Christian Pulisic

[Fulham Broadway 17,311]

Seen by many as a replacement for Eden, I give us one defeat before many Chelsea fans are on the back of him. Football fans are fickle fuckers and they lap up what the media feed them.

[Jase 43,479]

3 hours ago, Fulham Broadway said:

Seen by many as a replacement for Eden, I give us one defeat before many Chelsea fans are on the back of him. Football fans are fickle fuckers and they lap up what the media feed them.

Can definitely see the media jumping on him if things go wrong. He's a different player compared to Hazard FFS! Just let Pulisic become a vital player for us in his own way. 

At the very least, with Lampard, Morris and co. around, they ain't gonna let our young players take shit from the media! 

[Vesper 30,162]

1 hour ago, Jason said:

Can definitely see the media jumping on him if things go wrong. He's a different player compared to Hazard FFS! Just let Pulisic become a vital player for us in his own way. 

At the very least, with Lampard, Morris and co. around, they ain't gonna let our young players take shit from the media! 

I am going to be very patient with him, I do see his potential

I am much more concerned with our CB's and Azpi

Zouma has been a big letdown so far, as has (to a lesser extent) Tomori

[Vesper 30,162]

On 02/08/2019 at 11:42 AM, BlueLyon said:

They would have to be absolutely unstoppable. Because Pep doesnt have any other plan, so if someone stops their attack, they cant do shit.

And I dont think they can get there because the only team that could was that barca and they had Messi, not to mention best chemistry ever with their la masia products.

ATM it is Barca, Shitty, and the Bindippers, then everyone else ( no order........Juve, Bayern, Atletico Madrid, Spuds, PSG, RM (if they sort their shit), Dortmund, us, Manure, Arse, Napoli, Inter)

those are the top 15 clubs

Below them I would add 10 (no order)

Sevilla, Valencia, Wolves, Everton, RB Leipzig, Lyon, Benfica, Roma, AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen

Finally

last 5

West Ham, Porto, Ajax, Leicester, Borussia Mönchengladbach; Monaco

big fall off from there IMHO (and TBH, Monaco is a couple tears away still, SO young, but huge talent)

obviously transfers may effect some

 

[Tomo 21,751]

On 02/08/2019 at 10:42 AM, BlueLyon said:

They would have to be absolutely unstoppable. Because Pep doesnt have any other plan, so if someone stops their attack, they cant do shit.

And I dont think they can get there because the only team that could was that barca and they had Messi, not to mention best chemistry ever with their la masia products.

That's not true, the way to beating Pep sides is to have a plan hurting them going the other way, whenever teams sit back against him and solely focus on stopping his teams they mentally and physically wear you down to the point you're seeing stars (he repeatedly did that to Mou's Real in Classico's).

It's no coincidence that Klopp is the manager with the best record against Pep while the pragmatic gaffers have wretched head to head records with The Spaniard.

[Vesper 30,162]

11 hours ago, Tomo said:

That's not true, the way to beating Pep sides is to have a plan hurting them going the other way, whenever teams sit back against him and solely focus on stopping his teams they mentally and physically wear you down to the point you're seeing stars (he repeatedly did that to Mou's Real in Classico's).

It's no coincidence that Klopp is the manager with the best record against Pep while the pragmatic gaffers have wretched head to head records with The Spaniard.

Chels 2004-5 would tear into 2019-20 Shitty

I would say even to plus 1 or 2 (with a few draws) in a best of 10 for us

Claude Makélélé would bully that MF, a piston blowing out the tiki taka rhythm

and counters would be a nightmare for their bombing fullbacks

prime Drogba in the air/box via scrawny Stones or the shoddy Otamendi (Laporte cannot do it alone) would be a shitshow for them as well

we were incredible sound defensively, so could more often than not contain

[Tomo 21,751]

3 hours ago, Vesper said:

Chels 2004-5 would tear into 2019-20 Shitty

I would say even to plus 1 or 2 (with a few draws) in a best of 10 for us

Claude Makélélé would bully that MF, a piston blowing out the tiki taka rhythm

and counters would be a nightmare for their bombing fullbacks

prime Drogba in the air/box via scrawny Stones or the shoddy Otamendi (Laporte cannot do it alone) would be a shitshow for them as well

we were incredible sound defensively, so could more often than not contain

I have never really classed that team as particularly defensive despite an excellent defensive record. In a hypothetical head to head clash that team would have for sure had a solid plan against them going the other way like I alluded too.

It's more the teams that would have sat back and hoped without a serious plan to hurt them in attack that would have been sitting ducks against them or any Pep side (ala Mous second Chelsea, Mancini's City, Atletico although they somehow survived the semi in 2016 despite being toyed with at The Allianz).

[MoroccanBlue 5,380]

I’d imagine our 2005 side would’ve approached this City team the same way we handled Barca in the knockout rounds of the CL that season. Fast break counter

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

4 hours ago, Vesper said:

Chels 2004-5 would tear into 2019-20 Shitty

I would say even to plus 1 or 2 (with a few draws) in a best of 10 for us

Claude Makélélé would bully that MF, a piston blowing out the tiki taka rhythm

and counters would be a nightmare for their bombing fullbacks

prime Drogba in the air/box via scrawny Stones or the shoddy Otamendi (Laporte cannot do it alone) would be a shitshow for them as well

we were incredible sound defensively, so could more often than not contain

Perhaps but its hard to judge, the football in 2004-05 was totally different. It was a lot more physical and less open than what it is now. Teams like Spain played passing football with 7 or 8 slighter technical players for years before they won anything and they had little success because bigger physical, tactical teams were more dominant. I dont think that either team be it our 04/05 team or Peps City would wipe the floor with each other. For worse or for better I think City are maybe only just at the level that Bayern are at with Pep and their European record is very similar to what Pep did at Bayern. Pep will never reach the heights like he did at Barca though, not many will ever do it. 

[BlueLyon 9,359]

20 hours ago, Tomo said:

That's not true, the way to beating Pep sides is to have a plan hurting them going the other way, whenever teams sit back against him and solely focus on stopping his teams they mentally and physically wear you down to the point you're seeing stars (he repeatedly did that to Mou's Real in Classico's).

It's no coincidence that Klopp is the manager with the best record against Pep while the pragmatic gaffers have wretched head to head records with The Spaniard.

Pep teams were always suspect in defense and when you throw a brave team that wont just get humiliated, Pep is in trouble. Because he has his one plan and it works 95% of time because opponents shit their pants before match even starts. But in CL, opponents have more character. Thats why he struggles in CL and marches through PL. 

But you always need strong defensive performance against Pep team. Not pragmatic per se, but still solid. Or they run rings around and you are done.

[Tomo 21,751]

1 minute ago, BlueLyon said:

Pep teams were always suspect in defense and when you throw a brave team that wont just get humiliated, Pep is in trouble. Because he has his one plan and it works 95% of time because opponents shit their pants before match even starts. But in CL, opponents have more character. Thats why he struggles in CL and marches through PL. 

But you always need strong defensive performance against Pep team. Not pragmatic per se, but still solid. Or they run rings around and you are done.

Apart from Real 2014 or Inter 2010 no one out of the teams that have knocked a Pep side out have done it with a top defensive performance. They either beat him by attacking his side (All three defeats with City, Barca 2015 and isolating the more "system" players in the team) or have god as the 12th man (Chelsea 2012, Leti 2016).

The best way to defend a Pep side is cut of the supply lines to the attack because (as we found out under Conte in THAT game) basing your whole plan on stopping them once they get it to the attack doesn't work, they will grind you down. Ofcourse a fair few times the former method will backfire and City will evade press and pick you off but other times it will work a treat and you give them a serious game.

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

38 minutes ago, BlueLyon said:

Pep teams were always suspect in defense and when you throw a brave team that wont just get humiliated, Pep is in trouble. Because he has his one plan and it works 95% of time because opponents shit their pants before match even starts. But in CL, opponents have more character. Thats why he struggles in CL and marches through PL. 

But you always need strong defensive performance against Pep team. Not pragmatic per se, but still solid. Or they run rings around and you are done.

Every team that actively has 8 players in the opposition half will be suspect defensively. Not just Peps teams. Sarri had same issue here. Wenger had it at Arsenal... his way of football is still the most effective way in terms of preserving energy in the modern day. You run less keeping the ball, only really exerting a lot of energy recovering the ball. Other teams tire quicker because their exerting more physical effort chasing. Its not the only way to play football but in terms of how effective his way is, just look at his career and all the trophies hes won and all the players who want to work with him or clubs who would approach him in a heartbeat.

CL is harder than domestic leagues, PL teams get fucked by the FA in comparison to other European teams who rearrange fixtures regularly but thats their choice and the FA are too busy taking television money to give a fuck about rescheduling. Fair enough Peps had issues at Barca, Bayern and City with the CL but hes also won 2 and did it in 3 years and made countless semi finals, for instance it took Mourinho 5 or 6 seasons to win 2 CLs and Sir Alex Ferguson 8 or 9 seasons to win 2 CLs. 

The team that beat Peps sides normally go to the final or win the CL too (Inter in 2009-10 - won it, us in 2012 - won it, Bayern in 2012-13 - won it, Real Madrid in 2013-14 - won it, Barcelona in 2014-15 - won it, Atletico in 2015-16 - finalists, 2016-17 and 2017-18 didnt get as far last 16 I think and then City lost to Spurs who made final last season), so his record is hardly anywhere near as bad for instance as Antonio Conte's or even Joses in recent times in the CL. Getting beat by the team who go on to win the CL is hardly the worst team to crash out to either.

Think Peps career speaks for itself, hes not just am innovator as he has spent bucket loads of money at Barca, Bayern and City but his lack of European success after Barca isnt down to just him.

[Jase 43,479]

https://www.goal.com/en/news/lampard-pulisic-has-the-quality-to-hit-the-ground-running/lpq1h04svcgc1jkb438vkigx4

"He has good ability, can beat a man, nice touch," Lampard said at Cobham Training Centre. "He scored a couple of good goals in pre-season when he ran in behind defences, which is what I really want from my wingers or attacking players.

"We also have to give it time because of his youth. Changing leagues, this is the Premier League, which is the most competitive league in the world, but there are some good signs. When I say I want to look after him, I don’t want to sound like I am talking down to him.

"He comes into the squad competing to play, for sure. We must be aware that there is a bit of a transitional period. Hopefully not because he hits the ground running. I think he has the quality to do that."

[robsblubot 3,595]

Good performance against Liverpool! Really good on the ball. Makes great off-the-ball runs and shows good vision for his age. His shooting looks impressive too.

cant wait to see how he develops under frank. Expecting great things form him in the future.

[Jase 43,479]

His pace and directness will be key for us. And that goal he scored which was ruled out, was Hazard-esque.