Sarri But Not Sarri Thread

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

[Jase 43,479]

Want to give Sarri some credit for his XI tonight but feel like that would be a wrong thing to do given he has reverted to type in the past after making the right changes. Gotta question how much of tonight's XI was done 'voluntarily' and how much was done because of the protest on Sunday and he wanted to appease the fans as well as save his job.

Also, he was busy flogging players to death earlier this season, especially during the busy festive period but he's now suddenly busy rotating players in the run-in...just bizarre!

[Laylabelle 9,381]

Yeah probably to please the crowd..though its worked so maybe eyes opened even if to late hmmm

Come Monday we'll see.. Probably same old 

[Bobo 58]

Even Zappa->Azpi felt like a good sub today...

[Jase 43,479]

9 minutes ago, Bobo said:

Even Zappa->Azpi felt like a good sub today...

But it's nonsense really when you look at the bigger picture. Sarri flogged Azpi to death in previous months, even played him in Europa League games but has suddenly decided to bring Zappacosta back in so that he can try and rotate with Azpi.  

[OneMoSalah 8,785]

16 minutes ago, Jason said:

But it's nonsense really when you look at the bigger picture. Sarri flogged Azpi to death in previous months, even played him in Europa League games but has suddenly decided to bring Zappacosta back in so that he can try and rotate with Azpi.  

It was probably just before or around this time with Napoli he blew a title challenge due to not rotating a few seasons ago. The bad run of form hasnt helped us, I thought after he started rotating Emerson and Alonso he would continue to rotate more with the likes of RLC, Christensen, Giroud and CHO but a lot of bad results may have forced his hand into picking a more settled XI over a more rotated one like tonight for instance. Who knows. I think next season if he gets kept, he will trust the likes of Andreas, Callum, Ruben and Emerson a lot lot more. He has to in all honesty. 

[Superblue 6,372]

2 hours ago, Jason said:

Want to give Sarri some credit for his XI tonight but feel like that would be a wrong thing to do given he has reverted to type in the past after making the right changes. Gotta question how much of tonight's XI was done 'voluntarily' and how much was done because of the protest on Sunday and he wanted to appease the fans as well as save his job.

Also, he was busy flogging players to death earlier this season, especially during the busy festive period but he's now suddenly busy rotating players in the run-in...just bizarre!

I do think there is a part of Sarri having to get used to the league this season because the intensity is completely different to what he will have experienced in Italy. Added to that 2 domestic cups and the Europa League, I think he's had to learn the hard way with rotating the squad because as you alluded to there wasn't enough of it happening earlier in the season.

CHO and RLC in particular (Emerson and Christensen can also be thrown in the mix) should be fresh for the run-in and having a couple of attacking options like that should be a huge benefit.

It is hard, I do want to give Sarri time and part of me is intrigued if he can improve things next season (particularly if we have a transfer ban). But by and large, his stubborn nature and the standard of football this season has been uninspiring and desperately frustrating.

Monday's game could be the key. If he turns around and fields the same team against West Ham then I'll be feeling more optimistic about our chances in the run in. Rotation can still take place, because tonight's team can play against West Ham and Liverpool and the other players could play the Europa game so that shouldn't be an excuse.

[Clockwork 1,794]

Hope this is more or less he is starting team until the end of the season. There is no point strolling with the same players he has all season, because that team has gotten worse. Reward the players who played one of our best performances in recent months. Sarri has talked about how he can't motivate this team, maybe arguably the biggest reason is you don't reward good performances and punish bad performances. Players who perform find themselves back on the bench, while the players that underperform get rewarded with more playing time. 

[Laylabelle 9,381]

Taken so many games to get this far... See what Monday brings. If goes back so same old.. 

[Antonio8 736]

10 hours ago, Jason said:

Want to give Sarri some credit for his XI tonight but feel like that would be a wrong thing to do given he has reverted to type in the past after making the right changes. Gotta question how much of tonight's XI was done 'voluntarily' and how much was done because of the protest on Sunday and he wanted to appease the fans as well as save his job.

Also, he was busy flogging players to death earlier this season, especially during the busy festive period but he's now suddenly busy rotating players in the run-in...just bizarre!

he was asked about that at the beginning of the season and he gave the answer to that 

[Special Juan 27,439]

If he keeps up with this line up then he will of both motivated the players, and the fans.

It's not difficult to see that RLC offered more last night than both Barkley and Kovacic have nearly all season. This goes back to to playing players with reputation as opposed to form, it simply cannot keep reverting to type and the old faces come back in.

RLC and CHO are going to grow game after game in confidence, set them free.

[Jase 43,479]

8 hours ago, Superblue_1986 said:

I do think there is a part of Sarri having to get used to the league this season because the intensity is completely different to what he will have experienced in Italy. Added to that 2 domestic cups and the Europa League, I think he's had to learn the hard way with rotating the squad because as you alluded to there wasn't enough of it happening earlier in the season.

It remains to be seen if Sarri has learned anything from it but he shouldn't have to experience it to know you gotta rotate when the team have to play every 3-4 days, regardless of the intensity. It's not rocket science and this isn't his first season of managing a team who have to play a lot of midweek games either. 

8 hours ago, Superblue_1986 said:

Monday's game could be the key. If he turns around and fields the same team against West Ham then I'll be feeling more optimistic about our chances in the run in. Rotation can still take place, because tonight's team can play against West Ham and Liverpool and the other players could play the Europa game so that shouldn't be an excuse.

Here's the tricky thing - the Premier League is obviously the more 'prestigious' competition but our best bet of getting Champions League football next season is via the Europa League, IMO. So does he rotate against West Ham and play last night's XI against Slavia Prague or does he do it the other way and risk us struggling against Slavia Prague?

[Tomo 21,733]

16 minutes ago, Jason said:

It remains to be seen if Sarri has learned anything from it but he shouldn't have to experience it to know you gotta rotate when the team have to play every 3-4 days, regardless of the intensity. It's not rocket science and this isn't his first season of managing a team who have to play a lot of midweek games either. 

Here's the tricky thing - the Premier League is obviously the more 'prestigious' competition but our best bet of getting Champions League football next season is via the Europa League, IMO. So does he rotate against West Ham and play last night's XI against Slavia Prague or does he do it the other way and risk us struggling against Slavia Prague?

Given how hit and miss all our rivals are aswell as us it won't take much for all of a sudden momentum to swing in our favour.

A win at West Ham followed up by a positive result at Anfield (which I think we will actually get) and all off a sudden momentum's with us and we are looking good for 4th if not 3rd.

[Special Juan 27,439]

Arsenal go to Everton this weekend too, not easy, Everton are playing well.

[1905didierblue 748]

34 minutes ago, Special Juan said:

Arsenal go to Everton this weekend too, not easy, Everton are playing well.

Not just that. They have some very tricky fixtures up ahead. Trip to everton, then Napoli at home, trip to Watford, then trip to Napoli.

Atsenal's last 7 games have 5 away games, that too against the likes of everton, Watford, wolves, Leicester. These are some really tough games and the fact that they have won just 2 away games out of their last 12 (Blackpool and Huddersfield) is telling that they are going to drop more than a few.

So if we can somehow avoid defeats at anfield and OT (specifically OT), we might have a decent chance of a top 4.

[Superblue 6,372]

4 hours ago, Jason said:

It remains to be seen if Sarri has learned anything from it but he shouldn't have to experience it to know you gotta rotate when the team have to play every 3-4 days, regardless of the intensity. It's not rocket science and this isn't his first season of managing a team who have to play a lot of midweek games either. 

Here's the tricky thing - the Premier League is obviously the more 'prestigious' competition but our best bet of getting Champions League football next season is via the Europa League, IMO. So does he rotate against West Ham and play last night's XI against Slavia Prague or does he do it the other way and risk us struggling against Slavia Prague?

Completely understand and agree with your first point, he should be more prepared for this but you'll find a lot of managers struggle with that initially. From what I understand Napoli never did much in europe or in the domestic cups under Sarri so he probably had less games and more time to prepare in Italy.

I know Slavia Prague got a result over Sevilla but I would be amazed if we couldn't rotate against them and still get through. 

This next week is of vital importance. We get through the next 3 games relatively unscathed and depending on other's league results we could be in a very strong position on both fronts. On the surface getting Champions League football through the Europa League may be potentially the easier option but its also the more riskier with it being a knockout competition.

What also needs to be considered is fourth may not actually be good enough. If Spurs or United finished outside top 4 and won the Champions League and Arsenal or us finished outside the top 4 and won the Europa League then the team in 4th place wouldn't get in the Champions League next year. It's very unlikely but not impossible, so even more ideally we should be aiming for third or winning the Europa League to guarantee.

After the Everton game I thought the league was done, but United have been poor recently not just with some results but their performances have dropped significantly too which I think gives us a great chance when we meet them at Old Trafford. And previous shows that you could never fully trust Spurs and Arsenal to see anything through. We just need to hang in there and hopefully have it in our hands going into the final day.

[Antonio8 736]

5 hours ago, Jason said:

It remains to be seen if Sarri has learned anything from it but he shouldn't have to experience it to know you gotta rotate when the team have to play every 3-4 days, regardless of the intensity. It's not rocket science and this isn't his first season of managing a team who have to play a lot of midweek games either. 

Here's the tricky thing - the Premier League is obviously the more 'prestigious' competition but our best bet of getting Champions League football next season is via the Europa League, IMO. So does he rotate against West Ham and play last night's XI against Slavia Prague or does he do it the other way and risk us struggling against Slavia Prague?

Can do another consideration imho:  Man united will play against barcelona, Tottenham with Man city, Arsenal with Napoli. 

they'll drop points in the premier league for sure, and that's why I think sarri should choose the best squad in the premier league, also because Slavia prague is an average team 

[MoroccanBlue 5,318]

9 hours ago, Clockwork said:

 maybe arguably the biggest reason is you don't reward good performances and punish bad performances.

I'd say he is rewarding Alonso, Barkley, Kovacic, and Pedro/Willian far more leniently than Emerson, CHO, and RLC. The former just need to put in a 7/10 performance against farmers to earn their starting XI back whereas the latter have to find Sarri the infinity stones.