Brighton & Hove Albion (H) - Sat 15th March, 15:00 | PL | Pre-Match Thread

Match Result Prediction?

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citymad said:
Good question, has to be off field stuff same as Jack.
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Like KDB, Bernardo, Gundogan, Rodri and others, Phil was always just one player within a group of anything from 4 to 6 on the pitch who were on the same wavelength. All really mobile, seemingly thinking as one. They ran teams ragged as a unit, without performing individual heroics.

If nobody else in the group has the same approach - as nobody seems to these days - what is a single player supposed to do? Phil's looked dreadful lately, as has Bernie, but I often see one of them collect the ball and look forwards, only to find that everybody is static. Now and again they'll try something on their own, at which point they're either heroes (Phil winning the penalty again RM) or zeroes when something doesn't come off (most of the time, lately).

There isn't a single player in the world who can transform this team alone - Rodders included - without the team being re-coached to play how they used to.

Watching other teams - especially those we're fighting for a CL spot - with lively diagonal runners, everybody showing for the ball and constant movement and swapping of places, we look like a team out of the 1950s.

I was hopeful, having a week at a time to prepare, that the old values would return, but Saturday didn't fill me with confidence that this will happen.

C'mon Pep, shake yourself and them out of this stupor - there's no way that this bunch of players has suddenly turned crap. And they didn't all suddenly age 10 years between October and November, either.
 
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noseve said:
Like KDB, Bernardo, Gundogan, Rodri and others, Phil was always just one player within a group of anything from 4 to 6 on the pitch who were on the same wavelength. All really mobile, seemingly thinking as one. They ran teams ragged as a unit, without performing individual heroics.

If nobody else in the group has the same approach - as nobody seems to these days - what is a single player supposed to do? Phil's looked dreadful lately, as has Bernie, but I often see one of them collect the ball and look forwards, only to find that everybody is static. Now and again they'll try something on their own, at which point they're either heroes (Phil winning the penalty again RM) or zeroes when something doesn't come off (most of the time, lately).

There isn't a single player in the world who can transform this team alone - Rodders included - without the team being re-coached to play how they used to.

Watching other teams - especially those we're fighting for a CL spot - with lively diagonal runners, everybody showing for the ball and constant movement and swapping of places, we look like a team out of the 1950s.

I was hopeful, having a week at a time to prepare, that the old values would return, but Saturday didn't feel me with confidence that this will happen.

C'mon Pep, shake yourself and them out of this stupor - there's no way that this bunch of players has suddenly turned crap. And they didn't all suddenly age 10 years between October and November, either.
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KDB and Gundo continually look for space to receive the ball where Foden is!akways asking for the ball when surrounded by opposition players. He will never take rhe game by the scruff of the neck, like say Odergard at Arsenal or KDB of old. Invariably these days his first action is to play backwards even when he could turn. I had high hopes for him and he did turn up last season with goals. However he was surrounded by a settled team.
 
chickaroon said:
KDB and Gundo continually look for space to receive the ball where Foden is!akways asking for the ball when surrounded by opposition players. He will never take rhe game by the scruff of the neck, like say Odergard at Arsenal or KDB of old. Invariably these days his first action is to play backwards even when he could turn. I had high hopes for him and he did turn up last season with goals. However he was surrounded by a settled team.
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Agree with some of that, but he always did receive the ball in tight spots, didn't he?
To be honest, you could substitute any of the other names in in my post for Phil, I was just trying to say that any one player on his own cannot suddenly start to make them tick.
 
noseve said:
Agree with some of that, but he always did receive the ball in tight spots, didn't he?
To be honest, you could substitute any of the other names in in my post for Phil, I was just trying to say that any one player on his own cannot suddenly start to make them tick.
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I agree with that. I think Phil just frustrates me because I know he has talent. I would just like to see him look for space more or even drop deeper to recieve it at times especially against low blocks and man marking teams. You know, move the opposition around a bit. Pop up.in unexpected places. Even in the few minutes that KDB was on the pitch Saturday, he found space and looked to play quicker and forward. I guess it is all about taking responsibility?
 
Be interesting to see what Pep is working on this week. Hopefully he’s working on a plan to handle Brightons attacking play. They’ve been playing well recently. A tricky home fixture for sure.
 
introduce Echeverri. he could be the future. KDB, Gundo wont be. give something to Brighton that they might not be able to handle and surprise them rather than zero off the ball workrate and slow moves from Foden, KDB, Kova etc.
 
citymad said:
Good question, has to be off field stuff same as Jack.
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@Gray Not very well apparently. Very, very rarely get info about City that's legit but got told this about two months ago.

youngbob said:
Heard through the grapevine this week (from two separate people who don't know each other) that he's been battling more serious health issues than what's been rumoured on here. Think along the lines of Darren Fletcher.

Don't often come across info like this - but got chatting to someone who used to be Phil's personal chef until the summer, then got chatting to someone else who said Phil had recently hired a new chef due to health problems.

If it's true he's been suffering with something like IBD then he has my fullest sympathies. A really serious health issue that can't be taken lightly and can be absolutely debilitating. Hope he's on the road to recovery now.
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LeonardoDaVnci said:
Name this team (in house ofc) Monday, work 5 days repeatedly practising high tempo, forward, fast and direct attacking plays in possession. Savio and Doku practice hundreds of times to beat the first defenders when in crossing positions. Out of possession, practice everyone is the first line of defence, even you Erling.

----‐--------Eddy
Khusanov Dias Reis Gvardiol
----Nico_Gonz Nico_OReilly
----Savio Marmoush Doku
-------Haaland

Hopefully Bobb and Echeverri as subs

Give Bernardo, Kova and Rico the weekend off to recharge their batteries, ready for the run in.
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We had a fucking week prior to Forrest or have I been Clarkied ?
 
noseve said:
I like a couple of things here - I want to Khus and Reis given every chance to form a partnership; Gvardiol more advanced.
Chalk and cheese, Gvardiol - total liability at the back, potential world-beater as an attacking midfielder.
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We bought the fucker as a centre half ffs, amazing.
 
Damanino said:
introduce Echeverri. he could be the future. KDB, Gundo wont be. give something to Brighton that they might not be able to handle and surprise them rather than zero off the ball workrate and slow moves from Foden, KDB, Kova etc.
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I don't understand Pep's comments about we won't be seeing Echeverri this season. He has to offer us something different surely, what harm would be done putting him on the bench?
 
Fordyboy46 said:
I don't understand Pep's comments about we won't be seeing Echeverri this season. He has to offer us something different surely, what harm would be done putting him on the bench?
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Where have you got that from? It contradicts what Pep has recently said.
 
Fordyboy46 said:
I don't understand Pep's comments about we won't be seeing Echeverri this season. He has to offer us something different surely, what harm would be done putting him on the bench?
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Pep said, ‘Claudio Echeverri is here. He’s going to start training and mainly will be for the end of the season, maybe the Club World Cup’.
 
Psychedelic Casual said:
Pep said, ‘Claudio Echeverri is here. He’s going to start training and mainly will be for the end of the season, maybe the Club World Cup’.
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kids been in senior/international matches for about 14 months now with little rest, not surprised he's not being thrown in tbh.


50 appearances for River, 4 International Tournaments.
 
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