Regardless of how much City have spent, I think the talk of them spending more than others (which isn't entirely true) completely undermines the quality of Pep. There's not a single manager in the world that could have done to City what he has done, and is still doing.
He's an absolute mastermind, and irrespective of how many players he's bought, the way they play, and the consistency of their players, a lot of that is down to Pep.
In regards to clubs spending more as well for success, this isn't something new so I don't know why it matters to people that Man City are now a spending team.
All big clubs success in the past, from Madrid to Milan to Man United has all been bought. It has always been, and always will be, about who has the most money and the better infrastructure. The difference is, City had these luxuries, and then went and brought in probably, and definitely imo, the greatest manager of all time.
"Breaking: Agreement reached tonight between Liverpool and Feyenoord for Arne Slot to replace Jurgen Klopp."
Not sure how this will play out. Imagine they will comfortably go off as 3rd favourites for the title. Think it will be more whether anyone below them can make up the difference instead of Liverpool catching City/Arsenal.
Bit of a waste dropping Bellingham back, but tell me this isn't the best front line in the world right now
----------Rice --- Bellingham
Palmer ------ Foden ------ Saka
-------------------Kane
100% agree but I don’t blame Southgate for wanting Bellingham to play more advanced - he makes things happen and would be wasted in a deeper role.
In international football where there’s less time to work on tactical play and build up, you want players like Bellingham in attacking positions as often as possible because they have the ability to win you games out of one moment of brilliance around the box.
I don’t know how likely a 4-1-4-1 would be but I’d also worry about Foden being one of the 10s in the middle without the protection of two players behind him…
You could have one of the full backs tuck inside next to Rice for protection like is common in club football lately but not sure how feasible that is for an international team.
Bit of a waste dropping Bellingham back, but tell me this isn't the best front line in the world right now
----------Rice --- Bellingham
Palmer ------ Foden ------ Saka
-------------------Kane
100% agree but I don’t blame Southgate for wanting Bellingham to play more advanced - he makes things happen and would be wasted in a deeper role.
In international football where there’s less time to work on tactical play and build up, you want players like Bellingham in attacking positions as often as possible because they have the ability to win you games out of one moment of brilliance around the box.
I don’t know how likely a 4-1-4-1 would be but I’d also worry about Foden being one of the 10s in the middle without the protection of two players behind him…
You could have one of the full backs tuck inside next to Rice for protection like is common in club football lately but not sure how feasible that is for an international team.
Van Dijk will no doubt blame all his teammates for conceding that goal. Just wondering who he was supposed to be marking though? The three closest players to him were all Liverpool. Best defender in the world? Nah.
I don't think I can recall a player with the number of misses in one season that Jackson has managed to achieve. It's not just that though, it's the fact that so many of his attempts are so horrendous - he's got pace to burn and gets in good positions but then ends up looking like a poor man's Churchino!
Poor bloke. For once he did everything right and finished with aplomb only to be VAR'd for offside.
I don't think I can recall a player with the number of misses in one season that Jackson has managed to achieve. It's not just that though, it's the fact that so many of his attempts are so horrendous - he's got pace to burn and gets in good positions but then ends up looking like a poor man's Churchino!
Poor bloke. For once he did everything right and finished with aplomb only to be VAR'd for offside.
I don’t feel sorry for him at all. With the pace he has to burn, he shouldn’t be getting caught offside half as much as he does.
Apart from anything else, the only reason he didn’t fuck that finish up is because he knew he was off and it wouldn’t matter. He looked straight at the lino expecting the flag. Bloke crumbles under pressure like a biscuit. Bottlejob.
I don't think I can recall a player with the number of misses in one season that Jackson has managed to achieve. It's not just that though, it's the fact that so many of his attempts are so horrendous - he's got pace to burn and gets in good positions but then ends up looking like a poor man's Churchino!
Poor bloke. For once he did everything right and finished with aplomb only to be VAR'd for offside.
I don’t feel sorry for him at all. With the pace he has to burn, he shouldn’t be getting caught offside half as much as he does.
Apart from anything else, the only reason he didn’t fuck that finish up is because he knew he was off and it wouldn’t matter. He looked straight at the lino expecting the flag. Bloke crumbles under pressure like a biscuit. Bottlejob.
What on earth was that moment in the West Ham v Liverpool game where Areola rolled it out and the Taylor blew the whistle before the striker could take it? Absolute nonsense
"Salah walks through the mixed zone, declines interview requests and says: “If I speak today there will be fire.”"
I'd be very surprised if we don't see Salah going to Saudi this summer.
He's 32 this summer and only has 1 year left on his contract. Would make excellent business sense for Liverpool to get some money in for him and let the new manager put it towards a rebuild.
What on earth was that moment in the West Ham v Liverpool game where Areola rolled it out and the Taylor blew the whistle before the striker could take it? Absolute nonsense
"the match official had actually signalled an advantage after the clash between the two players in the area. That advantage came to an end when Gakpo attempted to close down the ball, forcing Taylor to stop play.
And, as a result of Areola then needing treatment on the pitch, a drop ball was correctly used to restart the game."
What on earth was that moment in the West Ham v Liverpool game where Areola rolled it out and the Taylor blew the whistle before the striker could take it? Absolute nonsense
"the match official had actually signalled an advantage after the clash between the two players in the area. That advantage came to an end when Gakpo attempted to close down the ball, forcing Taylor to stop play.
And, as a result of Areola then needing treatment on the pitch, a drop ball was correctly used to restart the game."
That's what was said by PGMOL.
What they said coincidentally gets their man off the hook for a proper howler. The ref' doesn't blow for anything, signals play on, encourages the keeper to get a move on then only blows up when he realises Gakpo is going to show up his poor handling.
Gakpo should have smashed it in the net and argued about it after saying he didn't hear the whistle. Worth the booking.
Sheffield United have now conceded 97 goals and with 3 games left now need a miracle to avoid breaking Swindon's long-held unwanted record of 100 goals.
Sheff Utd have already set a record for the most goals conceded at home in a Premier League season at 51 (and counting).
Newcastle scored 13 of those 97 goals which is the most a team has scored against a PL club in a single season.
Bit of a waste dropping Bellingham back, but tell me this isn't the best front line in the world right now
----------Rice --- Bellingham
Palmer ------ Foden ------ Saka
-------------------Kane
So you want us to put Palmer on the right wing where he doesn't play for his club, and Saka on the left where he doesn't play for his club, and then have Bellingham sat deeper where he doesn't play for his club?
Strikes me as being too much like the so called 'golden generation' where we tried to shoehorn in Scholes, Gerrard and Lampard and it never worked.
Play players where they play every week for their clubs, and if it means leaving an in-form player out then so be it, that's what 5 subs are for. In a tournament, the squad depth and ability to bring players on who change a game will be vital.
Pickford Walker - Stones - Gomez/Maguire/Konsa/Tomori -Shaw/Chilwell Rice - Ward-Prowse/Gallagher/Henderson/Alexander-Arnold Saka - Bellingham - Foden Kane
Is how I see it at the moment, with people like White, Phillips, Palmer, Toney, Watkins, Bowen, Grealish in the squad.
In fact a couple of those might even miss out even being in-form due to the amount of players we currently have that are of a very similar level, playing regularly in the Premier League and giving Southgate a real headache.
Still time for an injury or two to crop up as well
Comments
He's an absolute mastermind, and irrespective of how many players he's bought, the way they play, and the consistency of their players, a lot of that is down to Pep.
In regards to clubs spending more as well for success, this isn't something new so I don't know why it matters to people that Man City are now a spending team.
All big clubs success in the past, from Madrid to Milan to Man United has all been bought. It has always been, and always will be, about who has the most money and the better infrastructure. The difference is, City had these luxuries, and then went and brought in probably, and definitely imo, the greatest manager of all time.
You could have one of the full backs tuck inside next to Rice for protection like is common in club football lately but not sure how feasible that is for an international team.
Walker - Maguire - Shaw
Stones - Rice
Bellingham - Foden
Palmer - Kane - Saka
Just wondering who he was supposed to be marking though? The three closest players to him were all Liverpool.
Best defender in the world? Nah.
April: We were never in the title fight anyway
Things all not well in the land of the Dippers!
Bottlejob.
He's 32 this summer and only has 1 year left on his contract. Would make excellent business sense for Liverpool to get some money in for him and let the new manager put it towards a rebuild.
That's what was said by PGMOL.
Gakpo should have smashed it in the net and argued about it after saying he didn't hear the whistle. Worth the booking.
Sheff Utd have already set a record for the most goals conceded at home in a Premier League season at 51 (and counting).
Newcastle scored 13 of those 97 goals which is the most a team has scored against a PL club in a single season.
Strikes me as being too much like the so called 'golden generation' where we tried to shoehorn in Scholes, Gerrard and Lampard and it never worked.
Play players where they play every week for their clubs, and if it means leaving an in-form player out then so be it, that's what 5 subs are for. In a tournament, the squad depth and ability to bring players on who change a game will be vital.
Walker - Stones - Gomez/Maguire/Konsa/Tomori -Shaw/Chilwell
Rice - Ward-Prowse/Gallagher/Henderson/Alexander-Arnold
Saka - Bellingham - Foden
Kane
Is how I see it at the moment, with people like White, Phillips, Palmer, Toney, Watkins, Bowen, Grealish in the squad.
In fact a couple of those might even miss out even being in-form due to the amount of players we currently have that are of a very similar level, playing regularly in the Premier League and giving Southgate a real headache.
Still time for an injury or two to crop up as well
Yeah think its the right call as well