...::[The Footy Desk]::... (Part 2)

[Tchuck]

Ehh, Capello and Eriksson... Very good managers, but both very cold I feel, so as you say:

 

56 minutes ago, Jason said:

 

When it comes to national teams I don't think successful club managers are a sure winner. These managers don't get weekly training and matches, so they need other skills as well. Creating a good atmosphere, a self belief, all for one and one for all attitude, etc etc. It can be difficult to get that from foreign managers, it has been for England anyway.

They weren't very great at that.

 

And in Brazil, we also lack the same kind of manager. No-one with the passion and whatnot to push and inspire players, specially since they know their club stint can be as short as a month if they lose 3 in a row, so no time to build that rapport.

[Jason]

5 minutes ago, Tchuck said:

And in Brazil, we also lack the same kind of manager.

So did we. All our top level English managers were old school stubborn managers. Southgate managed Boro around 10 years ago but since then his only management job is with the England u21's.

 

It was a similar style appointment like say Pep at Barca, or even Ole at United. Someone from the youth who knows the club inside out, knows the youth team and can bring players through. Perhaps Brazil should do something similar, though obviously there's no one single special formula.

[TheSantader25]

I can't have high hopes for Brazil as long as Neymar is around which is a shame because Brazil has some quality players now but I think it's absolutely disgraceful that they consider Neymar as their "main" man. Any team who relies on him as their best hope is doomed for failure. He had a lot of potential and people were rightfully expecting him as the next football genius like Messi or CR7 but he is 27 and still hasn't reached a fraction of his potential. He could but he simply lacks the courage to do so, acts like a spoiled child and ruins everything around him. 

Edited March 27, 2019 by TheSantader25

[Tchuck]

Neymar is treated as a boy by Brazilian media and sports pundit in general. It's always "Menino Neymar" (the boy Neymar), the one who will dazzle the world with his skills. Was rubbish in 2014, was rubbish in 2018, will be rubbish in 2022. He takes more care about his night life and vacation than about football. 2018, god damn was he a prima donna, diving at every opportunity. Absolutely disgraceful. Not even Ronaldo was doing that much in his early United years, and he wised up very quickly.

 

2022 will have Neymar at 30 years old. And he'll still be treated as the young flamboyant boy.

[Laker23]

A win's a win but goddamn that was a horrible performance from start to finish, worst I've seen our midfield play in a long time. Luckily the defence were on it (apart from the lapse at the end) because Watford deserved a lot more from the game.

 

Won't be able to watch Pool and Spurs tomorrow but hopefully Spurs keep being Spurs from now until the end of the season.

[TheSantader25]

Watching the Tottenham defense lately is better than watching comedies. 

[Jason]

Shame that PL officials are bloody woeful otherwise both Chelsea and Spurs would've dropped points today but Arsenal and United fans will have to settle for just Spurs I guess.

 

Really don't like how Spurs play under Poch to be honest. I'm not sure if that's how he wants all his teams to play or if it's because the squad lacks pacey wide players, but the team is always so unbelievably narrow and relies on some Kane brilliance or an Alli run from deep to get a goal.

[Laker23]

Wasn't quite expecting a 90th minute OG when I said I hope Spurs keep being Spurs. 

 

Top 4 is ridiculously close now. Arsenal have such an easy run that I find it hard to believe they won't make it now. Hopefully Spurs continue to bottle it and Chelsea continue looking sh*t, despite their insane luck today.

[Crokey]

Didn't catch it on the replay, or from other angles which they'd usually do on the highlights, but Salah looked a little offside in the build up.

 

Overall I thought a draw would've been fairer, as Spurs were much the better side in the second half.  As for Spurs overall, their problem is lack of depth in the squad, if they had another 3-4 top quality players in the team, they'd be challenging for the title instead of being stuck in perpetual top 4 limbo.  Give them a couple of strong defenders, a pacey winger and solid Defensive Midfielder, they'd be laughing.

[Tchuck]

7th game without a goal for Salah. Jesus, who did he piss off?

 

And now 6 games without a win for Tottenham. Watch them beat City, though.

[Crokey]

5 minutes ago, Tchuck said:

And now 6 games without a win for Tottenham. Watch them beat City, though.

[Tchuck]

Oh no, mind you, they will get knocked out by City in the champions league. But then they'll beat them in the Premier League, handing Liverpool the title. Like they did for Leicester City.

[TheSantader25]

United lost but they have a week to prepare for us. On the other hand we rested Pique, Messi and Rakitic and got 4-4 draw. Umtiti is far away from his prime. Horrible defending. 

Edited April 3, 2019 by TheSantader25

[Jason]

Better finishing and we'd have been 3-0 up in the first half of that game. God awful defending however means we lost 2-1. Smalling, Jones and Young aren't good enough. We need to replace all 3 in the summer, no ifs or buts.

 

On the bright side, Dalot is fantastic and getting better all the time, could see him having a long term future on the right wing. McTominay also is becoming a really solid player, which I never thought I'd ever say. He deserves to be starting over Matic right now.

 

That all being said, Wolves are brilliant little team man. So good at passing the ball and exploiting spaces. If they can keep their star players who knows what they could do next season.

[Guest]

Huge win for us yesterday! Couldn't watch the match because I'm currently in Dublin, but I'm happy to have kept Watford 1 point behind. 6 matches left and still Man City and Liverpool to play with... And let's not forget the crucial matches against Watford in PL and FA Cup! Both matches could lead up to a UEL spot that is very needed after years and years of dark.

[Eutyphro]

Been watching clips of Foden recently, and can't say anything else than that he's a top top talent, and yesterday Pep confirmed the same. He's like a pacier left footed Iniesta, with a more simple dribbling style, and a better shot. He's going to be one of the greatest English footballers of all time, and the standard for left central midfielders, like Modric is for the right side.

Edited April 4, 2019 by Eutyphro

[Tchuck]

England truly is spoiled for talent this generation. Many, many great talent coming up, many of them already top players. 

[Jason]

We have an amazing young generation coming through the issue is that they're not all getting regular games for their clubs, Foden being one of them.

[Crokey]

To be fair to Foden he's still only 18, and there's some tough competition in that area of the park, with Davie Silva, De Bruyne, Marhrez, Gundogan and Bernie Silva all in and around the same area, and they're some top drawer players in themselves.

[Jason]

Absolutely, he'd do well to start over them every week but I've watched games where City are a few goals up and cruising and he never ends up coming on.

[Eutyphro]

The fact that he is starting and playing a full league game with those players in the squad and considering he's 18 says all if you ask me. Kinda went overboard with hyping him previous comment, but in my defense, I'm extremely obsessive when it comes to analyzing individual quality in footballers, and I've come to the conclusion that he's got everything, and considering he started and finished 90 minutes in this Man City, he's far ahead in development for his age.

Edited April 5, 2019 by Eutyphro

[Jason]

He doesn't start and finish 90 minutes regularly for City though, and like I said I've seen quite a few games now for City where he's on the bench and they're 2 or 3 nil up and he doesn't come in, despite that being the perfect moment to give young players minutes.

 

But anyway yea, he definitely has talent and I think every Englishman hopes he hits his potential cause we've been needing a midfielder in his style since Scholes retired.

 

[Eutyphro]

6 hours ago, Jason said:

I've seen quite a few games now for City where he's on the bench and they're 2 or 3 nil up and he doesn't come in, despite that being the perfect moment to give young players minutes.

I think players like Bernardo Silva wouldn't be too happy with coming off to "give the younger player time". They'd be pretty angry probably.

[Jason]

3 hours ago, Eutyphro said:

I think players like Bernardo Silva wouldn't be too happy with coming off to "give the younger player time". They'd be pretty angry probably.

So? It's pretty standard at any team that gives youth chances to bring youngsters on in that situation. Gives some rest to the regulars as well.

 

Being a manager who gives youth chances always comes at the cost of something but if you wanna give your youth chances, you do it. Otherwise you end up like Chelsea and loan out all your young talents every season.

[Tchuck]

And then you end up selling them for peanuts anyway, and watch as they become world class in other clubs. **Cough** Salah **cough** De Bruyne **cough** Lukaku...

[Guest]

And our FA Cup dreams end here... Now let's hope in Man City, they MUST win the FA Cup if we want to keep a possibility of reaching the UEL.

But considering we still have to face Watford, Liverpool and Man City in the Premier League, I think our UEL dreams will be soon over too.

[Laker23]

That was a great cup tie, credit to Watford when it all seemed over for them. Once they got that second goal there was only ever going to be one winner. 

 

Also fantastic to see Arsenal continue to be horrendous away from home. We still have it all to do and I'm not particularly confident but that result certainly helps.

[Lonely-Martin]

Quite chuffed with the 1-0 win over City, but do feel City are very much in it with the 2nd leg at their ground. That said, even 4-0 up and no-one's safe against City with 90 mins to play, lol. We'll see, sets up the 2nd leg nicely though.

 

Do hope Kane was being cautious going off but a concern for sure. (Didn't watch as had to settle for radio commentary tonight ).

[Crokey]

We were due a loss anyway, and I'd rather take it in a first leg game like this than in the league right now.

 

As for Kane, he may be out for some time, but it was completely accidental despite what Poch and the fans in the stadium would have you believe.  If you see the highlights you'll see what I mean.

 

(Around the 4 minute mark in the video)

 

 

[Jason]

Kane's having issues with that ankle, isn't he? Think he needs to start playing more intelligently and choose his moments to be dogged and and hard working. He's too important a player to keep getting injured by over working him self and getting involved in heavy challenges.

 

Next up, Messi.

 

God help us.

Edited April 9, 2019 by Jason