jimharri
Moderator
Would that include some senior players who contributed to that no-show yesterday?
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Chelsea - FA Cup SF | Post-Match Thread
- Thread starter ballinio
- Start date
I've always said that one of the reasons he always gets picked is that he understands and applies Pep's tactics as well as anyone. Look at Pep's coaching career and read all the books he's been involved in. He likes to concentrate play in certain areas parts of the pitch for long periods - even targeting the opposition's strongest side of the pitch at times. Why ? He likes his teams to pull the opposition out of shape by recycling the ball in small areas along the flanks - short stabbing five/ten yard passes until the opposition lose patience and discipline and come looking for the ball in numbers and lose their shape. At that point, we (Kevin and others) hit a 50/60 yard diagonal to the opposite flank - in our case usually to Walker who runs hard at the opposition who have lost their shape and are short of numbers on that side of the pitch. Where does Raheem fit into this ? In form, he's brilliant at the recycling the bit of that - short sharp passes - even though I know loads of fans are yelling 'Just effing run with it Razzer !!!!!'. He does exactly what Pep wants - hence he gets picked, but at the moment more of his short sharp passes are not reaching team mates and when he goes on a run, beats a couple of players, hesitates, and his pass gets intercepted.
That’s fine, I get your point about him understanding the philosophies of Peps game. But when does it become blind loyalty? Every man and his dog can see Raz is struggling, I hope he proves me wrong and gets his best form back, so why not take him out of the firing line (ala John Stones). Chucking him into big games and hoping he can get some form isn’t helping him, it’s gonna be destroying even more of his confidence imo.
Would you honestly be comfortable with him starting against PSG? I’m not saying he will, but that would fill me with more nervousness than the game itself. Raz was brilliant a season or so ago, probably one of the first names on the teamsheet, so that’s why this sudden decline is all the more worrying.
Like I said I hope he proves me wrong.
warringtonblue
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 7 Nov 2010
- Messages
- 1,891
I thought that’s what last week was all about?I think in Pep's head the one he didn't mind losing was yesterday's game. He probably wants to keep the record of the league Cup and is concerned more about PL and CL
Nope..............still on one, angry.
I get the rotation thing i really do.
But i mean come on ffs.........................He is using this argument to justify playing players way out of form like Mendy,Sterling.
Rotating players knowing it will likely end in defeat, but that is okay because I have to rotate,rotate,rotate.
When he was interviewed, and his genius was being questioned he seen his arse, and comes out with a petulant "do you think Mendy.Sterling,Jesus didn't deserve to start ?".
It was fucking funny because it was a rhetorical question, that he answered it himself.
He mentioned personally the 3 worst players on the Pitch.
You are going to be questioned, when the whole nation watches you meekly go out of an FA Cup Semi-Final and finished the game with Mahrez,Bernado still on the Bench.Lyon 2.0
The Season is in danger of unravelling ,and the common denominator is his obsession with rotating players, for players who are not good enough right now.
Which one we throwing this week in the of the name of rotation, can not see it being Villa, after throwing Leeds, so likely we will get the same selection against Spurs, God help us.
I can see him rotating more as the games run out, to make sure everyone gets a game time regardless of how consistently shit they have been.
I get the rotation thing i really do.
But i mean come on ffs.........................He is using this argument to justify playing players way out of form like Mendy,Sterling.
Rotating players knowing it will likely end in defeat, but that is okay because I have to rotate,rotate,rotate.
When he was interviewed, and his genius was being questioned he seen his arse, and comes out with a petulant "do you think Mendy.Sterling,Jesus didn't deserve to start ?".
It was fucking funny because it was a rhetorical question, that he answered it himself.
He mentioned personally the 3 worst players on the Pitch.
You are going to be questioned, when the whole nation watches you meekly go out of an FA Cup Semi-Final and finished the game with Mahrez,Bernado still on the Bench.Lyon 2.0
The Season is in danger of unravelling ,and the common denominator is his obsession with rotating players, for players who are not good enough right now.
Which one we throwing this week in the of the name of rotation, can not see it being Villa, after throwing Leeds, so likely we will get the same selection against Spurs, God help us.
I can see him rotating more as the games run out, to make sure everyone gets a game time regardless of how consistently shit they have been.
FantasyIreland
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 29 Oct 2008
- Messages
- 64,697
We only have about 10 games left
Why not play our strongest team yesterday?
Senior players,will be fuming that we tossed away a great chance for getting to a final
Ive made the same point in a few threads over the past few days,we are at the business end,we should not be fucking about now.
The irony of the pundits/media.
When we are on a winning run and in the latter stages of all comps, they say its all because wev'e got the biggest and best squad.
When we lose a game they say we should of played a stronger lineup. Why if our squad is so brilliant. Dickheads.
Pep always takes the blame but i feel the players let him down.
Squad players or not they've got to perform better than that.
when i saw the line ups i written Penalties on here, because thats how i saw it going, and if our keeper hadn't gone walkabouts, that's exactly where the game was heading
When we are on a winning run and in the latter stages of all comps, they say its all because wev'e got the biggest and best squad.
When we lose a game they say we should of played a stronger lineup. Why if our squad is so brilliant. Dickheads.
Pep always takes the blame but i feel the players let him down.
Squad players or not they've got to perform better than that.
when i saw the line ups i written Penalties on here, because thats how i saw it going, and if our keeper hadn't gone walkabouts, that's exactly where the game was heading
BluechesterCity
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- Joined
- 15 Feb 2020
- Messages
- 577
- Team supported
- Manchester City
I do wonder, if we all seem to see the same things, what are Pep's assistants actually doing and getting wrong not making Pep aware of these pitfalls in strategy and team selection? Would we be going through this still if, say, Arteta was still his right-hand man? I really don't know. Giving the likes of Raz and Mendy roles and then leaving players like Bernardo, Mahrez, Foden and Zinch out, in such an important game just for the sake of rotation - it had little strategic reasoning - was full of risks from the get-go. The dual-pivot of Rodri and Fernandinho is something to resort to when holding on for a win, not for starting a semi-final.
greasedupdeafguy
Well-Known Member
Hard to take as it’s yet another missed opportunity in the FA Cup. Starting Garcia and losing to a shite Arsenal side was bad enough last season.
Easy in hindsight to moan at the team but apart from Torres starting I didn’t think it was that bad. Mendy to be fair to him, played well against Leicester, so I wasn’t surprised to him starting. Not sure why Bernardo or Mahrez couldn’t come on, surely they can’t be that tired, they’ve been in and out of side constantly through out the season.
Thought it showed yet again how important Walker is defensively. Three games we’ve lost now without him the side. His pace is vital for us especially considering the way we play and helps us win the ball back so much quicker with his pressing. We look like Bayern’s back line without him. At least following yesterday he will start in the champions league and cup final.
Surprised at the refusal of more subs even though we didn’t look like creating a chance. Maybe he was using it as a test for plans in the summer? Mendy andTorres could may have well played themselves out of the club after yesterday.
Easy in hindsight to moan at the team but apart from Torres starting I didn’t think it was that bad. Mendy to be fair to him, played well against Leicester, so I wasn’t surprised to him starting. Not sure why Bernardo or Mahrez couldn’t come on, surely they can’t be that tired, they’ve been in and out of side constantly through out the season.
Thought it showed yet again how important Walker is defensively. Three games we’ve lost now without him the side. His pace is vital for us especially considering the way we play and helps us win the ball back so much quicker with his pressing. We look like Bayern’s back line without him. At least following yesterday he will start in the champions league and cup final.
Surprised at the refusal of more subs even though we didn’t look like creating a chance. Maybe he was using it as a test for plans in the summer? Mendy andTorres could may have well played themselves out of the club after yesterday.
8 of those starters yesterday have been rotated just to give them some game time.Because players are running on empty, we have a title to win, a final and a semi final in the next 10 days.
We have won nothing yet, don't forget that.
That display wasn't about running on empty.
That was 8 high maintenance Divas ,running around at 50% with faces like slapped arses because they are considered to be the back up Cup team.
I am starting to think Sterling is deliberately playing shit to try and fuck us up. Nobody can be as bad as he is. Have you seen his in game Heat map ?
Phil came on yesterday for KDB and was my MOM just for his work rate.
Nope..............still on one, angry.
I get the rotation thing i really do.
But i mean come on ffs.........................He is using this argument to justify playing players way out of form like Mendy,Sterling.
Rotating players knowing it will likely end in defeat, but that is okay because I have to rotate,rotate,rotate.
When he was interviewed, and his genius was being questioned he seen his arse, and comes out with a petulant "do you think Mendy.Sterling,Jesus didn't deserve to start ?".
It was fucking funny because it was a rhetorical question, that he answered it himself.
He mentioned personally the 3 worst players on the Pitch.
You are going to be questioned, when the whole nation watches you meekly go out of an FA Cup Semi-Final and finished the game with Mahrez,Bernado still on the Bench.Lyon 2.0
The Season is in danger of unravelling ,and the common denominator is his obsession with rotating players, for players who are not good enough right now.
Which one we throwing this week in the of the name of rotation, can not see it being Villa, after throwing Leeds, so likely we will get the same selection against Spurs, God help us.
I can see him rotating more as the games run out, to make sure everyone gets a game time regardless of how consistently shit they have been.
It was actually Ferran, Sterling and Gabriel.