Club Brugge (H) - CL - Wed 3 Nov 20:00 | Pre-Match Thread

[MarsLlama]

Comments like this make me nervous that he could play a stronger team tomorrow night than on Saturday. Hopefully he's just saying it out of respect for Brugge.

Why would it be more important? The United game might have a real impact on whether or not we win the league. It's not actually that different whether we get knocked out in the groups or in the semis, we aren't winning the CL either way.

 

[blueparrot]

Why would it be more important? The United game might have a real impact on whether or not we win the league. It's not actually that different whether we get knocked out in the groups or in the semis, we aren't winning the CL either way.

Thankfully the manager doesn't think like that. They are both as important as each other.

 

[Eds]

Comments like this make me nervous that he could play a stronger team tomorrow night than on Saturday. Hopefully he's just saying it out of respect for Brugge.

Hasn't he always said that the next game is the most important

 

[Ric]

He's been saying the next game is always the most important one for about 5 yrs now.. i wouldnt read into it much,

Yeah, you're probably right. Usually though he just says something like "we're only thinking about the next match", whereas this time it almost sounds like he's prioritising, and there's not a lot of recovery time between the two games...

 

[Bill Walker]

Ederson
Walker, Stones, Dias, Zinchenko
Rodri
Gundogan, Berny
Mahrez, Jesus, Foden

 

[Gundog’s Gundog]

Comments like this make me nervous that he could play a stronger team tomorrow night than on Saturday. Hopefully he's just saying it out of respect for Brugge.

When he says stuff like this he makes a rod for his own back. It riles fans who are rightly sceptical as to whether he views derbies in the same way we do.

As a manager he doesn’t need to overtly show respect to Bruges, he just needs to not show disrespect.

 

[Gumzy97]

Comments like this make me nervous that he could play a stronger team tomorrow night than on Saturday. Hopefully he's just saying it out of respect for Brugge.

To Pep it is and I think our owners think it is as well, they want the champions league. It's the only trophy the club haven't won.

 

[Gundog’s Gundog]

It’s not like the Bruges game is the QF 2nd leg or anything. It’s a routine group stage home game against a team we’ve already mullered away from home.

Why build it up to be something it’s not

 

[Gumzy97]

With Peps comments I think he is throwing every thing at the champions league this year. It's the only trophy he hasn't won with us. Sounds like he's prioritising it over the league this year.

 

[alexmcity]

Yeah, you're probably right. Usually though he just says something like "we're only thinking about the next match", whereas this time it almost sounds like he's prioritising, and there's not a lot of recovery time between the two games...

There's little doubt the CL is our priority this season. Most of the players have won the PL 2-3 times, but not the CL. That's what they are dreaming about. A loss vs Brugge could throw us out of the CL. A loss vs United would be more painful for the fans, but not for the players and the manager. They'll be 27 other games to rectify the mistake, we'll have played almost all quality teams away from home after Saturday, and could go on a winning run at any moment after that. Pep's being his rational self. He doesn't really care what those complaining he doesn't get them would think. Tbf, they don't get him either. That said, he'll do everything possible to win the derby. His record at OT is excellent. He'll play our strongest team on Saturday. But he wants the players to be completely focused on Brugge.