Argo

Yeah quality, Alexis Sanchez circa 2018 isn't even top flight standard.

I would say in the bigger games especially in Europe control in midfield is more important than goal output, especially given that you would think our problems up top would be somewhat sorted by then. The level in CL is so high while Barks and Ruben have improved under Sarri i have my doubts wether they can truly compete vs elite midfields, while i firmly believe Kova can.

While im happy to see two HG lads making promising strides Kovacic is the type of signing that can help make us a CL contender, rejecting the chance to sign Kova (who could sign for Spurs if hd doesn't us) to appease two players while improving not quite on his level is the kind of lack of ambition fans have moaned about for years.

If only Sarri could have managed 23 year old David Luiz.

Super sub!!!!

But to play devils advocate here if he claimed he believed we were capable of chipping away at City's lead we would all think he needed professional help. Jose returned with all his array of medals and ruled out the chances of us beating City, and that was Pellegrini's City while we were actually above them. Watching it again his answer to the Guardiola question was clearly intended as banter, and it worked as the press started laughing.

He obviously means this season in isolation when he says the long run.

The point is this Kante playing in his best position thing just screams of them collectively licking eachothers arse cheeks, like Ian Wright claiming his interception and pass to Pedro vs Fulham is proof he should play deep centre again failing to adknowlege had he been he wouldn't have been so high up to intercept and if he was he would be playing a dangerous game because of the space he vocates. There are some good pundits but ultimately there's a reason they are just pundits, even the best ones look crap at trying the managers gig (Neville).

The players he allegedly wanted that summer would have seen us fall foul of FFP. While we could have done a better job meeting in the middle the only thing that would have kept Conte happy indefinitely was a blank cheque and we ain't that club anymore.

In hindsight Conte would never have been here long term and would never do more than 3 years anywhere, he's too destructive and even walked out on his beloved Juve because he didn't get his own way. Re your last line i think that's the plan, we wouldn't appoint a purist still awaiting his first piece of silverware if the plan was to sack him after a few bad results, we may aswell re appoint Jose, Hiddink or Rafa if that's the plan.

I would take the opinion of a manager over any of them. Amoungst other things Journo's, pundits, commentators and ex pro's murdered Jose for walzing onto these shores and dropping Cudicini, likewise Conte/Cesc, they ripped Redknapp a new one for playing Modric deep and it ultimately all be it years later got him a Balon Dor, they borderline racially abused Pochettino when he turned up at Southampton because he was apparently a downgrade on Nigel Adkins, they laughed at Pep for dropping a declined Joe Hart and bringing in Ederson who has modernised goalkeeping and lets not get started on the disgraceful hatchet job the Soccer Saturday team did on Marco Silva. Pundits and jouro's for the most part are full of ridden cliches who just toe the party lines, there's example even more cringy than the one's i just put up, for some beyond wierd reason the general media in this country get butthurt whenever the game modernises further from the basic traditional British ideas, and this is coming from a Brit, i genuinely learn more from fans video's than pundit analysis.

We aren't at the stage of hearing how our rivals are all like 70's Brazil yet, i imagine that's coming if we lose to City.

Minor tweaks maybe (which i can agree Sarri should start doing more) but ultimately the style and philosophy was the same as they did in other leagues, Pep's being possession and Klopp's being to make maximum use of any space on the pitch. Klopp has taken nearly three years to perfect it at Liverpool and even Pep with a blank cheque and taking over from a fellow attacking based manager needed a year of mixed results to get it right. This type of rut was always likely, this type of football is very complex.

4231 is mainly a counter attacking formation. We have signed up to a new direction, to do that we have to stick to it and keep going at it. Look at the two teams that are revving up away from the rest, both had excruciating growing pains at the beginning but both Pep and Klopp stuck to the plan against waves of calls to be more pragmatic and now look. While the pragmatic era got us some good results, the game is moving on we have to move on with it because if we bottle it and resort to type again we will end up floating around with little meaning like Man.United post Fergie. This season (maybe two) will be painful but it's necessary in order to move with the times, lets be honest City will take some serious stopping while Pep is around so whats the point of resorting to the short term approach if it won't even get us the required instant results (the one plus it had before), let's build an identity, get a few players through so whenever City's domination dies down we are the best places to pounce.

Absolute nonsense, shots from that speed or closeness are very rarely saved and when they are they are save of the season contenders!