KaKa

What are the odds for a Chelsea relegation?

Just now, CPL said:

Maddison down with a bad one. That's why we didn't sign him. 

Just a slight hyperextension. Will walk that off.

Jorginho has been embarrassingly off the pace. 

Arsenal look primed to bottle this.

Such a lack of composure. 

4 minutes ago, Menace said:

Maddison has completely transformed these lot. Baffled some on here were turning their nose up at him. He's exactly what we need.

Maddison's been good, but this is mainly down to Postecoglu.

Jorginho is so slow man.

That sub might get Arteta killed 

6 minutes ago, toon25 said:

Rafa beating Barca with his boring football 

Wow ... talk about a jinx 

Danjuma is horrendous. 

Never looks to release the ball and then just gets tackled.

3 minutes ago, LionOfGosforth said:

 

Might have been yeah, good call. Not really seeing the fuss yet

 

Kaka - What are your thoughts here? Wrong team for him?

Yeah, like him a lot.

Everton's approach play is not going to make things easy for him at all, but even then still think he'll do well.

Really needs someone that can play him in behind more consistently. 

Mykolenko is so poor.

Great goal by Boga for Nice.

9 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

https://trainingground.guru/articles/mark-leyland-why-i-left-newcastle-united-for-city-football-group

 

Leyland described the level of detail that Howe and his coaching staff go into as “mind blowing.” The Magpies were deep in the relegation zone when Howe arrived, in November 2021, and he led them to an 11th-place finish in his first season (2021/22). Champions League qualification then followed the next season, in his first full campaign.

 

“The way the manager works at Newcastle, and his coaching staff, they are incredible, they are so elite,” Leyland, who joined Newcastle in December 2021, told the TGG Podcast.

 

“Their processes, their delivery of training sessions, their review of matches and the detail they go into in analysing the performance of themselves and the players is mind blowing. They are an incredible bunch of staff.”

Of Howe in particular, Leyland said: “He’s obsessed with football, it’s his whole life. He’s an incredible human being, an unbelievable football coach and an incredible thinker on the game.”

This is all the kind of stuff I still remember reading from before.

It's why I have absolutely no concerns and know it's just a matter of time before we go up another gear or two.

Balogun's home debut and has missed two penalties.

Not a good way to endear himself to the fans of his new club. Shocking.

Nice Vs Monaco on at 8pm.

Thuram, Fofana, Todibo, Moffi, Camara and Balogun playing.

Should be a good game.

7 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

I enjoy analysing the player and manager's development (or lack thereof). I enjoy the process. That's why I ask questions in threads, i want people to share ideas that can be discussed. Whether I agree with their perspective or not. And that's why I block people that want to focus on insults. I'm just here talking about football.

Yeah, nothing wrong with that. The manner you do so can be a bit unclear at times, which is why I asked you if you were enjoying it. I mean there are many points we have discussed, sometimes disagreeing and sometimes agreeing.

There's plenty others that think they are critiquing, but they are not. It's repetitive whining and complaining about the same points over and over again, and not taking onboard anything you try to discuss with them. It kills all the vibes on the forum.

6 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

My personal opinion: that's your perspective of others because you don't enjoy people critiquing what happens. I haven't seen anyone say they are unhappy with the club's direction. I have seen people say we played badly; some call certain players shit... but nobody is not enjoying the club from what I can tell. Name a poster who has said they do not enjoy it if you can.

 

All of our players are talented. And our manager has ability. The signing I've been most critical of is probably Gordon. But I've said he's been our best winger this season, he has a lot of positive attributes, and he's well suited to the manager's style. I question his quality but he can improve. I've said Barnes is a net positive after selling ASM. Neither are my type of player but I can see why they are here and I think they can contribute to our success. I think both have limitations which I'll discuss on this forum. I like the other signings a lot. I like Tonali but there's a lot for him and Howe to work on to get him right. I don't see things in black and white. 

 

I agree with you on your last point. But I enjoy talking about the details of what's happening. I want Howe and the boys to succeed. So I'll worry when we don't play well for 4 straight games. It's not the end of the world but I will share my concerns. I enjoy talking about what details are working well and I enjoy talking about what details aren't working well.

 

I seen a podcast a while back. There was talk about how Spanish footballers, pundits, fans etc. talk about the game. They talk about the details, the concepts, the ideas. They conceptualise the game. In England we just talk about the result. If you talk about the game conceptually people will mock you for highfalutin or pretentiousness. "Football's a simple game" a pundit will say whose management career ended by 55. And it trickles to the fans. "Why are you talking about the opposition getting into a halfspace? Just enjoy the game!!!!" not realising that some of us enjoy analysing the game. Critique is seen as dissent.

The simplest way I think I can put the whole 'critiquing' thing, is that I think there is a very clear disparity in what people define as critiquing.

You're right it isn't enjoyable to read when it is continuously done over and over again in so many threads, and when a lot of it draws ridiculous conclusions. It doesn't make for any kind of interesting dialogue.

I wouldn't necessarily put you in that category though, as you do go into more detail and some interesting points can at least be talked about.

I genuinely just wondered if you did rate the manager and players you usually address and if you were still enjoying following the club, because I really wasn't sure. Good that you do though.

7 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

You've made many assumptions here Kaka, none of which are true. But to the actual question, I enjoy following the team tremendously, which is why I have 23k posts over 18 years, almost exclusively talking about the football team. Since the takeover my fandom has been re-energised and I can't talk enough about Newcastle United. I enjoy caring. I enjoy having a manager and team worth following and dissecting every nook and cranny with a bunch of strangers who mostly don't want to hear my opinion. But I share it anyway because I love it. When Rafa was sacked, and i didn't care, I barely posted. I rarely posted during the Bruce era - who the fuck cares? 

 

I'm not frustrated at all. Ultimately, we got a point and have a talented squad and manager and the richest owners in the world implementing a proper setup for the club. My critique is analytical, not emotional. I don't get crazy high or low about football.

 

To answer what I think is your last question. Because of FFP we'll need to compensate for not spending as much as other top 6 clubs somehow. Being smarter in the transfer market both buying and selling - aye. But we also need it on the pitch. I think having the hardest running and working good team is a viable approach to doing so. And under Howe, I think that can be done. And he has my support. But I think Howe needs to be a bit more tactically sharp and adapt faster to teams clocking our game. He also needs to evolve our game plan and find a way to play more of our most talented players together. At the moment, we don't have those hard-working and technically superior players in attacking positions like Liverpool does in Diaz, Szob, Jota, Salah, Mane so we need to find a way to get that quality of player into the squad but that's not just down to Howe. But I'm not frustrated. I think Howe will get the chance to prove himself. 

So I wasn't actually questioning your support. I was asking if you actually enjoy following the club if the manager, style and players aren't your preference. Seems from what you've said you still do, so fair enough. I do think there are a fair few that don't enjoy it at the minute because they want some version of the Chelsea or City type approach to bringing players in and a bigger name continental manager.

I think a lot of the time your posts do tend to read as though your mind is made up already on both the manager and a lot of the signings and you don't rate them, and so was interested to see what your thinking was exactly.

Ultimately from my perspective, we have ownership that actually want to compete and a good infrastructure behind the manager. Howe will have an opportunity to show what he can do and also make up for anything he hasn't quite got right so far. If he doesn't continue to evolve and show he's up to it, then ultimately someone else will come in. Same thing with the players also. And so it's why I'm not quite sure why people are worrying so much about everything.

33 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

AC Milan are good. They finished 1st, then 4th/5th in Serie A last season.

 

We are meant to be good too though.

 

They spent Barnes money on Pulisic and Chukwueze. Salaries will be considerably higher but I wonder what opinion we'll have on that in a couple years.

So, I have a question.

If you're not a fan of the manager's style of play or preferred type of signings, and you're sceptical of his tactical ability, do you think you can still enjoy following the team?

It appears this is something you are struggling with along with a number of others, and so the frustration manifests as this constant dissatisfaction when everything isn't clicking.

From previous discussions you seem to prefer a more possession heavy, technical style of football. However no one can ever guarantee the club they follow will have their preferred type of manager, style of play or signings.

And so not sure what the solution is for you. Interested to know what you'd ideally like to see happen.

35 minutes ago, christ said:

 

People are no longer going to be satisfied with a perfunctory 1-0 win over a team like Brentford.

Someone legit said in the match thread that losing to Brentford at home would be 'unacceptable'.

Not Luton mind you, Brentford.

The Brentford that beat Man City both home and away last season.

5 minutes ago, Heron said:

Wasn't actually attempting to insult you tbf fella, was just having a laugh. Your post was full of attitude, just as the one above was and it made me chuckle. Settle your kettle.

Delightful, thanks.

2 minutes ago, Pata said:

 

Nah, you're doing the exact same thing when talking about Bayern that you've been criticising people when they are talking about us. They have had iffy performances, we've had iffy performances. We'll be fine but you are doubting how far they can get in this competition. I honestly don't think the first group stage match in September means anything to their chances of going far in this competition and they won the match while scoring four goals. 

 

 

 

Well, I'm talking about them winning the Champions League, so quite a big difference.

And like I said, I hardly claimed they had no chance, but whatever.

If you think it's all the same then cool, but I disagree.

2 minutes ago, Heron said:

S is for sassy.

All these silly cheap insults because you have nothing sensible to say. Pitiful stuff.

1 minute ago, Pata said:

 

Why you have to be so serious? Chill.

Exactly. You've got absolutely nothing.

11 minutes ago, Pata said:

 

You've been laughing at everyone's overreactions for the last 24 hours and come up with posts like these.

 

Man, some of you lot are so tiresome and insufferable.

I have watched a number of Bayern games this season. Sane, Koman and Musiala fly around but can be really wasteful at key moments. Their midfield is also quite one paced and can be got at.

On top of that, all I've actually said is that 'I'm not sure how well they'll do'.

So now you tell me why that is so outrageous to you and what you've seen from their play that makes you so much more certain to claim I am over reacting.

I'll wait.

Yeah, Kimmich and Groetzka look leggy in midfield.