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Kane taking Lucas's place in a cup final. What could go wrong?
That's the spirit! Give Ryan some encouragement, he's one of us and he may actually set us up to play to our strengths!! I wasn't expecting to win anyway, we are firm underdogs, but anything can happen in a one-off game.
On the way back now.
Crowd were good. Mainly Spurs.
That said, seeing us in the flesh, this team is fucking dead. Finished. We have absolutely no midfield. I don’t like to dig out players but it feels like Winks won a competition through Kelloggs to play at Wembley.
Whole game felt like we were down to ten.
Also, fair play City, they’re fucking good.
Crowd were good. Mainly Spurs.
That said, seeing us in the flesh, this team is fucking dead. Finished. We have absolutely no midfield. I don’t like to dig out players but it feels like Winks won a competition through Kelloggs to play at Wembley.
Whole game felt like we were down to ten.
Also, fair play City, they’re fucking good.
0.04 xGGet forward??!!? When did we get forward in the 70mins before he came on the pitch? I must have blinked....
I've never called out Mourinho for playing Sissoko. I've never called out Mourinho for his player selections because it didn't matter who he played we played shit under him regardless. That's because he was shit.
Why are people having a go at the ref?
He let Laporte go for the first challenge because he let Reguilon off.
Both Laporte and Reguilon should have gone for 2 bookable offences. The ref didn't make the right decisions but I don't think he was unfair to either side. He tried to manage the game by not giving out yellows early. Granted he shouldn't go that way but we can't complain too much about the decisions.
The bigger picture is to look at how big a difference in terms of footballing ability and courage to play there is between the sides.
Jose has struck the fear of death into these players and they look totally petrified to play and pass.
Son probably had his worst game for us. He's suddenly turned into the safety first player, going back and side instead of forward. Decision making of some of our players was really poor. Hojbjerg trying to play in Reguilon said a lot about the difference between the sides. We have a DM running into the box with a chance to put us into the lead and he wants to pass on the responsibility to Reguilon. The pass itself was so shit, Reguilon would never have got it even running at full pace then Hojbjerg blames Reguilon.
Kane then stopped passing to him after that moment. Hojbjerg made 2 breaks to support Kane and both times Kane held on to it. Just playground football, I'm not passing to you because your shit. The top sides like city and bayern don't make decisions like that, you take the right option even if the player isn't the greatest. Kane is not surrounded by top players but you still have to play the ball on merit.
I just can't fathom we went into a cup final and had 2 shots. Kane didn't even get one off in anger.
I'm not going to lay into Ryan but the decision to bring on Sissoko and take off Lucas was bad bad bad. I've no idea why Poch, Jose, Deschamps and Mason all like Sissoko. He might be a character in the squad but that doesn't mean you play him!!! That decision to take Lucas off and Sissoko on directly influenced the goal we conceded. I noted in the first half, we started with a zonal setup and Lucas was marking Laporte. Lucas attacks the ball in the air which is fine. Sissoko does the opposite. I said to my dad for a set piece just before they scored that Sissoko wasn't marking properly. We should have put him on the halfway line and told him to run after it when it gets kicked up. Mason, Ledley etc haven't learnt anything from previous games such as Leicester at home. Sissoko doesn't jump or attack the ball in the air, you can't give him any defensive responsibility.
On a more positive note I thought Toby and Lloris were excellent. Dier was good, got caught trying to play which nearly cost us but that's the risk Poch would have been happy to take.
Our midfield is shocking. I've been watching a lot of Bissouma recently and I think we need to go for him. A Skipp and Bissouma midfield will be a good partnership to develop next season.
Lastly, Levy struck again with sacking a manager before an important game. He triggered Graham before an FA Cup semi at Old Trafford against Woolwich. We lost that game. Done the same thing now.
I don't actually know what to expect for the last few games. I don't think the players will actually try, they look like they've downed tools since the turn of the year. I'm looking forward to seeing what our squad looks like in August. I just don't want to see the same players that keep costing us, we all know who they are. I'm not even bothered about the incomings.
He let Laporte go for the first challenge because he let Reguilon off.
Both Laporte and Reguilon should have gone for 2 bookable offences. The ref didn't make the right decisions but I don't think he was unfair to either side. He tried to manage the game by not giving out yellows early. Granted he shouldn't go that way but we can't complain too much about the decisions.
The bigger picture is to look at how big a difference in terms of footballing ability and courage to play there is between the sides.
Jose has struck the fear of death into these players and they look totally petrified to play and pass.
Son probably had his worst game for us. He's suddenly turned into the safety first player, going back and side instead of forward. Decision making of some of our players was really poor. Hojbjerg trying to play in Reguilon said a lot about the difference between the sides. We have a DM running into the box with a chance to put us into the lead and he wants to pass on the responsibility to Reguilon. The pass itself was so shit, Reguilon would never have got it even running at full pace then Hojbjerg blames Reguilon.
Kane then stopped passing to him after that moment. Hojbjerg made 2 breaks to support Kane and both times Kane held on to it. Just playground football, I'm not passing to you because your shit. The top sides like city and bayern don't make decisions like that, you take the right option even if the player isn't the greatest. Kane is not surrounded by top players but you still have to play the ball on merit.
I just can't fathom we went into a cup final and had 2 shots. Kane didn't even get one off in anger.
I'm not going to lay into Ryan but the decision to bring on Sissoko and take off Lucas was bad bad bad. I've no idea why Poch, Jose, Deschamps and Mason all like Sissoko. He might be a character in the squad but that doesn't mean you play him!!! That decision to take Lucas off and Sissoko on directly influenced the goal we conceded. I noted in the first half, we started with a zonal setup and Lucas was marking Laporte. Lucas attacks the ball in the air which is fine. Sissoko does the opposite. I said to my dad for a set piece just before they scored that Sissoko wasn't marking properly. We should have put him on the halfway line and told him to run after it when it gets kicked up. Mason, Ledley etc haven't learnt anything from previous games such as Leicester at home. Sissoko doesn't jump or attack the ball in the air, you can't give him any defensive responsibility.
On a more positive note I thought Toby and Lloris were excellent. Dier was good, got caught trying to play which nearly cost us but that's the risk Poch would have been happy to take.
Our midfield is shocking. I've been watching a lot of Bissouma recently and I think we need to go for him. A Skipp and Bissouma midfield will be a good partnership to develop next season.
Lastly, Levy struck again with sacking a manager before an important game. He triggered Graham before an FA Cup semi at Old Trafford against Woolwich. We lost that game. Done the same thing now.
I don't actually know what to expect for the last few games. I don't think the players will actually try, they look like they've downed tools since the turn of the year. I'm looking forward to seeing what our squad looks like in August. I just don't want to see the same players that keep costing us, we all know who they are. I'm not even bothered about the incomings.
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I don’t think there’s a single Mourinho apologist left on this board and I’m certainly not one, but to sack an experienced manager who got us to the final for a 29 year old revered ex-player six days before the game should be seen for what it is, Levy’s desperate attempt to shift the focus off himself after the ESL debacle.
Mourinho deserved to be sacked, but binning him off for a total unknown before a chance at silverware can only be described as desperation. Love Mason as a lad and I’m sure he’ll be a great manager one day but there’s no logical argument that Mourinho wasn’t more qualified to prepare us for this match.
If he lost, sack him afterwards instead of throwing Mason to the sharks. Poor guy, imagine being a trainee at work and then getting the call that you have to compete against the world’s best in six days. Mourinho has faced off with Guardiola countless times and isn’t going to be overawed by a final setting. If the players hate him so much that they couldn’t get up for a cup final well then they are just going against their own interests.
Levy tried to manipulate us with a great story in Ryan Mason after trying to sell out football and now poor Mason has to face the heat of failing at something that he had no right to be qualified for. Absolute cowardice from the top of the club, as per usual.
Mourinho deserved to be sacked, but binning him off for a total unknown before a chance at silverware can only be described as desperation. Love Mason as a lad and I’m sure he’ll be a great manager one day but there’s no logical argument that Mourinho wasn’t more qualified to prepare us for this match.
If he lost, sack him afterwards instead of throwing Mason to the sharks. Poor guy, imagine being a trainee at work and then getting the call that you have to compete against the world’s best in six days. Mourinho has faced off with Guardiola countless times and isn’t going to be overawed by a final setting. If the players hate him so much that they couldn’t get up for a cup final well then they are just going against their own interests.
Levy tried to manipulate us with a great story in Ryan Mason after trying to sell out football and now poor Mason has to face the heat of failing at something that he had no right to be qualified for. Absolute cowardice from the top of the club, as per usual.
I honestly thought lucas was our best player. Sometimes we need to sub Son when he just doesn't have it.
Go there, get stuck in, run their hearts out, and leave it all on the line - I'll take that. No shame in losing if we give it everything.
I mean I knew we would lose but this is a really pathetic way to do it.
Really thought it would be a fresh start under Mason. On what planet do you put a midfield 3 of Sissoko, Winks and Hojberg on the pitch at the same time? What a fucking joke.
And he did it when we were on the ascendency, with Gio improving and Lucas still grafting!
Absolutely shocking.
Really thought it would be a fresh start under Mason. On what planet do you put a midfield 3 of Sissoko, Winks and Hojberg on the pitch at the same time? What a fucking joke.
And he did it when we were on the ascendency, with Gio improving and Lucas still grafting!
Absolutely shocking.
I was unsuccessful ...................................
oops, I mean
oops, I mean
We can and most likely will.