This is our home opener and our locker room looked like this as of Wednesday. NUN FA NIENT' We got smashed by Samp last year in the 3rd game of the season. They've started their season pretty shit so expect them to beat us tomorrow. I'd roll with a 4-3-3 Mertens - Lozano Insigne/Zielinski - Fabian - Allan - Callejon Rui - Koulibaly - Manolas - DiLorenzo Meret Shift to a 4-3-3 when we go the ball Insigne - Mertens - Lozano Fabian - Allan - Callejon Rui - Koul
I like the mood you have weaved it into, or wrapped it up in. Beautiful. I am also wary of them precisely because of their bad start, but my superstition does not reach as far as yours, so I cannot properly consider the result of last season as dangerous at the moment. Anyway, the bottom line is that if fail to win the game and concede more than 1 goal we will be heavily scrutinized and criticized all over the environment. BTW, has anyone noticed the argument of Ancelotti in his press conference? It has made me worry. He said: "Everybody has criticized our defense but nobody has praised the attack." Firstly, it is not at all true, there have been praise encumbered phrases spoken towards our attack, as well as our ability to come back from 3-0. Against Fiorentina we won only thanks to a dive, so not much praise can be directed towards that performance, at least not if we indeed do want to challenge for the title. Secondly, a team that wishes to challenge simply cannot even allow itself to think about having bad defense balanced with good attack. WTF is that? Is there any team in the world that can get away with that and win anything at all? Things such as these make me worry more than the lack of an attacker, as I am convinced that with great management this team can challenge anyone. But there seem to be quite a lot of plot holes in our script. No hesitation allowed tonight, we simply have to win.
First and foremost we need a system and clear plan. After a year I still don’t know what that is. Agree with you a top team needs to be more compact and we start tough games on the wrong foot.
Indeed I feel more like the board know what they've been doing but lack the means or acumen to actually realize it as soon as we'd wish in certain areas of the project. But the work has been being done. However, our coach seems to be trapped within a paroxysm of incessant and eternal experimentation. I hope he's at least been doing it with the hope of having two capable formations, thereby increasing our versatility. PS: Insigne on the bench. I could cry tears of gladness right now. Or is it the injury still?
The guy scores and provides assists. Lozani is so much better than Insigne. If we had traded Insigne for a top striker.
If Mertens had just a little bit more discipline and less desire he would have been one of the best. His carelessness has just almost cost us a goal conceded.
Koulibaly has been the worst on the field so far .. a couple misplaced passes that makes you wonder why he tried that but even he hasn't been too bad, he's blocked a lot of shots and cut out attacks.
Quagliarella is still dangerous as hell even at 36. Our style seems to be a counter-attacking game which what he did at Real Madrid (of course with better players there) but given the pace we have up front I think that can work
Half. Meret is our MVP of this half with those two immense saves. We really allowed them to get back into the game. For all our possession we should have more shots on goal
Allan gonna come on for Fabian to avoid a 2nd yellow, also I'd like to see Llorente come on for Mertens, Lozano can go forever