Olympiacos (A) - CL | Pre-Match Thread

[BlueMoaner]

living up to your username there

The truth hurts mate.....80 % possesion in games and lose...becoming the norm and it has to stop.....
Imagine buying Messi....80 % possesion and getting beat by Fulham...or worst still UTD....

 

[Woody13]

I'm at the point where I don't really care about Mendy's best. His best could be prime Messi, doesn't matter if he only shows it for 45 minutes every season.

I've got sympathy for his injuries, but he's not exactly strict in his lifestyle. I can't wait to see the back of him, but sadly he'll never willingly leave as he'd be facing a huge pay cut.

Look I’m not Mendy’s biggest cheerleader and I understand the frustration with him, I feel that too. I also don‘t really think Zinchenko is the answer to our current problems in terms of a lack of any width due to the inverted winger strategy.

Mendy’s had terrible injuries and been really unlucky, with that you never know whether they’ll ever return to their former heights, it’s clear we’re pretty short of quality in this area despite the admirable job Cancelo has done of late. Presumably he’ll be on the right tonight.

 

[brian the blue]

Hope Mahrez starts tonight as it'll mean he most likely won won't at the weekend.

They're very depleted to we should have enough to beat them regardless.

Then qualification means we can continue to rest key players in the last 2 group games.

 

[kun]

We need to start playing......early goal...convert more chances....had enough of all this 70% possesion and 2 nil down....becoming a joke...Pep needs to sort this out.... never mind buying new players every 5 minutes, get this lot playing..just hope nobody gets injured...Marez and Mendy better start performing or get rid....really unimpressed so far with the league performances, hope these are better.....

We need to start....... using ellipses...... after every sentence..... in order to pretend.... that my bad opinion..... holds some weight.............

................

 

[domalino]

Just the slight issue of no one on the end of those crosses.Our players prefer the 30 yard line,with some seemingly even having a phobia of boxes.

Jesus and Mendy always seem to link up well on crosses.

Just the presence of him wide left putting in those balls creates space in the middle, the right back has to come out to meet him and it spreads out the back 4. Also he + Sterling have nice interplay around the box with overlaps etc. it creates that movement we lack.

I'd also be very interested in seeing Mendy play with Ferran Torres on the RW, because part of the frustration has been that he's whipped in some excellent balls but where once Sterling would be at the back post, Mahrez is...wherever he hides when the ball goes in. I can see Torres making the back post run and getting those tap ins.


With Mendy the only problem is just if he can maintain concentration for 90 minutes and not give them a big chance. To be honest, against opposition the quality of Olympiakos in a match that's as close to a dead rubber as possible, it probably doesn't matter.

 

[Craig]

Just the slight issue of no one on the end of those crosses.Our players prefer the 30 yard line,with some seemingly even having a phobia of boxes.

And that Mendy can’t run anymore. Only fullback we have who can past anyone is Cancelo

 

[Blu3m00n91]

I would like an early goal for once, stops teams
Completely parking the bus for 90 minutes

 

[domalino]

I'd love to see a team like this -

Ederson

Mendy
Laporte
Stones
Cancelo

Gundogan
Bernardo
Foden

Sterling
Jesus
Torres

With a couple of kids on the bench like Palmer or Doyle - 5 subs in Europe means that should be guaranteed anyway.

 

[kaz7]

Jesus and Mendy always seem to link up well on crosses.

Just the presence of him wide left putting in those balls creates space in the middle, the right back has to come out to meet him and it spreads out the back 4. Also he + Sterling have nice interplay around the box with overlaps etc. it creates that movement we lack.

I'd also be very interested in seeing Mendy play with Ferran Torres on the RW, because part of the frustration has been that he's whipped in some excellent balls but where once Sterling would be at the back post, Mahrez is...wherever he hides when the ball goes in. I can see Torres making the back post run and getting those tap ins.


With Mendy the only problem is just if he can maintain concentration for 90 minutes and not give them a big chance. To be honest, against opposition the quality of Olympiakos in a match that's as close to a dead rubber as possible, it probably doesn't matter.

How is it in any way a dead rubber ? We can all but qualify tonite

 

[domalino]

How is it in any way a dead rubber ? We can all but qualify tonite

It's all but a dead rubber because from our position in the group it's almost impossible to not qualify, it would take an unprecedented collapse on our part and unlikely results in the rest of the group.



PS. We actually can qualify tonight outright, not "all but" qualify.