All Aboard the Slot Express

[Steveo]

Here’s one for you folks,..

Trent and Robbo in Guardiola’s strongest 11

[CCTV]

I’m amazed that so many are amazed... I really am. I don't know what many of you have been 'watching' all these years... but it was never about us having the best players... we never did. Klopp is on the record saying exactly that. In fact... most of our strongest side doesn't even make Pep's best Premier League 11... and I only say that to highlight what it took and what is actually needed under these owners - to compete.

It was the epic efforts of Jurgen and the right players willing to operate at 110% week in and week out... on the training ground and in the games... that gave us the glory years. HOWEVER... those years were invariably followed up by a crash... and this Boom and Bust is the direct result of penny-pinching owners. They are sat on an asset that has multiplied 14 times... FOURTEEN TIMES what they put in... and they still have us paying back on infrastructure at a record pace.

It's why nutters like me have been bangin' on about it for YEARS... because it was obvious all the way through if you were actually watching. What Salah is saying now equates exactly with Oxlade-Chamberlain’s comments when he first arrived at Klopp's Liverpool... the sheer shock when he found the work involved and the running expected.

In short... we massively over-achieved... and now finally... more than just a few folks have realised why. It wasn't the data anal'ists... it was graft... massive graft and determination to deliver for the manager and the fans... coupled to the belief and courage instilled to go and compete until they dropped. That was it. Yes we landed some great players... but the sum of the parts isn't getting close to 90 points under different management. No chance... no way

I then posted a quick combined 11

Alisson
Trent Kompany VVD Robbo
KDB Rodri David/Bastardo Silva
Salah Halaand Mane

Ali, Robbo, VVD, Salah & Mane are definitely the best in their position from the Klopp v Pep era.

#Sorry19noHendo

Here’s one for you folks,..

Trent and Robbo in Guardiola’s strongest 11

Which fullbacks are you picking over Trent
& Robbo !!

Maybe just post your 11

most of our strongest side doesn't even make Pep's best Premier League 11

[jozza800]

Here’s one for you folks,..

Trent and Robbo in Guardiola’s strongest 11

Not a chance Korolov, Cancelo, Mendy, Walker, Zichenko, Zabaleta, or any of the center halves / wingers he shoe horns in at full back get in our 18-22 side.

And if you genuinely think Guardiola wouldn't have swapped any of his fullbacks for either Trent or Robbo then you're demented.

[Steveo]

Not a chance Korolov, Cancelo, Mendy, Walker, Zichenko, Zabaleta, or any of the center halves / wingers he shoe horns in at full back get in our 18-22 side.

And if you genuinely think Guardiola wouldn't have swapped any of his fullbacks for either Trent or Robbo then you're demented.

Absolutely true - because our 18:22 side was supplementing a workhorse midfield. In case you weren’t watching jozza.

The statement wasn’t about swapping out any of Pepe FB’s either. Simply laughing at the thought that Pep with KDB and either Silva would deploy FB’s as Klopp did. That’s boom & Bust (my point - the crux) necessity right there. 40/50 games max at 110% - then comes the crash. You can’t keep playing that high risk and high intensity without a crash. You need 2 players for every position at the same level. IF as many of our peak Klopp players were genuinely good enough to make Pep’s strongest 11 - then why did they keep
winning so relentlessly..? Pep is not the equal of Klopp..:


This is the point.


Also who said he wouldn’t swap out Trent or Robbo for any in your list? The point was squarely about his strongest 11. And Pep Guardiols strongest 11 does not contain Trent - Robbo -mor even Mane or Bobby - any of our midfield or any of our defence save Virgil.

Salah - Virgil - Alisson


that’s it

[Steveo]

Pep’s 11

GK: Alisson
RB: Kyle Walker
CB: Virgil Van Dijk
CB: John Stones
LB: Josko Gvardiol
CDM: Rodri
CM: Kevin De Bruyne
CM: David Silva
RW: Mohamed Salah or Bernardo Silva
LW: Phil Foden
ST: Erling Haaland or Segio Aguero


😉

To be clear - this is not to say that Walker was better than Trent - but he would be picked ahead of him for Pep’s game. Trent’s lack of cover rules him out off the bat - as does his penchant for Hollywood balls that cough up possession. Robbo far too high risk for Pep. This is simple stuff

[CCTV]

Unsure if Pep opts for Salah at rwf

Going for Foden over Mane 🤣

Saying Robbos too risky 😬

And you go for Walker over Trent.

[Steveo]

It’s not me going for anyone - it’s what anyone who knows this game - knows Pep would do.

on Robbo:

Pep wants a possession robot who sits inside to kill counters. Robbo is a vertical chaos-merchant alive to sprint into open space ... Robbos relentless desire to overlap = a tactical leak Pep refuses to plug - because he demands a 3rd center-back to stay at home - not a winger in a defender's shirt ... In a City shirt - Robbo's greatest strength is his biggest liability - Wy..? because Pep doesn't want "passion" - he wants to maintain shape.

On Trent:

“I slept like a baby when Kyle played."
Pep Guardiola.

And Mane was wonderful - amazing for us under Klopp - but Foden is defo Pep’s choice for the left.


If the game is a 100m sprint or a street fight, you take Mané. If the game is a 90-minute game of "keep-away" played on a chessboard, you take Foden every single time. This - as anyone who knows his style - is Pep.

Who is the better player ? open to debate - I prefer Mane - but Phil is technically the more refined player. Simples

[jozza800]

It’s not me going for anyone - it’s what anyone who knows this game - knows Pep would do.


“I slept like a baby when Kyle played."
Pep Guardiola.

And Mane was wonderful - amazing for us under Klopp - but Foden is defo Pep’s choice for the left.


If the game is a 100m sprint or a street fight, you take Mané. If the game is a 90-minute game of "keep-away" played on a chessboard, you take Foden every single time. This - as anyone who knows his style - is Pep.

Who is the better player ? open to debate - I prefer Mane - but Phil is technically the more refined player. Simples

Flip it on it's head, how many of the 19-22 side would Klopp swap with City? He certainly wouldn't take Foden over Mane...

[Steveo]

Flip it on its many - head, how many of the 19-22 side would Klopp swap with City? He certainly wouldn't take Foden over Mane...

Not many - Are you following the point Jozza? Klopp needed players to take risks - players to make up for a smaller squad. A lack of genuine world class quality in midfield.

but please explain what the great man said. Go sit in a corner and argue with yourself, If you don’t know - you don’t know… But Jurgen DID and here are HIS words on the matter.



"We cannot be the best team in Europe because Manchester City are the best team in the world — and that is the same planet, I’ve heard. There are a lot of good teams out there and you have to prove that constantly."

Jurgen Klopp September 2019

"We are not the best team in the world. We are a very good team that was in the right moment... Manchester City is an outstanding team. We were the best team in the moments we played them, but overall, they are probably the best team in the world."

Jurgen Klopp July 2020

[Steveo]

Klopp literally admitted the "best" team doesn't always win…because City are the "best" in terms of process and quality a while we were the "best" in terms of moments and mentality.

If the manager who won you the league says City were superior on a planetary level - how can you argue that a player like Robbo - who thrives on the very chaos Klopp used to bridge that quality gap - would ever be - safe - enough for the man who perfected the quality in the first place?

Pep wanted the team that was - best in the world - every single Tuesday and Saturday... Klopp built a team that was - best in the world - when it mattered most… they are not the same thing.

[jozza800]

Not many - Are you following the point Jozza? Klopp needed players to take risks - players to make up for a smaller squad. A lack of genuine world class quality in midfield.

but please explain what the great man said. Go sit in a corner and argue with yourself, If you don’t know - you don’t know… But Jurgen DID and here are HIS words on the matter.



"We cannot be the best team in Europe because Manchester City are the best team in the world — and that is the same planet, I’ve heard. There are a lot of good teams out there and you have to prove that constantly."

Jurgen Klopp September 2019

"We are not the best team in the world. We are a very good team that was in the right moment... Manchester City is an outstanding team. We were the best team in the moments we played them, but overall, they are probably the best team in the world."

Jurgen Klopp July 2020

Both you and Klopp have answered your own question.

City absolutely had the better squad, and is the reason that they beat us over a league season more often than not, but i'd argue all day about the first XI. Which is why we beat them so often in matches.

That XI must have been pretty phenomenal to compete the way they did for that period of time. Klopp did his magic but he needed a special group of players to do it.

[Steveo]

Anyway - I simply suggested that we were never the best - even at our peak under Klopp… and the man himself is in the record making that very point…

BUT this is all a distraction from the teal topic.

Theres loads Slot could have done, but he's carried himself fairly well all things considered.

I think he'll be gone in the summer. It’s just gotten that sour and flat, and Alonso is expected.

let’s not allow a “misunderstanding” to get in the way of the topic…. Let’s get back to this… “he’s carried himself fairly well” 😜

I mean what does that even mean..?

[Steveo]

Both you and Klopp have answered your own question.

City absolutely had the better squad, and is the reason that they beat us over a league season more often than not, but i'd argue all day about the first XI. Which is why we beat them so often in matches.

That XI must have been pretty phenomenal to compete the way they did for that period of time. Klopp did his magic but he needed a special group of players to do it.

And they were - with the cost being Boom & Bust - because Jozza - they had to work twice as hard. Or had you forgotten?

And who would or could argue with that.? Special yes - but a team far more than the sum of its parts.

I know you don’t like to hear it - but it is the simple truth

[Steveo]

It takes a special individual to get an Oxlade Chamberlain to turn down more money in London and head to Liverpool for less. £60,000 a week less.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41098529

This kind of “special” is where a few folks get confused

[CCTV]

Trying to use Klopp quotes to ditch Robbo, Mane & Salah out of a combined best 11.

“He was a headache. Salah, Robertson, all these players deserve my huge respect.”

That was peps recent quote after Salahs departure was announced.

Salah is the only RWF in the top 10 list for goals and assists per minute this century.

Neymar the only other wide forward in the top 10.
The rest Messi, Mbappe, Halaand, Ronny, Lewandoswki, Suarez, Zlatan & Kane.

As said, Robbo, VVD, Alisson, Mane & Salah are the best in their position.
People can argue against Trent with Walker/Cancelo if they like.