Mole_Toonfan

Not really done anything of note so far good or bad.

They've brought it in because they reckon the team that goes first gets an unfair advantage. So now the team that goes second gets a much more unfair advantage. Aye that's how i saw it too, didn't help the percieved imbalance at all. Just flipped it. Why's it an advantage for the second team? I wouldn't be arsed about changing it myself but I can't see the problem. I have only seen one shootout obviously, but it seems like to me it puts the team going first under massive pressure to score otherwise you are a bit fucked.

Ritchie is class at free kicks.

That wouldn't be legal would it? hypothetical, they would need a deal with sky. You mean the Premier League. It'd cost the club millions. Possibly hundreds of millions. Premier League, Sky, BT and every other media partner in between. It would be practically impossible, would be nice mind.

Feel like Murphy should have run with it a little more there.

Seems so.

Great move

Looking forward to seeing Merino and Murphy.

All the subs!

Aye that wasn't good at all.

Spurs

Great play from Atsu and Perez.

They've brought it in because they reckon the team that goes first gets an unfair advantage. So now the team that goes second gets a much more unfair advantage. Aye that's how i saw it too, didn't help the percieved imbalance at all. Just flipped it.

That new penalty system seems utterly shite

Aye i'm trying to log in and it's just on an infinite loop.

Of course there's already been a goal

Well this has been rather shit.

I admit the what's going to happen thing was a step too far, the rest i stand by though.

Me neither.

Interesting that neither team are what i'd consider their best.

Shelvey barely has the mobility to play as a CM at times not sure why anyone would want him play in a position which is usually occupied by the likes of Silva, Ozil, Eriksen etc etc I get our options there are awful but playing Shelvey there is not the answer and Rafa will know this, which is why he's never played him there. What's going to happen is either Merino or Hayden won't play, they might be brought on to close out a game we are winning or something but that's it. They are all players that play deeper and have no business playing close to a striker, no team with any sort of intelligent manager will play 3 midfielders that play deep as a natural position because it just isolates the striker from the midfield. Beating a deadhorse, but it's why signing an AM is absolutely vital. Rafa's entire gameplan will go out the window without one.

No, Shelvey doesn't have the mobility Gerrard had. It's nice to theorize these things i get it, but it's not at all realistic.

Shelvey and Merino ( at least from the little i have seen of him) are best from deep, they need someone to act as a link between themselves and the striker. Gayle will get isolated in such a scenario, unless we can regularly get the wingers in advanced positions which is very unlikely. Of course i'm talking about against Spurs, against Verona it doesn't matter. For the above reasons Rafa will not play those 3 together in a competitive game and neither should he.

I'm sure Rafa is, it's everyone else involved where i question their work ethic tbh.

Can't wait for Gayle to not touch the ball the whole game.