jollof rice and pea

Always love Spaletti for creating Totti the false 9

Think people can argue about x attacking player should be playing over y as with the fullbacks but other than Kane I don't think any of the attacking options stand out massively over the others so that's all just preference, whereas the CM options are objectively the clear weakest part of the team, as ever with England. The general approach is basically the same as Deschamps, minus Pogba and Kante. Not sure what Southgate can really do to hide it other than accept the flaws and go back to the back five. 

Not sure if it's mentioned further back but Sky are streaming MNF on Youtube 

The West Brom one was bullshit because Fernandes stutter step forced the extra step from the keeper, I thought that stutter run up was banned as well?

Didn't realise Bolasie was still an Everton player

Love James and always root for traditional 10s to do well in the Prem but its Everton, he'll flop and be back at Monaco by summer '21

Good post.

 

He’s definitely a limited manager. No question. But seemingly international football suits him, and he’s the beneficiary of a more coherent plan with regards to player development which has seen some decent talent come through at the same time.

 

Whatever the circumstances, he’s at least carried himself well and has brought back a bit of decency to the position after some absolute shit/mercenary cunts have had the job.

The worry is Boothroyd being next in line.

Barca got to rely on Boateng and Neuers mental scars

I mean they pay Ronaldo like £25m a year more than anyone else in Serie A, they've put all their eggs in his basket so they have to go with it while he's still good enough to deliver really, won't happen under Sarriball.

Ancelotti is ideal for this Juventus team, theyre wasting time with Sarri

Nobody out there other than Messi is better at football than Neymar.

He changes setup every week dependent on opposition and regardless if he has a better team than the opposition. There's no style.

 

Went a season without an away win at Seville.

 

Could argue Monchi gave him a career like he did Juande Ramos

His next job should be a Sociedad or something, his last three jobs have been dreadful and he'll always be the guy who blew a three goal lead with a minute to go. He's done at the top level.

If Griez is spending the next year on the left wing he'll spend the year after on loan.

Poch will undoubtedly go on to better things than Spurs do 

The Thiago Pavard Kimmich switch was brilliant

Is Haller better than Jovic

I have no idea what to expect from Juve this year

 

This - he can’t mould that team to play like his Napoli team can he?

The one club I thought would never go down the philosophy route, the makeup of their squad is a decades worth of pragmatism.

I have no idea what to expect from Juve this year

Foden gotta ask some questions when Mount gets England caps before him

Napoli could do something if they get Icardi, but Conte is the real threat to Juve,

Thinking someone like Gomes can cope in a two in the Prem is a joke

Another season of not much from Everton then

Was Coutinho really that bad at Barca? His stats were comparable to his time with Liverpool. 

 

Played out of position for large parts - was supposed to be on the left of a 3 man midfield to replace Iniesta - likewise Dembele would be on the left of a front 3 to replace Neymar

 

What transpired was Valverde playing a 4-4-2 to go completely against Barca's adopted 4-3-3 policy, mainly to bring Messi inside  - what he did with this was revolve everything around Messi, everyone else becoming redundant in the team - Coutinho got shoved to play as essentially a LW, Dembele as a RW, Barca have lost their attacking flow due to this, all their play these days is so pedestrian and laboured - the players they have are good, but the system is just killing them

 

Then at the weekend, he goes and plays Griezemann as a LW - he looked completely lost poor guy

 

Valverde is on the Patsy levels of incompetence - literally makes things up as he goes along

A lot of the stick Valverde gets is warranted but you can understand his logic of not wanting a physically declining Messi on the wing, destroys the shape without the dominant midfield + Alves to compensate, especially at the elite level.

Madrid’s signings are all excellent but only Hazard will start for Zidane, and they’ll end up booing him when he hits his usual 20 in all comps rather than 60