Premier League 2017/18

De Bruyne has been far better than Hazard this season.

If you're going to point out today's performance then look at all his other performances against the top sides in the PL this season. It's such a knee jerk reaction.

KDB has been on a different level to Hazard this season.

Not sure how anyone can even debate that.

fair enough, obviously KDB will play better playing next to silva & sané & sterling while hazard play next to bakayoko & moses & a donkey striker in morata.

MessiTHEgoat said:

fair enough, obviously KDB will play better playing next to silva & sané & sterling while hazard play next to bakayoko & moses & a donkey striker in morata.

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As individuals can see who has been better and Hazard has been really poor recently and that is not on his team mates.

Really think this is a blessing in disguise for City. The monkey of the 'invincibles' is off their back. There will be less pessure going forward, and Pep can properly rest players for CL, instead of having some part of his mind occupied with maintaining the record.

Thought kdb was probably citeh's best player with sane

Yannik said:

don't really see the fuzz around Ederson. He seems like a good keeper and his ability on the ball seems to be of great for a Pep team, but as a keeper generally he just doesn't blow me away. He reminds me a bit of Ter Stegen in his first year at Barca. Saves a couple of good shots that are savable, but not the unsavables. Doesn't do too many mistakes, but still does them. I think he's decent, but not worldclass.

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Agree with that, good GK with potential but still has long way to go

i think it is indicative of city's strength that it ended 4-3 and not 4-1. its not like they bent over and took the defeat, like liverpool did in the 5-0. it means the game could have ended differently on another day and that city will fight to the end. still, sucky for their fans that the undefeated streak is over. but that massive point differential means its basically inconsequential

Capitan Puyol said:

That Guardiola team is DONE. They'll win only weak PL. CL ? No chance...

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I wouldn't write them off based on one game. Aside from Liverpool themselves, nobody left in the Champions League is capable of pressing them like that. Certainly not Barcelona.

Stones screwed them on 2 goals today, especially th second goal

BarcaOG said:

i think it is indicative of city's strength that it ended 4-3 and not 4-1. its not like they bent over and took the defeat, like liverpool did in the 5-0.

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Meh, to an extent, but Guardiola was always too set in his ways to make drastic changes to the setup despite negative score. Even after 3 individual mistakes from his players he hasn't altered it, because he doesn't employ plan B. It's always been his weakness, from Inter in 2010 to Madrid in 2014 semis. The goals were more let in by Liverpool's knees buckling late in the game than City genuinally deserving it. A more experienced team resists the response. Liverpool was bricking it from 70 mins onwards. I don't think the unsuccessful comeback deserves praise, we've seen this from Guardiola teams before and it's the same old story whenever they face a team that has enough to compete against their play out of the back.

Wolfe said:

Meh, to an extent, but Guardiola was always too set in his ways to make drastic changes to the setup despite negative score. Even after 3 individual mistakes from his players he hasn't altered it, because he doesn't employ plan B. It's always been his weakness, from Inter in 2010 to Madrid in 2014 semis. The goals were more let in by Liverpool's knees buckling late in the game than City genuinally deserving it. A more experienced team resists the response. Liverpool was bricking it from 70 mins onwards. I don't think the unsuccessful comeback deserves praise, we've seen this from Guardiola teams before and it's the same old story whenever they face a team that has enough to compete against their play out of the back.

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sure, that's true, but can he really complain about his plan A when his first defeat is a 4-3 game, away, to another top 4 team? it's precisely his faith and dependence on plan A that has yielded the best results across his career bar, of course, notable defeats here and there. but it would make sense to keep believing in it. his massive point lead over all his rivals is evidence enough.

BarcaOG said:

sure, that's true, but can he really complain about his plan A when his first defeat is a 4-3 game, away, to another top 4 team? it's precisely his faith and dependence on plan A that has yielded the best results across his career bar, of course, notable defeats here and there. but it would make sense to keep believing in it. his massive point lead over all his rivals is evidence enough.

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It yields regularity and helps him win league titles, but doesn't always give his side credibility when things come down to results in 1 or 2 games. He's never been too great at managing cup ties. That's why I don't stupendously rate this sort of dominance, but I understand why people buy into it. Who wouldn't when you can take this approach almost anywhere and when drilled in properly players can have the title wrapped up by April. It's still the most successful way to play modern football so yeah, I don't blame him. Still it's not faultless.

Wolfe said:

It yields regularity and helps him win league titles, but doesn't always give his side credibility when things come down to results in 1 or 2 games. He's never been too great at managing cup ties. That's why I don't stupendously rate this sort of dominance, but I understand why people buy into it. Who wouldn't when you can take this approach almost anywhere and when drilled in properly players can have the title wrapped up by April. It's still the most successful way to play modern football so yeah, I don't blame him. Still it's not faultless.

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i agree that its not faultless. it has certainly failed him before (ie real's thrashing of Bayern in 2014 and barca's embarrassing semi-final exit to Chelsea in 2012) and will again, but at the same time so will any strategy since there is no magical 'winning formula'. i also don't think its as universal (that is, widely applicable) as you write. it cannot be instituted just 'anywhere'. it requires highly technically proficient players who are also willing to adapt, and a club with the money to sign such players. he could never, say, manage west-ham and succeed with it there. on balance there are fewer better alternatives to it; what limits it, as i said, is that it can't work just anywhere. it is precisely that style that allowed spain to dominate international football 2008-2014, barca spain and to a lesser and less consistent extent europe (since you are right to say it is less successful in limited-game club cup competitions), bayern germany (i.e. wrapped up the league in record time but i will concede this isnt a particularly significant example since bayern are virtually guaranteed the league anyway) and now city the PL this year (record point differential etc).

contrast it to mourinho's pragmatism, for example. mourinho is not about the 'way' (of playing) but about the 'result'--ie a functionally pragmatic approach to football. but he has been less successful with it than pep has with his both in terms of quantity and quality (ie mourinho's pragmatism has yielded way more fuck ups like the 5-0 vs barca and season-long collapses like his last year at real and his last season with chelsea).

finally, as an added bonus, pep's style is also WAY more enjoyable to watch and more entertaining, which definitely counts for something-especially since it has roughly corresponded with titles as well.

If it's not faultless is the criticism, they there is no criticism to be had really