A time to reflect.

I think we all know that this squad/team is not as good as the hype.

Pep has them well drilled to maximise their potential but in the final analysis we do lack real quality in many areas. The squad building will continue and there will be mistakes made along the way but as long as Pep stays I am confident that we will continue to improve and win.


Aymeric Laporte - £65m
Kyle Walker - £50m
Danilo - £30m
John Stones - £48m

Will Grigg - £1m

Can we please stop complaining about the squad and the need to spend more because we couldnt beat Wigan?


Pep team selection + below avg performance from many players + Walker mistake + Delph red card + bad luck = defeat



We should accept it and move on.
 
So clearly I am wrong we can't all see that we aren't as good as the hype.

Yes we have played some fantastic football but for me we are still a good distance short of where Pep wants to be. I don't want to get into specific areas or players as I'm not a fan of slagging off our own players.

The media have hyped us to high heaven safe in the knowledge that, if as was always likely, we fall short they can then knock us down. It's the way of the world.

We are the best team in the PL and will win it but we are not yet an all conquering super team. With Pep onboard we may well get there. Enjoy the ride !

You said that we lack real quality in many areas. So which areas are they? Bearing in mind that there are probably only 5 or 6 areas in total (GK, Full backs, centre backs, central midfield, attacking midfield/wingers and strikers).
 
Aymeric Laporte - £65m
Kyle Walker - £50m
Danilo - £30m
John Stones - £48m

Will Grigg - £1m

Can we please stop complaining about the squad and the need to spend more because we couldnt beat Wigan?


Pep team selection + below avg performance from many players + Walker mistake + Delph red card + bad luck = defeat



We should accept it and move on.

Indeed. The fact is we weren’t hungry enough at the start, missed piss easy chances and are always prone to an error. Add to that the shit pitch and players coming back and probably thinking they would piss this game and it was a perfect storm.

Wigan played very well.
 
Had we got through last night there would still be ample chances for those malcontents with the whistle to screw us over further down the line.

This. Going out in the fifth round is much better than going out in a semi-final or final against likely Top 5 sides. But, we need to win the League Cup. It would be a massive disappointment if not.
 
“Bernado, Gundogan not good enough”. Admittedly, they (and several others) weren’t effective last night but not good enough? Can’t have that. Also, several posters on the Wigan post-match thread saying Raheem should have started. That’s probably right (though the rest may well do him good) but if he doesn’t have a good game on Sunday or misses a sitter, as at Burnley, you can rest assured that the knives will be out for him. I’ll say it again: we are so privileged to be watching the sublime football that this team is more often than not serving up for us.


Those saying Bernado and Gundogan are not good enough should watch games played by Fernando and Navas in the previous seasons.
 
On reflection it was a strange match for me.

Whilst not directly - I do think the red card had a big say....as Dave was not firing on all cylinders Pep (I think with 11 on the pitch ) would have kept Dave on with Kev in Order to give 2 different points of attack. He thought too risky with 10.

So whilst I agree with that - where it fell down was game management in a individual error that saw them grab a goal.

That’s sport - it happens.

Overall for a team with 10 men away from home to dominate so much tells me all I need to know....This team is bloody good and 95 out of 100 would not be out of the fa cup.

But that’s sport - it happens.


Still wouldn’t swap the way we play for anything
 
Perhaps we should also take a moment to reflect on sentimentality verses pragmatism ?

Read all week about playing A or B because of previous games etc. etc.

How awful would we feel if we were still in the FA cup, say, because Eddie was in goal ?
 
Positive response on Sunday and all is forgiven. Possibly the wake up call the lads need. We can't rest on our laurels and must be at it every game in order to achieve.
 
Main concerns for me.
Sergio away from home performances.
Just looks off the pace away from home.
Walker again caught napping for a goal.
Defending not his strong point.
Stones struggles since coming back from injury.
Gundogan just find him a frustrating player to watch.
 

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