Other games (2024/25)

[Erikse]

14 hours ago, LionOfGosforth said:

 

He has the look of a player that knows he will always be on the field and played where he wants to be, regardless of the needs of the side. Playing centrally doesn't suit him or them, no idea why he does. He hasn't added to their mix much that i've seen.

 

I thought he wanted to play on the wing? And even demanded it for a while in PSG? The thing is they have Vini on the left.

 

 

Edited 14 hours ago by Erikse

[The College Dropout]

Interesting how well Slot has done with fairly little initial fanfare. 
 

Slot has taken the same squad as ‘the great Jurgen Klopp’ and made them better - straight away. 
 

Feel like him, Iraola and Maresca are the best evolution in managament in some ways. Don’t have a cult of personality. Coaches not managers. But able to get it to work.  There’s something about getting a squad with proper professionals and good characters and a competent coach and tactician can get you a long way. 

When players were less professional, maybe you needed a bigger character to get the most out of them. 

 

Not saying any are elite btw - especially Maresca. Just with Klopp the media focuses a lot on Klopp as a character and how that impacted the team and its character. With Slot, it seems to focus other elements, maybe more technical coaching/tactics - potentially inheriting the mentality monster mentality anyway.  

[Erikse]

9 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Interesting how well Slot has done with fairly little initial fanfare. 
 

Slot has taken the same squad as ‘the great Jurgen Klopp’ and made them better - straight away. 
 

Feel like him, Iraola and Maresca are the best evolution in managament in some ways. Don’t have a cult of personality. Coaches not managers. But able to get it to work.  There’s something about getting a squad with proper professionals and good characters and a competent coach and tactician can get you a long way. 

When players were less professional, maybe you needed a bigger character to get the most out of them. 

 

Not saying any are elite btw - especially Maresca. Just with Klopp the media focuses a lot on Klopp as a character and how that impacted the team and its character. With Slot, it seems to focus other elements, maybe more technical coaching/tactics - potentially inheriting the mentality monster mentality anyway.  

 

I agree with what you are saying. But a thought that has been striking me (even before Slot arrived) is that maybe this new squad was less suited to Klopp and his style? It just seemed like some of the new signings were less suited to Klopp ball, and didn't handle it as well as the ones before them. Some players just seemed to instanly get better with a change of style when Slot arrived.

 

 

Edited 13 hours ago by Erikse

[Village Idiot]

1 hour ago, Erikse said:

 

I thought he wanted to play on the wing? And even demanded it for a while in PSG? The thing is they have Vini on the left.

 

 

 

 

And Mbappé playing centrally also hurts Bellingham's game. You can't have all those 3 on the pitch and have them be effective. But it's not the first time Pérez worries more about the trophy signings than the squad building.

[The College Dropout]

1 hour ago, Erikse said:

 

I agree with what you are saying. But a thought that has been striking me (even before Slot arrived) is that maybe this new squad was less suited to Klopp and his style? It just seemed like some of the new signings were less suited to Klopp ball, and didn't handle it as well as the ones before them. Some players just seemed to instanly get better with a change of style when Slot arrived.

 

 

 

He chose them! 

[Erikse]

9 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

He chose them! 

 

I know. Maybe they got it wrong on the transfer market if the plan was to accomodate his style for the future years. But they seem to click now, that's for sure.

 

 

Edited 12 hours ago by Erikse

[toon25]

Some decent looking fixtures tonight. PSG - Atleti, Arse - Inter and Bayern - Benfica.

[The College Dropout]

1 hour ago, Erikse said:

 

I know. Maybe they got it wrong on the transfer market if the plan was to accomodate his style for the future years. But they seem to click now, that's for sure.

 

 

 

yeh I think Klopp tried to move to a more technical team, without m significant change  in tactics. 

think playing under Klopp is tough physically and mentally (rings a bell).  
 

At the moment Slots more patient approach is reaping dividends. 

[Sibierski]

17 hours ago, Erikse said:

Said it after they played us in the first game without Rodri. Great result, but they simply looked sooo much worse than usual. And I was sure it wasn't just us making them look bad. They haven't been convincing in a single game after that. They have just been facing mediocre teams and barely won each of them.

 

 

 

It’s not even just Rodri being out, it’s the other CMs being very average (resigned an aging Gundogan ffs  ), on top of them having just one natural full back who’s in his final days, then wingers who literally offer fuck all goal threat.

 

So, with KDB / Foden not firing to mask the lack of creativity, no Rodri is exemplified. 
 

It’s a very average squad for the resources invested in it. Tailored perfectly to Pep and will grind out wins, but wouldn’t be shocked if they end season with 78-82 points, so it’s wide open for someone to win Premier League without needing to be at a clinical best. 

[The Bonk]

4 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

Interesting how well Slot has done with fairly little initial fanfare. 
 

Slot has taken the same squad as ‘the great Jurgen Klopp’ and made them better - straight away. 
 

Feel like him, Iraola and Maresca are the best evolution in managament in some ways. Don’t have a cult of personality. Coaches not managers. But able to get it to work.  There’s something about getting a squad with proper professionals and good characters and a competent coach and tactician can get you a long way. 

When players were less professional, maybe you needed a bigger character to get the most out of them. 

 

Not saying any are elite btw - especially Maresca. Just with Klopp the media focuses a lot on Klopp as a character and how that impacted the team and its character. With Slot, it seems to focus other elements, maybe more technical coaching/tactics - potentially inheriting the mentality monster mentality anyway.  

 

He grew the character on purpose to take heat off of the players, same shit Mourinho did before him. Klopp did it with less entertainment value and more contempt as his German pragmatism got the better of him dealing with the English media eventually.  

[KaKa]

Right wing watch:

 

Skov Olsen at Brugge has been really good in Belgium lately. Interested to see how he gets on against Villa tonight.

[54]

24 minutes ago, KaKa said:

Right wing watch:

Wrong thread mate:

 

[KaKa]

3 minutes ago, 54 said:

Wrong thread mate:

 

 

Urgh ... no thanks!

[Pilko]

Tyrone Mings man

 

 

[Tsunami]

Hilarious 

[Ben]

Fantastic refing that 

[PopeandGlory]

The female commentator on TNT is atrocious.

 

”Usually watching European games, VAR is quietly in the background” on a legitimately good decision which the referee gave without VAR intervening.

 

So glad he gave that, perfect decision. Mings shit himself when he was being closed down and tried to get away with it, knew exactly what he was doing.

[gdm]

7 minutes ago, PopeandGlory said:

So glad he gave that, perfect decision. Mings shit himself when he was being closed down and tried to get away with it, knew exactly what he was doing.

He had plenty of time and options I think he just totally lost concentration 

 

 

Edited 8 hours ago by gdm

[Paullow]

4 hours ago, toon25 said:

Some decent looking fixtures tonight. PSG - Atleti, Arse - Inter and Bayern - Benfica.

Thursday > Wednesday. 

 

Kicks off in the Icelandic capital and then 16 matches to choose from at 5.45pm, headlined by an intriguing Celtic clash in Dublin.

 

[Pata]

1 hour ago, KaKa said:

Right wing watch:

 

Skov Olsen at Brugge has been really good in Belgium lately. Interested to see how he gets on against Villa tonight.

 

Trump also won.

[Erikse]

3 hours ago, Sibierski said:

It’s not even just Rodri being out, it’s the other CMs being very average (resigned an aging Gundogan ffs  ), on top of them having just one natural full back who’s in his final days, then wingers who literally offer fuck all goal threat.

 

So, with KDB / Foden not firing to mask the lack of creativity, no Rodri is exemplified. 
 

It’s a very average squad for the resources invested in it. Tailored perfectly to Pep and will grind out wins, but wouldn’t be shocked if they end season with 78-82 points, so it’s wide open for someone to win Premier League without needing to be at a clinical best. 

 

I'm actually a bit puzzled about them not spending more in the last few seasons. Is it because the wage bill is so high? Or the charges? Doesn't seem like they are even spending what they are allowed to spend anymore, especially not when you consider their sales.

 

 

Edited 7 hours ago by Erikse

[KaKa]

Great result for Brugge.

[Paullow]

Good result that. We probably should want the English sides to do relatively well, as even if we are nowhere near 5th, the ripple effect could mean 7th or 8th get into Europe, but I'd prefer Villa to be in the 9-24 range than 1-8, and add to their schedule. That might actually be better for their fans having 2 extra matches as they will see this as a novelty after being out of the big one for so long and not many European matches in general these past 15 or so years, as it would for us, but more chance of the games catching up with them.

[LFEE]

We should’ve got the same penalty against Brighton.

[Dokko]

Just now, Paullow said:

Good result that. We probably should want the English sides to do relatively well, as even if we are nowhere near 5th, the ripple effect could mean 7th or 8th get into Europe, but I'd prefer Villa to be in the 9-24 range than 1-8, and add to their schedule. That might actually be better for their fans having 2 extra matches as they will see this as a novelty after being out of the big one for so long and not many European matches in general these past 15 or so years, as it would for us, but more chance of the games catching up with them.

 

Villa fans need taking down a peg or three, so happy to see some reality checks coming in. When it comes to villa vs the 6, I'll be backing them though.