Juventus (A) | CL | Post Match Thread

[Father Paul]

If Pep thought that they were good enough and ready to play, then they would.

At this stage could they be any worse?

 

[Nightmare Walking]

Just like all the imitators, we are playing the Pep way, without the players to do it.

We are too old and too slow.

We are too easy to play against. Teams know they can set up with a low block, deny us space and then just boot it over our left back, into space.

We look like we are running in treacle, trying to get back.

Doku looka like our only threat and he had 3 players on him at times last night.

I seen a headline this morning.

Old Lady -2
Old Men - 0

I think that sums up our current predicament.

 

[Cobwebcat]

Just like all the imitators, we are playing the Pep way, without the players to do it.

We are too old and too slow.

We are too easy to play against. Teams know they can set up with a low block, deny us space and then just boot it over our left back, into space.

We look like we are running in treacle, trying to get back.

Doku looka like our only threat and he had 3 players on him at times last night.

I seen a headline this morning.

Old Lady -2
Old Men - 0

I think that sums up our current predicament.

We kept our aging players and sold all the young talent.

 

[Gone for a Burton]

Exactly, reorganise, and respond- hopefully.

The lost CL revenue will be partly off set by the CWC revenue.

Next seasons revenue will be hit if were not in the CL.

Theres not nuch money in the Thursday night cup which top players wont sign for.

Qualifying for next years CL is absolutly essential IMO !!

 

[Taylor’s Nod Down]

It’d be daft to claim this as a good thing. But moving forward….

We won’t turn up with a sense of procession. A leveller psychologically to the threads of ‘5-0 at 60 mins, took the foot off the gas, why doesn’t he…’

Maybe teams will come and play a game with us? The more they’ve retracted, the more we’ve strangled them to death. I’d hope everyone with common sense has appreciated the end game, getting to finals, winning leagues and trebles. But the inevitability and predictability has also strangled the life out of atmosphere, competitive fun for fans and winning with a sense of jeopardy.

I’d never change things for the world. We’ve been spoilt. But we’ve achieved everything a blue could ever hope for. This is forcing a re vamp and with the quality of management, execs, half the squad and recruitment ahead, the future may change the match day sense of exhilaration. The next phase will be one of flair and excitement I suspect.

And if not. So what? Most of us did this for what felt like an eternity, had a gripe, kept some humour, travelled in numbers and never lost pride in being Blue.

 

[Father Paul]

Excellent summary

We are about to find out over the next couple of months just how good a manager Pep is. The question was always raised that he wouldn't do it with a Bristol or a Bilbao. He only succeeds with the best crop. Well now he has a stable full of donkeys it appears with a Gold Cup coming up. Can he do it?

 

[Roachy]

I’ve seen/heard hundreds of people lament the club for not signing the required number/level of players to keep the squad competitive over the last couple of years.

Maybe, but no one foresaw what's happening now as a consequence, yet now it's happened people are saying it was inevitable.

 

[Gone for a Burton]

Peps hands are tied to a certain degree as he can only work with what he’s got. Just wish he’d try something different sometimes and make changes quicker

The problems stem from piss poor recruitment, lack of contingency planning for disasters like Rodri getting injured.. and of course rank bad luck with injuries .. although some of that is linked to the lack of planning as anybody knew stones, Ake and a few others are made of glass

Elite players wont sign to be Rodri's bag carrier when they can be captain of the Georgies (for example) and start every week.

Thats why we had Phllips.

 

[i8rags]

Sit on your hands in the summer, head in your hands in the winter.

 

[Gone for a Burton]

Same old same old I’m afraid…..story of our season.

• Very little creativity apart from Kev who got more and more sloppy as the game went on.
• Caught out playing a high line once again. Doku lost the ball and hey presto Juventus are on the counter.
• The inverted full back is costing us in every match.
• Build up too slow and side to side to side to side to side and then no ball into the box.
• Walker once again not trying to stop a cross coming in and costing a goal.
• We probably had as many chances as Juventus but drew a blank due to wastefulness.
• Weak in the tackle.
• Wide men that can’t cross.

Something has got to change, apart from Kova coming back I cant see where the midfield is going to improve.

I think this is Pep’s biggest ever challenge with probably the least talented squad he has ever managed and he cannot stubbornly stick to what was previously tried and tested.

There's a lot on Pep now !!