***Treble Winners v Arsenal Official Match Thread***

[sniffer]

So I thought Gvardiol did well, made some good tackles, good first touch and got forward well. People say he didn't get crosses in. Well to be fair he is CB not a winger. And there lies our problem. Square pegs in round holes.
Gvardiol not a FB
Bernardo as much as I love him not a winger, continually turns back on his left foot because he can't cross a ball with his right.
Foden not a winger but does a decent job considering.
Grealish not a winger, never beats his man or crosses.
We have not beaten a top side because we are weaker than last year and they have improved.
Are players are all quality but don't shoehorn them in for that reason ship some out if necessary and buy or promote players that fit.

[Mase]

Can’t wait until Netflix release this doc so I can watch that and forget about yesterday!!

[Mase]

One thing from yesterday though - there’s absolutely no reason a CB like Akanji should be playing RB instead of Lewis.

Not sure what Pep’s issue is with the kids that come through, but Lewis is fine to replace Walker when needed. Bobb is fine to replace Grealish (and should be ahead of Doku).

[blues2win]

Lewis inverts better than Akanji but I think Pep thinks Akanji is a better defender even at RB. Our wide men aren’t contributing enough goals and assists. Haaland looks very isolated too. If Alvarez is to play I’d like to see him off Haaland maybe feeding off scraps but he’s a good striker.

[Mase]

Lewis inverts better than Akanji but I think Pep thinks Akanji is a better defender even at RB. Our wide men aren’t contributing enough goals and assists. Haaland looks very isolated too. If Alvarez is to play I’d like to see him off Haaland maybe feeding off scraps but he’s a good striker.

Pep would play Mangala over Lewis in defence just because he didn’t come through the academy.

Bobb and Doku are similar ages and Bobb is better, but Doku gets put in ahead of him, even though Bobb is more of a “Pep player”.

Bobb scored the winner at Newcastle and then next game had a perfectly good goal ruled out against Spurs. Since that we’ve barely see him.

[MIAMCFC]

We just lack the edge we had, Gundo going has hurst us. I would prefer Gvardiol at CB, however he shut down the main man for them with ease, do not understand the heat he gets on here, he is going to prove again like so many you settle in and flourish under Pep. Fans were great. Onwards and hope for a twist or 2.

[blues2win]

Would you put Rico up against Vinicius Jnr at the Bernabeu or Akanji? He’s going to go with Akanji if Walker isn’t fit.

[Mase]

Would you put Rico up against Vinicius Jnr at the Bernabeu or Akanji? He’s going to go with Akanji if Walker isn’t fit.

Yes.
Arsenal weren’t attacking us, so the extra body in midfield with the ball, which we can all agree that Rico does better, was needed. We were at home to Arsenal, not away to Madrid.

Would you rather play Bobb, that keeps the ball better, or Doku at the Bernabeu. What do you think Pep would do?

[salford city]

Would you put Rico up against Vinicius Jnr at the Bernabeu or Akanji? He’s going to go with Akanji if Walker isn’t fit.

Yes.
Arsenal weren’t attacking us, so the extra body in midfield with the ball, which we can all agree that Rico does better, was needed. We were at home to Arsenal, not away to Madrid.

Would you rather play Bobb, that keeps the ball better, or Doku at the Bernabeu. What do you think Pep would do?

If walker and stones aren't fit for mafrid away the back four that started yesterday will start without a doubt

[Mase]

Would you put Rico up against Vinicius Jnr at the Bernabeu or Akanji? He’s going to go with Akanji if Walker isn’t fit.

Yes.
Arsenal weren’t attacking us, so the extra body in midfield with the ball, which we can all agree that Rico does better, was needed. We were at home to Arsenal, not away to Madrid.

Would you rather play Bobb, that keeps the ball better, or Doku at the Bernabeu. What do you think Pep would do?

If walker and stones aren't fit for mafrid away the back four that started yesterday will start without a doubt

If Ake is fit as well, he went off injured.

I agree, that back four will start.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Thought Gvardiol was quality today, comfortably our best player.

Quality ? what quality was that then ? no crosses and he just stops and passes backwards....fuckall quality to talk of as far as doing his job is concerned.
And as for being our best player..everyone was shit , including our manager who just cannot beat a top 5 team this season.

Bobb should have started as it became obvious after the first 20 mins what kind of game it was going to be -Haaland needs to be dropped IMO...hes become a lazy cunt who has , it seems, developed an attitude of 'if the ball doesn't come to me 5 yards out I'm not going to do anything ' and ill add to this , he cannot control a ball for toffee.

Shockingly bad today.

Quality yes as nearly everyone on here has said and everyone coming out of the stadium. What did Saka their golden boy do and he beat the full back and got into the box a number of times which is more than Foden did.
You're obsessed with not beating a top 5 side Liverpool haven't beaten us or Arsenal and are top. We lost to a freak deflection away at Arsenal or we'd be unbeaten against them as well.
Why was Pep shit by the way, he made 2 attacking substitutions to try and win the game. We can't win every game, it could be an important point come the end.

His job is to get down the line and cross balls into the area - he didn't do it.....that's his job ( or it should be his job ) and he offered nothing as far as a goal threat is concerned ............he played the game without being dispossessed ( apart from one that he managed to get back) for the first time since we bought him.


Obsessed with beating a top 5 team ? yes I am fuckign obsessed with beating a top 5 team as there is fuckall chance of winning a premier league trophy with that stat stapled to us.....its no good beating lesser teams if we cannot beat the top 5 teams is it .

PeP should have hauled off Haaland for the start of the second half and I doubt anyone else would have disagreed. Bobb should have come on as well.

There was no way those same 11 players were going to suddenly start playing like they wanted to win the game in the second half.

I will give Foden a pass for this game as he was obviously jaded because that absolute clown Southgate fucked him up with so many minutes playing for England.

Carl, when do our full backs get down the line and cross? Walker very rarely does it on the right. I don't agree with why Pep tells the players not to do it but I'm not going to criticise a player for doing what the manager tells him, I'd rather criticise the manager for telling him not to do it. We have Haaland in the box so there is no reason not to be firing crosses in to him although I think that heading is another weakness to his game.

Walker tries to do it but fails miserably - I cannot understand why the manager would tell them not to get crosses in when they can …… it defies logic when you , like you mentioned , have a 6foot striker in the box .

I thought that’s why we bought him so that we could get crosses into him .

[Mase]

Walker has been getting forward and crossing quite a bit recently - hence all the comments about his poor crossing..

[blues2win]

I saw a snippet of play where Gvardiol was in a position to cross the ball with only Haaland to aim at who was tightly marked, He crossed anyway but Haaland had no chance of getting a decent header on target and didn’t do so. I’d love to have seen one or two pull backs to Rodri to shoot from outside the box.

[Outcast]

So let me get this, all our issues stemmed from Josko not crossing the ball?

We're asking a centre back to produce KDB pin point crosses? I don't recall the likes of Baredsi, Nesta, Canavaro, camel gob producing world class crosses.

Our forward players haven't been potent, maybe its down to injuries, form, formations, lethargy, connection, leadership, Peps tinkering....

[Outcast]

Drop haaland. Alvarez up top weds

Can't see pep doing it. But many would understand if he did.

If Villa put eleven in their box like Arse did , or other teams do , then swapping Haaland für Alvarez will bring nothing.

Disagree, at least Julian has a touch on him. The ball just pings off Haaland in the main. Bad day at the office yesterday but if Kev isn't on it then neither is Haaland and we have Foden wasted out wide.

Last game he started he was subbed off ( against Liverpool ) because his touch was way off, giving the ball away all the time, which , admittedly is unusual for him. It was as if his national team mate Mac Allister had got to him at the start of the game. He was woeful .

According to you Alverez and Josko are shit but Akanji is world class.

[Indianablue]

Thought Gvardiol was quality today, comfortably our best player.

Quality ? what quality was that then ? no crosses and he just stops and passes backwards....fuckall quality to talk of as far as doing his job is concerned.
And as for being our best player..everyone was shit , including our manager who just cannot beat a top 5 team this season.

Bobb should have started as it became obvious after the first 20 mins what kind of game it was going to be -Haaland needs to be dropped IMO...hes become a lazy cunt who has , it seems, developed an attitude of 'if the ball doesn't come to me 5 yards out I'm not going to do anything ' and ill add to this , he cannot control a ball for toffee.

Shockingly bad today.

Quality yes as nearly everyone on here has said and everyone coming out of the stadium. What did Saka their golden boy do and he beat the full back and got into the box a number of times which is more than Foden did.
You're obsessed with not beating a top 5 side Liverpool haven't beaten us or Arsenal and are top. We lost to a freak deflection away at Arsenal or we'd be unbeaten against them as well.
Why was Pep shit by the way, he made 2 attacking substitutions to try and win the game. We can't win every game, it could be an important point come the end.

His job is to get down the line and cross balls into the area - he didn't do it.....that's his job ( or it should be his job ) and he offered nothing as far as a goal threat is concerned ............he played the game without being dispossessed ( apart from one that he managed to get back) for the first time since we bought him.


Obsessed with beating a top 5 team ? yes I am fuckign obsessed with beating a top 5 team as there is fuckall chance of winning a premier league trophy with that stat stapled to us.....its no good beating lesser teams if we cannot beat the top 5 teams is it .

PeP should have hauled off Haaland for the start of the second half and I doubt anyone else would have disagreed. Bobb should have come on as well.

There was no way those same 11 players were going to suddenly start playing like they wanted to win the game in the second half.

I will give Foden a pass for this game as he was obviously jaded because that absolute clown Southgate fucked him up with so many minutes playing for England.

His job is to get down the line and cross balls into the area - he didn't do it. Bollocks, he did this continuously until Grealish came on and supposedly took over. Considering he is more centre back than left back and is learning to follow Peps instructions he is doing well. Certainly not as shit as some on here keep bleating about. Sometomes think i've watched a different game. I agree Haaland should have been pulled by Pep . Alvarez and Bobb are twice the ball players and are prepared to work their socks off.

[Mase]

I do wonder if Pep is forcing Josko at LB because he wants to get him acclimatised to the Prem quicker. He’ll be on the ball more there and will be put in awkward positions. Might be his plan? Otherwise I can’t see why he’s playing the most sought after CB in Europe last summer out of position

[Nick]

We had a lot of decent chances??? Really??

We had one shot on targer and I don't even remember that.

A special mention to our shitty corners n the same shit corner takers that persist on taking them.

Woeful that we can't beat good teams.

No pressing, urgency or desire.

Just like at Anfield it was like we were ok with a draw.

Are we going to magic up motivation for the rest / Madrid?

[zuricity]

Drop haaland. Alvarez up top weds

Can't see pep doing it. But many would understand if he did.

If Villa put eleven in their box like Arse did , or other teams do , then swapping Haaland für Alvarez will bring nothing.

Disagree, at least Julian has a touch on him. The ball just pings off Haaland in the main. Bad day at the office yesterday but if Kev isn't on it then neither is Haaland and we have Foden wasted out wide.

Last game he started he was subbed off ( against Liverpool ) because his touch was way off, giving the ball away all the time, which , admittedly is unusual for him. It was as if his national team mate Mac Allister had got to him at the start of the game. He was woeful .

According to you Alverez and Josko are shit but Akanji is world class.

I can't recall ever writing that Akanji is world class . Could you find some evidence for me ? Neither Alvarez or Gvardiol are crap. Players can have off days.
I think you are wrong in your assessment of my opinions.

[branny]

I'd like to have seen Haaland hooked and shift Phil to a false 9 to see if he could get involved. If that didn't work, Foden right and Alvarez on or Bobb on ahead of Doku. Can't have done any worse.