Bournemouth (A) | PL | Post Match Thread

StillBluessinceHydeRoad said:
I couldn't watch the match today and so really can't comment on our performance. I have been concerned about this game because Bournemouth seem a very much underrated team and we seem to be seriously weakened by injuries. I was, therefore, quite surprised at the selection Pep fielded and was thus quite hopeful, and Arsenal's result made me more optimistic. This optimism took a knock when I heard that not one of the back four was actually fit to play and would not have played had there been any choice. I think the problem has been growing for some time - it's August since we last won a PL game by more than the odd goal and some of our opponents have not been exactly top quality

I can't listen to the radio commentary because it doesn't really give much idea of what is actually happening and the game wasn't on in the pub so I followed the live feed on the OS. The impression I got was that we were second best for large parts of the game and went two down without ever really being in the game. We did tighten the screw and dominated the game in its later stages. Gvardiol pulled a goal back late on and both Erling and Phil came close to getting the equaliser but over 90 minutes Bournemouth were deserved winners. Would those who saw the game agree with this summary?

I think we need the international break desperately, and need to keep players at home, or our season could be ruined. We have Brighton at home - another nasty match if we don't have a fit squad - before the break and then Spurs and Liverpool away after it so we need our injured lads fully fit seeing as Rodri is out for the season. And was KdB really on the bench today?! I thought they had no idea of when he could come back - so was he there just to warm a seat with no prospect of playing?
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Yes.

It’s away at Brighton though and home v Spurs.
 
Vester said:
As a team we are just terrible in defense and clueless in attack and have been most of the season. A result like this was coming, and probably already could/should have come on several occasions already this season if it wasn't for last minute miracles. Instead of waking up its unfortunately looking like we are getting worse with every game.
Very disappointed that Txiki (who has done a brilliant job over the years) doesnt look like leaving on a high, instead it seems like he is handing over a squad in a mess. Smallest number of senior players in the league. Several old past it players who struggle to play even once a week. Wingers who possess very little goal threat. "Attacking" mids that have no keys to unlock the oppositions bus. A defense that cant defend counters and seems unable to learn from their mistakes since we concede the same goal every game. We used to have a squad were we could rotate 4 or 5 players each game and more or less expect the same high quality performance. These days the quality drop is significant as soon as a few players is missing.

Pep will figure it out, he always does. And luckily both Arsenal and Liverpool are far from their best as well and we are still in a good position to win it. But we need to start playing better, asap. Our main attacking strategy currently seems to be having our worst attacking players (our CBs) on the ball in front of the oppositions bus both taking shots and making final plays. I'm just a stupid fan and am certainly not claiming to even being in the same universe as Pep football knowledge wise (or in most other ways) but right now I struggle to see what our actual plan is to handle opposition threats and parked buses. There seems to be no plan at all.
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Pep is the one telling Txiki every summer that he only wants a small squad. Tkiki therefore keeps the squad small.
 
hilts said:
Probably because Bournemouth started to tire after running rings round us for the whole match up.to that point.
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Nah, they shit the bed when we scored.
We didn't play we any intensity until Doku showed up.
 
We had to lose a league game at some point, today was the day.

Still, that doesn't change the fact it was poor. Clearly a blend of some players looking like they're rapidly in decline, others like Foden looking out of sorts and injuries.

Once we get some players back fit we'll be OK, so I wouldn't panic.

There's a few like Gundo, Walker and Bernado that haven't got a great deal left to offer us. Might sound harsh on Bernie, but he's been pretty mediocre since the treble and looks like he might be on the slide.
 
oakiecokie said:
Thankfully I`ll not be joining some of you who appear to be ready for suicide watch. This was our first defeat in 33 games and sooner or later it was always going to happen that we lose a game.
Some of you are forgetting that we`re involved in a hard match in Portugal in 72 hours so maybe Pep decided that he would/could not make some major substitutions.
Just one of those days I`m afraid, so some of you need to take a grip and look at the broader picture.
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Correct, Pep has one eye on Tuesday. Players are carrying knocks I’m convinced of it, the amount of injuries it was always going to happen that we would eventually lose. We are second and by all accounts Liverpool played 3 decent minutes unfortunately they scored two in that time, Arsenal seem to be on the wain. Most teams seem to be suffering from nearly 4 years of no breaks, the players are literally dropping like flies throughout the premier league.
 
It’s been coming, think we all knew that. We’ve been extremely lucky this season and it had to run out sooner rather than later.

Nothing the end of the world though, we are in a good position in the league, but we really need to find a formula for getting our form back as it’s a long time between now and January when the opportunity to bring in a new recruit arrives and we’ve got to stay in the mix.

The worry for me is the form of so many of our key players, the ones you’d expect to help get us through this patch. Consequently Pep is trying to play these guys into form but it’s just not working.
 
Scaring Europe to Death said:
Too many slow and non scoring one-paced, midfielders starting to look their age

They're not insurmountable but we've definitely got problems and they won't be resolved without dipping into the transfer market either in January or next Summer

This idea that it's just our traditional mid Autumn slum will soon be exposed as a total myth and our the only consolation is that Arsenal also lost.
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You really scared me with this, but I think the same. It is much worse when someone else confirms your views.
That square peg (or is it the round one ?) became just too big for this tiny hole and he is still trying to force it in. He just kept abandoning every single principle that brought him success and ended up with the most un-Pep team in his career.
 
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