Chairman's Interview

[nmc]

He's behind you!

Oh no he isn’t. Sorry apologies.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

I always felt the ownership would never publicly endorse any statues in that way, given the prevailing social mores around idols within Islam.

Quite a significant statement there from Khaldoon - and clearly demonstrates that I’m full of shit!

I would never expect them to erect one in Abu Dhabi town centre, but never thought they wouldn’t in Manchester.

 

[Bayblue]

Very naive reasoning.

What does 'very probably' is supposed to mean here? Chelsea had about 40 % to win no matter what. Their defence had conceded as many CL goals as ours. They have excellent players and being underdogs helped them big time, both tactically and mentally.

The notion that we have a best XI that we should start no matter the system and the strengths of the opposition in the final is not even naive. It's frankly stupid. Also, the view that Fernandinho was great vs PSG is clueless. First half our play was poor. Fortunately, they were without Mbappe. Also, Fernandinho was poor vs Chelsea at Wembley. Rodri lost form and was making mistakes every game, etc. etc.

Wish armchair geniuses stopped pretending they knew better than Pep what to do. They create a bad atmosphere around Pep and the club which may have negative consequences for next season and Pep's renaining year/years at the club.

Personally I would have played Fern in the final but you make many valid points here.
Mount definitely got the better of Fern in the earlier game and I have wondered if that factored into Pep’s thinking.

I also think too many people on here have underestimated how well Chelsea are set up and, more importantly, how their players performed. Tuchel had a very clear game plan and they executed it brilliantly. Pep had a clear game plan and we didn’t execute it as well. It seems to me people prefer to blame the plan rather than the execution.

 

[blueparrot]

Very naive reasoning.

What does 'very probably' is supposed to mean here? Chelsea had about 40 % to win no matter what. Their defence had conceded as many CL goals as ours. They have excellent players and being underdogs helped them big time, both tactically and mentally.

The notion that we have a best XI that we should start no matter the system and the strengths of the opposition in the final is not even naive. It's frankly stupid. Also, the view that Fernandinho was great vs PSG is clueless. First half our play was poor. Fortunately, they were without Mbappe. Also, Fernandinho was poor vs Chelsea at Wembley. Rodri lost form and was making mistakes every game, etc. etc.

Wish armchair geniuses stopped pretending they knew better than Pep what to do. They create a bad atmosphere around Pep and the club which may have negative consequences for next season and Pep's renaining year/years at the club.

I do like those that think a different team would 100% of won, because Chelsea were just turnining up for a day out.Of course they can happily perpetuate that illusion but never have to prove it.It's also nonsense to think Pep didn't have very good reasons for selecting the team and tactics he did.

 

[stan bowles]

Or even Joe Hart who can’t save anything low to his left.

He could in those days. He could save virtually anything. Big reason for our first 2 PL titles was Harty.

 

[stan bowles]

Interesting to hear Khaldoon say we will disrupt twice - as if to emphasise the point. Publicly stating that we will never be welcomed within the PL or UEFA corridors of power and will always be operating under a different agenda to the others.

 

[PistonBlue]

Interesting to hear Khaldoon say we will disrupt twice - as if to emphasise the point. Publicly stating that we will never be welcomed within the PL or UEFA corridors of power and will always be operating under a different agenda to the others.

Brought a smile to my face that.

 

[Sky Blue]

He could in those days. He could save virtually anything. Big reason for our first 2 PL titles was Harty.

An incredible save to his left at Everton away when we were 3-2 up virtually secured us that title win under Pellegrini.

Think it was Lukaku who shot.

 

[Nails]

An incredible save to his left at Everton away when we were 3-2 up virtually secured us that title win under Pellegrini.

Think it was Lukaku who shot.

I think it was Steven Naismith. Fantastic save.

 

[RobMCFC]

For all the sheer brilliant football Pep has conjered up thus far, he's sold us a few pups along the way. His worst ones are almost criminal, certainly bordering lunacy!

The term 'bald fraud' is almost a stigma and I think the only way he'd rid himself of that term (and redeem himself) is to win us the CL next season with our best 11. Not with bizarre team selections, not fancy formations and hard to fathom tactics that have cost us several very important games!

Yep.

Is Pep our best manager ever?: YES
Would I want to replace him now?: NO
Is he the best manager for a league campaign?: YES
Hypothetically, if I was in charge, would I offer him a 10-year contract: YES
Does he drop huge and obvious clangers: YES

I guess with have to take the small amounts of rough for the incredibly rewarding long spells of smooth, but I said on here before the game that if he didn't pick Fernandinho, it would be the biggest surprise out of all his occasionally baffling selections during his 5-year spell. He explained his reasons, fair enough, but IMO, he was wrong.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

Only an idiot could believe Pep's a fraud.

Oh no he is.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

Yep.

Is Pep our best manager ever?: YES
Would I want to replace him now?: NO
Is he the best manager for a league campaign?: YES
Hypothetically, if I was in charge, would I offer him a 10-year contract: YES
Does he drop huge and obvious clangers: YES

I guess with have to take the small amounts of rough for the incredibly rewarding long spells of smooth, but I said on here before the game that if he didn't pick Fernandinho, it would be the biggest surprise out of all his occasionally baffling selections during his 5-year spell. He explained his reasons, fair enough, but IMO, he was wrong.

Fernandinho was primed for that game, allegedly. : /

 

[fergal_oc]

Great to hear that the club are looking into ways to honour Buzzer, Franny and the King.

I’m not a long enough fan to have seen them play, but I feel I understand how important they are to our club and that was quite an emotional part for me.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Very naive reasoning.

What does 'very probably' is supposed to mean here? Chelsea had about 40 % to win no matter what. Their defence had conceded as many CL goals as ours. They have excellent players and being underdogs helped them big time, both tactically and mentally.

The notion that we have a best XI that we should start no matter the system and the strengths of the opposition in the final is not even naive. It's frankly stupid. Also, the view that Fernandinho was great vs PSG is clueless. First half our play was poor. Fortunately, they were without Mbappe. Also, Fernandinho was poor vs Chelsea at Wembley. Rodri lost form and was making mistakes every game, etc. etc.

Wish armchair geniuses stopped pretending they knew better than Pep what to do. They create a bad atmosphere around Pep and the club which may have negative consequences for next season and Pep's renaining year/years at the club.

Well lets alter it a tad.....had we played Dinho or Rodri,the space and freedom for Kante and Mount would not have been there,Stones and Dias would have had some protection and could have played a more natural game,instead of worrying whether to stick or twist,our attackers would have taken up their more natural positions,and our overall balance,shape and solidity would have ensured the cohesion and fluidity that had seen us destroy the league and achieve our amazing Cup runs.

Why change a winning system? why not let an inferior team worry about our strengths?

It was a head scratcher of gargantuan proportions,mindblowing bollocks! And its going to stick in the minds of many supporters for a very long time.

 

[alexmcity]

Well lets alter it a tad.....had we played Dinho or Rodri,the space and freedom for Kante and Mount would not have been there,Stones and Dias would have had some protection and could have played a more natural game,instead of worrying whether to stick or twist,our attackers would have taken up their more natural positions,and our overall balance,shape and solidity would have ensured the cohesion and fluidity that had seen us destroy the league and achieve our amazing Cup runs.

Why change a winning system? why not let an inferior team worry about our strengths?

It was a head scratcher of gargantuan proportions,mindblowing bollocks! And its going to stick in the minds of many supporters for a very long time.

Gundogan played at DM, it's not like we didn't play with any DM!

The problem wasn't we didn't have a DM. We had TWO defensive midfielders vs Chelsea at Wembley, and had similar problems.

The problem was that Chelsea could play through our high press. Putting Ferna (very poor vs Chelsea at Wembley) or Rodri (made mistakes in all games he started in May) at DM instead of Gundogan wouldn't have solved that problem.

Why were Chelsea able to play through our press? It's probably a combination of factors: Chelsea's set-up with 3 CBs and 2 DMs, which benefited from us being favourites, Chelsea's players playing with more freedom being underdogs, our (mental) problems when playing English teams in the CL, some/most of our players not being as good as they were back in January-February or not coping well with the pressure of being favourites, etc. etc.

Explaining the loss solely in terms of Pep's tactics is stupid, and no amount of repeating that explanation would make it less stupid.

 

[PistonBlue]

An incredible save to his left at Everton away when we were 3-2 up virtually secured us that title win under Pellegrini.

Think it was Lukaku who shot.

Think he was controlling it to be fair, but yes great save

 

[FantasyIreland]

Gundogan played at DM, it's not like we didn't play with any DM!

The problem wasn't we didn't have a DM. We had TWO defensive midfielders vs Chelsea at Wembley, and had similar problems.

The problem was that Chelsea could play through our high press. Putting Ferna (very poor vs Chelsea at Wembley) or Rodri (made mistakes in all games he started in May) at DM instead of Gundogan wouldn't have solved that problem.

Why were Chelsea able to play through our press? It's probably a combination of factors: Chelsea's set-up with 3 CBs and 2 DMs, which benefited from us being favourites, Chelsea's players playing with more freedom being underdogs, our (mental) problems when playing English teams in the CL, some/most of our players not being as good as they were back in January-February or not coping well with the pressure of being favourites, etc. etc.

Explaining the loss solely in terms of Pep's tactics is stupid, and no amount of repeating that explanation would make it less stupid.

Gundo is not a DM,he is brilliant at conducting and controlling the ball when we have possession,but as a destroyer......he is not,by a long shot.

In three games,Chelsea did not once face our most effective 11,the one that destroyed PSG and was instrumental in our march to the title.....as for your need to use the word 'stupid' then look no further than Pep where that term is concerned.

 

[alexmcity]

Gundo is not a DM,he is brilliant at conducting and controlling the ball when we have possession,but as a destroyer......he is not,by a long shot.

In three games,Chelsea did not once face our most effective 11,the one that destroyed PSG and was instrumental in our march to the title.....as for your need to use the word 'stupid' then look no further than Pep where that term is concerned.

'Our most effective 11' is a stupid way of thinking about football, given that it completely ignores the opposition, its weaknesses, strengths, etc. It's fucking stupid. Context matters. What's effective in some contexts may be totally ineffective in other contexts. No tactics can guarantee success: the form of your players, their psychological state, chance, etc. determine the outcome no less than tactics.

What have you achieved in football to think you understand enough about football to call Pep's tactics stupid? Have you managed a school team at least? Being a fan and posting 100 posts a day doesn't make you knowledgeable about football.

Let's face it: you and me are nobodies in football. If one of the greatest managers uses strange tactics and loses, let's not be quick to dismiss his tactics as idiotic, stupid, colossal fuck-up, etc, without even trying to understand his reasons to choose that tactics. Try to understand something, especially when it seems absurd. Pep had reasons to do what he did. His plan didn't work, maybe he was wrong, maybe the players failed at executing the plan. But try at least to understand him before accepting the clichés journalists and rival fans use against him. What's happening now is that our own fans agree with those clichés and spout them as obvious truths.

 

[Phil1]

For all the sheer brilliant football Pep has conjered up thus far, he's sold us a few pups along the way. His worst ones are almost criminal, certainly bordering lunacy!

The term 'bald fraud' is almost a stigma and I think the only way he'd rid himself of that term (and redeem himself) is to win us the CL next season with our best 11. Not with bizarre team selections, not fancy formations and hard to fathom tactics that have cost us several very important games!

He’s only referred to as a bald fraud by dickheads of this world.

 

[FantasyIreland]

'Our most effective 11' is a stupid way of thinking about football, given that it completely ignores the opposition, its weaknesses, strengths, etc. It's fucking stupid. Context matters. What's effective in some contexts may be totally ineffective in other contexts. No tactics can guarantee success: the form of your players, their psychological state, chance, etc. determine the outcome no less than tactics.

What have you achieved in football to think you understand enough about football to call Pep's tactics stupid? Have you managed a school team at least? Being a fan and posting 100 posts a day doesn't make you knowledgeable about football.

I agree,and Pep got those things wrong on Saturday night as he has done previously in half a dozen games of great importance.A blind man could have seen he weakened our approach while strengthening theirs....it was as stupid as stupid gets.

Pep can be wrong,i'm not sure you get that?