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Definitely feel there's a case for selling one of the front three this Summer while they hold value. Next Summer at the latest.
In terms of output, Salah is our attacking MVP so if there was a buyer for Firmino or Mane I would probably take the money, provided it were reasonable. We don't want to dismantle this side too quickly as it isn't at all necessary to totally scrap this team (3 points off 4th, reached Champion's League quarters, despite insane spate of injury and condensed fixture list with no fans) but we don't want it to stagnate either, with the side probably 80% or so of the way through a "cycle" - we need to start building the next one.
I'll never agree with your musings on this Steveo, logically it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, if you're playing the game almost exclusively in the opposition half for 2 seasons, at it's very best your press is as good as when Hendo was at CM, you're not being run into the ground, you're not making nearly as many long sprints as practically every other team.
Our issues are missing key players, Jurgen fucking about with things he should have left well alone because they were our strongest sets and VAR has robbed us of around 12 points this season and that has definitely has an affect n form and confidence too
If you were making a post like this and we were still splaying as we did from when Jurgen arrived until the end of the 17-18 season, which obviously was a lot more running, a lot more long sprints, the press not as organised, then yes, you'd absolutely have a point, but we haven't played like that for the last 2 seasons
Like people waffling on about how we play being found out, well, it was working absolutely fine at the start of the season and we were still top at Christmas despite VAR having robbed us of 9 points by that stage
"If Everton were playing at the bottom of my garden, i'd close the curtains”
Xavi 06-11 5 seasons 21,406 mins - over 4000mins each season
Alves 07-12 5 seasons 21,956 mins - over 4000 mins each season
Mane 1 season with over 4,000 mins in his last 3 full seasons.
Both more than likely covering more ground per game being a midfielder and full back. Attackers tend to cover less ground but perform more high intensity sprints.
Messi under pep was a different beast than under Enrique and in his last few years hes been totally different, a fall from grace looking disintereested and lazy relative to his peak years.
In those 3 seasons he scored 160 goals assisting 69.
He sprinted hard to press and would routinely perform high intensity sprints with the ball - past numerous players. Fouled often and unleashed a high number of venomous shots whilst being fouled regularly enough. Let's not confuse the end of careers with the peak.
The idea the that the Spanish league is piss poor doesn't carry much weight imo. Stronger than Germany and France yet we don't see a Bayern side as being incapable of performing in the premier league.
In an era where Spain has dominated europe, in the CL and the damned Sevilla in the sid cup, it's hard to see those teams as laxed.
The greatest club side in my lifetime is that barca side with xavi, iniesta and messi. There are several players who over those years you could pick out at random and with success guess they played in every game.
In the pl of late theres been two great sides ala Real and Barca and when you have those 2 teams at that level everyone else looks ordinary. Yet we see the other pl sides doing ok in europe.
Chelsea under Mourinho and City under pep have amassed great squads and depth.
Yet with city we saw they had a relative slump, comparable to ours this season, last season.
Their falling away last year not as harsh as ours this season. I'd argue, open to correction, they didn't have as bad a situation with injuries. Yet they could maintain the level that has been set.
Ours albeit worse fall is blamed on lack of investment and injuries. City theres just injuries, although some city fans feel pep hasn't been backed properly.
The difference between city and lfc with that barca side imo, is that they haven't got the same quality as that barca side, in terms of talent and mentality.
It's not easy staying at the top level year after year.
Salah is probably the best player in our squad to compare with Messi in many ways.
Just using mane as I'd be intered to know how many minutes less you think he needs to play to avoid being burnt out ?
@CC
Nobody said the Spanish league was piss poor either. It is actually much higher quality in terms of technical football. No - not Gaelic football either
There really isn’t much point in getting into this if you really believe that playing for the greatest ever Barca side in LaLiga is in any way as taxing as playing for Klopp’s Liverpool in the Prem.
They are 2 very different worlds.
As you were
Starting to wonder if you have ever kicked a football..?
It isn’t just as simple as the minutes or even the miles you do - many other factors at play... like how much rest you get in between AND also HOW you do them.
Surely you have played in games where you got to 90 minutes and felt fine - like you could play another half an hour - and in other games after 25 minutes you were spent?
Every game is different. Look at Henderson for instance. He isn’t blessed with anything like the ability of a Xavi, Iniesta or a Modric - he gets his place through graft! Just how much more graft can he do before he is totally broken...?
Mané has run and run and closed down and pressed for nigh on 3 years mate. I would personally stop looking at stats and open your eyes - really look at him for heavens sake.. he is shattered.! Physically and mentally.
These guys haven’t been playing with world class ballers in every position in more imbalanced league where 3 out of 5 games are a foregone conclusion....
Last edited by Steveo; 9th April 2021 at 06:52 PM.
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