coachpotato

On 10/05/2023 at 14:56, Anubis said:

What if you don’t see ads, but you see dead people?

You’re dead too?
 

Whenever we’re in a position where it’s been in our own hands, I’ve felt we could win the league.

The disappointment is the likes of the Arsenal game when it hands impetus back to City.

Still, though, we win all our games, we win the league.

The yardstick has been get more out of city than they get out of you, and that still holds true.

He’s our best striker on current form, and it’s to his credit that, when it’s not him actually scoring, he’s often involved somewhere in another doing so, if not directly then with clever runs off the ball to create space.

There’s a touch of snide about his game that causes opposition players to lose it with him, and it’s likely deliberate and designed to give him an advantage over them, which may be cynical but is also clever.
His decision making, though, is excellent, he doesn’t often go for the poor percentage option, as often as others do, when there’s a player in a better position he’ll try to find them, but he’s pretty clinical as well.

All in all, he’s a much better than others outside the club give him credit for, which is just as well for us because losing Firmino and Mane as we did, it’s allowed some continuity with Salah up front while Nunez, Gakpo and Diaz have been finding their feet.

I only hope his injuries are fewer going forward as, with any player, they disrupt chances to build understanding within the team between players and affect form, but he’s an intelligent footballer, an astute signing, and I’m happy he’s here.

Goes about his game without fuss, quietly effective, can produce some really decent passes when he gets his head up and not afraid to get stuck in and do the dirty work.

I like him.

We don’t generally have games where there’s absolutely no one to blame but ourselves from top to bottom, but this was one.

Like others, I thought the complacency and slow starts shown in earlier games this season might have gone and we were beginning to look as though we could match City toe to toe, but then this clusterfuck happens and you wonder.

I hate having to think it’s going to have to be a City fuck up to enable us to triumph, even if we are faultless from now on, but that’s where we’re at now.

Almost unbelievable, as Dave points out, that you can lose 2 or 3 games and think you’re out of the race. 
Taylor is still a sneaky biased twat though, at least there’s consistency there even if it didn’t directly cost us the result!

The reaction to the news Klopp is going was brilliant against Chelsea, poor as Chelsea were, and I don’t think today’s clusterfuck has anything to do with it causing a negative reaction today.

Sometimes, things transpire that are almost inexplicable and the defensive shambles for all of Arsenals goals were examples of that.

Arsenal are decent and more honed to be successful than last season, but while their football is pretty enough, it’s hardly as overwhelming as ours or City’s when we’re on it.

The main reason today was annoying is because we were poor in the first half, went in level still, and we’re back in the game with an outside chance of putting them to bed for the season when Ali and Virgil fucked up, it affected us badly and Arsenal were visually buoyed by it.

The sending off and third goal were bitter icing on a particularly distasteful cake.

What is important now is that the reaction is once again good and we pick up an unbeaten run again.

Having players back and match fit will be key, we’re certainly not out of it in the League and City will know that more than anyone, and just as a counter point, the pressure is on them to keep winning too.

“Or maybe he’s lulling us into a false sense of security for when Webb gives him the City game at Anfield.”

Was thinking this myself, although it’s more likely Taylor or Oliver will get the game?

Anyway, I hope we have a similar result against these at Wembley, we’re overdue giving them a good hiding in a final.

Agree with everything said, especially about Conor Bradley, but think we need to keep a bit back as he was taken to the cleaners by Harry Wilson when Fulham scored against us recently and I’m not sure I want to see him up against Martinelli just yet.

Great performance though and he had Mudryk in his pocket from pretty much when he came on apart from the chance that Mudryk put into row Z.

Onwards and upwards then, and as I keep saying, we win our games and we’re Champions.
Big ask? Yes.

Impossible? No.

3 hours ago, Bjornebye said:

Luton have beat them twice at Goodison this season 

That sort of thing rarely happens three times in a season though.

8 hours ago, an tha said:

A rare example of one of them laughing at themselves with some good gallows humour.

 

More red tape trying to trip them up.

Making assumptions we should wallop Luton, or any other team in the Premier League, is fraught with danger. Look how Watford beat us 3-0 a few seasons ago when we should have beaten them on form and league placing.

I agree we need to try and get the games arranged to give us the chance to field the strongest team we can, but those in charge might see it differently, especially if Abu Dhabi have a say in things.

2 minutes ago, an tha said:

It can absolutely matter when it is played.

 

Imagine a high octane european semi final on a thurs followed by a big must win league game on sun with us neck and neck or a couple of pts behind abu dhabi, then this being stuck on the tues after - 3 games in 6 days - massive intensity and pressure across a short period and you can have problems with injuries/fatigue etc

 

Playing it in a free midweek in feb in a much less intense/critical period surely makes more sense/is better?

To us it might. But we’re not the one’s who need convincing!

Given that Klopp seemingly told FSG of his intention in November, would it be beyond reasoning to expect that the prospective Manager/Coach would be in FSG’s sights? Or might even have been approached already?

Also, I saw a comment in a post that one reason Klopp has resigned was because he wanted more control and FSG refused him. Where has that come from?
 

We’ve got the most outstanding manager in a generation and had him for over 8 years, so pretty much anyone else is a gamble, even an experienced manager, because the club is so unique from top to bottom.

Age wise Klopp would have another 10 years in him, had the demands and intensity of how he works not taken its toll. But that’s how he works.
Looking at pictures of him from 2015 to now, you can see how he’s aged, you could possibly say he looks ill, he certainly looks tired.

When he took over, he was coming in with expectation levels and demands high. 
Anyone coming in now would find those levels multiplied massively because of what Jurgen Klopp has achieved.

It’s similar to when Ferguson and Wenger left their clubs maybe, massive boots to fill, and that could scare some coaches after what happened to Moyes for instance.

Whoever gets the challenge, I’d expect to be given time and patience, maybe I’m being fanciful here, but I don’t think our support is as fickle as United’s or Arsenal’s, I only hope the eventual successor turns out to be another worthy of a statue! 

Assuming he will continue as a coach “elsewhere” at some point.

I reckon the German National team boss or Bayern Munich manager are possibly next on his list maybe?

When he’s gone, we could be fucked, so enjoy the next few months, I can’t see anyone coming in and taking the reins over easily, we aren’t that lucky!

I can’t reconcile why Klopp and his staff will be walking at the same time. Something odd there.
We’ve had this before (Kenny, Bob, Rafa,Bill) so probably no reason why we can’t overcome his departure again. However, I think he’s a generational talent and won’t be replaced easily.

Harvey Elliot gives 100% whenever he plays for us, that is without dispute.

He and his family are Reds, and he’s living his dream out.

He is, however, limited in certain areas, despite his willingness to put everything on the line when he has the shirt on. 
For some, he will improve as he gets older and gains more experience, for others, he won’t improve enough to be considered a first team starter, but it’s what Jurgen Klopp thinks that will decide his Anfield career and, certainly currently, Klopp loves him and his contribution.

Ultimately, if he’s happy to stay and play when he’s needed, then he could be here for several years, but if he decides he wants/deserves more than he’s getting then that’ll be a very different scenario and could end up with him going elsewhere to get regular games.

I’m sure everyone hopes he can develop into an integral part of the first team squad and that he remains.

Time will tell though.
 

Of course, completely forgot about that!

Was there even one VAR referral last night? 
I watched with the commentary turned off.

Odds on they’ll get a pen.

Should’ve put this to bed by now.

Did he have a son who worked at City? I thought his team was West Ham.

Funny that when Sunday Supplement was on he, like many of the other journalists, never failed to lick Ferguson’s arse. 
 

8 minutes ago, Creator Supreme said:

They're in the away end!

Thought a chapter of the KKK had got in when I saw them all gathered in that stand.

59 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

Condolences Bossy and Beef. 

Take care of yourselves too.

Pushing for acceptance of UEFA rules, which appear to be less stringent in the manner in which they affect the “richer” teams, would suit City right down to the ground and alleviate the pressure on the PL to be ruthless in deducting points from them. 
Could be a get out from years of protracted legal wrangling if they hit City with a massive fine and “agree” to drop many of the more contentious charges?
 

That’s a bit dispiriting of a read. Two paragraphs that stand out to me are:

“I'll be submitting further FOIs to try to establish the extent of British government involvement in the PL vs City case, but others so far have been fruitless. The stakes are SO much higher than whether a football club broke some football rules. 9/n “

and

“Man City's hierarchy realised around 2010 that they needed "accelerated investment' before UEFA's FFP came into force. Their solution was cooking the books. That was evident from their 2014 punishment onwards. It's all been in plain sight. 12/12”

Firstly, if there’s an issue getting facts out into the open regarding governmental involvement in the proceedings, then we might as well forget any meaningful punishment for City. Plus, they’ll be protected going forwards to prevent any future embarrassment to the government. I doubt it’ll alter with a Labour government in power either.

Secondly, that they realised in 2010 they’d need to cheat their way going forwards and have got away with it “in plain sight” for, currently, 14 years doesn’t bode well for there to be a fair outcome to those who haven’t cheated.

Ultimately, if it is known by those in the game they’ve been taking the piss and they get away with it (again) then I could easily see the EFL or an equivalent being established as the likes of Werner and Henry would be crazy not to say “Fuck you” to the football authorities if they allow them to escape Scot free.

43 minutes ago, Bruce Spanner said:

Hearing will be before the season ends and it sounds like they're taking it seriously...

 

'“I can [understand the frustration] but they are very different charges,” he said. “If any club, current champions or otherwise, were found in breach of the spending rules in 2022‑23 they would be in exactly the same position as Everton or Nottingham Forest. But the volume and character of the charges laid against City, which I obviously cannot talk about at all, are being heard in a completely different environment. There is a date set for that proceeding. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you when that is but that is progressing.”'

The 12th of never?