Nunes and Gundogan were possibly two of our best players last night.Ederson Nunes Gvardiol Gundo and Pep....Shite
The fact that the team as a whole have come to the end of it's cycle and that the new signings, as young and inexperienced as they are, aren't going to stamp their mark in a team that's had a huge drop off.What is the bigger picture?
It's unconventional defending within the team, whether it's Pep's instructions or we are ceremoniously but quickly undone, but the result is a defence that is as robust as a sheet of wet blotting paper.His mistakes with the ball aside in both games this week, he is often left against 2 attackers while also being asked to be a key part in our attacks which just exacerbates it. The first Spurs goal demonstrated it - he should have wiped Kulusevski out but he then had both Porro & Kulusevski to look after. It's either a structural issue, lack of fitness from others on that flank or they aren't putting the defensive work in.
I've been defending the capabilities of this current 24/25 team, rightly expecting the poor performances to turn round, but this is definitely different to the treble season now. That doesn't mean we're going to capitulate and finish 8th - I think we're just due an off-season. We'll reinforce the squad in January and finish in the top four, and we'll have a good run at the FA Cup and Champions League and see where we end up, but I think we just have to write this season off as a big transition (like 19-20 but a bit worse) and get things together for Pep in the summer.It is easy to forget that the treble winning season was pretty much a write off at this point.
For me the difference is that most goals we concede involve pace; opposition on the counter and us legging it back, whereas most of our chances come at the end of slow build up. Were the chances other way round I think the stats would also be reversed.It's all rather perplexing that ordinary journeyman professionals have no problem finding the back of our net whilst we have players who, in their time have scored wondrous goals and broken goalscoring records, rack up more misses when they deign to shoot.
Eddie fine for now but a few more errors simiar to last night's clusterfuck then why not but Ortega isn't any better either.Exactly, the implosion all started with Gvardiol. The whole momentum shifted at that point when we had been totally in control. He was at fault for the first two goals tonight just as he was for the first two against Spurs. He still looks good going forward and has scored some very important goals for us but his main job is to defend. We need a proper left back who knows where to position himself rather than be shoehorning in a converted midfielder/ centre back. Too often he drifts inside to the central position where he is probably more comfortable leaving acres of space on our left for counters.
Poor judgement from Eddie who was never going to reach that through ball for their third and it seems every shot against him is going in. Also he doesn’t command his box and too often stands on his line rather than coming for the ball when a corner or cross comes in. Maybe time for Ortega to get a run of games?
Oooh for the defences that included Ewing 'n Leivers, 'n Kompany 'n Lescott. None of those colossi would have let those Dutch players get by.I preferred the ‘best defence in Europe, on our way to Istanbul” lyrics but good effort.
I have to agree with this, We are obviously missing players injury wise but that aside it's a team that's coming or is now at the end of it's cycle and it needs refreshing.The fact that the team as a whole have come to the end of it's cycle and that the new signings, as young and inexperienced as they are, aren't going to stamp their mark in a team that's had a huge drop off.
Against Tottenham away in the cup this season we had the exact same people saying 'That's why Ortega doesn't start he's nowhere near Eddie".Eddie fine for now but a few more errors simiar to last night's clusterfuck then why not but Ortega isn't any better either.