2020/21 - A New Season

worsleyweb said:
I am getting increasingly concerned that we don’t seem to be upto speed for the new season. We were very erratic last year at times and since the we have lost Sane and Merlin and Fern is a year older. Ok the two new signings so far but the season kicks off in 9 days and I am not even sure many players are back.

Aguero won’t be anywhere near fit, messi and the Napoli defender transfers seem a headache! Pep is in quartabtine? We have played no pre season games and we are playing catch up straight away and Liverpool and Arsenal seem to have been in training for 3 weeks. Add in a very tough away game at wolves and I sense a poor start. We could be six points behind Liverpool in the first week.
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Cheer up !!!
 
As things stand we're clearly not ready, but a lot could change in the next couple of weeks if we can sign a couple of quality players and move a few out. The post-lockdown games produced some strange results and I think the same could apply to the start of this season, so all teams could drop points in the first few weeks.

That said, the uncertainty over Pep is specific to us and will provide an easy angle for the media to cook up a storm if we start poorly, more so if the same frailties re-emerge. It's a strange situation given that the club likes to project itself as being so forward-looking and well organised.
 
I said last season we wouldn't win anything with our defence and I wasn't far wrong. We scraped the league cup against a poor Villa side thanks to a great save by Bravo near the end, but fell way short in other competitions. Just adding Ake isn't going to rectify that. We are easy to score against, a long ball over the top is usually all it takes. We either get the world class centre half we need, a more mobile and quicker dm than Rodri and possibly a left back or we face a season similar or worse than the one just gone.

In my opinion we need a centre half, defensive midfield, playmaker, left back and a world class forward to challenge and slowly replace Aguero. Our rivals are strengthening well and the challenge will be even fiercer this season. We strengthen or we stand still, possibly drop.off the pace even more.

I also think.Pep.needs to tweak his tactics so we are not so easily got at. I look at the job Arteta has done since taking over at Arsenal. He has made a weak.shambles of a defence really hard to score against and with just one decent forward has won the FA cup and charity shield, beating us along the way. Imagine what our attacking threat could do if we stopped shipping easy goals.
 
While almost every other team were huffing and puffing on the return games we were purring like a rolls Royce. Not having crowds there suits us. We drill our tactics and formations constantly and the players are used to it. Ease Ake and Torres in, add a centre half and if a left back becomes available we buy them. Zin isn't as awful as most make out and Mendy needs to finally prove he belongs. Foden steps straight in for Silva leaving, and like the left back issue a stiriker who matches our needs comes available we bid/buy them.
 
Drewmanc said:
While almost every other team were huffing and puffing on the return games we were purring like a rolls Royce. Not having crowds there suits us. We drill our tactics and formations constantly and the players are used to it. Ease Ake and Torres in, add a centre half and if a left back becomes available we buy them. Zin isn't as awful as most make out and Mendy needs to finally prove he belongs. Foden steps straight in for Silva leaving, and like the left back issue a stiriker who matches our needs comes available we bid/buy them.
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It's not known as the Emptyhad for nothing.
 
Drewmanc said:
While almost every other team were huffing and puffing on the return games we were purring like a rolls Royce. Not having crowds there suits us. We drill our tactics and formations constantly and the players are used to it. Ease Ake and Torres in, add a centre half and if a left back becomes available we buy them. Zin isn't as awful as most make out and Mendy needs to finally prove he belongs. Foden steps straight in for Silva leaving, and like the left back issue a stiriker who matches our needs comes available we bid/buy them.
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We didn't purr against Chelsea, Saints, Arsenal and Lyon and 2 of those games really mattered. The other points I agree on. Can't afford any sort of hangover going into the new season.
 
If we can get our intensity back from 2 years ago we will have a great chance of winning the title. We would have to be aggressive when don't have the ball and press like we used to. I honestly think this is as important as any signing.

I'm confident Koulibaly will come in now and I really hope we can bring in another players - left back, centre mid and a top class forward. We have to get some more energy into the team.

I wish we could get the players we want in but I'm sure behind the scenes they are working day and night. It's not easy doing deals though for world class players. Chelsea have brought in some great players but have they got a great manager? Liverpool haven't strengthened, ditto Spurs. I think United might do well this year despite their clueless manager and I agree Arsenal have done well since Lego man took over.

I have a funny feeling this season is going to be a funny one with no fans, the Euros coming up and obviously Corona. I'm finding it hard to get excited about it all knowing it's not really a "real" season.
 
Drewmanc said:
While almost every other team were huffing and puffing on the return games we were purring like a rolls Royce. Not having crowds there suits us. We drill our tactics and formations constantly and the players are used to it. Ease Ake and Torres in, add a centre half and if a left back becomes available we buy them. Zin isn't as awful as most make out and Mendy needs to finally prove he belongs. Foden steps straight in for Silva leaving, and like the left back issue a stiriker who matches our needs comes available we bid/buy them.
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We wasn’t purring against Southampton, or Chelsea, or Bournemouth, or Norwich for 45 minutes or arsenal in the cup or Lyon. I’d say the restart saw form from us that typified our season as a whole, exceptional in parts, useless in others.

I wouldn’t say it suits us not having a crowd but I’d agree we are less negatively impacted than some others who rely more on the crowd for momentum/ putting pressure on officials.
 
Chelsea and Liverpool will be teams to beat next season.

We should have got Havertz and Werner. Made a big mistake there.

If we're all hoping the team will just get its intensity back from two seasons ago then we're in trouble.

I worry about Aguero's knee injury. It's no joke and causes after problems.

Fern has sadly aged. I don't rate Rodri or Gundogan.

Looking forward to seeing Torres though.
 
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