***burnley v pep's city official match thread***

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Anyone know why Nacho is not getting any minutes anymore?

To be fair, when Pep came in we all though this would mean our youngsters getting minutes. They've had near to fuck all - lets me honest. Maffeo did well against the rags and that was that. Not seen him since. Garcia has had bits. Nacho hasn't really had a decent sniff.

Either our kids are really crap or Pep is just a tosser.

I feel it's mystifying and just a little worrying.

Given the fact that a fair number of our squad are now becoming 'long in the tooth', it's a concern that we aren't giving our youngsters a little bit of game time, whenever appropriate and viable, unless the master plan is to buy in a load of (expensive) replacements; a prospect which might seemingly be unlikely.

If we're 'making do' with the players we have until the end of the season, then fair enough and we could do worse than trying out our EDS lads at various times in accordance with that philosophy.

What have we got to lose ??.....and they might even succeed.

[london blue 2]

I think it's because we've gone back to scraping games and not being able to make those types of subs.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

I think it's because we've gone back to scraping games and not being able to make those types of subs.

Sadly, you're right LB and our barnstorming, blazing start to the season now seems a long, long time ago.

What I just don't get though, is that Pep is not averse to trying out new things and taking risks in so many different ways, so why doesn't he occasionally 'take a risk' with an odd youngster, every now and again ??

I'd love to know what goes through his mind when he makes the selections and decisions he does.

[nottsblue]

I think it's because we've gone back to scraping games and not being able to make those types of subs.

Sadly, you're right LB and our barnstorming, blazing start to the season now seems a long, long time ago.

What I just don't get though, is that Pep is not averse to trying out new things and taking risks in so many different ways, so why doesn't he occasionally 'take a risk' with an odd youngster, every now and again ??

I'd love to know what goes through his mind when he makes the selections and decisions he does.

I imagine it also has something to do with the pace and intensity of the PL. It's a huge difference from the pace they are used to. Our style of play has no room for passengers. Yaya for heavens sake has found that out this season. As promising as some of the youngsters are, for them not to be out of their depth is a big ask.

Of course, we won't know until we try them and it's a little surprising we haven't seen more minutes from the academy boys. Maybe into Jan and Feb when the fixtures are taking their toll is when we shall see more

[johnny crossan]

Anyone know why Nacho is not getting any minutes anymore?

To be fair, when Pep came in we all though this would mean our youngsters getting minutes. They've had near to fuck all - lets me honest. Maffeo did well against the rags and that was that. Not seen him since. Garcia has had bits. Nacho hasn't really had a decent sniff.

Either our kids are really crap or Pep is just a tosser.

I think the cup defeat at the swamp has not been forgotten. Nacho, Sane, Garcia and Maffeo got their big chance to start in that game and blew it, albeit the scum were so desperate for a win they fielded their strongest team.

[Mase]

Anyone know why Nacho is not getting any minutes anymore?

To be fair, when Pep came in we all though this would mean our youngsters getting minutes. They've had near to fuck all - lets me honest. Maffeo did well against the rags and that was that. Not seen him since. Garcia has had bits. Nacho hasn't really had a decent sniff.

Either our kids are really crap or Pep is just a tosser.

I think the cup defeat at the swamp has not been forgotten. Nacho, Sane, Garcia and Maffeo got their big chance to start in that game and blew it, albeit the scum were so desperate for a win they fielded their strongest team.

I though Sane was poor. Nacho didn't have any service. But Maffeo and Garcia did themselves justice.

[freshie]

Anyone know why Nacho is not getting any minutes anymore?

To be fair, when Pep came in we all though this would mean our youngsters getting minutes. They've had near to fuck all - lets me honest. Maffeo did well against the rags and that was that. Not seen him since. Garcia has had bits. Nacho hasn't really had a decent sniff.

Either our kids are really crap or Pep is just a tosser.

I think the cup defeat at the swamp has not been forgotten. Nacho, Sane, Garcia and Maffeo got their big chance to start in that game and blew it, albeit the scum were so desperate for a win they fielded their strongest team.

I though Sane was poor. Nacho didn't have any service. But Maffeo and Garcia did themselves justice.

Completely agree

[johnny crossan]

Anyone know why Nacho is not getting any minutes anymore?

To be fair, when Pep came in we all though this would mean our youngsters getting minutes. They've had near to fuck all - lets me honest. Maffeo did well against the rags and that was that. Not seen him since. Garcia has had bits. Nacho hasn't really had a decent sniff.

Either our kids are really crap or Pep is just a tosser.

I think the cup defeat at the swamp has not been forgotten. Nacho, Sane, Garcia and Maffeo got their big chance to start in that game and blew it, albeit the scum were so desperate for a win they fielded their strongest team.

I though Sane was poor. Nacho didn't have any service. But Maffeo and Garcia did themselves justice.

Completely agree

You both may well be right but I still think the choice of Fernando at right back is an indication that Maffeo is not considered ready physically. Maybe Garcia's error which led to the Boro equaliser is more significant than the derby performance in terms of his recent absence from the squad.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Seems it was a real struggle today. And that's because Pep picked a terrible side. I was amazed when we scored one, you could have knocked me over with a feather when we got a second. Thank God for Kun.
Ridiculous team selection today.

[PrezIke]

We did what we had to do. Tough ground to win on of late, and the ref was as usual not doing us any favours. We need real improvement but I am not panicking at all. We are still winning games and have had a lot of rotation of late for a reason I believe.

Team selection, driving some crazy, is very much about protecting the problem we have had with fitness over the past few seasons. Hello. It's almost as if some here have short term memory loss.

When Pellegrini played the same players every week some moaned about the lack of rotation and injuries as a result. Now we have had fewer and Pep is trying to keep us fresh. Lest we forget what happens come the new year. I think rotation will calm down a bit though now that CL is gone for a while and I suspect he has something going on within his coaching staff to monitor players who have a history of and higher risk for injury. Otherwise it does not make a whole lot of sense to drop Silva and De Bruyne, and show belief in the rest of the squad against a team our B squad should still be able to defeat.

We got the needed points, and still believe we will win the league. There's a long way to go.

[Slim]

6 points on either side of a CL match, job done.

[zuricity]

6 points away from home on either side of a CL match, job done.

Corrected.

[nottsblue]

Watched it this morning. We were shicking in the first 15/20 minutes and a better side would have punished us more than what Burnley did. We were slow, second to every knockdown and we were harried out of possesion.

But from then we got a grip of midfield. Yaya passed the ball. Fernando broke up any threat Burnley had and Fernandinho got into the game more. We got the goals, scruffy, but who cares, they all count and apart from the last five minutes we controlled the game and with a bit more luck would have got a third to kill off the game.

Certainly not our best perfirmance but it was enough. We rested some players which we didnt do enough of last season which we will get the benefit of later on in the campaign.

All in all job done and three points

[Slim]

6 points away from home on either side of a CL match, job done.

Corrected.

Thanks.

[iwasthere2012]

6 points away from home on either side of a CL match, job done.

Corrected.

Thanks.

Now, to start winning again at home.
Starting with Chelsea.
I have a feeling we will make a timely statement in this one.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

Few things. First I think Pep has started to show a pattern of resting players before and after international and cl games so nobody plays 3 or 4 big games in a row. While it's frustrating it may be fruitful come seasons end. Pellegrini always played kun, silva and kompany and they always ended up missing games because of it. Probably wouldn't rest kdb and silva together tho.

The game wasn't great, mainly because nobody pulled the strings. Hats off to yaya who saw this and spent half the game trying to play 6 and 10 at the same time. He really worked hard which is his biggest knowck and for me was our best player.

Lastly away days are fucking mint!

[Sister of fu]

I think it's because we've gone back to scraping games and not being able to make those types of subs.

The last sub we made involving one of the kids lead to Boro scoring a last minute goal when Garcia didn't quite do enough to stop the cross.

Maybe a touch of inexperience on his part and Pep will now not risk games until they are properly put to bed or a dead rubber in the Champions league.

[PrezIke]

Few things. First I think Pep has started to show a pattern of resting players before and after international and cl games so nobody plays 3 or 4 big games in a row. While it's frustrating it may be fruitful come seasons end. Pellegrini always played kun, silva and kompany and they always ended up missing games because of it. Probably wouldn't rest kdb and silva together tho.

Generally speaking...eggsactly.

I think he feels our B squad can still beat the likes of Burnley and Palace...

An guess what? They did.

[City64]

Few things. First I think Pep has started to show a pattern of resting players before and after international and cl games so nobody plays 3 or 4 big games in a row. While it's frustrating it may be fruitful come seasons end. Pellegrini always played kun, silva and kompany and they always ended up missing games because of it. Probably wouldn't rest kdb and silva together tho.

Generally speaking...eggsactly.

I think he feels our B squad can still beat the likes of Burnley and Palace...

An guess what? They did.

Chelsea next Saturday at home , huge 6 pointer . Pep always had one eye on that hence resting key players .

[london blue 2]

I think it's because we've gone back to scraping games and not being able to make those types of subs.

The last sub we made involving one of the kids lead to Boro scoring a last minute goal when Garcia didn't quite do enough to stop the cross.

Maybe a touch of inexperience on his part and Pep will now not risk games until they are properly put to bed or a dead rubber in the Champions league.

Good point.