It's still on

[Nineteenx]

Let's just keep enjoying it and going for it, frustrating today, but no reason we can't win all our remaining games and learn a lesson from today in how we set up for the Cup Semi final on Saturday, the 4312 should do the trick

[Insidious]

I must admit I don't really see Man City dropping points unless they have a really deflating result in the FA Cup or Champion's League that instigates a wobble - hopefully Atletico and ourselves can muster up something special between us.

With that said, in the event that they do loosen their grip somewhere and fluff a result, we absolutely must be in a position to capitalise on it - we would be kicking ourselves if they drew or lost a game and we missed our chance against Everton/Man United/Tottenham/whoever.

It isn't in our hands and I'll confess to a lack of confidence regarding the Cup match, but we can make damn sure we don't capitulate to Benfica and go from there with refreshed minds.

[CCTV]

We've learned kdb is a 10 and Hendo isn't. Need to stop that nonsense.

[Nineteenx]

We've learned kdb is a 10 and Hendo isn't. Need to stop that nonsense.

We've learned that neither Fabinho or Thiago are a No6 or controller who can deal with him as a No10 as Gini always did so comfortably and we learned in the second half that if our forwards pull the trigger when they are put through, as Hendo put Mane and Jota both clean through in the first half, they do have a very good chance of scoring, not getting a shot off on either of those first half opportunities was absolutely criminal

[TheDOC1979]

We've learned kdb is a 10 and Hendo isn't. Need to stop that nonsense.

Thiago, could easily have been our KDB.

He was better than all our midfielders on the pitch today.

It's never off, but with our fixtures, it will be difficult. Sid said it perfectly, we'll make second and would genuinely say its been a decent EPL campaign.

Next season the focus is on a midfielder that can open/change games. Salah Mane to sort their shit out or one of them will need to make way for reinforcements.

The form Salah is in is worrying. Not sure which factor(s) are responsible for it, but needs to come back down to earth, stop focusing on individual accolades off the pitch and focus om what he does best.

[Nineteenx]

Thiago, could easily have been our KDB.

He was better than all our midfielders on the pitch today.

He was better when Bacon Face was given the freedom of the pitch in an area he should have been engaging him in his area of the pitch to release Sterling for what was almost their third?

We were out pressed and counter pressed and out switches and out medium to long balled in the game today

Thiago has no history of releasing players in the fashion KDB released players 2 or 3 times today or even in the fashion Henderson released Mane and Jota today, the match thread was vert interesting and telling on that Mane chance, put clean through, just needs a touch out of feet to set it and whack it with only the keeper to beat nobody (except me) says shit about that or that it was a great ball to release him, then when as a consequence on Mane not pulling the trigger the ball goes to Henderson 2 or 3 passes later with loads of bodies between him and the goal he's a twat for not shooting apparently

[CCTV]

We've learned that neither Fabinho or Thiago are a No6 or controller who can deal with him as a No10 as Gini always did so comfortably and we learned in the second half that if our forwards pull the trigger when they are put through, as Hendo put Mane and Jota both clean through in the first half, they do have a very good chance of scoring, not getting a shot off on either of those first half opportunities was absolutely criminal

When Gini was in midfield we played 433.
When Gini was here and we played 4231 mostly, neither he nor Hendo were in the 3.

When Gini was here, routinely one of our front 3 was in form. Often two.
The front 3 presently, the big part of it, Mane & Mo are not at their level.
Produced a moment today but nowhere near their level.

Were hendo not our kdb counterpart/10, we could have had him in the 2.
We could have had Bobby or Diaz in the side. With Fab or Thiago an option off the bench.

We need to stop playing hendo in a 10 role.

[Nineteenx]

I honestly don't understand the Thiago love in, he looks busy, he throws himself about diving into things as he's frequently not in the right positions in the first place and his passing never amounts to anything of any substance

People seem to be talking about the player we expected him to be providing what we expected him to provide without him ever having done it, it really is a bizarre phenomena

[LEGS]

Salah has had a tough season pretty much 120 mins in every AFCON knockout game then two hard games in world cup qualifying.

He needs a rest and its about time FIFA put a total stop to tournys played during a season.

I wouldnt play him on Wednesday.

[Nineteenx]

We need to stop playing hendo in a 10 role.

He is being played as an attacking No8 not a No10

We played 433 far FAR more than we ever played 4231, in our 433 we have most frequently played a lopsided 433 with 2 of the midfield 3 sitting and one of the midfield 3, usually our RCM being used more as an attacking No8

There are 2 main issues we have in midfield and have had all season, Fab isn't good enough with the ball and teams try to exploit us by pressing immediately when the ball goes to him (as City did today), or sitting off, picking everyone else up and letting him have it, we also have the issue with him that in sme games we need to play our press and counter press as we did at our best, with all 3 CMs involved in it, not 2 with one sitting deeper not involved in it

We let a top top class LCM controller who was brilliant at playing our system and in the press and counter press, who in combination with Henderson had an incredible understanding between them of how to make our press and counter press formidable, go in the summer and didn't replace him and we don't have anyone of his quality to play that role as Thiago demonstrated so well today, being nowhere near his man so frequently and having to throw himself to ground and risk yellows throughout