Respectful Pep's Arteta Squashers vs Eddie "Fanny Magnet" Howe's Rapid Challengers

[sammynb 3507]

Not a great game, good performance from our defence but as others have said from the midfield forward things looked out of shape.

I would have liked to have seen Isak moved out left and Wilson up front but now with Gordon and Barnes the first two choices for LW, that is probably no longer an option in EH's mind.

It just seemed like Isak was pissed off with being so isolated and keeping him on may have sparked something for him and Wilson.

Time to move forward and keep looking ahead.

[aimaad22 4222]

1 hour ago, Christmas Tree said:

Shit game and our normal team didn’t turn up. It was like watching a cat play with a mouse. Back down to earth with a bump.

 

You were seriously expecting to get a result? Hoping is one thing but expecting? 

 

 

Perspective please. This is a team that blew away Real Madrid a couple of months back. We were nailed on for relegation less than two years ago. We will go through a number of these games and a few more transfer windows before we can contend with the big boys. And City might even be an exception to that, as long as they have Pep they'll be a class above for years still. 

 

Howe will be smart enough to know this. He'll have seen 3rd and 4th are very gettable again this season based on how Liverpool and Man Utd are playing. It'll be another fantastic season if we finish there. Toppling City will have to wait a bit, but it will come. 

 

 

[RobinRobin 11544]

3 hours ago, Monkeys Fist said:

Just about, but there are exceptions  *
 

 

* I apologise profusely, but lines must be drawn. 

 

 

[LondonBlue 815]

6 hours ago, wykikitoon said:

Ederson is quite small for a 'keeper isn't he?

He can dribble past players better than most keepers though and he's quite relaxed about it

[LondonBlue 815]

6 hours ago, ewerk said:

Especially that @LondonBlue

stayed respectfully quiet. fans of the same team argue about incidents whatever the result so opposing fans have no chance.

 

but sod it.

 

thought our squad was threadbare and in the last 20 we looked tired and ragged. Not surprising after the sevilla game. our bench meant we stuck with same 11 for 90mins. looked like our plan was to starve you of the ball and win it back quick if lost (kind of the usual plan). Stops us conceding. Peps been giving Foden experience across the front three as he's not ready defensively for midfield. I think in the academy he was a 10 and the usual know it alls would say he carried the ball like messi. more than a bit of a stretch but hes ok and may get a run there now.

 

feared the worst when rodri misjudged a pass and you were 3 against 1. Gvardiol did well but you should have scored. And Rodri has plenty of credit in the bank so i forgive him.

 

actually i feared the worst before the game. we just seem light on creativity at the moment. can't afford any injuries there. hopefully bernado silvas illness isn't a cover for a departure.

 

seen a lot of hate for grealish. i get it after that comment a season or so back but he's a good lad. that clip of him stopping to shake that disabled girls hand on the way for his medal is standard for him. he's just a big kid that gets a bit giddy at times. carries the ball and draws fouls.

 

[Andrew 4855]

2 hours ago, aimaad22 said:

 

You were seriously expecting to get a result? Hoping is one thing but expecting? 

 

 

Agreed all the way through, if this result has caused you some shock then your expectations were far too high to begin with.

Its funny isn't it, whenever we show up and batter people, you see a lot of "oh this team were poor today and Newcastle took advantage" and we are looking on saying "No, we made them look poor because we played very well" both can be true at the same time of course but we never seem to be given credit where its due.

 

So give it where its due, we played the actual best team in the world today, last season they played a bunch of the other best teams in the world and made them look ordinary, they did Bayern Munich in about 15 minutes in the CL. And yes, we didn't look amazing, in part because we could have been better but also because WE PLAYED THE BEST TEAM IN THE WORLD TODAY.

[Gemmill 46001]

Aye you can't go in the huff about this. We're at least 5 years of spending behind these, and as good as Howe is, Pep is on another planet.

 

We need him to leave so City can experience some post-Pep wilderness years.

 

Take this one out on Mr Wind-up Teeth next week and I'll be happy.

[aimaad22 4222]

Not to mention we stayed in the game till the end despite not being at our best. That is a true sign of how far we've come. I didn't particularly enjoy the game of course, but was proud of the fact we're already going into these games with confidence rather than dread. 

 

I think games like these we miss Willock, his energy and especially ability to carry the ball and create space. 

 

4 points in the next 2 games would be a very good return. After that string a good run together in the easier run in. 

 

[The Fish 10963]

2 hours ago, LondonBlue said:

stayed respectfully quiet. fans of the same team argue about incidents whatever the result so opposing fans have no chance.

 

but sod it.

 

thought our squad was threadbare and in the last 20 we looked tired and ragged. Not surprising after the sevilla game. our bench meant we stuck with same 11 for 90mins. looked like our plan was to starve you of the ball and win it back quick if lost (kind of the usual plan). Stops us conceding. Peps been giving Foden experience across the front three as he's not ready defensively for midfield. I think in the academy he was a 10 and the usual know it alls would say he carried the ball like messi. more than a bit of a stretch but hes ok and may get a run there now.

 

feared the worst when rodri misjudged a pass and you were 3 against 1. Gvardiol did well but you should have scored. And Rodri has plenty of credit in the bank so i forgive him.

 

actually i feared the worst before the game. we just seem light on creativity at the moment. can't afford any injuries there. hopefully bernado silvas illness isn't a cover for a departure.

 

seen a lot of hate for grealish. i get it after that comment a season or so back but he's a good lad. that clip of him stopping to shake that disabled girls hand on the way for his medal is standard for him. he's just a big kid that gets a bit giddy at times. carries the ball and draws fouls.

 

Another one of those players that his own fans live, opposition fans get wound up by. Gordon is becoming ours, I'm sure he's a lovely lad off the pitch, but he's a right prick on it.

 

Had we played to the levels we can hit I think we would have caused you way more problems, even if restricted to those few chances we had, we would have taken them and made a game of it. 

 

To be honest before a ball was kicked I was expecting 0-2 points from the first four games, so to have 3 already is encouraging.

 

I'd much rather face Man City away early in the season. Imagine having to go there in April or May needing to get something.

 

So we've got through the hardest fixture of the season, with no suspensions, hopefully no injuries, and only conceding 1 goal. But CT is pissing his sheets again? 

[Christmas Tree 4820]

6 hours ago, aimaad22 said:

 

You were seriously expecting to get a result? Hoping is one thing but expecting? 

 

 

Perspective please. This is a team that blew away Real Madrid a couple of months back. We were nailed on for relegation less than two years ago. We will go through a number of these games and a few more transfer windows before we can contend with the big boys. And City might even be an exception to that, as long as they have Pep they'll be a class above for years still. 

 

Howe will be smart enough to know this. He'll have seen 3rd and 4th are very gettable again this season based on how Liverpool and Man Utd are playing. It'll be another fantastic season if we finish there. Toppling City will have to wait a bit, but it will come. 

 

 

Nah, we were 3-1 up against them last year at one point and played much better in the away fixture. The result yesterday was more about our midfield and front 3 just not turning up for some reason. We just didn’t give them a game.

[Kid Dynamite 7167]

3 minutes ago, Christmas Tree said:

Nah, we were 3-1 up against them last year at one point and played much better in the away fixture. The result yesterday was more about our midfield and front 3 just not turning up for some reason. We just didn’t give them a game.

Eddie said as much in his post match comments. We don't have too many off days. Onwards and upwards 

[PaddockLad 17641]

You’d think we’d lost the cup final v Solihull fuckin Moors judging by the way some are carrying on. I’ve had to block one NUFC “criticiser” (there’s no way you could describe this individual as a supporter  )  already this morning. People can’t seem to enjoy things unless they’re pulling them apart. Because of Elon’s algorithm changes am being constantly bombarded with all this bullshit negativity. So they’re all being culled before the team get annihilated for a creditable draw in Madrid in a couple of months time

[Ayatollah Hermione 14043]

Best thing you can do after a loss is win the next one. Liverpool at our patch, after the two games against them last season, is a very, very different story 

[Alex 35567]

Whilst it was a bit of chastening experience I thought we actually did well to stay in the game for so long. Man City are probably the best team in the world, on top of which they played close to their best. Foden was absolutely sensational. Despite all that Man City didn’t didn’t create loads of chances. 

[Renton 21978]

7 hours ago, The Fish said:

d much rather face Man City away early in the season. Imagine having to go there in April or May needing to get something.

 

So we've got through the hardest fixture of the season, with no suspensions, hopefully no injuries, and only conceding 1 goal. But CT is pissing his sheets again? 

 

Aye. The more I think about it, the more I'm happy with this result. Gets the fixture out the way, and cos of the Villa match our GD is okay. As I'm typing this, Villa are thrashing Everton 4-0 which underlines what a good result that was.

 

When are people going to learn CT makes these posts solely for attention and, although he is sometimes canny,  he has to be the least knowledgeable poster about football (or just about anything else)?

 

 

[Renton 21978]

This is Contrary Tree earlier in the thread btw.

 

[Christmas Tree 4820]

18 minutes ago, Renton said:

This is Contrary Tree earlier in the thread btw.

 

 

 

You do know or maybe not, that is lucky charm statement from last seasons match threads  

[Renton 21978]

6 minutes ago, Christmas Tree said:

 

 

You do know or maybe not, that is lucky charm statement from last seasons match threads  

 

I forgot. Still, your being disappointed with a 1-0 loss to the extent you have are displays a lack of footballing Knowledge. And ithe charm didn't work.  

 

[MrBass 2715]

I think the worst thing from yesterdays result were the bookings. 2 games in and Gordon, Tonali and Guimarães are already on 2 yellows.

[Christmas Tree 4820]

24 minutes ago, Renton said:

 

I forgot. Still, your being disappointed with a 1-0 loss to the extent you have are displays a lack of footballing Knowledge. And ithe charm didn't work.  

 

Im not disappointed with the loss, just the manor of it.  

[Monkeys Fist 43059]

11 minutes ago, Christmas Tree said:

just the manor of it.

[Renton 21978]

26 minutes ago, Christmas Tree said:

Im not disappointed with the loss, just the manor of it.  

 

Yeah, would have been much better to have been hammered, as per your first post. Sheesh 

[Rayvin 5294]

Our team is made up of good to great players in a very effective and efficient system that they are all committed to and trained in.

 

City's team is made up of great to incredible players in a very effective and efficient system that they are all committed to and trained in.

 

The difference is what it is, and losing 1-0 is not shameful even if it didn't look like we got going. We held things together well enough and our defensive work was clearly quite solid overall. We should be satisfied with a low scoring away loss and a home draw from City this season really. We'll have made some real progress if it turns out we can win at home because it will mean the gap between their players and ours has drifted into a state of being negligible in terms of outcomes - but that may still be beyond us.

[Anorthernsoul 1221]

I think a bit of perspective is needed here.

 

We played the English and European champions away from home, probably the best club team in world football and lost to an absolute superb strike. We were still in the game at the final whistle, actually gave a decent account of ourselves for long spells of the second half and had glimpses of getting an equaliser.  We probably give them a bit too much respect in the first half, with space and possession and didn't retain the ball enough but they still only had one shot on target and it was a blinder that won the game.

 

Let's be honest aswell Phil Foden had a brilliant game and he's very hard to mark in the system they play, I thought Botman had a great game and looked very solid indeed. We had openings in the second half when the game was getting more stretched and it was clear from half time Eddie sent them out with a more positive game plan. I thought Wilson should have done better with the 2 on 1 situation as Miggy would have been in on goal. Bruno should have done better with his chance also.

 

Obviously it's disappointing to come away with nothing but we certainly didn't disgrace ourselves and they'll learn from games like and grow in confidence no doubt.

 

 

 

 

 

[GrahamTaylor5 944]

I am not so sure how it was a case of our players not playing well enough in midfield and forward to how much if a gulf in ability there is between the sides. 

 

I think this is just a mirror image of what happened last weekend with less of an outcome to it. We are a cut about Villa and at St James they had no chance. They played well this weekend. Man City are a cut above and it is sometimes hard to play anywhere near your best when 1 you cannot get the ball and 2 when you have it there is little space to be able to do much with it. 

 

We had a few times when I wanted us to switch play to the other wing and there was space and as soon as we did, the space went. 

 

We are buying players like Barnes, Gordon, Hall, Tonali. This is great and we are better than Villa, Tottenham arguably Liverpool etc. Man City buy Grealish, Haaland etc. 

 

I felt frustrated,  especially in the first half as we didn't seem to try but on reflection I think we were playing the best team on the planet even if they were tired. It just shows the level of class they have.

 

Apart from Arsenal and Man City, I have not seen anything that worries me about any other team this year. 

 

I'm slightly disappointed as I am still on the high of how well this is all going but I actually don't feel too disappointed with the result in hindsight. I'm not just talking about the difference between Bruce and Howe, we used to go there with 8 players camped inside our box under Rafa.

 

Although it was not what we have been used to, I think this is because Pep knows what we are about and unlike last year when we did some damage, I think he was ready for us. He is potentially the best manager around with the best squad. 1-0 hurts but keeps us in good moral to potentially amd hopefully give Liverpool a spanking next.