KaKa

2 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

He didn't score, but he was electrifying in those first 10 games mind. Like a dribbley Darwin Nunez on steroids or Luis Suarez in his first half-season. Cristiano too. You knew he was a player. 

 

Nunez movement is 10/10. A little more composure and cleaner ball striking he's a 20-goal-a-season player easy. He's almost brilliant. We saw it.

Yeah, he was still good, but even he was doubting himself as a striker and went to Wenger looking for a change, so imagine that self doubt with all the social media noise on top of it. 

I think we potentially miss out on the level of player we ended up seeing. Henry can be a bit temperamental too. Don't think he would have handled it well at all.

2 hours ago, Sean said:

probably moves that day forward with performances like last night

Nah man, if Trippier can get a rest more often, think it could actually extend his career. 

Shouldn't feel like we need to play him as much as we have done previously, and so he should be much fresher going forward.

On 25/09/2023 at 15:56, Tiresias said:

I don't get the angst over a release clause. Of course if be upset if real Madrid came in and got him but we're not a club that won't bother replacing the best player any more, it'll be gutting if he goes but that is the nature of financial fair play until we have much higher commercial income we will cash in i suspect then buy the next Bruno for half the price (well preferably before)

Yeah, I don't fear losing the guy if it comes to it to be honest. Says the release clause will be in excess of £100 million.

The money won't be pocketed by the owners while we're left short, as we just don't function that way anymore.

The fee will all go towards strengthening the team, and we'll continue to grow from there.

For what it's worth, if we continue on the current trajectory, I think it will still take a really unique situation for him to even be looking to leave at all.

Regarding Bruno's new contract, says the release clause is in excess of £100 million, think they will likely have used the Caicedo record deal as a bench mark, and so will probably be just above that.

Think it's fair enough I guess. If we continue on the trajectory don't think he pushes to move. And if he ultimately does it's a big fee that will be put back into strengthening the team.

2 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

 

i’l repeat while he was defensively great. I was more impressed with his all round footballing ability.  He’s a proper footballer. Good touch. Good decisions. Sharp passing.  Technique. Etc.  

Yeah, he can really play. Looked very cool and calm too.

Excited to see how he comes along.

8 hours ago, Super Duper Branko Strupar said:

Im not sure we're even going to see the best of him this year, personally. If Gordon wasn't up to speed when he joined, Sandro is even behind that imo. Hopefully after Christmas he starts balling, but I'm not going to be chastising him for falling short here and there. Once he's up to speed, though. Mark my words.

I find the impatience and rush to judgement of players so awful nowadays. It's made so much worse with all these social media platforms now because all these players are on there and see it and so the pressure on them must be immense. Fans end up working against players in their own teams.

I was saying to a friend of mine that supports Arsenal that if social media was as it is today back then, Henry probably ends up a flop at Arsenal and is still being ridiculed to this day.

Pretty sure he was their club record signing at the time, having come from Juventus as a left winger that wasn't known for his goal scoring and hadn't really pulled up many trees over there. Came to Arsenal and was played upfront and didn't score in his first 7 games I think it was, and actually went and told Wenger he should play elsewhere because he wasn't a goal scorer, but Wenger told him to stick with it.

Imagine what AFTV would have been like then? Screaming about playing a left winger upfront that doesn't score. Guy would have had a mental breakdown.

4 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Must not want to leave and neither is the club eager. He's a much better CB than Burn imo.

Burn was very good at CB when he first came in too.

Think they're probably around the same level in that position.

Lascelles is more dominant physically, but Burn was a bit better with the ball in that position, although Lascelles now looks so much better in that respect now, so maybe he does edge him actually.

1 minute ago, r0cafella said:

Don’t be surprised if they renew him. 

Yeah, I'm sure that's also a possibility, and if it happens it will be because he earned it by having a great season. 

He's still just 29 years old, and so I could see a 3 year extension. If it means we could then focus money on other areas for the meantime then perhaps we see that.

2 hours ago, ExiledGeordie said:

He’s certainly got to be one of the really good back up options in the league. As you say he looked pretty good last night, great leader too. The squad feels so much deeper when you see Lascelles and Dummet playing like that. Excellent use of players by Howe.
 

I think he will probably move on at the end of this season as isn’t his contract up? 

Yeah, his contract is up end of the season.

That's why we have been looking at young backups in that position to play behind Schar I imagine.

And so yeah, will most likely leave come the summer. 

Really surprised no one's come in for him this past summer. There's worse players starting at centre back for Forest as an example.

33 minutes ago, McCormick said:

Better than Ashby imo.

Ashby will return as his back up once Trippier is done. Works out nicely.

26 minutes ago, Smal said:

Difficult for him but he is good with the ball. 10/10 passes completed and only lost possession twice.

Would have had no issues with him staying on second half.

Thought he looked shockingly composed.

Not at all surprised his numbers were so good.

Think this guy is going to be very very good.

His use of the ball and composure on it has improved so much man. 

Really glad for him tonight. Absolutely no concerns with him coming in for Schar this season when needed.

29 minutes ago, LiquidAK said:

Said it in the first half - every team he's played so far (barring a few minutes against Sheffield) have been teams that dominate us on the ball. He'll look a lot better with time to adjust to Howe's system and playing against weaker teams to build his confidence 

100%

If he had started the Sheffield United game in the exact same role he played tonight, he likely bosses the game with the space they gave us in midfield.

All a learning experience right now. When the full adjustment comes it's going to make a huge impact in the team.

Then will come all the pathetic shameless backtracking from the usual suspects that don't really know what they are looking at when they are sat watching these games.

Has always looked pretty solid at centre back for the most part. 

Great outing tonight. Was thrilled for him and Lascelles. Great stuff.

8 minutes ago, Shearergol said:

Have to say, I’ve missed seeing our press. Gave me goosebumps tonight. Understand the reason for not doing it as much but there’s nothing better than seeing our lads out press everyone 

I like that we pick our moments more tbh. Think it will pay off long term as we will maintain intensity through the season.

Against better teams sitting in that compact block in the middle of our half for periods to close off spaces in between the lines will also make things harder for these possession based sides.

Once we really get a hang of it, I think it has potential against better sides.

Froggy in the mud.

Let's go!

Loved the tactical adjustment to close off all those spaces in between the lines that Man City love to exploit.

Very nice change from the first meeting. 

Lascelles and Dummet at centre back and held Man City to an XG of 0.56.

Top class.

Just now, Shearergol said:

I feel I go on about Gordon every game now, but he’s becoming one of my favourite players quite quickly. So good.

Got great intangibles for our style of play.

Changed the game at the weekend with his quality.

Today he changed it with his intensity. Got the crowd and his team mates going, and we scored off the back of that lift.

Man City ended up with an XG of 0.56 ...

This guy can play. The midfield balance just wasn't good enough in the first half to get him on the ball more.

Was really playing more of a makeshift role tonight too, as a left winger. More of a left back or LCM.

That interchange with Isak to then play him in, in the first half, showed a lot of quality. Looking forward to see him against easier competition.

Just now, The Butcher said:

100m pounds for Jack Grealish

He's lucky Man City do so well anyway, because that guy does nothing for them.

The difference in danger once Doku came on was night and day.

Pep should try him as one of the 8s I think. On the left he is so ordinary. Just passes back to the middle all game.

Light work for Tino Livramento.

8 minutes ago, Menace said:

What a performance. A clean sheet with Dummett and Lascelles against the champions FFS 

Thought the defensive setup was great.

That compact block just in front of our box, closed up all those spaces in front of the centre backs they love to exploit.

Great stuff from Howe.

Such a satisfying win after all the nonsense these two stupid commentators were spewing in the first half.

We defended brilliantly. Limited then to very speculative chances.

Love that it ended with a big Lascelles header to clear the last cross into the box.

Perfect!

What a performance by Dummet man