When people say that we'd have been better off with a CF yesterday, they think that the CF would have done all the work that the player he replaces did but would have been more clinical on top of it.
Problem is that's far from guaranteed. Arguably, we have more control in big games with a false 9 than with a proper CF. Pressing is better and we are less predictable.
To put it differently, there are trade-offs between playing with a CF and playing with a false 9, and it's far from clear that we'd be better off with a classical No 9. Personally, I think that this team is probably slightly better than the 17/18 team. I know, that's a bold claim, time will tell.
At the risk of causing controversy, I think the 17/18 team is a tad overrated due to reaching 100 points. It was definitely the most entertaining; an unadulterated Pep side that pressed like mad and played with flying wingers, but it was imo a weaker team than the two later title winning sides. It was less tactically evolved (only the 2nd year of Pep's tenure), it struggled against being pressed, and there was less variety in how we played. We were bailed out by a lot of late winners, teams didn't really know how to play against us, we still struggled with failing to convert chances in many games, we were still vulnerable to counters.Agree with a lot of that post but better than the 2017/18 team is a bold claim at this minute. As you say the system suits us against the biggest sides but winning titles also requires you to dispatch the smallers sides consistently. For me the 2017/18 was capable of beating the best sides and the bus parkers and also play fantastically attacking football, so will always be my favourite.
Chelsea. City have a flaw in goalscoring that means that Chelsea and Liverpool have some hope.
Liverpool need Salah to be at that level all season because without him they are very ordinary. They are a one man team. Chelsea I think are a better side than Liverpool.
I was a bit pessimistic at the start of the season because I thought city's transfer window was poor.
If KDB gets fit (as he did last season) no one can stop city.
At the risk of causing controversy, I think the 17/18 team is a tad overrated due to reaching 100 points. It was definitely the most entertaining; an unadulterated Pep side that pressed like mad and played with flying wingers, but it was imo a weaker team than the two later title winning sides. It was less tactically evolved (only the 2nd year of Pep's tenure), it struggled against being pressed, and there was less variety in how we played. We were bailed out by a lot of late winners, teams didn't really know how to play against us, we still struggled with failing to convert chances in many games, we were still vulnerable to counters.
It was not better against good sides or weak sides than the 18/19 team or arguably last season's team (although more consistent than last year's team).
The 17/18 side was stellar but I don't believe that team could have excelled like this one did in the past week of fixtures. In fact the one time that team had 3 ultra difficult games on the bounce it lost all 3. No team will ever match the 17/18 side for excitement but I agree with @alexmcity that this current team has more to it than the 17/18 side.
Good job he's 29. LFC made a massive mistake in not rebuilding after their CL and Premier League wins. I think this season is their last chance before they have to rebuild.If Salah played for us there wouldn't be a title race
Good job he's 29. LFC made a massive mistake in not rebuilding after their CL and Premier League wins. I think this season is their last chance before they have to rebuild.