Juventus (A) - Wed 11th Dec, 20:00 | CL | Pre-Match Thread

[There is a Light]

Don’t get your hopes up

They’re the only unbeaten team in Serie A and have the joint best defensive record

Drawn their last four in all competitions, eight drawn out of last twelve.

 

[There is a Light]

Play as many academy players as possible and save the majority of our first team players for league games. Winning(or trying to win)the CL is out of reach so best to concentrate on trying to finish top 4 in league.

Trying to win the CL isn’t out of reach. A lot of previous winners haven’t been at the top of their domestic leagues - look at Liverpool 2005 and both of Chelsea’s wins.

 

[simmo]

Looked average versus Villa and var helped them out. Lost at home to Stuttgart.

Fingers crossed we can get a result.

 

[chaddblue]

Drawn their last four in all competitions, eight drawn out of last twelve.

Think a draw is quite likely and probably the best we can expect

 

[Damanino]

with a win we keep the top8 hopes alive. with a draw or loss its gone. we need top8, otherwise more fixtures, more tiredness, more injuries and depending who we draw in the "losers playoff round", we might not even qualify for the last 16 despite all the 10 CL games to get there. what a waste of time that is.

I am still livid about the Feynoord game, 3-0 up an we got a point only while that extra 2 point would be crucial now.

 

[Gray]

It's frankly astonishing the bad luck we've had with injuries.

Partly bad luck but also a lot of ageing players who take longer to recover.

We need to reduce the age of the squad ASAP.

 

[halfcenturyup]

So will I still be drinking out of this on Thursday morning? Or putting it away again for the next thirty years?

 

[Gingers Dad]

FC United are 2.7 miles away from the Etihad
Man United 4.4 miles
Salford City 4.9 miles
Avro 5 miles
Curzon Ashton 5.4 miles
Prestwich Heys 5.6 miles
Ashton Utd 6.5 miles
Oldham Athletic 6.8 miles
West Didsbury & Chorlton 7 miles
Hyde Utd 7.4 miles
Stalybridge Celtic 7.9 miles
Mossley 8.7 miles
Wythenshawe Town 8.8 miles
Trafford 8.8 miles
Stockport County 9.8 miles

Whalley Range AFC 4.9 miles

 

[Roachy]

Think a draw is quite likely and probably the best we can expect

A draw is a distinct possibility as you say, probably putting us in the 2 legged play off scenario.

 

[alexmcity]

Most teams around us are more efficient than us...better is subjective as it depends on what style of football you like to watch..for instance Palace at weekend were much more efficient and looked more dangerous and likely to score - do they play a nicer brand of football than us....no but at present that style of football is getting positive results against our style of football as we dont have the players to play the style Pep wants well enough.

The performances in the CL have been no better and the teams we will be up against will again at least be more efficient in front of goal if not also have better players to create more chances and control us

We lack a number of things:

Attacking wise - we simply are not creating clear cut chances like we were....KDB's absence and demise is there for all to see. Our wingers/wide players just are not in the game enough in offensive terms

Midfield - we cant control possession like we have done...Rodri missing is obvious but we are also less press resistent...Rico and Gundo are a huge part of this problem (they were dominated by Will Hughes!!!!! let that sink it!) - plus the lack of recovery ability (once players go past them they simply do not get back goal side of the opponent.

This then leads to teams attacking us further up the pitch and our back 4 being left wide open both through the middle and out wide....couple this with poor individual performances and being at the end of their careers (Walker Gvardiol) and injury issues (Akanji, Stones, Ake) then we have a big problem with no easy way to solve it....even going into the market is no where near guaranteed....players take time to bed in, recent success in the market is questionable and the fact that it is January means teams will see us coming a mile off and charge way over the odds and the club could decide that it aint worth it trying to buy these players in Januray...what is for certain is we aint getting everything we need. ....the problem is bigger than people think....

For instance our most soild performance was probably vs Forest where we won 3--0 - but was that performance even remotely close to the levels we have seen over the last few seasons.... No it wasnt

We are more efficient than our rivals due to the simple fact that we have more points than them. Also, you are projecting the form from the last month onto the future, and that's a mistake. We may continue to have many injuries but chances are we won't.