Leif

Leif says Harry Redknapp knows fuck all

After many years of following us now, I'm resigned to a pessimism that any player under the age of 40 will be sent out on loan if we acquire them. I used to be confused when oldies like Zolaeyes had absolutely no interest in our academy & youthful players, but, it is what it is. Even Chalobah with his few appearances this season can count himself lucky for that much. If we get this guy, I presume he'll be loaned out like Andreas C., and then he'll not reach the heights of Andreas, thus leading to his sale. EXCITING TIMES.

I spit out my wine, amazing

Few ex-players of our generations have gone on to be better coaches than Conte. I'll say Guardiola is one, Ancelotti is equal, but I can't see anyone else in the company of these 3. Saying that makes me thankful to have had 2 of them.

Both Moses & now Pedro have given us examples of how we should not write a player off too soon at this club. We forget how chaotic and inconsistent we are off-field, and I believe it's luck & a blessing whenever a player plays to their full potential here. Which Pedro is absolutely doing now. He has not had better games for Barcelona against better opposition. Our squad is strong, lacking in depth still I admit, but if our XI including Pedro can stay fit, we've got born & bred winners in abundance, even moreso than City.

On both sides. Ours are sweet, theirs are bitter.

Dominance. 1 goal conceded in all these games. Grinding out win after win. Up until the subs, the complaints were pathetic. We are great and we won't finish below 2nd.

well it is a scary 7 minutes we're against our bitter rivals and we took our best players off if we were silent about that we'd be morbid

the media only make Moses MOTM to increase the chances of Barcelona taking him from us

they play like donkeys without Hazard on! they have no confidence without having their main man to give the ball to!

Wait, I think Oscar's trying to rub his moustache off via the friction against the grass

It's obviously Oscar's first time trying to grow a beard, and he doesn't know yet that just because you can grow facial hair, doesn't mean you can get a full beard. He'll find out in his own time, just give it 2 more months.

Man City vs United. 1-0 to the home side, 10 minutes to go. Take off Aguero and Fernandinho. Bring on their 2 worst players. It just wouldn't happen.

Imagine Barcelona vs Madrid with just 10 minutes to go, 1-0 to the home side, and they take off Messi & Iniesta. Just random, what the fuck

what the fuck is he doing with these subs, why the fuck would you rest these players with only 10 minutes to go

oh we're so shit, our players have no skill, knew we'd be found out eventually, the 343 is weak

Barcelona have been pumped by small teams before, and I highly doubt their fans react as if that one game defines them. This game has not really highlighted areas in which we are weak. Up until this game, we've been solid and strong. A defensive powerhouse that always gets the job done. No team dominates 100% of their games.

How many games did we go without conceding? And now we concede 1, and suddenly the players don't have skill?

This is the first time that having the same XI week in week out hasn't been annoying.

This is pretty much the first time since he started playing for us that his absence won't cause the world to crumble around us. Enjoy it. It's the only silver lining to his decline I can find.

I thought this was the Kenedy thread. I blame you 2.

Kenedy at his best will reach the heights Pedro did at Barcelona I think. Which is being a really, really solid, proper player, but never an absolute elite of his time. He's too all-rounded, good at too many things. A jack of all trades but a master of none. No 1 obvious strength, so no consistency will come in terms of his fruition, because he offers too much to be stuck in 1 role. I hope he becomes a forward and not a defender.

And if you look up the goals, you find none were gamewinning, and all were against sides that wouldn't get into the Premier League. No manager he's played under has deemed him good enough to be a consistent starter, and this includes Conte now. Talented players get games. This guy has never started 5 games in a row. Every other striker we've brought in as back-up, certainly has had that many if not many more games in a row. Michy is nowhere near ready for a club like ours. He needs to develop so much more. He's not even half the player Lacazette is, and Lacazette isn't even that brilliant.

For his personality he was. There's a reason the only other club rivaling us for him was West Ham.

Imagine your team being slayed by a guy who wears a full Spongebob get-up and smiles even more than Luiz. Unfortunately it just doesn't happen. This soft-hearted, lovable guy will never be a 'keep your head down and score lots of goals' type. It's not that his personality holds him back, but it limits his potential opportunities since he'll no doubt be seen as a 'boy' still by others in control. You need your main striker at a top club to be someone you look up to. Our players would never, ever look up to him. See him as an equal, I'm sure they will, but never will they treat him with awe and respect on the level of anyone else leading the line for a top club currently. This story already writes itself. I wonder who we'll sell him to.