“If you don't have a team that is filled with players who are at the elite level physically, you simply cannot compete. It doesn't matter how good you are technically or tactically. Neither of those two things, even the combination, can overcome substandard physicality - this is the trajectory of elite football”Good summation. The possession game, unless enacted by great players, has been overtaken by a solid defence playing rapid counter attacks. Athletic, fast, tall, strong, 90 minute players seem to be more efficient than pure footballers. It's become a bit like American football where a team needs one great conductor backed by 10 high class athletes. In some teams (Real Madrid, Liverpool) they do not even have a traditional creative player, just high class worker bees in every position.
This all day long. The top 2 have dominated that league forever and basically play in 2nd gear. If Madrid played here they'd have a fraction of their champions League titles.Fair comment mate but, Real Madrid have a much easier ride the League is weaker and La Liga help their teams who qualify for the CL our shower couldn't careless.
Under Pep we've always been at our best when we're on the front foot and the midfield presses high up.It felt like we were set up to keep the scoreline respectable
Everyone clamouring for a massive rebuild but, and I know it's not going to happen, I'd be very interested to see what a different top class manager would do with our team. Could fresh ideas get some of our current underperformers back to their best.
Perfect representation of his ongoing sulk. On the pitch anyway. Spends most of his time throwing his arms around and arguing with Pep.
Hate to say it, as I love the bloke, but the best performance recently was Newcastle. Where he didn’t play. And it showed. Every attack was fast and direct, no player getting the ball and being scared to attack and instead pass backwards. That’s his MO.
AgreedNo, we’d be worse. Pep is the best manager in the world, so anyone else would struggle with this current side.
Once Rodri is back next season, and after we’ve signed a right back and a world class attacking midfielder to replace KDB then we should be good again.
No 5 need to go before we can even buy 1. My guess, Walker Gundogan, Phillips, Kovacic, Nunes . and we bring in a full back. Ater that one out one in, so then we are looking at the Grealish ,KDBs Bernardos of the squad.Before we even start on the 3 keepers.I can’t see us replacing all those players, so won’t some need to stay?
Looking for the positives hindsight tells us it didn't matter that we pissed away a lead in the last 5 minutes at home, we would have gone out anyway.
Starting away at Spurs (who will once again turn into Brazil)......i think we knew we weren't winning the CL this season. Its incredibly difficult with a very strong team. So at the end of the day the history books will show that we went out to one of the all time great clubs.
Liverpool will be a free hit as we're expected to lose (hope we win). Then we can get our on focus properly on the top 4.
It's debatable whether he's the best manager in the world. He was for sure but so was Mourinho at one point and now look at him.No, we’d be worse. Pep is the best manager in the world, so anyone else would struggle with this current side.
Once Rodri is back next season, and after we’ve signed a right back and a world class attacking midfielder to replace KDB then we should be good again.