OneMoSalah

Tbf for a team who has never had any actual real world class players bar Falcao, Griezmann and Oblak during his spell there theyve always been competitive and achieved a lot still, more than people give them credit for. Also to have won La Liga, in this era, with a team such as Atletico I dont think you understand how big a feat that is. Really it was massive. Not as big as Leicester under Ranieri but its not completely too far off that if I am honest. I mean I am guessing you think something similar of Klopp who won Bundesliga twice at BVB then never done anything of real note after? Or..? A lot of people dont like his style, maybe (personally dont think its that bad) but at least you know your never going to question these guys in their effort and commitment each season which you cannot say about very many other teams who can be very good one season then completely shite the next (weve had it a few times now as have City, Spurs, United and Arsenal). In my eyes, If he ever leaves Atletico and a new manager comes in to that squad, they will not do as well either, similarly like Moyes at United going in after Ferguson. Basically same team but will never get the same out of them, so I would imagine Atletico fans would be very wary of replacing him so easily. I mean those players, what he got out of some of them who then moved on and havent done half as well sort of clarifies how good a manager he really is. Arda Turan at Barcelona, not even a 10th of the player he was at Atletico. Godin at Inter? Not even half thr player he was there. Peformances that he got out of Juanfran, Gabi, Filipe Luis, Diego Costa... nobody ever seen them reaching those heights either. Griezmann was a good player before but he became world class under Simeone. One of the best managers around for sure.

People more than likely probably would have said the same about Andy Robertson when he first signed considering he came from a side that got relegated. Jamal Lewis does look in the sort of mould of fullback that Klopp likes and honestly I really dont think he’s any lesser a player that Reece James is imo so for a back up he’s ideal, plus hes young and still has huge room for improvement. Yes refresh but he doesn’t need to overhaul the team hugely. You look at Alisson who is 27, Trent is 21, Joe Gomez is 23, Robertson is 26, Fabinho is 26. Still plenty of life in those guys and they will undoubtedly form the spine of their team. Also even van Dijk at 29, the very very good CBs tend to last to their early 30s. Okay they need may to refresh the XI a bit in midfield but I really cannot see Salah and Mane slowing down for another 2 seasons minimum due to how often they’re injured and how well they clearly look after themselves. Firmino again, is he hugely reliant on his physical attributes as a footballer? No not really so again maybe another 2 seasons at least maybe more. Yea they’ll need replaced eventually but this when someones approaching 30 and will automatically decline is ridiculously naive because you have to look at how often these guys have been injured over the years, how they prepare and look after themselves, what their playing styles are, how their teams play and everything else. Going by the 30 plus logic Lewandowski would of slowed down years ago, Robben and Ribery wouldnt have ever managed to play regularly under Pep. Ronaldo has probably gotten better after turning 30 and so has Ibrahimovich. Its got to be done case by case. Mane and Salah are both world class footballers as well and arguably so is Firmino so you wouldnt be half surprised if they kept going at a good level to 32 or 33. Their issues are that Keita hasn't ever done well enough on a consistent basis and neither has Oxlade-Chamberlain. Origi isnt the best player to start games but has he not scored some of the biggest goals in their CL win? Minamino probably needs more chances. Even then if Klopp wants to retain the title and focus more on the short term and go for that, the CL, the cups next season, he doesnt have to go and spend the 250mn on players who are early 20s and will grow into longterm replacements for those players approaching 30. Maybe Thiago arrives for 30mn, maybe another CB, maybe a LB and maybe another forward player. They dont have to all be amazing amazing squad players. Good and dependable yes but don’t t have to be world class/top players. I mean look at City, how many top players for each position? Is it necessarily useful? Perhaps in some positions (forward areas) but everytime they’ve won something they've primarily used the same 15 or 16 players regularly throughout.

Thats true and it is hard to see teams retaining titles unless they invest heavily but they realistically cannot improve their first 11 bar in MF with someone a bit more creative imo. Its just depth they need maybe, more at LB, CF and wide perhaps but finding good squad players who are willing to be squad players is difficult.

I think Fulham will not last long again. 1 season and back down. Leeds have got a bit more about them. They'll need some better players but if Bielsa gets them, with his innovation and ability to improve players, I think they could remain in the PL for a bit. hopefully not but out the two I think Leeds are better equipped for a longer stint in the PL.

They dont need much in all fairness. If they can keep the majority of the big hitters fit and playing in 90% of the games they still will be top 2 easily. They lack a top creative midfield player and a couple squad players maybe but what about if Klopp plays youngsters instead to replace the likes of Lovren and Lallana? They've sold Lovren but the likes of van der Berg and Hoever can both play at CB and are both highly rated u18 Dutch internationals and Lallana again I mean his contribution last season was near non existent so a youngster can surely use up those minutes 100%. I mean weve all just spent a season lauding our manager for dumping David Luiz out the squad for Tomori, Luiz is a better CB than Lovren. Maybe they should of pushed for Werner more, I thought he would of been their top target, as they need a better CF/wide forward to back/rotate/compete with those guys maybe. Have no doubts he’d of played regularly there unlike what the likes of that crackhead Robbie Fowler and John Barnes came out saying after we got him. If they get Thiago in midfield, who would fit in at any club in the PL and improve them as well as a good back up CF/winger, they are still gonna be right up there. I still fancy City to do it this year but I dont think anybody will break that City and Liverpool top 2 next season but the gap will hopefully be closer or at least the gap between us and wherever.

Is he though? I know he had a knock but did FL not say he was available the other day?

Willian not being included today at all was a huge mistake. If its to do with his contract and not fitness that is. Huge rookie error.

Surprise surprise Azpi and Pulisic both off injured. Probably played most minutes along with Mount since project restart.

All Lampard has done is go back to a system which has worked in other games and hoped that it would work again today. I think when you look at their wide attackers, Aubamayang and Pepe who like to come very central and play as strikers basically it was obvious it wouldn’t work. Plus theyve got down the sides too easily. Far too easily.

Missing Willians ability to retain the ball under pressure. Mount every time he gets it under pressure either loses it or is pushed off the ball far too easily.

Good start has fizzled out. Every time Arsenal have the ball they seem to get in behind us far too easily. That Tierney to Aubamayang ball is on every time. James or Mount has to get tighter to Tierney so he cannot play that ball.

Great finish. Mount beforehand for that chance really should of played Oli in though.

Yeah Sarri had his own one in. I think. I think Courtois had issues with the GK coaches at the club and wasn’t necessarily impressed IIRC and I think it could be time for an upgrade/change.

Tbf if it doesn’t get done this summer it just takes a bad season from him and they could potentially lose more than 25-30m euros off his price tag. Just get it done. 70-75m euros rest in add ons. If they want him to play EL let him, heres hoping Rangers can put one over them and knock them out 🤣

Thats one thing about Mourinho I have always liked or admired. He isnt afraid to speak his mind regarding things like this or even in the past using psychology to get into his opposite numbers head before a game. I love that shit and wish more managers would use mind games or ‘we are club X we dont like club Y’ as it brings a bit more spectacle. Pep and Klopp are top coaches although they are very much the opposite with these mind games but I think Alex Ferguson was also a master at it along with Jose over the years. Also love seeing games where people just lose the fucking plot, that 2-2 v Spurs when we basically handed Leicester the title, despite the madness, the poor discipline, Hiddink getting floored, some of the challenges, that is what a big derby game should be about, well... to a lesser extent anyway. Everyones just all too matey now a days. No edge. No Ferguson-Benitez or Mourinho-Wenger rivalries and it is something I think these top games do lack at times, particularly the really fucking shit ones you watch where fuck all happens, the build up and the edge that these games used to have going into them, they dont have it anymore - I mean even if they did go out and its not the best game, you still had plenty to talk about.

Tremendous. Love him or hate him, he knows exactly what to say which will inevitably get a reaction out of OGS again who recently said managers were trying to influence referees by running a narrative that United always get penalties and freekicks through VAR.

You can understand Kane too but aye Merson once he gets started hes just full of good ideas or almost near braindead quotes. He said they didnt need a CB like Luiz as he makes mistakes but suggested John Stones 😂 ”....Stones is English, young enough to improve...” Hes 26. Yes can still improve but I get a whole Jesse Lingard young talent vibe from his comments. Also who can forget this belter from Merson in his column: “Manchester City paying so much money for Kevin De Bruyne is an absolute joke.“I thought he was out of his depth at Chelsea. He never once went out on the pitch and looked like he belonged there. or any of these

Paul Merson saying Frank should sign John Stones. He must be back on the fucking booze. Why do these pundits suggest top clubs sign piss poor English players such as Stones and Callum Wilson for instance? The good ones, the Sanchos, the Chilwells, the Maddisons, absolutely yes it makes sense for some but honestly, John Stones, no thanks. Did think his move to City would work out for him as Pep loved these sort of CBs but speaks volumes about his level now when City have been linked with two new CBs this summer as well having probably used Eric Garcia, Fernandinho (at CB) and Otamendi more than Stones. He was one of Peps first signings and the fact hes wanted more CBs since then says it all. Avoid. Please.

Hope Pep doesnt go back on his word regarding Foden and sign Thiago to replace Silva. What a player he is. Unbelievably rounded and still got plenty of life in him.

Be all for shifting Barkley or Bats but they aren't daft enough to take either IMO. Theyd want a Ruben, Kurt or Fikayo level of player 100%.

Think hes rebuilt his reputation. He had the bigger move to Dortmund earlier on in his career and it didnt come together but now he has slowly improved and become a good CB who is in his prime years, aged 26 now. He has the technical and physical attributes all modern day German defenders have and would be a good option, plus he has developed real leadership qualities and is seen of more as a senior figure at Gladbach.

For all the games Lallana started he wont be a miss. Plus Lovren as well, 16 games in all comps, hardly a huge loss could easily give them minutes to a young kid. If it were more used players yes but can’t really see them missing those 2

In an attacking sense based on chances created yes maybe we have been the 3rd best team in the country but even then its not a given because you still need to take these chances and our conversion rate was poor. Stats are misleading also. Do not think thats exactly fair on Kepa while he’s made glaring mistakes, we conceded 14 goals from corners, 8 from counter attacks and more goals than any other team in the top 10 of the PL. The generic struggle for clean sheets, its not just down to the GK and it would be extremely naive to think this group of defenders are enough to compete for titles even with a GK performing well/not making mistakes, we are still short there. Plus the ‘taller teams are gonna get more chances against us’ comment from Frank in a game however many back wasn't exactly the most reassuring thing to hear either when talking about defending at set pieces. I wouldn’t have thought our defensive numbers should be that good, or if they are then it’s evidence enough stats are hugely misleading because from day one in pre season you could see defence was gonna be a key issue for us in someway or another. Even if the stats do look good, which I am intrigued to see where you seen them, it really doesn’t add up that we have 12 losses and 6 draws but have good defensive stats. I would say under Sarri for a spell we were more solid and at the end of that season statistically were the 3rd best defence in the PL league. Again more evidence stats are misleading because at times it was a horror show.

Yeah he was really good. Pep not fancying him really killed his career although he had made mistakes with Pellegrini but recovered, that was the final nail in the coffin when Pep binned him though. Weird how his career has panned out.

I still think without the mistakes of the last 2 seasons, De Gea would be a cert play ahead of him next season and I really think he will still be their number 1 because he may not be the GK he once was but he still makes some very good saves at times and they still view him as world class. I think Henderson has promise but this accelerated talk of becoming Uniteds number 1 isn’t purely down to how well he has done but how poorly De Gea has done this last 2 seasons with high profile mistakes. Henderson has made mistakes this season also but the scrutiny of making mistakes at a Sheffield United is nothing compared to a Man United or Chelsea. He maybe isn’t necessarily ready to be a number 1 GK at a top 4 club but again, it would be unfair to say that without him actually playing at one. I think of some of the GKs who were good at smaller teams in the PL and struggled when they got bigger moves such as Asmir Begovic, who was extremely talented at Stoke and undoubtedly a better GK than Henderson right now imo when we signed him but he never really was assured here at all and looked very ordinary and shaky at times. Mignolet as well although struggled maybe a strong word, didnt really improve at Liverpool if you ask me but if I am honest he did look a lot more assured for them than Begovic did here and was definitely one of Rodgers more successful signings out of a multitude of utter shite when you see the list but never to the level of what any of the top clubs GKs were imo. Henderson has had good performances and I think he is a better GK than Pickford who was England’s number 1 at the world cup but honestly Pickford is pretty poor it wouldn’t be unfair to even suggest most of the decent English keepers in the PL probably have a better chance of being in the squad come the Euros next summer if Southgate is fair with his selections. If it were this summer you could say the likes of Nick Pope, Dean Henderson, Alex McCarthy, Ben Foster even Aaron Ramsdale and Fraser Forster after an impressive half season spell with Celtic looking particularly good in the Europa League also would be ahead of him potentially. Thats how badly his performances has flatlined. £55m is a bit excessive as well IMO, even if we did spend £71m on Kepa.