rgk_lfc

I agree with you on the pragmatism and trophies. I think Dortmund are going to after someone more hipsterish than Rafa.

Has there ever been a team that dominated a competition like Sevilla in the UEFA league? It is not like they had the best squad every time they won. Amazing achievement. They are going to finish third in their group in the champions league next season and defend their trophy again, arent they.

I think they are far more likely to hire someone from Red Bull family - Nagelsmann, Hasenhuttl or one of Klopp's ex-coaches - Marco Rose. Rafa just doesn't fit their style of play.

If Valencia ever gets decent ownership, I can see him going there. He is revered as a god there obviously due to his history.

Is it because Pep takes these competitions seriously or because their B team is better than almost every other clubs first team, it gives the impression that they take every cup competition seriously. Compare the bench City had on Saturday with United's bench on Sunday.

They can’t get a manager on a long term deal with the elections in 2021 - Koeman will get a 1 year deal with an option for the new board to extend it by 1 further year - if not he’ll get a bit of compo - most likely Xavi will be coach in 2021 There is that. But I also think that Barca is always desperate for a coach with Barca or Catalan connection. Their sense of identity is so strong that it dominates every other quality required out of a manager. When it works it is magical and romantic. They are far more likely to be patient with Esteban Bruceiro - a random youth coach at Real Valladolid who previously worked at La Masia (making it up) than a legend like Sir Bobby Robson.

Yup. He is a world-class talent. Always seems to make the right decisions.

The quality of commentators and punditry in football is so so poor compared to cricket, NFL, NBA - pretty much every other sport. Some of these pundits played under Bob Paisley, Ferguson, Del Bosque, Bobby Robson, Wenger - some of the most intelligent and tactically astute managers in the game. Is it too much to ask to come up with something intelligent, one piece of insight, occasionally? What I think it might be is stuff like NFL, cricket, baseball, there's enough down time for them to start a dialogue - TMS commentators going on about cake and stuff. Whereas football is fast enough to now allow much of that, but slow enough to allow the likes of McManaman or - and for me, he's the worst, Danny Murphy - to fill the gaps with their wittering on about whatever they're fucking obsessed with. It's like being forced to watch a match in your local with the pub twat sat next to you, chuntering on for 90 minutes. But even during half time/lunch time or post game analysis in NBA or cricket, you listen to pundits sometimes talking about the nuts and bolts of technique, positioning, seam position, cloud cover, swing of bat - things we never have knowledge off. The way they analyze how a fast bowler sets a batsmen up with four types of different deliveries and gets him out with the fifth one. In the NFL, how they analyze the plays, the runs. We have nothing even close to that depth in football. Mostly repeat cliched bs. I dont even know why we have Mcmanaman or Murphy on TV. They have never said anything interesting or funny ever.

The quality of commentators and punditry in football is so so poor compared to cricket, NFL, NBA - pretty much every other sport. Some of these pundits played under Bob Paisley, Ferguson, Del Bosque, Bobby Robson, Wenger - some of the most intelligent and tactically astute managers in the game. Is it too much to ask to come up with something intelligent, one piece of insight, occasionally?

Looks like he's lost his motivation for the game now, so if he goes anywhere it'll be China or MLS, maybe his local Argentine team. Don't see him having the desire for any other team He has more than 30 goals and 25 assists this season . I know that is lower than what he usually does but that is better than Thierry Henry's best ever season. Every team on the planet wouldn't have a problem accomodating "unmotivated" players like him. Dont rhink hes saying teams wouldn't want him.....its more what HE wants. True. I did not read his post correctly. I have been wondering about the Barca and Messi obituaries since yesterday. Yeah, things do look bad. But the problems they have can be fixed by hiring a progressive manager with a clear vision like Poch or Nagelsman. Messi, Dembele, Griezman, Coutinho, Fati - I am sure Poch can come up with a system that gets a tune out of them. Play De Jong in his natural position. As for the defense, good managers can assemble a fairly robust defense economically. Rafa put together a top 7 premier league defense which can defend on the ground, in the air, and play the ball out on a shoestring budget. I am sure Poch can do the same. I don't think Barca and Messi's situation is as bad as people are making it out to be. There financial situation is pretty critical mind, 60% drop in income for 2020/21. I understand they are overextended and there is a drop in income. But pretty much all clubs, except the state-owned ones, are going to have to deal with significant drops in income to varying degree next season. Under Klopp, we went from being thrashed by Stoke 6-1 to Champions League finalist within three seasons and our attack was nothing compared to what Barca has. It is not going to be easy. But I think a manager like Poch or Nagelsman can work wonders with that attack.

Looks like he's lost his motivation for the game now, so if he goes anywhere it'll be China or MLS, maybe his local Argentine team. Don't see him having the desire for any other team He has more than 30 goals and 25 assists this season . I know that is lower than what he usually does but that is better than Thierry Henry's best ever season. Every team on the planet wouldn't have a problem accomodating "unmotivated" players like him. Dont rhink hes saying teams wouldn't want him.....its more what HE wants. True. I did not read his post correctly. I have been wondering about the Barca and Messi obituaries since yesterday. Yeah, things do look bad. But the problems they have can be fixed by hiring a progressive manager with a clear vision like Poch or Nagelsman. Messi, Dembele, Griezman, Coutinho, Fati - I am sure Poch can come up with a system that gets a tune out of them. Play De Jong in his natural position. As for the defense, good managers can assemble a fairly robust defense economically. Rafa put together a top 7 premier league defense which can defend on the ground, in the air, and play the ball out on a shoestring budget. I am sure Poch can do the same. I don't think Barca and Messi's situation is as bad as people are making it out to be.

Looks like he's lost his motivation for the game now, so if he goes anywhere it'll be China or MLS, maybe his local Argentine team. Don't see him having the desire for any other team He has more than 30 goals and 25 assists this season . I know that is lower than what he usually does but that is better than Thierry Henry's best ever season. Every team on the planet wouldn't have a problem accomodating "unmotivated" players like him.

Why? He is and has been a very good footballer. Yes, I rate him, too. But as a goalscorer he's not that good. Very good couple of articles about Thomas Muller, in case you or others are interested. Love this about him. "Thomas Müller can’t beat you with his close ball control. He can’t beat you with his pace. And he can’t beat you with his dribbling skills. He just beats you" https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/feb/23/thomas-muller-modest-assassin-bayern-munich-germany#:~:text=In%20other%20words%2C%20M%C3%BCller%20can,a%20legendary%20namesake%2C%20Gerd%20M%C3%BCller. https://thesefootballtimes.co/2017/03/31/thomas-muller-the-first-and-possible-last-ramdeuter/

With the high line Bayern are playing, they might need one or two more goals. Feels like it is just a matter of time one of Messi's runs will play out.

Have a huge amount of respect for what Simeone has achieved but I believe players like Koke and Felix would look a different level under someone more progressive like Nagelsmann.

Nice Such a simple and effective gesture. 10 more minutes plus added time. Hope they can hang on.

They do have a great academy and scouting network. Lots of their players are spread throughout the league and in Serie B that haven't made the grade and they've sold lots in recent years (Andrea Conti, Franck Kessie to Milan, Gagliardini,Bastoni to Inter, Mancini to Roma etc, Zappacosta). Even Caldara (playing at CB) they sold Juve who has made his way back now after not settling there or at Milan (he was involved in the weird Bonucci deal). The current team is mostly through good signings and very good coaching. It is becoming an older team though, particularly in the forward areas. Cheers. Hopefully, their growth continues in the following seasons.

Do they have any uber-talented youngsters or is it all about teamwork and good coaching? The reason I am asking is once every few years we have teams like this who pop up. Monaco with Mbappe and Lemar are the previous example. But then big teams scavenge their talent and they drop back. Are there any similar outstanding players in Atalanta? If not, hopefully, this season is not a one-off and they can sustain this.

First time I am watching Atalanta and I really like the way they play.

Whenever people talk about Rafa and Liverpool, they just focus on the Istanbul squad. But to get a good picture of what a monumental achievement it was, you should look at some of the hurdles we overcame along the way. This was the squad comparison for the home game of the quarter-final which we won 2-1. Juve was coached by Capello. Our attack was Baros supported by Le Tallec and Garcia. Liverpool: Carson, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Biscan, Riise, Le Tallec, Baros. Subs: Dudek, Smicer, Alonso, Nunez, Warnock, Welsh, Potter. Juventus: Buffon, Zebina, Cannavaro, Thuram, Zambrotta, Blasi, Emerson, Camoranesi, Nedved, Del Piero, Ibrahimovic. Subs: Chimenti, Montero, Pessotto, Trezeguet, Appiah, Olivera, Zalayeta. For the return leg, it was even worse. Gerrard was injured. We had Tony Nunez playing right center midfield who I think quit football 2 years later and became a lawyer. Irrespective of whatever you think of Rafa's career post-Istanbul, that 2004-2005 Champions league run was one of the all-time great coaching job by a manager.

When we won the league after Chelsea defeated City the players had like a 24-36 hour party, had their next game a week after, and still, they played like they were hungover. According to van Dijk, the party had started again last night and this game is in 3 days. No way we are winning this

Nah. So hard to please How did they do that year without him? Manager Real Madrid La Liga: 2016–17,[258] 2019–20 Supercopa de España: 2017, 2019–20 UEFA Champions League: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18 UEFA Super Cup: 2016, 2017 FIFA Club World Cup: 2016, 2017 If he continues picking up important trophies at this rate, his stature as a manager might eclipse his stature as a player.

England have a superb collection of young fullbacks at various stages of development - TAA, Lamptey, Chilwell, Saka (if he commits to England), Lamptey, Reece James, Wan Bissaka.

Davies and Sane. That pace on Bayern's left wing is going to be frightening.