The Rising Sun

So i guess pre season training also kind of means nothing. Pre season games are real match simulations and its never a good feeling to see no direction and progression in style of play. You can change the engine parts ( players ) from your old car, but if you are not at the same time changing the aero dynamics of that car ( playing style) then its never going to win you the race ( title)

dont care about the result as long as there are no points for winning or losing. Its all about the performance and understanding what our gameplan and strategy is. What type of football will we play this season? The fuck up is that it is easy to say we play counter attacking football, but surely there has to be something beyond that.

I actually think we have been the same, just played better teams

This was PRE SEASON for Bremen as well!!!

exacly the sort of reality check our players and coach needed.

So bredan rogers only coaches attack, and mourinho the opposite. Somewhere in the middle please!

it does look like we dont practice attacking play in training. Looks like we practice finishing, defending and discipline.... Pre season it is, but this is just funny to watch.

We need imagination

Earler on i used to buy phones and once i bought a new one, i still kept the old one in my drawer. Of late, when i buy a new phone i sell my old one and use that money towards buying the new one. Just Saying!!

Most countries in europe are allowed third party ownership players and therefore get alot of players for much lesser than their value, since sporting funds and companies own majority shares in the players and clubs are only buying a certain percentage when acquiring a player. We are not allowed that in england and this is just another way to make money of young talents. We have the ability to place them in better clubs due to their association with us and more often than not, they get into the club of their standard and we earn some money as well. We should produce some youth now since our project has more or less completed its aims in terms of trophies and prestige.

He isnt the attacking threat i thought he would be but defensively solid and can pick a pass and get involved in play alot. Ofcourse this is pre season, and judging is not sure shot, but this is the feeling i got after watching his first full game, almost. Most important will be his ability to get midway close to hazard, open up some space for a one two through ball to set hazard racing.

This transfer is going to screw up my entire FPL selections. Gotta somehow get him in at 9 million. If he becomes world class we can buy him for 40 million in 3 years time and have the best strike force on the planet.

2 out of 11.

No excuses this season. The puzzle is completed. Attractive football will happen with Fabregas Hazard costa luis oscar willian schurrle and the rest. Drogba is back as well for those moments where shit isnt working. We shouldnt be winning ugly by choice, that is the only thing that bothers me. There is a fine line between the stupidity of going gung ho and attacking at Mancity, and then scoring a goal vs bottom 10 side, and then playing slower. What i expect is to score a goal at city and be slightly cautious from then on, but score a goal at a bottom table team , and then score 4 more. 4 more.

Boga is ready for first team action. If there is anything i have learnt this pre season that i am sure about, it is this! Doesnt need to be a starter, but i can imagine him coming on for 30 minutes and creating havoc. He is first team quality already. A loan will only be good as a starter in the PL, not as a sub elsewhere. He is class. We are producing our own Hazard. Wow! Second observation. Yes it is pre season, and players are finding fitness, but Zouma made a red card tackle in the first game, and last night he made another similar tackle which was close to being a last man red card type of tackle again. Not assuring at all. Can not be making such last ditch tackles in the PL, and mistiming them.

40 goals all competitions. i expect us to be lethal this season.

sony six hd

Ramires hasnt been on form for a long long time now. Dont think he deserves a starting position this season. Apart from running he doesnt excel in any aspect of the game, whether it be first touch, passing, tackling. Im not bashing him, but with the riches we have in midfield, dont see his purpose in the team, specially when you have matic in there as well. We dont need a defensive right winger anymore as Willian does that really well, and is good attacking as well. Either way, i would hope he proves me wrong considering he has been very frustrating to watch without producing the goods in a long long time.

Ramires hasnt been on form for a long long time now. Dont think he deserves a starting position this season. Apart from running he doesnt excel in any aspect of the game, whether it be first touch, passing, tackling. Im not bashing him, but with the riches we have in midfield, dont see his purpose in the team, specially when you have matic in there as well. We dont need a defensive right winger anymore as Willian does that really well, and is good attacking as well. Either way, i would hope he proves me wrong considering he has been very frustrating to watch without producing the goods in a long long time.

I said only decent teams, i.e. teams after probably the top 8.... hull west ham west brom all the way to the bottom. We dont need to be so defensive against these teams. I get your point, but in general i dont think we are dead without Matic in these games. Yes against top 7-8 teams Matic is a requirement, but against some of the lesser sides where we usually enjoy 65+ % possession, we can take a more attacking approach to the game.

I stand by that tactic. Watched it last season thinking ... if only we had the players to play that sort of a formation. When teams are simply sitting back and doing nothing, we need to counter that setup by going for a 3-5-2 formation and bombarding them, and that too will only occasionally get us behind their backline of 10 players. Its bold, and we should do it against park the bus teams. Nothing to lose. No point starting with a 4-2-3-1....maybe 4-3-3 but i like 3-5-2 also. Its not like the 5 will have absolutely no defensive duties in the moments when we lose the ball. I simply see this 3-5-2 formation as a pack of wolves looking for the weakest animal(opening) in the herd, and going mental through the opponent defensive line of 10.

AGAINST TOP TEAMS ---------- Costa ---------- Shirley - Hazard - Willian ---- Matic - Fabregas --- Luis - Terry - Cahill - Azpi --------- Courtois --------- AGAINST DECENT TEAMS ---------- Costa ---------- Shirley - Hazard - Willian ---- Oscar - Fabregas --- Luis - Terry - Cahill - Azpi --------- Courtois --------- AGAINST PARK THE BUS TEAMS ------------- Costa ---Lukaku(New striker)--------- --Schurrle---Hazard--Fabregas---Oscar---Willian--- -----------Luis ----- Terry ------ Cahill ----- ----------------- Courtois ---------

Dont want him if it is at the cost of Matic's starting spot. Also dont want to see 2 defensive players in the 2 from our 4-2-3-1. Dont get this speculation as it doesnt make sense unless matic gets a less regular role.

Was disappointing yesterday, but it is pre season. However, in saying that, alot of other youngsters were also in early pre season and looked spectacular. Needs to show more as pre season goes on. Convenient passes and uninventive play are not longer passable even as a defensive midfielder.