc when we got a bad result, he is back and enjoying himself and situation to the fullest! Good for him!

Look you silly cunt criticising the window is not mutually exclusive with praising the manager and players.
In fact as a critic of the window it makes even more sense to acknowledge how good the staff and players have done to compensate for it you dense twat.

It's not about "what ifs". You spend money on transfers and wages you will succeed as shown by the fucking football world every damn year. You can be a stupid cunt and point to anomalies but that's all they are.

You moan at me calling that post superficial and then reply with another superficial post, but clearly you don't have the awareness or capacity to understand what we are discussing.

Dipshit

 

[Cravenspurs]

Our midfield was brilliant when we had Sandro/Dembele and also in 15/16 and 16/17 with Dier/Dembele or Wanyama/Dembele. Also coincided with some of our strongest premier league finishes. In the recent times the only time we were shite with poch is when poch was infatuated with 'youf' and played Mason/Bentaleb as the main two. I hope he doesnt go for your suggestions of youth again with skipp,amos,marsh,winks in the middle. It will send us to the pre redknapp era.

Even last night when Dembele comes off we ended up with Winks (who is a hybrid of Mason and Paulinho without the attacking abilities) who has no awareness of where to be , running like a headless chicken. Our centre of midfield became flimsy as fuck , which screws up our defenders and then Lloris has to do retardedly difficult things to try to make up for it.

The youth was his first year. We boxed above our weight. The first year of Dembele/Dier we more or less played a 3 at the back when going forward. The wingbacks surged forwArd and a great deal of midfield was handled by Dembele. He isn’t their anymore. The following year it became more of a CM2 of Dier and Dembele and again, the Wingbacks were our focal point offensively. Why it worked was because we pressed so much harder. Each year that dies off a bit more and thus we rely on more handling of the ball in midfield, which isn’t Dier’s or Dembele’s strength. They are good at winning it back and recycling quick. They are not good at building up play.

 

[Achilles]

Studs up is what Snodgrass did to Moura last Saturday, not what our keeper did, look again mate that need to blame Lloris is making you look a fool. Maybe Hoddle agrees with you.

It's not my need to blame Lloris as much as it is my need to not look at things through Lilywhite colored glasses.

If an identical play happens with Kane coming in and Alisson/DeGea/Kepa making the challenge, every one of you saying that Lloris shouldn't have been sent off would be screaming that Alisson/DeGea/Kepa should be. Hugo was put into a bad situation by a shit pass from Eriksen and Dier standing still as a statue while it was intercepted and played forward, but the simple fact is he made a poorly timed attempt with his left studs showing. I'd also suggest he came out too fast to begin with, like others have pointed out... Toby and Dave were right there.

 

[Dougal/Twister]

The youth was his first year. We boxed above our weight. The first year of Dembele/Dier we more or less played a 3 at the back when going forward. The wingbacks surged forwArd and a great deal of midfield was handled by Dembele. He isn’t their anymore. The following year it became more of a CM2 of Dier and Dembele and again, the Wingbacks were our focal point offensively. Why it worked was because we pressed so much harder. Each year that dies off a bit more and thus we rely on more handling of the ball in midfield, which isn’t Dier’s or Dembele’s strength. They are good at winning it back and recycling quick. They are not good at building up play.

I d

The youth was his first year. We boxed above our weight. The first year of Dembele/Dier we more or less played a 3 at the back when going forward. The wingbacks surged forwArd and a great deal of midfield was handled by Dembele. He isn’t their anymore. The following year it became more of a CM2 of Dier and Dembele and again, the Wingbacks were our focal point offensively. Why it worked was because we pressed so much harder. Each year that dies off a bit more and thus we rely on more handling of the ball in midfield, which isn’t Dier’s or Dembele’s strength. They are good at winning it back and recycling quick. They are not good at building up play.

I think you have shit in your eyes

 

[Airfixx]

The youth was his first year. We boxed above our weight. The first year of Dembele/Dier we more or less played a 3 at the back when going forward. The wingbacks surged forwArd and a great deal of midfield was handled by Dembele. He isn’t their anymore. The following year it became more of a CM2 of Dier and Dembele and again, the Wingbacks were our focal point offensively. Why it worked was because we pressed so much harder. Each year that dies off a bit more and thus we rely on more handling of the ball in midfield, which isn’t Dier’s or Dembele’s strength. They are good at winning it back and recycling quick. They are not good at building up play.

Dier & Sissoko, yes, but...

On his game Dembele fucking owns the ball - that's the best thing about him. He may not be a playmaker, but he totally controls the tempo, takes players out the game whilst in possession, gives those around him time, space and confidence (we've heard the way the others all talk about him). In fact, at their respective best i'd take Dier ahead of Dembele as a PURE DM. Moussa's a #8.

You failed to mention Vic too.... Esp. his (freakishly?) awesome form in the second half of 16/17.... His ball control and dribbling was far beyond ive seen from him before or since... Felt like we were playing without any DMs at all what with MD or winks alongside him... FBs bombing on and the rock solid back 3... Fucking loved that! A return to that was the dream (for me at least) when we signed last Dav & Serge last summer....

Sadly, Rose (+ Rose-gate), Winks, Toby(+ Toby-gate) & Vic have all had bad injuries in the season and a bit since (and now JV ffs!)... That's MAJOR disruption... There's the root to our gradual decline in stability/solidity right there (in turn this cranks the pressure to be clinical everywhere else on the pitch).

Granted, age/fitness combo is creeping on MD, otherwise the pieces are all still here (in theory).

Anyone got a magic wand?

:avbpray: