The English Football Thread

[1905didierblue 748]

1 hour ago, BlueLyon said:

Next year is absolute must to qualify for CL then. If we were 3 years without CL and top 4, no way we can convince top players to come here (its already hard) and that would mean couple average seasons until we rebuild (it took Liverpool quite some time, while United and Arsenal are still trying to find a way). 

Playing with many youngsters will be absolutely suicidal. Even the likes of Everton or Bournemoth produce maybe a player every couple seasons and they dont compete for top spots. It would be impossible for us to compete for top 4 and develop couple youngsters. 

Maybe Odoi (who is injured) along with RLC were our best bets to make them established quality players next season. James being the underdog for that. Playing more than that will certainly make us very weak.

I would love for us to just go all out and develop generation for the future if we cant buy anyone, but this isnt fifa. We would end below 15th if we did that. 

Mate what are we debating here? Do you actually think we can qualify for CL next year without hazard and with a transfer ban?

Do you seriously think we can qualify for CL with the likes of 

ST - giroud, higuain (not sure if we can buy him), michy/Tammy

Wingers - Pedro (lol), willian, CHo, pulisic

Mid- jante, jorginho, RLC, Barkley

Lb- Alonso, Emerson

Rb - azpi, Zappa/James

Cb- Luiz, Rudi, zouma, ac

Do you actually think this squad has the goals, attacking threat, defensive quality, midfield cover to get top4. Our players can have the seasons of their lives but still not get top4. 

I also don't agree that CL is the be all and end all of player recruitment now.look at the likes of Ruben neves, moutinho playing for wolves. Endless examples. 

Lastly, everton and Bournemouth don't have multiple title winning youth squads. Just look at the ajax tram and compare it with the u-19 team that our youth team beat 2 or 3 years ago. We have exceptional talents. I don't see how playing Reece James and dujon Sterling over the likes of Zappa and Alonso can be detrimental to our top4 chances.

For CM, we will have RLC, Barkley, Kante, jorginho. DD will not be played and baka maybe bought by Ac. So Mason and ampadu are our best bets.

I am simply being realistic. We have a bang average squad without hazard. Hell, we won't make top4 with him this season and the last, how do you expect us to make top4 without him (when we can't buy players). We might as well give some youth olayers at least a chance. Specially in positions where we know we have absolutely average players and  deadwood. 

With/without transfer bans, I don't want Pedro, higuain, kova, Alonso, Luiz, Zappa in our squad next season. Each of them needs to be thrown out and replaced by a youngster. 

 

 

[BlueLyon 9,359]

8 hours ago, bakayokofan said:

Mate what are we debating here? Do you actually think we can qualify for CL next year without hazard and with a transfer ban?

Do you seriously think we can qualify for CL with the likes of 

ST - giroud, higuain (not sure if we can buy him), michy/Tammy

Wingers - Pedro (lol), willian, CHo, pulisic

Mid- jante, jorginho, RLC, Barkley

Lb- Alonso, Emerson

Rb - azpi, Zappa/James

Cb- Luiz, Rudi, zouma, ac

Do you actually think this squad has the goals, attacking threat, defensive quality, midfield cover to get top4. Our players can have the seasons of their lives but still not get top4. 

I also don't agree that CL is the be all and end all of player recruitment now.look at the likes of Ruben neves, moutinho playing for wolves. Endless examples. 

Lastly, everton and Bournemouth don't have multiple title winning youth squads. Just look at the ajax tram and compare it with the u-19 team that our youth team beat 2 or 3 years ago. We have exceptional talents. I don't see how playing Reece James and dujon Sterling over the likes of Zappa and Alonso can be detrimental to our top4 chances.

For CM, we will have RLC, Barkley, Kante, jorginho. DD will not be played and baka maybe bought by Ac. So Mason and ampadu are our best bets.

I am simply being realistic. We have a bang average squad without hazard. Hell, we won't make top4 with him this season and the last, how do you expect us to make top4 without him (when we can't buy players). We might as well give some youth olayers at least a chance. Specially in positions where we know we have absolutely average players and  deadwood. 

With/without transfer bans, I don't want Pedro, higuain, kova, Alonso, Luiz, Zappa in our squad next season. Each of them needs to be thrown out and replaced by a youngster. 

 

 

With our senior squad and hopefuly second season improvement under Sarri (otherwise whats the point?), we can at least hope for top 4 or anywhere near it.

If we replace Willian, Pedro, Giroud, Luiz, Azpi etc with the likes of Dujon, Tammy, Tomori,...we will end up 18th or maybe even relegation.

I dont want to downplay our youth potential, but if anyone believes we can survive PL by replacing most of senior players with youth, there is literaly zero chance. If these players had experience of playing in PL or first tier leagues abroad, then perhaps. But most are still green as hell. 

If anything we would completely ruin their development because I can assure you with all those kids we wont be having results and once that happens the media and fans will put massive pressure on them, at which point everything will collapse. This isnt Dutch league, nor german league where you can play bunch of kids and succeed. 

At best we can hope RLC, Odoi and maybe James to get their chance next season along with Pulisic and then in 2020/21 we add Tomori, Mount and Tammy if they perform well on loans. Ampadu as well. I dont have massive trust in AC, but lets say he too develops in good CB by that time. Edit: with Kovacic not staying, we would probably have to keep Mount as backup, but I doubt he would be anything more than that next season sadly.

Essentialy giving us this lineup for the future

Kepa

James-Christensen/Zouma-Tomori-X

Mount-Ampadu-RLC

Pulisic-Tammy-Odoi 

But if you think that lineup cab cut it straight next season and remain in PL, you are dead wrong mate. Id love to see it, but it would be our doom. Maybe if we had two or three senior Terry material leaders, it might work, but we dont.

If ban sticks, Id go with

Azpi-Zouma-Rudiger-Emerson

Kante-Jorginho-RLC

Pulisic-Giroud-Odoi 

James to rotate with Azpi. 

This brings integration of 2/3 new players into first 11 which is maximum for successful transition. Many clubs have tried to replace their entire teams and failed to succeed. Just look at Fulham. They brought several talented players, but it didnt work.

[Fulham Broadway 17,312]

Brighton giving Sp*rs a game of it so far despite Danny Roses dive to get a free kick

[1905didierblue 748]

7 hours ago, BlueLyon said:

With our senior squad and hopefuly second season improvement under Sarri (otherwise whats the point?), we can at least hope for top 4 or anywhere near it.

If we replace Willian, Pedro, Giroud, Luiz, Azpi etc with the likes of Dujon, Tammy, Tomori,...we will end up 18th or maybe even relegation.

I dont want to downplay our youth potential, but if anyone believes we can survive PL by replacing most of senior players with youth, there is literaly zero chance. If these players had experience of playing in PL or first tier leagues abroad, then perhaps. But most are still green as hell. 

If anything we would completely ruin their development because I can assure you with all those kids we wont be having results and once that happens the media and fans will put massive pressure on them, at which point everything will collapse. This isnt Dutch league, nor german league where you can play bunch of kids and succeed. 

At best we can hope RLC, Odoi and maybe James to get their chance next season along with Pulisic and then in 2020/21 we add Tomori, Mount and Tammy if they perform well on loans. Ampadu as well. I dont have massive trust in AC, but lets say he too develops in good CB by that time. Edit: with Kovacic not staying, we would probably have to keep Mount as backup, but I doubt he would be anything more than that next season sadly.

Essentialy giving us this lineup for the future

Kepa

James-Christensen/Zouma-Tomori-X

Mount-Ampadu-RLC

Pulisic-Tammy-Odoi 

But if you think that lineup cab cut it straight next season and remain in PL, you are dead wrong mate. Id love to see it, but it would be our doom. Maybe if we had two or three senior Terry material leaders, it might work, but we dont.

If ban sticks, Id go with

Azpi-Zouma-Rudiger-Emerson

Kante-Jorginho-RLC

Pulisic-Giroud-Odoi 

James to rotate with Azpi. 

This brings integration of 2/3 new players into first 11 which is maximum for successful transition. Many clubs have tried to replace their entire teams and failed to succeed. Just look at Fulham. They brought several talented players, but it didnt work.

Never said we should Chuck out giroud, azpi, willian. Have always said that Reece James should take Zappa's role in the squad. Absolutely no point in buying crass and over the hill players like higuain, give that spot to Tammy. Dujon as the 2nd LB instead of Alonso.

My first team does not change one bit but the team to play in league cups and europas has a lot of youth squad players so I don't know where you get the idea that I am trying to make grand changes to the first team. I have always maintained that we need to sell/let go off the Deadwood like Pedro, Alonso, Zappa, higuain, kova, luiz.

[MoroccanBlue 5,381]

If Spurs draw and Arsenal+United lose tomorrow, I'd lose my shit 

[Nicco 927]

20 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

If Spurs draw and Arsenal+United lose tomorrow, I'd lose my shit 

Why, makes the draw yesterday that much more painfull.

[Fulham Broadway 17,312]

Brighton still holding on 12 mins to go...

[nyikolajevics 2,697]

22 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

If Spurs draw and Arsenal+United lose tomorrow, I'd lose my shit 

This would make a great Europa League commercial: EPL teams are racing for the 5-6th place, everyone is trying hard to do their worst.

[MoroccanBlue 5,381]

9 minutes ago, Nicco said:

Why, makes the draw yesterday that much more painfull.

The fact we are still in the race is utterly hilarious 

[Nicco 927]

Another Tottenham bullshit special, how many winning goals in the last minutes this season? 

[Special Juan 28,141]

Eriksen 1-0 they are fucking lucky twats

[MoroccanBlue 5,381]

Can't really call it luck. They have quality. We don't. 

[Special Juan 28,141]

Annnnnddd full time...

[LAM09 7,051]

Can't really call it luck. They have quality. We don't. 

They were that desperate, they brought Janssen on.

 

Do you know when his last first team appearance was?

 

[MoroccanBlue 5,381]

Just now, LAM09 said:

That were that desperate, they brought Janssen on.

Do you know when his last first team appearance was?

No idea, but they have end product in their midfield. Eriksen and Alli. The former in particular who should be in the team of the season. 

For a big bloke, RLC really has no shot on him. 

[LAM09 7,051]

No idea, but they have end product in their midfield. Eriksen and Alli. The former in particular who should be in the team of the season. 
For a big bloke, RLC really has no shot on him. 

Without Kane, they have the same problem as us.

A last minute winner doesn't change that, but a competent manager does.

[Special Juan 28,141]

I think when you look at Spurs you have to take a side eye view....What's been crazy is we have had an absolute mess of a season, Spurs have been brilliant yet they are only 3 above us.

What sets them apart from us is very simple, they are a unit, and that starts from their manager. Not only are they a unit they have players like Son, he's fucking brilliant, a proper all rounder, and to be honest he has stepped up every time that big chinned cunt has been out, I think that says more about him than Kane in all honesty. They are just well, drilled under probably the best manager in world football for me.

One big things stands out for me and how far we have fell away in terms of individual quality is that quite a lot of their starting 11 would walk in our side.

[MoroccanBlue 5,381]

17 minutes ago, LAM09 said:

Without Kane, they have the same problem as us.

A last minute winner doesn't change that, but a competent manager does.

Stop. Please. I know what you are trying to do, so I'm going to stop you there. 

They just beat City over two legs with players stepping up in the form of Son, Moura, Eriksen, and Alli. If Hazard is quite, there goes our entire game plan. It's been the case under Conte and Mourinho. 

[LAM09 7,051]

Stop. Please. I know what you are trying to do, so I'm going to stop you there.  They just beat City over two legs with players stepping up in the form of Son, Moura, Eriksen, and Alli. If Hazard is quite, there goes our entire game plan. It's been the case under Conte and Mourinho.    

 

I'm trying nothing. I can't stand people overestimating teams in this league. Liverpool and City are the only teams that have superior squads to us right now.

 

 

I couldn't care less about the VAR fiasco that aided Spurs last week.

 

 

[nyikolajevics 2,697]

Monday was shit, Tuesday could have gone better.

Let's hope today will be fun as Arsenal and Manchester United both lose(I have faith in Pep and Nuno) and Sunday is gonna be epic. Never liked OGS, he was an annoying player and he is even more annoying as a coach with his lucky wins, I would love to see him managing his team on Thursday nights in gorgeous ex-USSR and Yugoslav cities.