Clockwork

I am not exactly sure what conclusion he is attempting to draw. KDB could have a shit game or not even play like he has for roughly most of the season and City would still be fine. In fact KDB has started in 5 PL games this season, and 2 of them were losses. He has been involved in 3 of out of 4 City league losses. Their record is astonishingly better without him.

From my perspective it looked like Hazard was tasked with the job of marking Fernandinho, thought he did a good job. I look at the amount of touch and pass the Brazilian complied on this day it was considerably less than he regularly enjoyed.

I would be quite happy with someone like Laurent Blanc tbh.

That was quite Kaka esque.

Regardless if the club is going to back Sarri or not long term, this was not acceptable and he should be punished. If you allow him to escape punishment you set a bad precedent.

Can't wait for Azpi hollow words and more fist pumps on the pitch.

Azpi is just a freaking cheerleader, he is no captain. Where is he in this mess with Kepa?

RLC pace, strength, and first touch could be devastating if used right.

This is Kovacic type game, our best midfielder against the press should be on the pitch.

I have never understood why Sarri has not played Kante in the LCM role, clearly the opposition exploiting the left side has been an issue.

Any idea what kinda playing style should we expect from Holland? i am not very familiar with him.

Sarri please do not play the same lineup that got thrashed 6-0.

I think he should play much more. Neither Luiz or Rudigar are doing so hot nowadays. But i fully expect the usual lineup though.

I think there is merit to both sides of the argument, I thought in a game like this when the opposition played more open than Kante qualities can be successful in attacking sense. But games like this is not the norm, teams play much deeper and more opportunistic on the counter. That is also not considering the quality of Malmo who are not on par with the standard teams we play. I do not think either role is really fitting for kante, i would agree he is best as a B2B. But on a team that is more reactive and play on the counter. But in a team that dominates possession and are valuranblhe to the counter i would rather see Kante as the deepest player in midfield. I really like what Laurent Blanc did with Verratti, before him he was used like Jorginho. He placed him higher on the pitch, and played Thiago Motta as the deepest midfielder, and allowed Verratti do what he does best. I think similarly Sarri needs to adjust his system, because you are much more exposed on the counter than in Serie A.

Add Christensen and Emerson to that list imo; if you are trying to implement a system it is much easier to do so with young and hungry players. Senior players tend to have a very specific playing system belief at this point it is too much to unlearn then comes the learning of the new system.

Don't feel i am missing the point here, just pointing out something that is key factor and that leads to a misleading statistics. There is no doubt Pep struggled in his first year. But ultimately the difference between that and his current side is quarter of billion pound investment. This team is spiraling out of control, and Sarri is doing nothing to change that. There is mountain of difference between pep and Sarri, Pep is an attacking coach while Sarri is a systematic coach. One attempted various formations and lineup, while the other is fixated on the same thing game after game. Embarrassing displays after another.

Europa league is helping Sarri winning percentage considerably, he has 7 wins out of 7. Pep had 2W 3D and 1L in the CL group stage.

Such a fantastic player; love to see us swoop him and his teammate Aouar. Finally player deserving to be called the next Essien.

Not a fan of Ferland Mendy honestly, think he is a bit lacking technically. i would prefer Firpo or Chilwell.

You are missing the part where Alex Sandro is actually a threat in attacks, teams respect his ability in going forward, it forces the opposition to be weary and reluctant to attack and exploit the space he leaves behind. Alonso and Azpi pose no threat in attacks, and when they commit to attacks teams are happy to exploit it.

Just shut up Azpilicueta, more action less words.

If you are going to sack him then you have to do it now. If you believe in him and his vision that is one thing. But at this point you know what you have with Sarri as far as what he has with the players at his disposal. He is not going to change, if a 6-0 defeat doesn't change him than nothing will. He will in fact be more stubborn, he thinks the players he has invested the most in give him the best chance at results. He is not going to play CHO for example, because he is a novice at his system for him it is not worth the risk. The worst decision would be to sack him down the line, while you could have salvaged as many games as possible.

Come on Tomo, for one Alonso is statically one of the worst crosser in Europe, and you are telling me you are not giving the advantage to Emerson here? Pace is very important though, especially in the PL. It gives Emerson the ability to overlap, quicker feet allows to play in tight space, and beat a player 1 one 1. Pace also allows to return to defense quicker. Alonso is a huge liability game in and game out, in fact him constantly underlapping into the box makes it more congesting for Hazard and makes it easier to defend him. But don't you think at this point it has reached beyond the point of making a change for the sake of change? Even if you are not convinced by Emerson it really has reached the point where the status quo is abysmal and you have try the alternative. You simply can't play the same players game after game, embarrassing efforts after another. I get why Alonso is playing though, i think at this point he is playing because Sarri has invested a lot of time on him. And he feels with his back against the wall, he is going to go with the players he has invested in, hoping they make the breakthrough.

How are you so convinced the alternative is worse? Even Emerson at his worst has shown he is not the disaster Alonso is. Alonso is a weekly culprit.