Fk I hate it when 2 games I wanna watch on at the same time cos my lame local free streams the commentators keep updating the scores n even switch between games lol... was gonna watch this game n then Barca one afterwards... anyway so ended up half watching up n being updated the score with no intrigue left lol....

Wtf Newcastle, I thought they are now the new top 4 side, not by this showing obviously? LOOL? Been some crazy scores over the yrs between these two teams, I think there were two 4-3 wins for Liverpool back in the 90s?

El Gunner wrote:Newcastle might actually be City's closest challengers this season. Unlike a certain somebody, Eddie Howe is keeping it simple and just building on his foundations from last season.

elite jinx, you're welcome Pool fans

Newcastle's main problem is still goalscoring

let's see if Darwin can kickoff from here now, Gakpo has been meh to the start the season imo

Credit to Klopp for brave subs
Liverpool this season are going to be special

That was a good comeback from Liverpool yesterday. I wonder if they can be title challengers to City this season, especially since Liverpool have rebuilt their midfield this season.

I am extremely uncertain of the quality of that rebuilt midfield.

Nah I might get excited here and there, but we shot ourselves in foot by selling Fabinho. I know he was not that great last season but he with Maca and Slogoszlai would have been immense. Fabinho played in broken midfield whole last season.
Endo a good but he wouldn't help us to challenge City unfortunately. Both Maca and Szoboszlai will be stars for Liverpool and un EPL very soon. Can't believe we won titles and titles with Gini and Hendo

Unless Thiago magically manages to stay fit and provides those game changing midfield controls, we are going nowhere. But with that said Klopp maximizes team's potential based on emotion and passion. If we get results like Newcastle here and there, suddenly we become mentality monsters.

Szoboszlai's a bum, got flopp written all over him IMO. New Keita.

Feel like it was a sideways step in terms of ur midfield tbh, yeah yours was old and finished but these new guys are meh af too.. a 30 yr old from relegation candidates in Germany..

some insider perspective on why i was hyping Thomas Partey so much last season and i really didn't want him to leave

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v26n4FTTy3k

I found it more interesting how he described Rodri as someone who thrives in Pep's system, moreso than a player who would perform anywhere. Rodri seems to be a fan favorite on GL these days, and I don't think anyone would argue against him being a great player, but I can't say that I completely understand the level of hype that some people seem to attribute to him.

I've followed him quite closely over the past season, and individual success aside, I still struggle to separate him, Partey and Casemiro in terms of what they have to offer when they're on top of their game. The best argument for Rodri is that he's perhaps more consistent than the other two, which Zinchenko rightfully points out as a quality that separates the good from the world class, but ability-wise, I don't necessarily think he's better than either of them.

If I was a Man City fan, I'd probably appreciate him more for the clutch goals he's been scoring lately, yet sometimes I feel like he could be more defensively solid, like Partey and Casemiro are when they're in form. Then again, he is younger and has had a more successful and consistent season than both of them, so the stats speak in his favor.

Ben wrote:That was a good comeback from Liverpool yesterday. I wonder if they can be title challengers to City this season, especially since Liverpool have rebuilt their midfield this season.

But we really haven't rebuilt it?

We replaced an ex Best DM in the world with a 30 yo "I play well when our backs are against the wall merchant". Macca is a good buy. We are turning the future best no10 in Szob into a pressing and passion merchant aka another Henderson. This is before we count the outgoing of Keita, Ox, Milner. 0 good depth, the good depth aka Baj, Curtis are mostly injured. Thiago is a luxury.

Our defense has already fallen apart with 3 games in. The RB, RCB and LCB have no idea what they are doing either in this system. The only saving grace is the stacked up attack and the best goalkeeper in the world.

Klopp would have won it all with better owners, oh wait he still did. He is going to have an early onstage of permanent spondylitis with the amount of carrying he does every season.

FSG OUT.

Also welcome to the forum!

Thimmy wrote:I found it more interesting how he described Rodri as someone who thrives in Pep's system, moreso than a player who would perform anywhere. Rodri seems to be a fan favorite on GL these days, and I don't think anyone would argue against him being a great player, but I can't say that I completely understand the level of hype that some people seem to attribute to him.

I've followed him quite closely over the past season, and individual success aside, I still struggle to separate him, Partey and Casemiro in terms of what they have to offer when they're on top of their game. The best argument for Rodri is that he's perhaps more consistent than the other two, which Zinchenko rightfully points out as a quality that separates the good from the world class, but ability-wise, I don't necessarily think he's better than either of them.

If I was a Man City fan, I'd probably appreciate him more for the clutch goals he's been scoring lately, yet sometimes I feel like he could be more defensively solid, like Partey and Casemiro are when they're in form. Then again, he is younger and has had a more successful and consistent season than both of them, so the stats speak in his favor.

Rodri was also impressive in the WC, was easily Spain's best player.

but yea i get what you mean, i guess the reason a lot of us have him in the top 5 players in the world atm is coz he is meeting the moment... he is coming up clutch Sergio Ramos style while also pivoting that entire City team.

Rodri is solid defensively, pushes forward and scores clutch goals, and he's more commanding on the ball

I dont remember off the top of my head Casemiro ever scoring an important goal at RM. Whenever I watch City Rodri seems to be everywhere all at once, just an unbelievable presence on the pitch

I wanted Barca to sign Partey when he was at Atleti, so I understand why Zinchenko feels that way, but Rodri is better for sure

Myesyats wrote:
I dont remember off the top of my head Casemiro ever scoring an important goal at RM.

You've got to be shitting me Casemiro apart from being known as the defensive octopus was synonymous with scoring clutch goals. Yes Rodri scores alot more than he did but it's wrong to suggest Casemiro didn't score important goal and in fact we didn't need him to score those goals with Ronaldo scoring huge volymes of goals and had Bale, Benz and James/Asensio who were in charge of scoring. But make no mistake, when shit hit the fan and we desperately needed a goal when the attack failed it was Ramos and Casemiro we looked to.

Casemiro also scores everywhere. For now there's nothing to suggest that Rodri would score such volumes for anyone other than City. For example Casemiro's goals per game is higher for the NT than Rodri's. But if you ask any Madrid fan why we adored Casemiro it was because he was the best CDM we'd ever witnesses and we knew he'd come up clutch when he was needed.

I am in awe at the collective wankfest of Rodri and previously Kante when Casemiro was on another level to them as a CDM. In fact the one time he got recognition was in his last season when he was known as being half as good as his peak.

On the ball many players are better than Casemiro. He wasn't very good on the ball but without it, you'd be hardpressed to find someone better looking back decades.

halamadrid2 wrote:

Myesyats wrote:
I dont remember off the top of my head Casemiro ever scoring an important goal at RM.

You've got to be shitting me Casemiro apart from being known as the defensive octopus was synonymous with scoring clutch goals. Yes Rodri scores alot more than he did but it's wrong to suggest Casemiro didn't score important goal and in fact we didn't need him to score those goals with Ronaldo scoring huge volymes of goals and had Bale, Benz and James/Asensio who were in charge of scoring. But make no mistake, when shit hit the fan and we desperately needed a goal when the attack failed it was Ramos and Casemiro we looked to.

Casemiro also scores everywhere. For now there's nothing to suggest that Rodri would score such volumes for anyone other than City. For example Casemiro's goals per game is higher for the NT than Rodri's. But if you ask any Madrid fan why we adored Casemiro it was because he was the best CDM we'd ever witnesses and we knew he'd come up clutch when he was needed.

I am in awe at the collective wankfest of Rodri and previously Kante when Casemiro was on another level to them as a CDM. In fact the one time he got recognition was in his last season when he was known as being half as good as his peak.

On the ball many players are better than Casemiro. He wasn't very good on the ball but without it, you'd be hardpressed to find someone better looking back decades.

Bro

I don't even

Off the top of my head, I remember Casemiro scoring several clutch as fuck goals

i remember Casemiro being Madrid's best player for a season or two after Ronaldo left, he scored a few goals then.

I think they're all slightly different players though, with different strengths and weakness regardless of playing the same position. Let's not forget Partey played as a box to box at times for Atleti, and he did so impressively. Let's not forget Casemiro had prime Modric and Kroos next to him which definitely made his job as midfield destroyer easier, he didn't have to worry about two-on-one's and setting up attacks like he has to now, and consequently finding it difficult and getting stick for, at United. Rodri, as we are saying, is thriving in a Pep system. Most players look 10x better in a Pep system. Kante was legit on the same level, and deserves a shout. Regardless of how we would individually rank their primes, I think we can all agree they are the top 4 DMs of the past 8 years or so.

Rodri literally made his name at Villarreal and got a move to Atletico were he further stood out and from there got his move to City. I'm surprised people think he only strives under Pep football lol Rather Simone or Pep he can play in either set up, it's abit ridiculous for Zinchenko to make a claim like that, it seems he's just trying to hype up his own teammate more then anything else.

What Pep is good at is understanding what his players strengths and weaknesses are and then maximize their strength in his set up. while minimizing their weakness, but that doesn't mean those players can't play in other set ups.

Never said Rodri can't play in a different setup, i even said he was great in the WC, just that Pep gets the best out of players like no one else. I don't think it's ridiculous at all to think that Partey is on the same level, especially when it comes to pure ball-busting defensive work in that DM position.

a billy spent over 3 windows and you end up with Jackson as your CF? Chelsea with 1 shot on Target at home to Forest in 75 mins...

you love to see it

Poch is also out of his depth.

El Gunner wrote:Never said Rodri can't play in a different setup, i even said he was great in the WC, just that Pep gets the best out of players like no one else. I don't think it's ridiculous at all to think that Partey is on the same level, especially when it comes to pure ball-busting defensive work in that DM position.

This wasn't direct at you but just general commets I've read here and other areas.

Could've been a hattrick for Haaland today. He unselfishly decided to gift a goal to Alvarez instead. One of these days, I bet he's going to regret those decisions when he has a clear opportunity to score.

Haaland hattrick.

Haaland probably so happy Pep isn't there or else he would've been taken off at around the 70th min.

And just as I write that, he gets his hattrick City beat Fulham 5-1 with an interim manager. Well drilled team.

Hattrick for Son though, Turkoglu finally figured out he should be the striker, not Richarlison.

2nd goal shouldn't have stood for City, Dias should've seen red in the first half... but "well drilled team"

Vibe wrote:Hattrick for Son though, Turkoglu finally figured out he should be the striker, not Richarlison.

Is this some balkan slur for Anatolian Greeks with the -oglu suffix in their last names?