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The Footie Thread

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I thought that first half was shockingly slow from City, Ave a feeling pep thinks the same coz they have stepped it up the second half..now they have a 3 goal lead it will probably drop off again.
I fear another Manchester mauling for saints ?
 
A game we were never going to win even with a full strength side, so a good call from the manager to rotate it a bit and protect some of the regulars for upcoming games. City are absolutely clinical but fair play to Saints, they turned up and made a bloody good game if it, and earned somw big praise from Pep at the end
 
A game we were never going to win even with a full strength side, so a good call from the manager to rotate it a bit and protect some of the regulars for upcoming games. City are absolutely clinical but fair play to Saints, they turned up and made a bloody good game if it, and earned somw big praise from Pep at the end

I was watching some of the Saints movement how they managed to get behind City from open play and Ave not seen a lot of that this season from opposing teams. I thought both defences were sloppy. That aside a good game for the neutral to watch.
 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56337829

Jurgen Klopp saying Fabinho is one of the best midfielders in the world. Am not gonna argue with that, but does it not just endorse why the heck did he persist in playing him at centre half.

Because he is also superb as a CB and was the 4th choice cover - so when we lost 3 CB’s he moved into the back line because we have cover at the centre of the park with multiple expirenced CM’s and very little at CB
 
Because he is also superb as a CB and was the 4th choice cover - so when we lost 3 CB’s he moved into the back line because we have cover at the centre of the park with multiple expirenced CM’s and very little at CB
Definitely not "superb" as a CB.

Decent enough to fill in during a game in the event of an injury but should never be a long term answer.

Leaves the midfield short and this was accentuated when Henderson was also having to play there.
 
Definitely not "superb" as a CB.

Decent enough to fill in during a game in the event of an injury but should never be a long term answer.

Leaves the midfield short and this was accentuated when Henderson was also having to play there.

Talking like he is mascherano ? he's alright at CB. Like you said.. but he is so good in the middle Liverpool should be having a proper 4th choice Cb rather than resort to playing their best midfielder there
 
Because he is also superb as a CB and was the 4th choice cover - so when we lost 3 CB’s he moved into the back line because we have cover at the centre of the park with multiple expirenced CM’s and very little at CB
He’s an average CB at best.
He did a job , but we had CBS sitting on the bench.
The midfield was weakened and this caused us problems imo.
 
14 goals conceded in a 6 game losing streak. If that's a superb CB, Craig Dawson is basically Alessandro Nesta. (Spoiler he isn't, he's just decent)

And Fabinho had been injured for most of them - he was mainly the starting CB from October through to Xmas when he got injured and during that time the record was vastly different
 
Fabinho was a right back before he was a holding midfielder, so he's used to playing in defence, but you wouldn't say centre back is his best position. He's a reasonable deputy there. As discussed the bigger issue was what he left in midfield. You took out the lynchpin/rock in Fabinho, then took out the runner/legs and vocal organiser of Henderson, and replaced them with a creative flair player in Thiago. That was never going to work. Lost the midfield presence completely. I don't think Fab and Hendo ever did a really terrible job as centre backs in isolation. They just needed to be the midfield.
 
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So, those well known goal scorers Odegard, Gabriel, and Elneny got a good result. Anyone who bet on those three would have made a bundle, and are probably in a secure facility somewhere.
 
Sad news that Chris Wilder is leaving his job. They were tremendous last year but the failure to find a goalscorer has cost them. They punched well above their weight and I can't see him being out of work for long.
It's a fine line for clubs like them. Spent a decent sum on Brewster but it's not worked out. Imagine if they'd have got say, Ollie Watkins or someone instead who hit the ground running, could have been a totally different season.
 
It's a fine line for clubs like them. Spent a decent sum on Brewster but it's not worked out. Imagine if they'd have got say, Ollie Watkins or someone instead who hit the ground running, could have been a totally different season.
Very much so. That one player is usually the difference between relegation, survival or a comfortable season.
 
Sad news that Chris Wilder is leaving his job. They were tremendous last year but the failure to find a goalscorer has cost them. They punched well above their weight and I can't see him being out of work for long.

Utd fans I've spoken to have blamed the recruitment policy last summer, they've essentially signed championship quality players and hoped they would make the grade in the PL.
 
Very much so. That one player is usually the difference between relegation, survival or a comfortable season.

Dont forget they had a keeper in great form last year too. Last year they scored and conceded 39 goals each. They actually had the 4th best defence last year, which was huge for them with their lowish goals tally.

This year, if you take their goals/game ratio they will score 21 goals, but concede 61 so they are significantly worse in both areas.
 
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