GWT: EPL - Matchweek 16

[Wee Baby Seamus]

West Ham get a penalty because the ball maybe maybe *grazes* the hand of Tyler Adams in a way which has no impact on anything to do with the cross at all

How many times can you stop in the run up before it gets called, because seemed like Paqueta stopped twice?

EDIT: On replay, only one stop! Point rests LOL

 

[Jack Straw]

Wow, what a strike to tie it for Bournemouth

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Beauty free kick brings Bournemouth back level, which seems fair

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Counting not your forte bro, 4 midfielders over 30. And “two players over 30 on defense” masks the fact that their other two are both 29, LOL. And if recent history in this sport is anything to go by, 28 is late prime.

City’s squad is old. It’s an empirical fact. It’s the third oldest in a league of twenty teams. And it’s not outliers pulling it up - it’s outliers (Foden and Haaland) making it seem less bad.

Watch City and you can see how old of a squad it is. They’re slow. There’s a reason why they’re getting carved on counters.

If people wanna keep pretending that this is just because Rodri is out, I welcome it. Because Pep clearly thinks so, and it’s why they keep losing. And that makes me happy.

2 Midfielders are over 30 the other 2 are 30. The rest have or should have a few good years left. Its pretty crazy to bring up Rodri given he jsut won the balon dor. Its not just Rodri that is making city lose. His loss triggered it along with an injured KDB. The wheels fell off fast as their confidence is shot but they had a good start to the season. Also Foden forgetting how to play football is a real issue right now.

Anyway the obituary for City seems premature.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

2 Midfielders are over 30 the other 2 are 30. The rest have or should have a few good years left. Its pretty crazy to bring up Rodri given he jsut won the balon dor. Its not just Rodri that is making city lose. His loss triggered it along with an injured KDB. The wheels fell off fast as their confidence is shot but they had a good start to the season. Also Foden forgetting how to play football is a real issue right now.

Anyway the obituary for City seems premature.

Obituary is premature. But there are deeper structural causes than Rodri here. Loss of Rodri was catalyst, it wasn’t cause.

 

[Power Man]

Outside of Haaland, Foden, Gvardiol, and Dias all of their core pieces are either 1. old or 2. not of the level they need to be. Even Rodri is 28. The squad has serious structural issues.

Let's go section by section.

Defenders:

Walker - 34
Stones - 30
Ake - 29
Akanji - 29

MF:

KdB - 33
Silva - 30
Gundogan - 34
Kovacic - 30
Grealish - 29

Not old but not good:

Doku - not good enough
Nunes - not good enough
Savio - jury is out
Lewis - young but definitely has been a liability this season

Idk what that needs if not a full rebuild. It is a very old squad. City have been the third oldest side in the PL this season, behind Everton and West Ham. And it's showing. Their transfer business has been very, very poor in the last few years - largely influenced by Pep being hyper-ideological about his present system and so buying players to fit it who have ended up generally looking pretty useless.

Their real sources of creativity (De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva) are north of 30, but their transfers in that area have more been utility players to fit the system than real dynamic players (cough Doku cough). Their defense is totally lost, but Pep has decided that Gvardiol is more useful going forward and so has moulded him in that direction, resulting in a "defender" who is totally wayward when a ball rolls softly towards his own line.

The system rigidity has been boggling to the mind. It very clearly isn't working (and no, it's not just because Rodri isn't there!!!) and yet Pep continues to do the same shit week-in week-out! How in god's name is Kyle Walker still starting? How do you not catch on to the fact that maybe - if an old and battered KdB can't provide creatively - you should try and loosen your system and let Grealish play more freely?

It's an old team. It's not just that they've put on a lot of miles, they're just aging and have not been replaced. And there aren't replacements in the wings. And Pep's endorsed signings for his system are not working. How can we be surprised that a 4-1-4-1 in which the Ghost of Gundogan is the holder isn't working? And why won't Pep admit that it's not?

Guardiol , Foden and Dias are not on the level they need to be either

Regarding Guardiol, he scores goals but his defense has been comical

 

[S E P H]

so im starting to get worried

No team is ever going to go far when they rely so much on set pieces. Mourinho did do it with Chelsea, but they didn't have Man City down their throat and they were soon back to irrelevance as they started being a prime team. We ain't going anywhere until we get a 20+ goal striker and start making goals from actual field of play instead of relying on corners to get us out of every single problem.

 

[S E P H]

At least he's showing a positive attitude.

Pretty sure he is publicly said he wants to move on, so that's a positive attitude right out the door fam

 

[Jussi]

Pretty sure he is publicly said he wants to move on, so that's a positive attitude right out the door fam

He said he thinks ready for new challenge and new steps but that he'll always be a Red. And that was after that instagram post. But again, it takes someone stupid enough to pay the transfer amount and pay his salary.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

He said he thinks ready for new challenge and new steps but that he'll always be a Red. And that was after that instagram post. But again, it takes someone stupid enough to pay the transfer amount and pay his salary.

Transfer amount? I doubt United can ask for too much in terms of a fee.

 

[maclean]

No team is ever going to go far when they rely so much on set pieces. Mourinho did do it with Chelsea, but they didn't have Man City down their throat and they were soon back to irrelevance as they started being a prime team. We ain't going anywhere until we get a 20+ goal striker and start making goals from actual field of play instead of relying on corners to get us out of every single problem.

Yeah, it was a clear need in the summer and all the names they were connected to have been popping off, it's definitely frustrating they didn't get something done. It's hard not to have the impression they were too complacent with it. It would be nice if we could make up for it in January, but can't see a top tier move happening in the winter window

 

[S E P H]

He said he thinks ready for new challenge and new steps but that he'll always be a Red. And that was after that instagram post. But again, it takes someone stupid enough to pay the transfer amount and pay his salary.

Will he still be a red when he wins the EPL title under Chelsea Blue?

 

[Jussi]

Will he still be a red when he wins the EPL title under Chelsea Blue?

He'd prefer to play in Spain:

 

[The Abusement Park]

He'd prefer to play in Spain:

Madrid has 4532 LW's already. Barcelona won't spend the money on the fee or wages I'd imagine to bring him in. Simeone would literally murder Rasford after watching him play for 5 minutes... And no one else can afford him. Good luck going there though.

 

[Jussi]

Madrid has 4532 LW's already. Barcelona won't spend the money on the fee or wages I'd imagine to bring him in. Simeone would literally murder Rasford after watching him play for 5 minutes... And no one else can afford him. Good luck going there though.

Yeah, I just saw that Saudi clubs are interested in him, so his options might be limited. From United's POV, Saudi clubs might just be too stupid to overpay for him too... I would not be surprised if they offer a very expensive loan deal for him, which would work out for United re: PSR.

 

[hatterson]

Yeah, I just saw that Saudi clubs are interested in him, so his options might be limited. From United's POV, Saudi clubs might just be too stupid to overpay for him too... I would not be surprised if they offer a very expensive loan deal for him, which would work out for United re: PSR.

Seems like the Saudi's are tightening purses a bit though. I think some of their spending is catching up to them with the global industry not letting them print as much money.

They've also succeeded in a lot of the sportswashing they needed to do so there's less reason to splash case on non marque players.

I can still see them spending on a guy like Salah because of the regional/religious connection, but I can't see they making near as many stupid deals like they did a year or two back.

 

[S E P H]

He'd prefer to play in Spain:

Until Chelsea comes calling. Blood Money FC LOVES EPL players.

 

[Jussi]

Until Chelsea comes calling. Blood Money FC LOVES EPL players.

Chelsea, for once, don't seem to be interested: