Tiresias

The whole tucking in full backs seems all basically to allow City to have a front 3 with 2 creative midfielders right behind, very cool imo rarely seen. I'd usually think 2 no 10 types playing centrally would just get in each others way

When it comes down to it it's just a way of completley overload the midfield with the full backs rather than the usual of using them to overload the other sides flanks. It's reliant on the full backs being super confident on the ball, I dunno if Sagna and Clichy are but 80% posession does show it's working right now

Bringing in Howard Webb to talk about that pen :lol: Also criticising a Guardiola side for playing it out from the back, yeaaaah get used to that

Can it become a yellow card when players complain loudly and make ticking off gestures in protest for the most incredibly obvious fouls? genuinely irritates me massively

Stupid tackle from Van Aanholt

Definitely not good enough midfield, Colback, Shelvey and Anita should all be booted out and replaced imo, not that anyone'll buy them. Need more creativity.

Disagree with any writing off of a lot of our players and Benitez, but I do think we haven't shipped out enough pretty rubbish players (Colback and Anita come to mind, think Rafa's love in on Anita is having a rude awakening on how physical this league is), and we haven't got a good enough striker or any creativity in mid. There's time to fix that and I think our defence will tighten up before much longer, but I do not think there's enough goals in this team.

I don't have concerns about Rafa, I have big concerns over the character of a lot of the players in our squad. Rafa isn't a hoof it manager (though he is defensive), his players aren't yet responding.

Was worried about how much hype lascalles was getting considering how little we really saw of him and of that only half the time was any good

Sack Rafa hire Brucey like

We're through the looking glass here sheeple

We were poor no doubt but we'll get there. We're in desperate need of a midfielder who will pass the ball forward properly

Well that was deflating

Away game lineup gives them to much respect I'm but let's see

Janmmat is quality just way too inconsistent last season, confident Rafa will get him back to his best, which will be the best right back in the division

Pardew, Carver and McClaren are all the most cringeworthy 'just trying to be one of the lads' managers of all time, I genuinely suspect that the players were probably more professional half the time

Interesting read from Bellamy there, I think we desperately need that kind of organisation to be honest though I do like the forwards to have some freedom, i've generally understood Benitez's method to be that teh whole team has a lot of discipline to allow one or two of his attackers a lot of freedom (like Gerrard at his peak) so it doesn't cost the team any defensive shape. This will be essential imo in the championship where cheaply conceeded draws will come back to haunt us in the the run in.

The point of the words is to make us feel like we have to sell which reduces the price. We should sell him but we don't have to if no-one pays up. He's not half as good as he thinks he is and his attitude is pathetic. If we can't get a silly fee for him make him train in the reserves for a year and watch and laugh when he has to trundle off to West Brom. Won't happen as we want reccompense, but when we do want to force a player to stay we can't be seen to be bluffing and always willing to sell. I'd laugh my head off if some of the champions league clubs linked do buy him, he's an unprofessional c***.

Victor Moses next then?

I suppose what this signing shows is that Benitez wants a very deep squad whom he can rotate a lot to keep fresh with the large number of games coming up.

I've liked what I've seen of Lascelles but tbh it's not like he's played very much at all, bit early for the gushing praise imo

Not many people know that all football clubs are obliged by the football league to employ at least one completely shit defender in interests of comedy defenders make games better, steven taylor out we had to bring someone in

Surely everyone does the zonal marking the dangerous areas and stick big men man marking their big men, know it can go wrong but it's best of both worlds, and hardly that complicated

It's a friendly so told not to risk injury when possible?

Perez