by zabbadabbado » Sun Sep 14, 2025 11:26 am
Heart hopes for a good convincing win with tough games against Napoli and Arsenal up next.
Brain really isn't feeling it.
Sure derby is a one off game, even at our peak we lost against these bastards. No one will ever forget the derby we lost at home to clinch the Title.
I like a Football bet, or two, so have been going over ours and the Rags OPTA Stats this week. Against Spurs we won 0 second Balls, against Brighton we won just 18% of second Balls, we lost both games. Over the last 18 months there has been a serious decline in our Stats all round.
Rags stats against Arsenal at home were actually quite impressive, just lacked Goals, fact is they were unlucky to lose that game. Last game out they won over 80% of all second Balls and put in a lot of Leg work with their high press. They might be considered shit based on recent results but they are putting in a shift.
We also have the Amorim factor, sure he is a Clown, he isn't a great manager either, fact is though he has Guardiola number. Who can forget the City v Sporting away game that had rag fans drooling over him. Simple tactics again. Let us dominate possession and use the High press to make us make unenforced errors. It isn't Rocket Science any more pretty much every team in the League uses the same tactics against us because we play the same way regardless.
Have not seen anything yet to suggest Guardiola is going to try anything different other than slow, insipid, boring football with emphasis on keeping possession and recycling the Ball.
Reality being this derby today is actually the perfect game for the Rags style and and not ours.
We will play to their strengths again because we have no plan B. Their average "One trick Pony" Manager has the perfect team to employ his counter attacking style against.
The gulf in class of player has been closed. We have a Manager too stubborn to change his style with one Eye on retirement. I am not even sure the Players believe in his style any more either.
Kind of ironic that even with a win today Amorim is a dead Man walking. Rags could walk away with 3 point today. Get giddy with excitement that they have finally turned a corner. Fact is though it will only be delaying the inevitable for Amorim/Reality being even if they win they will only have beaten the worst City side from the last 10 years, and a Manager in Guardiola who himself is well past his Sell By date.
Rags will never have a better chance than today.
We lose today, i fear 3 defeats on the bounce will quickly become 5.
Or maybe today will be the day Pep will show me he really does have a plan B that goes beyond walking Football for long periods and lobbing aimless Balls in to the Box to Haaland.Maybe we will play quick incisive football with killer Balls on the ground for Haaland to run on to.
Heart hopes for 4-1
Brain says it will be more of the the same old insipid regurgitated shit. And we will make Amorim and the Rags look World class.0-1.1-3
Hope i am wrong.