That's 2 players Pep always plays,I'd ask why do you think that is.He won't play passengers if he thinks it's costing the team,winning means everything to him.We are 1 point behind in the league and in 2 quarter finals,hardly the position of a team carrying 2 passengers,despite missing KDB and Haaland for chunks of the season.Thanks for the explanation but i don't agree
Alvarez early season form yes but his form of late hasn't been good and he doesn't have the skill set to play him as a left winger but Pep seems to have the need to start him regardless and will choose him in a position and move a player who is better there; eg Foden is infinitely better in CMF His ball retention is amongst the worse in the squad and this is not what is need against LFC
Walker has not been good this season and using him against a counter attacking team was an obvious choice when he was the "old Walker" but he has not done that job of late and it's easy to give numerous instances where he has failed and the rest of his game does not merit a place in the team
The above is not having a go at either player its Pep that plays them
Thanks for the explanation but i don't agree
Alvarez early season form yes but his form of late hasn't been good and he doesn't have the skill set to play him as a left winger but Pep seems to have the need to start him regardless and will choose him in a position and move a player who is better there; eg Foden is infinitely better in CMF His ball retention is amongst the worse in the squad and this is not what is need against LFC
Walker has not been good this season and using him against a counter attacking team was an obvious choice when he was the "old Walker" but he has not done that job of late and it's easy to give numerous instances where he has failed and the rest of his game does not merit a place in the team
The above is not having a go at either player its Pep that plays them
They look bizarre mostly because fans lack information and understanding of the game.
Fernandinho was on his last legs then, and was terrible in the FA Cup against the same Chelsea side we played in Porto.
Rodri lost form in the final months and made some bad mistakes, including one vs Chelsea at home.
Plus, Gundogan had experience at DM and played an important role ad DM in 18/19 when Fernandinho was out injured.
What's bizarre is the insistence of some fans they know better than Pep whether X, Y or Z should have started a big game, despite Pep having the best record in history in big games and finals. Now that's bizarre.
Nobody says he doesn't get it wrong sometimes, that would be daft.He is above criticism though because he gets it wrong less than anyone else in football. Identifying them before a game you will be wrong at least 99% of the time,on the odd occasion we might lose and you can think you were right even thogh whatever it was might not be why we lost.Holding Pep above any criticism whatsoever is bizarre.
He got the formation wrong against Chelsea. There should have been a DM in place to anchor the midfield to mitigate the risk of a counter attack from a Thomas Tuchel formation.
Hes the greatest football manager we will ever have. But he makes mistakes every once in a while as every other legendary manager has. Identifying them doesn't mean we think we know better.
That game being the UCL final doesn't have any bearing on whether he got it wrong or not.
It would have been a mistake had he done it in the first League Cup game of the year.
Holding Pep above any criticism whatsoever is bizarre.
He got the formation wrong against Chelsea. There should have been a DM in place to anchor the midfield to mitigate the risk of a counter attack from a Thomas Tuchel formation.
Hes the greatest football manager we will ever have. But he makes mistakes every once in a while as every other legendary manager has. Identifying them doesn't mean we think we know better.
That game being the UCL final doesn't have any bearing on whether he got it wrong or not.
It would have been a mistake had he done it in the first League Cup game of the year.
Ake more mistakes than Walker reallyWalker played in both legs vs Real, and we played our best football in that 2nd leg, arguably the best by any English side ever, with a back 4 of Walker, Dias, Stones and Akanji.
Walker can't cross the ball, but Ake's the same. Haven't seen voices to ditch Ake due to his inability to cross the ball. Also, Ake has made more mistakes this season than Walker. I like Ake more than Walker, but the latter has been voted captain by the players...
My point was aimed more at the whole season in respect to why does Pep seem to have an obsession with these players?You don't agree but it wasn't Walker who failed vs Liverpool. Also, Walker's pass completion was better than both Ake's and (surprise) Stones's.
And you didn't propose an alternative re: high pressing.
Ake more mistakes than Walker really
Players vote for the senior player as Captain IMHO I dont think he is a good choice
Off hand > Newcastle x 2, Chelsea, Sheffield United, he got lucky against the Rags as well with his attempted dribble on the goaline This wasn't just "involved" this was responsibleAke was involved in goals we conceded vs Wolves, Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool. Remind me of the goals Walker cost us in (big) games this season.
Some people seem to notice only the good things Ake contributes (plenty of them, he's a wonderful squad player) but are blind about his mistakes - in contrast to the mistakes of other defenders and the new signings.
Off hand > Newcastle x 2, Chelsea, Sheffield United, he got lucky against the Rags as well with his attempted dribble on the goaline This wasn't just "involved" this was responsible
Great strikes that Walker should have stopped them taking and would have done in previous seasons Anyway Kyle Ill leave it here as this was supposed to be about PepBoth Newcastle goals were great strikes, it's telling you are resorting to such examples.
No example vs our direct rivals, Arsenal and Liverpool, though...
Ake has not made more mistakes than Walker, just a fact. But it's not the back 4 that's been the big problem. It's how we keep setting up in front of them. Rodri has been left on his own more than once in big games this season. Bernardo is clearly better out wide on the right these days than in the "Gundo" role. Foden can do it very effectively, albeit differently, and that's been proven time and time again this season. Kovacic has been rock solid overall supporting Rodri. Alvarez did a good job when KDB was out, but when he's asked to play anywhere else on the pitch aside from as a 9 or as a second striker it just doesn't work. With KDB playing basically as second striker himself now Rodri needs better in support than Alvarez. Either Kovacic due to his excellent technical ability or Foden due to the fact that he's so good on the ball and forces the opponent into a much greater defensive posture. If Pep keeps playing Alvarez in the midfield or on the wing in any remaining critical games we will not win anything, simple as. Pep being the greatest club manager perhaps ever notwithstanding, I am praying he doesn't choose this hill to die on. IMO we are still the best squad in Europe and I see no reason why we can't win the league, the CL, or both in the next few months.Ake more mistakes than Walker really
Players vote for the senior player as Captain IMHO I dont think he is a good choice
Yet here he is, still in every important competition and on course for another exceptional season.The backroom changes this year mean there is no one to correct the many voices that bounce around in peps head.
Yet here he is, still in every important competition and on course for another exceptional season.
I suppose he could watch games on a potato like your good self and figure out all the issues you manage to see on a weekly basis.
I had a look at our form from January 1st till mid-March last year, and we're actually doing a lot better. We've conceded just 12 goals in our last 18 games, are on a 21 game unbeaten run, and have scored at well over 2.5 goals a game in that time.Some people have this insane expectation just because we did treble last season then it will be a norm to do treble every fucking season from now on.
Are they just plain insane or what?
then who will come deep to help Rodri as an 8? Kev or Phil? neither of them can defend as a holding midfielder like Gundo Bernado or Kova do.Wish he'd just go all in on Foden. Now De Bruyne is back (was back) Foden gets punted to the wings. Play him in the middle WITH De Bruyne.
Agree. The midfield for me was a big problem in the Liverpool game.Ake has not made more mistakes than Walker, just a fact. But it's not the back 4 that's been the big problem. It's how we keep setting up in front of them. Rodri has been left on his own more than once in big games this season. Bernardo is clearly better out wide on the right these days than in the "Gundo" role. Foden can do it very effectively, albeit differently, and that's been proven time and time again this season. Kovacic has been rock solid overall supporting Rodri. Alvarez did a good job when KDB was out, but when he's asked to play anywhere else on the pitch aside from as a 9 or as a second striker it just doesn't work. With KDB playing basically as second striker himself now Rodri needs better in support than Alvarez. Either Kovacic due to his excellent technical ability or Foden due to the fact that he's so good on the ball and forces the opponent into a much greater defensive posture. If Pep keeps playing Alvarez in the midfield or on the wing in any remaining critical games we will not win anything, simple as. Pep being the greatest club manager perhaps ever notwithstanding, I am praying he doesn't choose this hill to die on. IMO we are still the best squad in Europe and I see no reason why we can't win the league, the CL, or both in the next few months.
We have Stones pushing in next to Rodri. If we deploy the box midfield like last season, Foden should be Gundogans replacement.then who will come deep to help Rodri as an 8? Kev or Phil? neither of them can defend as a holding midfielder like Gundo Bernado or Kova do.
shall we just accept that kev and phil are two world class players in the same no 10 role? let them have a competition like all other players in this team to keep them fresh. currently pep is running both of them down.
Same goes for Halaand vs Alvarez.