Nottingham Forest (N) - Sun 27th April, 16:30 | FA Cup | Pre-Match Thread

[City & Blue Brazil]

Just realised it is on the same day as the London Marathon, bloody good planning that!

Semi finals are nearly always on the weekend of the London marathon .

 

[Bazzmand Show]

Just realised it is on the same day as the London Marathon, bloody good planning that!

It's fucking absurd they semis are at Wembley, just shouldn't happen. Should be rotated between neutral venues.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

No joke, i think McAtee wont start on sunday, but have nothing against. Just told in the message to the man, that McAtee been better lately than Foden.

But for Peps theres always the room for a little rotation, especially since even poor Foden is not to be benched forever + James had not his best game against Villa. He had to finish one of 2 chances, not really done much anything else bar workload, which I like. It could be another solution from Pep as well, like Nico Gundo Kovacic midfield, but cant understand writting off Foden so heavily. He has poor season for his standards but still got some goals and you just know he gonna get better eventually

I thought Mcatee was pretty good against villa and led the press most of the game.

Those two chances - one was a lob - that was not an easy chance at all. The other I presume is when the villa defender managed to slide in front of him?

Foden doesn’t deserve to be starting at all

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

I’d start the same team that played against villa. Thought it’s the best we’ve played in ages and why change that. Bring on Doku again to make the impact

 

[IronsideKozuch]

I thought Mcatee was pretty good against villa and led the press most of the game.

Those two chances - one was a lob - that was not an easy chance at all. The other I presume is when the villa defender managed to slide in front of him?

Foden doesn’t deserve to be starting at all

This lob for McAtee should be a goal. His super power are sneaky goals. Mate, watch the game. James missed the ball when receiving a pass from O'Reilly from the left. It was a clear-cut chance. James reaction would tell you this much.

McAtee has not been good against Villa and despite goal been quite anonimous against Crystal Palace. Could do much more. I just have a feeling hes not starting against Forest.

Foden is off form whole season, its true, but come on, hes capable of magic any time. If hes improving during trainings sooner or later hes gonna get a chance and start a game.

 

[pride in battle]

I thought Mcatee was pretty good against villa and led the press most of the game.

Those two chances - one was a lob - that was not an easy chance at all. The other I presume is when the villa defender managed to slide in front of him?

Foden doesn’t deserve to be starting at all

The one where he miskicked it completely in the six yard box...

 

[mancboy]

I thought Mcatee was pretty good against villa and led the press most of the game.

Those two chances - one was a lob - that was not an easy chance at all. The other I presume is when the villa defender managed to slide in front of him?

Foden doesn’t deserve to be starting at all

i think the other chance was when he got in front of the villa defender and just completely missed the ball with this shot

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

This lob for McAtee should be a goal. His super power are sneaky goals. Mate, watch the game. James missed the ball when receiving a pass from O'Reilly from the left. It was a clear-cut chance. James reaction would tell you this much.

McAtee has not been good against Villa and despite goal been quite anonimous against Crystal Palace. Could do much more. I just have a feeling hes not starting against Forest.

Foden is off form whole season, its true, but come on, hes capable of magic any time. If hes improving during trainings sooner or later hes gonna get a chance and start a game.

If McAtee had scored the first it would have been a genuine world-class goal, in my opinion. He took it down really well — superb De Bruynesque pass over the top, incidentally, with the outside of his boot, which he is still perhaps the only man in the league to be able to pull off — and it went just wide. Always difficult to get a lob exactly right in those conditions, and surely no-one would want to have a go at him for that?
The second chance, though, is an entirely different kettle of fish. The ball in from O'Reilly is (yet again) superb, and unless my eyes are playing tricks, he gets there first. He's about five yards out. That sort of thing would have been meat and drink for Sergio or, if people think the comparison is unfair, for any reasonably accomplished striker. I was downright disappointed.
I actually wouldn't put either him or Phil in that team for Sunday. Phil's form will come back, and James's may emerge. Neither are playing well.
On the last two times he's had an outing, Jack's been fair to downright good. Although it's now a long way back, he was very good against Chelsea. I simply can't understand why he's being frozen out. Also, he would help to give us control in midfield — if he were played there (which he won't be). There must have been harsh words between him and Pep. That's all I can assume. I'd pick him over both Phil and James.

But Pep won't.

Edit: incidentally, it was striking that neither he nor Phil particularly celebrated the last minute winner against Villa. Phil applauds politely. They are neither of them happy bunnies. I can understand that. Aside from City, they both want to be picked for England and they won't be if Saint God Bellingham is constantly hyped up as he is, and if they're on the bench.

 

[The Lightbowne Cowboy]

Did post a few days ago to Ricardo with the same. It's putting me off my breakfast.

I'd rather look at a decaying festering piece of turd..thinking about it, they're pretty much the same.

 

[supercity88]

I thought Mcatee was pretty good against villa and led the press most of the game.

Those two chances - one was a lob - that was not an easy chance at all. The other I presume is when the villa defender managed to slide in front of him?

Foden doesn’t deserve to be starting at all

I don't think he can play in the same side as Gundo. They both want to occupy the same space generally. I thought both were largely missing on Tuesday which is because they both were taking up the same positions. McAtee has plenty of energy and looks to run in behind which I think is a positive he brings that the majority of our other players don't do. He completely missed the ball from O'Reilly's cross when he should have been scoring, and the lob wasn't an easy chance but he decided that's what he was going to do. Nothing stopped him controlling the ball and taking it closer to goal! I think he was marginally offside in any case as well.

 

[supercity88]

If McAtee had scored the first it would have been a genuine world-class goal, in my opinion. He took it down really well — superb De Bruynesque pass over the top, incidentally, with the outside of his boot, which he is still perhaps the only man in the league to be able to pull off — and it went just wide. Always difficult to get a lob exactly right in those conditions, and surely no-one would want to have a go at him for that?
The second chance, though, is an entirely different kettle of fish. The ball in from O'Reilly is (yet again) superb, and unless my eyes are playing tricks, he gets there first. He's about five yards out. That sort of thing would have been meat and drink for Sergio or, if people think the comparison is unfair, for any reasonably accomplished striker. I was downright disappointed.
I actually wouldn't put either him or Phil in that team for Sunday. Phil's form will come back, and James's may emerge. Neither are playing well.
On the last two times he's had an outing, Jack's been fair to downright good. Although it's now a long way back, he was very good against Chelsea. I simply can't understand why he's being frozen out. Also, he would help to give us control in midfield — if he were played there (which he won't be). There must have been harsh words between him and Pep. That's all I can assume. I'd pick him over both Phil and James.

But Pep won't.

Edit: incidentally, it was striking that neither he nor Phil particularly celebrated the last minute winner against Villa. Phil applauds politely. They are neither of them happy bunnies. I can understand that. Aside from City, they both want to be picked for England and they won't be if Saint God Bellingham is constantly hyped up as he is, and if they're on the bench.

I just posted that McAtee does one thing that few others in our side do and that's look to run in behind the opposition.

Personally, considering he's 22 I would be giving him the benefit of time and letting his settle into the side. It would be Gundo I'd be hooking. He did fuck all on Tuesday and his best days are behind him.

For a Cup semi final though, I think there's next to no chance Pep goes with youth over experience.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

The one where he miskicked it completely in the six yard box...

Fair enough on that one, just re watched it.

That first one would have been an unbelievable goal if hed have scored that

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

This lob for McAtee should be a goal. His super power are sneaky goals. Mate, watch the game. James missed the ball when receiving a pass from O'Reilly from the left. It was a clear-cut chance. James reaction would tell you this much.

McAtee has not been good against Villa and despite goal been quite anonimous against Crystal Palace. Could do much more. I just have a feeling hes not starting against Forest.

Foden is off form whole season, its true, but come on, hes capable of magic any time. If hes improving during trainings sooner or later hes gonna get a chance and start a game.

I don’t agree with your first point. That lob chance was a very difficult finish. I was at the game and I thought he played really well and he was at the forefront of our high pressing. He got quite an applause when he won’t off - as I think he crowd appreciated how hard he worked.

If you aren’t picking Mcatee who has been playing, how can you justify picking foden? (He’s barely played). Doku probably deserves to start ahead of both, but I think he’s a great impact sub.

 

[Norbert D]

I don’t agree with your first point. That lob chance was a very difficult finish. I was at the game and I thought he played really well and he was at the forefront of our high pressing. He got quite an applause when he won’t off - as I think he crowd appreciated how hard he worked.

If you aren’t picking Mcatee who has been playing, how can you justify picking foden? (He’s barely played). Doku probably deserves to start ahead of both, but I think he’s a great impact sub.

100%, McAtee puts a shift in and has the occasional piece of magic, he makes good runs that others don’t. He doesnt walk around with his arms out saying why didn’t you pass, he gets on with the fucking game.

Doku has been a great impact sub in recent games. Pep has stumbled onto a winning formula that includes much of the old guard midfield. Not sure what the future holds for Grealish or Foden, if anything Jack has been treated the harshest but we don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes.

 

[pride in battle]

Fair enough on that one, just re watched it.

That first one would have been an unbelievable goal if hed have scored that

True.

 

[dennishasdoneit]

Kick off time 16:30 BST.

Not a bad game to be going into on the back of that win.

Back 4 has to stay the same, got a bit of a solid foundation to build from at the moment.

-------------Ortega
Nunes--Dias--Gvardiol--O'Reilly
--Bernardo--Kovacic---Gundo
De Bruyne--Marmoush--Doku

Or maybe save Doku for the last 20mins?

Can we put the words Semi Final in the thread title......give the match it's due importance ;)

 

[IronsideKozuch]

I don’t agree with your first point. That lob chance was a very difficult finish. I was at the game and I thought he played really well and he was at the forefront of our high pressing. He got quite an applause when he won’t off - as I think he crowd appreciated how hard he worked.

If you aren’t picking Mcatee who has been playing, how can you justify picking foden? (He’s barely played). Doku probably deserves to start ahead of both, but I think he’s a great impact sub.

I did not say that I would drop James or I would pick Foden over James.

I just gave you arguments why i think Pep will not start James and why theres gonna be some rotation in this area and that it is a chance for Phil. I wrote that it could be another solution as well, like Nico/Kova/Gundo.

People love James, hes Eng, comes from academy and looks like a lovely guy. I like James and think he could do much better. But McAtee has not justified his position in starting eleven at any point so far. That is my feeling anyway. I wish that for him in the future obviously.

 

[BlueInsomniac]

 

[ONTHERUNWITHTHAKSIN]

Just hope the players play to the whistle and stop this throwing arms up and shouting at the ref while the game continues

 

[Zenmanc]

This lob for McAtee should be a goal.

Agreed but if we're going to start handing out demerits for goals that should have been easily tucked away- Erl gets more than his fair share and he's a regular. I think McA is gripping too hard given the limited game time he has had- he's also tucked away a lot of sneaky goals as well.