The bigger sides are consistently up against low blocks so I’d say that is a contributing factor too and the fact you can qualify in third without even winning a game seems odd to me. Yeah some have had a go, Georgia in particular but most of these nations are not like that.Originally Posted by Mac76
Community Shield today.
I strongly disapprove. I know two years ago it was a Saturday. But community shield should be a Sunday.
Also should be called the charity shield
I am not a neophobe
Danny Baker used to say it is physically impossible to say "Charity Shield" without adding "...the traditional curtain-raiser to the English league season".
I couldn't give a monkeys about this and tbh I'm struggling to work up much enthusiasm for the season about to start.
I watch the charity shield if Arsenal are playing in it, otherwise I don’t give a shit
Yeah I’m the same about the new season. I don’t think it’s even about what we have or haven’t done in the transfer market. Finishing 2nd to Man City twice in a row suggests we can win the title even if without strengthening we make it much tougher for ourselves. I want us to win the league but I also don’t really give a fuck, maybe I’ll be more enthusiastic half way through if we are in contention (and I don’t suppose we definitely won’t be). I’d expect City to win again, and Guardiola most likely to fuck off after that (will that make the league more winnable, possibly not as I think it’s the players city have rather than how good Pep is as a coach that makes the difference)
I want us to win the league a lot, but it's not happening IMO, he's keeping Zin which is immediately sabotaging us, plus he still thinks Jesus is good enough up front, which he quite patently isn't, plus it means swapping Havertz back to left 8 which weakens our attack
I think another team, maybe Liverpool, will really challenge us for second so we may even finish third
Which reminds me @Letters are we doing season's predictions?
I'm not the only person on here who can start a thread, dude! Tbh I hadn't thought about it but if you want to start the thread then go nuts.
I could do I guess, I think the lack of enthusiasm I feel is a factor in me not doing it.
Man City: Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, O’Reilly, McAtee, Bobb, Doku, Haaland.
Subs: Ortega, Carson, Phillips, Ake, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Savinho, Nunes, Kabore
Man Utd: Onana, Maguire, Martinez, Evans, Dalot, Casemiro, Mainoo, Fernandes, Amad, Mount, Rashford.
Subs: Bayindir, Collyer, Eriksen, McTominay, Pellistri, Antony, Garnacho, Sancho, Zirkzee.
Liverpool aren’t going to do anything. They only challenged last season because Klopp was by some way the best manager in the league. This Dutch guy won the league with Feyenoord season before last, I’d be surprised if they finish top four to be honest. Unless we fuck up badly, it’s going to be us and City making up the top two
The idea that Zinchenko is going to be the difference between us winning the league or not, is massively histrionic. First off signing the Italian suggests he isn’t going to be first choice starter and will be at best a squad player. Defensively he is shambolic, but going forward he’s good at the link up play which allows us operate better on the left and stops us from overrelying on Saka on the right.
So if he comes on in a few games either for a midfielder or traditional left back, I don’t really care.
I agree about Jesus but the fact is we haven’t been linked with anyone who can guarantee us the 20-25 goals a season that we need. Not even sure there are many players who fit that description…it wasn’t a surprise with the Euros that no one got more than three goals because of the out and out strikers that were there, they were massively out of form. Spain had ten different goalscorers over seven games.
For me it’s about consistency with goal scoring, we have over the last two seasons scored plenty of goals. But there was also 24 from 76 where we managed one goal or fewer. With our defence, the vast majority of the time two goals in a game will win us three points so that’s what we need as a bare minimum in I would say 85% of games (as opposed to the 68% we are managing now). I think it’s dealing with teams that put on the deep block so as much as anything it’s about having a physical player who is good at holding up the ball….thus if we don’t sign a striker I’d be inclined to play Havertz and Jesus together
Diallo.
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