Reply With QuoteDisgraceful scenes yet again from Simeone and Atleti. Themselves a man down, they completely lost their minds and swarmed refs to get Porto player a soft red card from play acting being hit. Hope they get battered.
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First Team
AC are top of Serie A. Wow, couldn't even muster a performance against a second string. That league has fell from grace like brick from scaffold.
First Team
Disgraceful scenes yet again from Simeone and Atleti. Themselves a man down, they completely lost their minds and swarmed refs to get Porto player a soft red card from play acting being hit. Hope they get battered.
Rowdy Yates
Let’s hope we don’t get to a final only to face them, what a nasty bunch of swine.
Squad N0 1
Yes but the officials continually buy it.
First Team
I hope they get battered too - though given that they finished second in the group and have a capacity to grind out results, they could potentially knock out an English side (or Bayern) for us, depending on how the draw works out.Originally Posted by 3underpar
Very keen not to have to play them again, but wouldn't mind them doing us a favour somewhere along the way before they get beaten, by whoever.
Squad N0 1
Absolutely Sid, horrible opponent for anyone
Master of the Universe
Let's all recall that this was initially called 'The Group of Death' when all this started out, and we just made quick work of the defending La Liga champions, the defending Portuguese champions, and the current Serie A leaders.
With that last one coming at the hands of our B side, composed of second stringers and teenagers.
'I got told there's an English phrase, 'You don't win trophies with kids'. I didn't know that' ... - Jurgen Klopp
Stone-Cold Savage!
First Team
, he really came to the fore in the last 2/3 months of last season. If it wasn't for his performances. we wouldnt have been in the champions league this season.
Cleaning up the Scots since the 13th century
First Team
I don't watch loads of it (or them) but that was a poor performance from them. Yes, their League is not what it was, but they had a poor game anyway, plus we're boss, plus it's also a League in transition as well.
In years gone by you would often see low-scoring games, but there's a shift (better late than never) towards more progressive coaching in that League, though without the talent surplus or the funds to buy the very top players, which are hoovered up. You'll see quite a lot of high-scoring games in Italy generally and Atalanta have shown that you can play exciting football whilst having a tight budget, which is rubbing off on the rest of the League.
It will take time and I hope Serie A continues to recover. Juventus missing out on Champion's League football would be good for their League actually - they could do with the two Milanese clubs doing well, amongst others.
If you were a scout watching that match tonight you'd be more excited by our young midfield talent moreso than Kessie - it's easy to forget that we're a dodgy half of football v Brighton from being top of the League, bossing Europe and through to the quarters of the League Cup.
First Team
I simply don't subscribe to this match rhythm defence of players, it will never ever wash with me.
I accept that when a player is short of match fitness and comes in they may be a little rusty physically and mentally in some of what they do, that is totally and completely acceptable and expected
However, we play a certain way, if you watch our games you know what the triggers for a lot of players are, you know when the ball is in certain areas or with certain players what to expect next and you know and understand what positions and runs and actions players need to make to facilitate the team functioning as well as it possibly can with them in it and being short of match fitness and sharpness
Every time a player comes into the first 11 in such circumstances I can't accept it when they play like a brand new signing who has no clue whatsoever of how to help the team function at its very best and the first and foremost No1 priority, they're coming in short of match fitness and sharpness, it is ultimately far more likely them facilitating the other 10 match fit and sharp players performing at their very best wins the day and game.
The best example of a player doing this to the highest degree, which from what they did v Brighton this season highlights the need for some degree of continuity for players coming in and understanding of which players work together and which don't is Oxlade in the P15 W15 run in 19-20
Came in and played 2 or 3 games at RCM with Hendo at No6 and Gini at LCM and slotted in seamlessly including into the fluid midfield 3 finding himself in all 3 midfield positions at points of every game and being comfortable and assured in them
Also came in and played 2 or 3 games at LFWD in place of Mane and fitted in seamlessly scoring 2 goals and getting an assist or two or an assist and the pass before the assist, simply by understanding what Mane was doing for the team and doing his best to provide it, knowing what the triggers for Mane's inside out runs were, to be found wide with a switch and triggers for Mane's outside in runs were and short diagonal runs off the FB through the channel looking for the ball from Hendo in behind the RCB and linking up well with Robbo, when our left was at its absolute pomp and not disappointing at that.
That's what I expect from all our players when they get an opportunity, it's the very minimum I expect, to at least know and understand what it is they need to do to facilitate the 10 players fitter and sharper than they are playing at their very best, being able to contribute at least the basics of what the player they have come in for contributes
I don't care whether they score or assist or not for the most part, obviously it's great if they do, but understanding what they need to do to enable the team to function at its best possible levels is always the most important thing
"If Everton were playing at the bottom of my garden, i'd close the curtains”
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