Spurs (A) | Post-Match Thread

[Fordyboy46]

I agree on the point Pep should not bring up much in next few pressers how squad is not ready yet, not fit yet, not in form yet. Can give lot of players a false belief and a good excuse for being shit in first 3 months and not do 120% o trainings to get into shape and form asap.

Exactly, why were Shaw and Maguire ready for utd, they didn't look fucked on Saturday. No excuse for Stones and Walker not to start against Spurs

 

[Username Required]

I want very specific shooting routines for countless hours with an extra round of running as punishment for off target shots.

hear hear

 

[Tarzan41]

Four consecutive defeats at that ground now. The new Anfield.

The new Sunderland. At least we got the odd goal at Anfield

 

[Dribble]

Reasons not excuses.

So the season before last then (19/20) - project restart followed by the shortest gap between seasons in the history of the league. Just 5 weeks between the Lyons game in the CL and the the 1st league game away at Wolves.

We also experienced a number of COVID cases and a short-term spate of injuries.

Fuck me, Klopp was making excuses about how tough it was for them and ALL their players had a 3 week break and had started their pre-season training camp in France BEFORE we were knocked out by Lyons.

The 5 weeks included for most -
. a short break
. nearly 2 weeks international duty
. a pre-season that started just 7 days before the 1st league match.

From the players, KDB was the most outspoken about it (not making excuses) but saying several times it was tough, he'd not had a proper pre-season and he was fucking knackered.

Fit boys they might be, but it's not just the physical side is it? You've got the mental side as well. Plus missing out on Pep's coaching, preparation, practice etc etc AND planning physical levels for a full season.

It is no coincidence that the 2 teams who had the shortest gap before the start of the 19/20 season and short pre-season - United and City - had very poor starts. Yet they finished 1st and 2nd...

All which leads into this season's break post Euros. Using Kyle Walker as an example, he played almost continually from June 2020 to July 2021 - 67 appearances in total. So the club insist (rightly IMO) he needs a LONG 4 week break. Same applies to the other England guys as well. Take Stones, he's made of glass anyway and City really managed his game-time last season.

Finally, don't underestimate the amount of science and expertise behind City's fitness programmes. They know what they are doing and it heavily influences Pep's decisions on a match by match basis.

Yes, it was a short break, & Pep & Klopp weren't alone in bemoaning the amount of football are expected to play which is way too much, but our malaise lasted until December.

Fernandinho stated the events leading up to his infamous talk with the squad which changed the course of our season. Our start to the season was more than just fatigue, there was also a mentality issue which is the job of our management to deal with.

Moreover, it wasn't just us affected, & if any squad was best equipped to cope, it was ours. The situation was what it was. It seemed like once we stopped whining on about it, & got on with it, our fortunes changed & the rest was history. Our fitness experts will know all of this in advance, as they are party to our gruelling schedule just as every other club is....

 

[Dribble]

Last season has nothing to do with not starting KDB or bringing him on earlier yesterday.

I could give a flying whatever about last season's start in the league when we went on to win it by a distance.

The players' performance has bog all to do with what Pep says in public. He chooses what he says in accordance with the audience.

Pep is so successful in part because he tries different things. He doesn't just play it safe and sometimes it doesn't work but the pluses far outweigh the minuses.

Hence he chose the CL Final as the first time he started a match without either Fern or Rodri starting. Why? We all knew what our strongest team was, so why choose that match to throw this huge curveball? Please explain. :-|

 

[citymad]

First time contributor as an Ulster Blue.
Some things are clear after yesterday; 1. Mendy should have no future at the club.
2, Sterling was back to his club form--I did not think hew was all that wonderful for England!--made only one half-decent cross..and ran into people as usual. Not worth a new contract unless he improves.
3. We have known for a long time the need for left back and striker. Still no left back and a striker for whom Levy will extract the maximum, with out leverage reducing as the month unfolds.
4. While everyone vaunts Pep, why cant he let players be what they are...Zinchenko is a midfielder, Torres was signed as winger.
5. Concentrate on the essentials....The Carabao Cup is less prestigious than the F.A.Cup.
6. What's this nonsense about using the players who saw us through pre-season? it's the Premiership, put out your best team!

Agree with you point 1-3.

Yes, Zinc is a midfielder but at the expense of whom ? Kev, Grealish, Phil, Mr Whippy ? I dont think so. Besides he's an intelligent player and deserves to be playing LB until we find a top quality that's available.

Carabao is our cup, rather win it again than the FA cup TBH. FA Cup comes at a time were battling on all 4 fronts. We don't really need to focus on that.

As for preseason, ever heard of a competition called the Euros ? Most of our top players were playing in it. Besides, us and Chelsea had the longest season last year. Give the players a break will you.They need time to blend in unless you want injuries.

It's the first game..take it easy, it's a long season.

 

[BluechesterCity]

First time contributor as an Ulster Blue.
Some things are clear after yesterday; 1. Mendy should have no future at the club.
2, Sterling was back to his club form--I did not think hew was all that wonderful for England!--made only one half-decent cross..and ran into people as usual. Not worth a new contract unless he improves.
3. We have known for a long time the need for left back and striker. Still no left back and a striker for whom Levy will extract the maximum, with out leverage reducing as the month unfolds.
4. While everyone vaunts Pep, why cant he let players be what they are...Zinchenko is a midfielder, Torres was signed as winger.
5. Concentrate on the essentials....The Carabao Cup is less prestigious than the F.A.Cup.
6. What's this nonsense about using the players who saw us through pre-season? it's the Premiership, put out your best team!

Good post, mate.

Can't see Mendy or Sterling ever getting any better. Mendy simply can't defend and his passing/crossing is fairly rubbish. He's a mid-to-lower table defender at best.

Now we've got Grealish, Foden and even Edozie, who can play on the left wing I can't see what is the point dragging out the Sterling routine longer than necessary. I mean, would we fear someone like Sterling if he was playing for someone like West Ham? Nah, Walker would have him for breakfast all day long.

Torres is a lot better as a winger cutting into central positions than as an all out striker. Still haven't made my mind up on him, but can imagine he'd have been amazing playing alongside David Silva!

Zinchenko has done amazingly well as a left back and never really been given a chance in his preferred midfield role. It could work, but swapping out which player I wonder?

 

[decmancity]

If KDB had pulled up before the final whistle yesterday, our fans would have been pissed too. Like I said, if KDB was fit enough for 15 minutes at the end, he was fit enough for 15 minutes at the beginning. If he wasn't fit enough for either, why was he named at all. I'll be honest, I was surprised he was selected, but then it seemed like mind games from Pep who alluded to KDB playing as extremely doubtful.

But what about Zin, Laporté, Bernardo & Jesus. Are you saying we wouldn't have been better off with the aforementioned being named as starters?

Let me state once again.... I hate losing, but what I can't accept is when we're culpable for our own defeats... EG: Pep's brain farts & overthinking where fans & pundits have predicted a defeat because of a baffling chess move by Pep.

We only have to look at the CL Final for an example. Perhaps you can explain why we started that match without Fern or Rodri? I'd be interested to hear your justification for it, & a denial from you that many were shitting themselves that Pep would pull such a move which would be doomed to failure.

Zinchenko was also apparently not fully fit, Laporte hasn't even been training and Bernardo and Jesus was tactical I imagine.

Its impossible to say its solely down to just Pep making one decision. Pep has done plenty of things in the past that no one ever mentions when it goes well, when it goes badly it is "Pep overthinking it". Every team loses, its a game of football ffs.

Why are you still going on about last season. Move on.

However, I have no explanation for Fernandinho or Rodri not starting. I never stated I did. Fernandinho and Rodi played in the FA cup semi final and did fuck all and we lost, can you really blame Pep for not picking either a few weeks later?
Fernandinho played yesterday, what was the problem that time? Oh yeah, someone else fucked up.
As I said, despite the "brain farts" and "chess moves", if we have a world class striker I remember us creating at least one chance in all those games we lost that they probably put away. So then we would have won despite Peps best efforts at sabotaging us, what a victory that would be.

Had we won the CL final with Gundogan, would we have had people in here picking up on that tactical nuance and praised him for picking a more technically gifted DM instead of Fernandinho, would we fuck. That is football, we are the most bitter and fickle bastards in the world.

The CL final was a one off game against a very good opposition and not a single player stepped up, all 11 shit the bed in that game, end of. Move on.

 

[Les McDowellRIP]

Agree with you point 1-3.

Yes, Zinc is a midfielder but at the expense of whom ? Kev, Grealish, Phil, Mr Whippy ? I dont think so. Besides he's an intelligent player and deserves to be playing LB until we find a top quality that's available.

Carabao is our cup, rather win it again than the FA cup TBH. FA Cup comes at a time were battling on all 4 fronts. We don't really need to focus on that.

As for preseason, ever heard of a competition called the Euros ? Most of our top players were playing in it. Besides, us and Chelsea had the longest season last year. Give the players a break will you.They need time to blend in unless you want injuries.

It's the first game..take it easy, it's a long season.

So Carabao Cup winners play in Community shield, do they?

I had heard of the Euros..I mentioned them in point 2.

 

[Pablo ZZZ Peroni]

Yes, it was a short break, & Pep & Klopp weren't alone in bemoaning the amount of football are expected to play which is way too much, but our malaise lasted until December.

Fernandinho stated the events leading up to his infamous talk with the squad which changed the course of our season. Our start to the season was more than just fatigue, there was also a mentality issue which is the job of our management to deal with.

Moreover, it wasn't just us affected, & if any squad was best equipped to cope, it was ours. The situation was what it was. It seemed like once we stopped whining on about it, & got on with it, our fortunes changed & the rest was history. Our fitness experts will know all of this in advance, as they are party to our gruelling schedule just as every other club is....

How long is the "start" of the season in your eyes?

In the 1st 3 league games (from a block of 5 inc LC) before the first international game we were miles off the pace physically but progressively got stronger. Whilst very dull at times,we lost just 1 of our next 18 games before Chelsea BUT mentally was mainly very good. Impossible to have the insanely good defensive figures we did during that spell without a strong mentality and a change of application with the drop of the press.