Recovery pace shouldn't be a replacement for brains or positional awareness in a CB, but with the way we play, it's what we need simply.
I love the fact that Goodell and the NFL just roll into town, take 20 mil. of tax payer money as an entry fee (with everything else coming on top) and bypass all issues the City is currently fighting over with Real Madrid.
4x4s locked the Xabi thread so posting this here. Interesting analysis of Xabi's time here. Particularly interesting was the section starting at 7:15 with team stats that I was unaware of, which do not remotely align with the overwhelming narrative I see from most Madrid fans (lack of team pressing due to players not buying into Xabi's vision or following instructions).
Analysis felt empty in its conclusion. Whole lot of “just trust me bro” going on as well—where is the analysis of all the games that followed the Barca game? Surely it’s just as important to analyze the games that followed the Barca game if you’re going to present this specific idea that Xabi lost his job in October. The Rodrygo sub in the Barca game was defended a lot because of the final result, and the presenter in the video also makes a point to highlight this detail. But if you’re not going to consider the alternative as a perfectly reasonable solution to closing out the game, then what is the point of your analysis? Leaving an in-form attacker on the pitch makes about as much sense as subbing them out. Just seems like an opportunistic Xabi puff piece. The kind of video that popped up a lot last year with Mbappe on the thumbnail and some sort of title variation of “how to ruin a team”.
Does anyone remember last week when half the squad were toxic divas and needed to be sold? The problem was the manager. We told you. The most spectacular man management fail since the days of Rafa Benitez.
Xabi just wasn't ready yet, bad hire from the beginning. I don't think you need to be a wizard to figure it out. If you read comments from the coaching community, be it Klopp or anybody else, the kindest thing that was said about him is that he needed more time. I'm absolutely convinced that several older coaches that have been waiting for this opportunity probably thought "serves them right for hiring this guy".
Arbeloa going through a schedule soft as butterwas intentional by the club to give him a solid runway. It just started on the wrong foot in the Cup, but other than that, it has worked out just as intended.
The team is beating teams that it should. As what was previously happening before being derailed. Other than the morale and effort boost the new manager has, I haven't really seen much change on how this team plays. The same clueless/stale offense without any off-ball movement is still there when the team hasn't yet taken the lead. That set piece marking where Villareal got a free shot was shocking. Listen, I'm glad the team is united, winning and in good spirits, but I would still like to see a game against better quality opponents and implements his actual ideas before giving any overall valuation of the new coach.
No one is saying that we are going to win the CL but this is obviously a reaction to the mass hysteria we had to deal with on this board, in the press and with the majority of our fanbase recently about the Xabi sacking. At least there is purity in fans getting excited even if it might end up being misguided. In any case it is better than the doom and gloom you have been selling for the last week. We will also hold Arbeloa accountable if he starts doing things wrong instead of blaming everyone else except for the manager. That's the difference.
This team is neither full of great people nor full of horrible ones. Same with the quality of the players swinging from "he's the best in the world" to garbage depending on results. We'll win some we'll lose some, but another title less season(were already 0 out of 2, with 2 more to play for), is below standard. Clapping like trained seals after every win is OK, but we need a title. Full stop
Imo it'd be naive to think this level of workrate is sustainable for Mbappe and Vini. It'd be like expecting Ozil to work hard as Di Maria. Some players are built to be two way players mentally and some aren't. Maybe Arbeloa will be flexible and use a system similar to Carlo in big games to play on counter.
I didn't like what Xabi said and did in Madrid but I'm simply not just celebrating the games just off the fact that he isn't on the bench. He failed to execute, but the goals for the team didn't change.
That was a very well worked set piece rather than terrible marking. Guy peeled off our physically weakest player Arda guler whilst second guy blocked guler from getting back to him.
If we are one or two more months down the line and still doing the basics as the “normal” we can assume it’s not the new manager bounce.
It was failure in communication from Arda. He should have called the switch when he got blocked. No way an attacking playing should be that wide open unmarked being able ro make a free horizontal 5 yard run from on a corner. It's not like this team has been outstanding on set pieces.
Who is he going to call in 2-3 seconds to cover who doesn’t have their own opponent to mark? His view is completely blocked anyway. Not every chance conceded is a terrible mistake. Sometimes the opponent finds an exploit for which you got to give credit.