Agree with your last point. Vazquez brings some flair and vista to games but is seldom really decisive. Why not go in with two strikers ?
Not a terrible game by any means, we had our moments and played some good football going forward, our downfall today ( for games to come ) will be our inability to play two good halves so far, we tend to do great in 2nd halves but lack intensity and energy in the first. It didn’t help that some of the players who have had a great season so far were underwhelming, namely Bale and Benz ( thank you international break for killing their momentum ), Modric also didn’t have a good game I thought. We’ll bounce back though, we had many chances today that we’d bury any other day.
Too many players were poor. still player like Asensio MUST take chances like that. and why Lucas is automatic sub?? can't understand that.
Too much whining in here, Bilbao were game tonight and I'm happy we walked away with a point, you can't win every match and this is one of the tough fixtures. The team looked fantastic, kept high tempo for 90 mins and I'm very optimistic for the season. Thenonly complaint, FFS please keep Lucas on the bench.
Yes. CR7 is gone and Bale/Benz don't have the personality to demand taking penalties/freekicks from him. Lope also knows he needs Ramos support to control the squad. I knew it'd be an issue the moment he took the first penalty.
Again I think we played very well for long stretches, even Casemiro was more comfortable than I'd have expected with ball at his feet. It was the attack, not that they played badly but not nearly enough interplay and movement to crack the defending.
Lucas Vasquez is a treasured member of this squad and a hard worker but holy shit why is he an automatic sub? I never think of goals when I seem him coming into a game.
It would be interesting to see reasoning from Lope. Strange decision really. Bilbao lost majority of intensity and lively player like Mariano who thrives in final third could have done tons of damage. Lucas on other side, just meh. Even if he managed to release the ball, he is playing to wide and we lack outlet in front of the goal. Non sense sub really. I was sure 100% Mariano will get minutes today, especially after such result.
Lucas came on to give us width and bring pace. It was a gamble maybe Mariano would have been a better choice but I understand what JL was thinking.
I agree we needed more in the box but Bale being subbed out meant we needed width too. I think the ceballos and Modric subs were too soon and the wrong priority.
If Mariano had not been signed we’d be foaming at the mouth asking why there isn’t a second striker to throw in into a game like this which was set for someone to come on and provide that useful movement and a clinical touch inside the box.
Spot on. Bale should have stayed on and Mariano should have entered for Benzema couldn't find a way to break down their defense. Other than that, again we play magnificently.
Casemiro should have started match.. i'm for benchin him at home against getafe, eibar o else, but away at Bilbao. naaah, He was brilliant when he came on.
Kroos, Casemiro and Modric should have started. I'm not saying Ceballos did something wrong. He is a good player and gives 100% on the pitch but Bilbao away you go with experience and Casemiro in front of back four because of how they play. We know that by now. Just start slowly and see where it get's us. Valencia, Sevilla, Sociedad are also games where we need that approach. As for Ramos being over confident, it's nothing new and it partly makes him who he is. JL was the over confident one with his starting line up. We were a goal down and we had to chase the game and put Casemiro on the pitch at the same time. We should have scored another but still it doesn't seem right.
That is spanish power ceballos should have never been on in the first place as he is way toos similar to modric and kroos we were way better soon as caseimiro was on the pitch and yes vazquez is like the spanish version of lingard but crappier. Why go and buy mariano if he isn't going to come on in games we need presence in the box especially given that benzema yet again showed how hopeless he is against any decent defenses.
I'm still not understanding starting Modric and Ceballos. In physical game like this start Casemiro. That would have saved a sub to address the attack.
Away games to the Basque clubs are typically our most difficult league games so the result is not really surprising and we can't expect to win every game, h It is very early in the season to be dropping points especially when the team is at full strength and this team isn't very deep to begin with. Most of these players were also on fire to start the season and on the international break so it is also sucks to drop points when the players are healthy and confident. At some point injuries, suspensions, and fatigue will start to kick in and we won't even be able to field the best eleven and in those games we need enough cushion that we can afford a bad game.
As much as bale was not that good today he still created the equalizer and i trust bale to come up with something more than i do anyone on the team he should never have come off. You just have to look at dembele with farca hasn't been amazing but he is now always a threat which is why valverde keeps him on no matter what.
Here we go again. A manager getting paid a shiteload to manage the biggest club in the world. Only for him to screw himself, and ultimately the club, over by making dumb decisions any 10 year old with half a footballing-brain would avoid. Fcuk Julen.
This is always a tough fixture but this one feels like a loss. Bilbao ran out of energy and didn’t threaten once Casemiro entered the match. IMO I think we had them on the ropes but removing Bale and bringing in Lucas was Lopetegui playing for the draw. Extra 2 points were there to be had and we can’t afford not to go for it in this league where the margain for error is so small.
As someone who has been talking smack Casimero’s on the ball abilities I have to say that today I had zero complaints, he in fact looked great on it, even attempted some very clever passes that he was unlucky not to pull off. Another player who deserves praise is Isco, most people don’t understand how valuable the ability to give and receive the ball in tight pockets , coming back and always giving an outlet to your back line and wing backs truly is, hopefully Julen start penciling his name in alongside Kroos’s more often. Player slike him are invaluable for the system we play.
We ask for a better forward option. We get that forward option. We don't use him when we're chasing the game. Deep sigh.