International Break

[Steveo]

Will put in this thread for 19x to answer..

Is Hendo capable of playing at the same level in 2023 as he was in 2019?

Is Milner?
Is Matip?
Is Virgil?
Is Oxlade
Is Bobby?
Is Mo?
Is Thiago?


where is Mané ?
where is Gini ?
where is Shaqiri ?


where is Origi
where is Lallana



You see - the players have all aged and many key players have left. YET you are still banging on and on as though it’s still 2020 - and all the same players are the same age, not carrying all those hard miles.

It is ridiculous.

Trent was always a concern even in our pomp. Great helping at one end but in need of babysitting so often. Even when that team was in its prime. Front 3 all at peak age, Midfield full to the brim of younger running legs, a prime pre Prickford Virgil and 2-3 capable partners for him… Trent still needed baby sitting.

[Nineteenx]

Will put in this thread for 19x to answer..

Is Hendo capable of playing at the same level in 2023 as he was in 2019?

Trent was always a concern even in our pomp. Great helping at one end.

Re Hendo age and injuries have caught up with him, more of a Milner role lies ahead, i do think he will have an absolutely crucial role to play next season in helping the new midfielders with all the right attributes settle in and get our pressing and counter pressing direct 'the team' makes the play style back functioning to as high levels as possible as quickly as possible and he remains our best equipped midfielder to do that and more than capable with the younger legs and engines of Stach and others around him, with Thiago Fab Keita, Oxlade having been moved on, the designated playmaker 'experiment' having proved a catastrophic disaster

I'll check, but i believe Trent who 'helps out' created more chances than any other player the past 4 seasons and has created the most this season to date, despite having a playmaker who has consistently failed to find him and a 19 year old rookie getting in the space he has always used to create from

[Nineteenx]

Questions for Steveo

Do you now accept the designated playmaker 'experiment' has failed disastrously having seen the incredible drop off in absolutely vital stats it has caused all our other players

Do you accept that attempting to move to using a designated playmaker who was 30 and injury prone when he arrived was an absolutely shit idea especiallyat an evolutionary point in the game when the likes of Real, Barca and Bayern are all quickly moving away from that model of playing and adopting the model we had of 'the team' making the play recruiting players who can all at least play all the passes i cited as most important?

[Nineteenx]

Truthfully, if we don't move on Fab, Thiago, Gomez Oxlade and Keita this summer and bring in a new actual No6 LCM and RCM of the right qualities and skill sers, i would not be surprised to see written transfer requests from Alisson Trent Robbo Virgil Mo Diaz and Nunez the body language, clear lack of belief in and obvious frustration with what Jurgen tried to do with the team this season has been as clear as his increasing inability to rally the players

I think quite a number of senior players think the direction he tried to take was as shit an idea as i did and unless those players i listed are shipped out and the right new ones brought in, i wouldn't blame a single one of them, players careers are very short, they've already wasted 2 and a half seasons indulging Jurgen's Thiago Fab Elliott and Gomex fantasies and this seasons designated playmaker 'experiment' catastrophe has almost stretched their patience to breaking point

[reddownunder]

That was Jude Bellingham's 192nd senior game for club and country combined.

He doesn't turn 20 until June.

For context, here is a list of senior apps for other top teenage talent -

Wayne Rooney - 158
Michael Owen - 118
Raheem Sterling - 111
Bukayo Saka - 106
Robbie Fowler - 82

Top talent so hope he doesn't end up too burnt out by the time he is 28/29/30.

That's a lot of games for someone of that age. The bodies of Owen, Torres and Rooney started breaking down and they were done as top players by 30. Sterling has had a massive drop off this season so could we be seeing the start of his decline in a similar manner? Guys like Ronaldo, Milner, Giggs etc that started young but ended up playing into their late 30s and beyond are the exception rather than the norm so it is likely that Bellingham may suffer later on in his career. That's still a decade away mind you

[dicko1969]

The "designated playmaker"
Almost won the quadruple.
63 games
3 finals / 4 if you count the last league game of the season.
No preseason preparation this season.
Masses of injuries, due to press and counter press over the last few years.
This squad / team couldn't keep it up.
The players you have mentioned have been ruined by the very methods you advocate.
Isn't that ironic.

[redebreck]

Scotland currently lead Spain 1-0. McTominay set up by our Andy.
Wales are labouring against Latvia, surprising after their draw with Croatia on the weekend.

[Steveo]

bugger me if it’s not Scotland 2 Spain 0

[redebreck]

Scotland win 2-0
Wales win 1-0

[Insidious]

bugger me if it’s not Scotland 2 Spain 0

I always chuckle when thinking about Northern Ireland beating Spain right before the Spanish took over the footballing World - David Healey getting a hat-trick.