Premier League 2018/19

[El Gato]

Would you take Otamendi and Fernandinho as CBs at Barca? I wouldn't even have them as 4th options.

Obviously Pep and Txiki's fault though for not signing better CBs. Didn't really need Rodri. Would have been better off using those 80 millions on a CB.

He kiinda did need Rodri. Fernandinho can’t pull off a full season at DM. Neither can Gundogan.

 

[El Gato]

Good passers don't win you the league if they can't defend in positions where defending is the main job.

Marcelo

 

[DonAK]

He kiinda did need Rodri. Fernandinho can’t pull off a full season at DM. Neither can Gundogan.

Needed a CB more though. Laporte getting injured screwed up their defence, but even with him they were shaky because Otamendi or Stones are trash and make mental errors you see from rookies.

There's no two ways about it. Otamendi is T-R-A-S-H.

This guy makes me want to punch the screen when I watch Argentina play.

 

[serghei]

Not looking for excuses, but the are back to back Champions with record breaking seasons. Liverpool are hungrier, and City also look drained. They have many problems. Not as motivated, lots of injuries, bad defenders, poor finishing all around.

Of course Pep has a major fault in this.

 

[El Gato]

Needed a CB more though. Laporte getting injured screwed up their defence, but even with him they were shaky because Otamendi or Stones are trash and make mental errors you see from rookies.

That I can agree with. But recruiting any good CBs is problematic these days, much less those who are comfortable under pressure.

 

[serghei]

Jesus is not '9' material. Not enough presence to play as a striker. He's a shorty who needs 5 solid chances to have any chance to bag in a goal.

 

[DonAK]

That I can agree with. But recruiting any good CBs is problematic these days, much less those who are comfortable under pressure.

It's tough to recruit established ones as they're not available. No one is going to pay 130m for Koulibaly.

There are some good ones around though. Leipzig have two talented CBs in Upamecano and Konaté. Perhaps Man City could have been in for Mattijhs de Ligt which they never were, probably because they didn't want to deal with The Fat Rat Raiola, but it's a business so you have to deal with shitheads like him from time to time.

Pep and Txiki have never been good at recruiting CBs anyway.

Txiki signed Mangala and Stones for record fees, Pep fell in love with Chygrynskiy. I won't give them credit for Laporte since everyone who had cared to watch him play knew he was good.

 

[serghei]

Laporte is not even THAT good.

 

[serghei]

Candidate for the worst corner of the season

 

[serghei]

Maguire is the real deal. I'd have him as high as a top 5 central defense general in Europe at the moment. Good for any team in any setup and a guy you can always count on to be professional and focused. And a tank.

United did some very good transfers in defense. What they need is a midfield passer.

 

[BBZ8800]

You guys talk too much about Pep's defenders as if that is the only thing which is not working currently.

His attack is quite meh this season.
Do you know why?
1. Teams are better and better when they play in person against Pep for 3-4 years.
Aka he is being neutralized slowly, AS ALWAYS.
2. His players are not as motivated as when he came, due to a success under Pep
3. He is burning out his teams. They can keep his level for 3-4 years max, after that you can throw his physically drained players into a garbage can.

Imagine if Pep stayed for 5th and 6th season.
His team would turn into a horror show, zombies walking around the field and internal fights between a manager and players.

He might be a master tactician, but he can't escape other physical, mental and other problems which follow any (formerly) successful team at the end of a cycle.

 

[serghei]

He might be a master tactician, but he can't escape other physical, mental and other problems which follow any (formerly) successful team at the end of a cycle.

Of course. And who said he can?

 

[El Gato]

I for one never understood why he replaced Danilo who he had playing both sides while also getting rid of Delph who was his best LB in the title winning year. Leaving the season to Mendy and Zinchenko is daft by itself as your only operation for improvement of the defensive block.

 

[DonAK]

I for one never understood why he replaced Danilo who he had playing both sides while also getting rid of Delph who was his best LB in the title winning year. Leaving the season to Mendy and Zinchenko is daft by itself as your only operation for improvement of the defensive block.

Danilo was never quite good and they signed what everyone thought was an upgrade in Cancelo, but for some reason Pep never plays him.

I think Delph wanted to leave to play regularly.

 

[serghei]

There's not much of a difference between Danilo and Cancelo.