by PrezIke » Thu Sep 14, 2017 5:17 pm
Had to watch on replay, but that was fantastic.
KDB and Stones were unbelievable.
When I saw Stones make those two fantastic defensive plays down the left against their attacking threat and then cleverly control and play the ball up the pitch quickly where one of those times we almost scored a goal that Aguero missed, I yelled at my screen, "This is the Stonesy that Pep has seen in his dreams! Love it!"
He also had that one run with the ball taking it out from the back that was great, and I was overjoyed for him, but KDB....AGAIN is on some other ish right now.
He's been, at minimum, very good in every game we've played this season, and now two in a row where he would be MOTM most times, both important matches. Against Liverpool, that one time where took the ball and ran up the pitch nearly scoring I also was thinking it was almost a direct response to critics I heard the other day saying their one criticism of him is he doesn't "take the game by the scruff of its neck." If anything he's doing that week in and week out now.
He's not a world class tackler, or useful in the air, but he sure knows how to pick his spots in defence, and with his work rate close down opponents and break up plays more than you would think. I know he wasn't Fernandinho when he went to a deeper role late in the game (his 3rd position of the game as we heard the commentary say), as I think he was showing some tiring, but this guy has the potential to be the best player in the world, and I don't think that is a joke nor did I think that because Pep just said what he did. It crossed my mind after this game, that's for certain.
Meanwhile, I think some are underestimating what the impact has been since Mendy has arrived. Some of us said to not get too worried about the attack after he was not in the team with the 352 and I know we played 433, but with the last 2 starts we've seen him be an absolute terror on the left with his Yaya-like play with pace, power and technique. He is a freakin' beast and I am loving his addition to the team outside of his personality which we already liked so much. Walker has also been very very good, and it's simply amazing to see the difference in our play having these two now, even if writing this has become redundant.
Bernardo clearly needs to get some more time with the team, but he also shows what he will bring and our team is beginning to look like we could be insanely good if we finally realise the potential that we have and a master of management in Pep (who really deserves credit). When Raz came on he worked his arse off, and still crazy that he and Sane are coming off the bench. They will get games, and we still have Ilkay and Yaya there as well.
Not going to get too carried away (I sound like I am, perhaps), but I think we are in for a real treat this season, and I didn't even talk about Kun or Jesus.
