Al Hilal (N) | CWC | Post Match Thread

I think Akanji is just too slow and needs to be shipped. Get a decent RB (anyone at this point who is actually a RB) and we should be ok. We shouldn't be changing Eddie yet, there is too much risk I think.
Sucks to be out like this and against a team we should be beating but whatever.
 
Semper aggressus said:
At least we now have time in the summer to get rid of some players and sign a right back. And get Rodri fully fit.

Savinho offers nothing productive. He looks like he should be great, but the closer he gets to goal the less he offers.

Gundogan is just too old. If Pep loves him so much just make him a coach.

Akanji and Dias haven’t been good for a season now, maybe ok as back ups but ideally sell them.

I’d like to see Marmoush, Cherki, Haaland all starting a game. Doku and Savinho back ups at best.
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Savinho and Doku are about as productive as Antony. Gundo has not been the same player since he came back
 
If you are going to play that offensively and throw that many players forward against a team with fast, highly mobile attackers you need genuine pace in defence, wingers who are willing to track back, and ideally a dynamic defensive midfielder Fernandinho style who can also get back or help cut out the out-balls. That was an absolute defensive horror show, every time they got into the final third with numbers I was having palpitations.
 
Obviously it was a shit result and being able to wear a "World Champions" badge on the shirt for another 4 years would have been fun, but I still maintain its a pointless preseason tournament, I'm not taking anything significant from it in the long run and hopefully now we can use what little summer we have left to get some rest in and start preparing for the Premier League now we're out of Infantinos cute little vanity project.
 
NeilMcnabTwoFooted said:
Martinez goalie from Villa is trying to move away from em, what on earth havent we signed him on a free & got rid eddie he can’t keep ball out net, & dias after a few years of being excellent has been regressing for 18months he looks slow & makes rash decisions a shadow of himself, akanji after looking a bargain for the price has morphed into a 15million quid defender which is what we paid, Ake is injury prone same as stones, why on earth are we not playing Khusonov he was brilliant bar errors on his debut, gonzales has disappeared into the ether like he’s kalvin phillips, Cherki looked great when he came on, but we persist in bernie & gundo both well past it, ive gotta say im worried about this upcoming season, this insistence with playing a high line with tortoise speed centre backs is suicidal we persisted last season & now again & we concede almost every shot & every breakaway results in chances & inevitably goals for the opposition, what on earth is going through Peps head??
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Martinez is still under contract and it was looking like Villa had to sell him to stop from falling PSR but they sold their Women's team a couple of days ago so it's unlikely he'll leave now
 
All year (+) in the planning and take the eye off the ball against a fcking Saudi team.
Bet HRH and Khaldoon are inwardly fuming. This could be the first chink in the bond, after all the backing financially, in players, in patience, in last season's results, in selections.
 
I thought they were a good side with some solid players, their best player (malcolm) fast as...had us every time and glad he went off. Don't like Savinho has he ever beat a man consistently? Doku has got better but still not enamoured with him. I'd get a fast centre half (if we are going to play like that) and I'd go and get Rodrygo. The midfield that played juventus with rodri and rudolph is our starting one. If bernardo and ilkay are staying i can only see them been used sparingly to close a game. Disappointed but maybe a blessing in disguise (blue tinted glasses)..up the blues.
 
manimanc said:
That is one thing that stumps me too. He obviously doesn't rate nico it seems. Unless he's carrying an injury he's been overlooked.
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So why the fuck did we sign Nico if Pep doesn't rate him? There's no point having a DoF if he's going to sign players the manager won't play. - Unless it was purely a panic buy but what about other recent purchases who rarely get on the pitch?
 
kippaxwarrior said:
Martinez is still under contract and it was looking like Villa had to sell him to stop from falling PSR but they sold their Women's team a couple of days ago so it's unlikely he'll leave now
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righto, i heard he was making noises for a move figured he was out of contract, but either way player swap, you’ve got a far better shot stopper who’s world class & knows the league
 
NeilMcnabTwoFooted said:
Martinez goalie from Villa is trying to move away from em, what on earth havent we signed him on a free & got rid eddie he can’t keep ball out net, & dias after a few years of being excellent has been regressing for 18months he looks slow & makes rash decisions a shadow of himself, akanji after looking a bargain for the price has morphed into a 15million quid defender which is what we paid, Ake is injury prone same as stones, why on earth are we not playing Khusonov he was brilliant bar errors on his debut, gonzales has disappeared into the ether like he’s kalvin phillips, Cherki looked great when he came on, but we persist in bernie & gundo both well past it, ive gotta say im worried about this upcoming season, this insistence with playing a high line with tortoise speed centre backs is suicidal we persisted last season & now again & we concede almost every shot & every breakaway results in chances & inevitably goals for the opposition, what on earth is going through Peps head??
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In answer to your last question, it looks like not much.
In mitigation he's been coaching for 15 years ultra successfully and while modifying the positional play from time to time he's always played a high line. Busquets and Piquet weren't quick.
The problem is that now everyone is playing on that weakness in our setup.
 
urban genie said:
I. hope.this makes Pep realise we need to renew and refresh and that

eddie
new rb
kush
gvadiol
alt nueri
rodri
reijinder
foden
cherki
haaland
marmoush

is our prefered starting 11 next season, with the old guard the squad players
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That very definitely should be our starting line up for big games.
 
Much as I like Stones as a player I think his time is up for me Ake Akanji and Dias need shipping out. This was blatantly obvious last season but we have left it rather late to rectify the situation before the season starts . Legs in midfield is what we need as Rodders is going to need a few months to get back to where he was
 
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