1 hour ago, Scott Harris said:

It's not just in England where VAR is a farce. The two penalties in the Juventus vs Lyon match were a joke, especially the one given to Juve. I don't what else Depay is supposed to do to avoid touching the ball with his arm, and he was booked for it as well. 

The rules in Europe are different than the PL, literally any contact with the arm is handball in the CL. It doesn't even matter if your arms are in a natural position, is tucked in or you are moving your arms away from the ball but aren't quick enough to avoid contact.

If someone fired the ball whilst deliberately aiming at the defenders arm that would be called as a penalty with the current rules, it desperately needs to be adjusted.

Still trying to figure out what did Varane attempt last night.

Our CB's could relate ?

10 minutes ago, wizardous said:

Still trying to figure out what did Varane attempt last night.

Our CB's could relate ?

Though we play from the back decently, our CB problems start when we don't have the ball, Varane looks more secure than Zouma but Zouma never lost the ball like that lol

31 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

Though we play from the back decently, our CB problems start when we don't have the ball, Varane looks more secure than Zouma but Zouma never lost the ball like that lol

The way Varane lost the ball rarely happens even in lower leagues (not to mention 2 times in the same match).

It just proves that even the best defenders can make silly mistakes.

Btw I think our playing from the back is not even decent, none of our CB's are particularly good on the ball, maybe Tomori could be an exception. Those long balls from Zouma and Rudiger are often unnerving to say the least. David Luiz was actually pretty good at it.

8 minutes ago, wizardous said:

The way Varane lost the ball rarely happens even in lower leagues (not to mention 2 times in the same match).

It just proves that even the best defenders can make silly mistakes.

Btw I think our playing from the back is not even decent, none of our CB's are particularly good on the ball, maybe Tomori could be an exception. Those long balls from Zouma and Rudiger are often unnerving to say the least. David Luiz was actually pretty good at it.

Well yea but we have been working it out like a unit, the high press against us didn't work, last season once we made a blunder penalty but many times the ball went forward to a winger, or recently to Giroud. Our midfielders bail out our CBs but it's more obvious when they make the CBs uncomfortable, Rudiger made decent long balls, for me it's mostly Alonso that when pressured sends the ball almost randomly forward and we lose possession.

I thought Sterling you have been booked last night for a blatant dive.

9 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

Well yea but we have been working it out like a unit, the high press against us didn't work, last season once we made a blunder penalty but many times the ball went forward to a winger, or recently to Giroud. Our midfielders bail out our CBs but it's more obvious when they make the CBs uncomfortable, Rudiger made decent long balls, for me it's mostly Alonso that when pressured sends the ball almost randomly forward and we lose possession.

There is an improvement in that part of play when comparing to Sarriball but it's still not good enough, not even close.

I think I've read somewhere that Rudiger has the worst pass completion % out of all our CBs. Also his long balls are most of the time inaccurate, he usually finds an opposition player. That can easily cause havoc in defense and a big chance for the opponent, and we saw similar situations many times. 

As for full-backs, it is purely tactical approach. For example, when playing out from the back, van Gaal insisted on not making the first pass to a full-back, but to a CB just because of their positions. And that seemed to work very well when playing against a high press. Just remember how many times the first pass from the keeper went to Alonso and he had practically no choice but to clear it randomly...

4 minutes ago, wizardous said:

There is an improvement in that part of play when comparing to Sarriball but it's still not good enough, not even close.

I think I've read somewhere that Rudiger has the worst pass completion % out of all our CBs. Also his long balls are most of the time inaccurate, he usually finds an opposition player. That can easily cause havoc in defense and a big chance for the opponent, and we saw similar situations many times. 

As for full-backs, it is purely tactical approach. For example, when playing out from the back, van Gaal insisted on not making the first pass to a full-back, but to a CB just because of their positions. And that seemed to work very well when playing against a high press. Just remember how many times the first pass from the keeper went to Alonso and he had practically no choice but to clear it randomly...

That's the one thing that Sarri trained the squad to do so at least we're building up on that. I do understand that it's tactical but Alonso as a player is really not skilled enough and he tries to hide that he isn't comfortable by running high up the pitch. Kovacic that runs with the ball very well can't rely on Alonso at all when the ball is in our half.

1 minute ago, Gol15 said:

That's the one thing that Sarri trained the squad to do so at least we're building up on that. I do understand that it's tactical but Alonso as a player is really not skilled enough and he tries to hide that he isn't comfortable by running high up the pitch. Kovacic that runs with the ball very well can't rely on Alonso at all when the ball is in our half.

True story. That is probably the main reason why we need someone like Tagliafico at LB. Alonso is suitable only when we're playing with 3 at the back.

13 hours ago, Chelsbear said:

Still have him back in a heartbeat. 

Not the first to struggle after moving to Spain. 

I love him but i wouldn't want him back now. He's approaching 30 and looking like his knees are going, could easily end up being another Kante situation were he plays when fit no matter what form he's in compared to his competitor largely because of what he was. If you think Kante coming straight back in after Jorgi and Kova smashed it in his absence was frustrating, imagine an fully firing Puli being took away from his best position to the opposite side to accommodate Eden. 

We got a fantastic price and replaced him well, we should close that fantastic chapter and move on to the next era.

Edited August 8, 20205 yr by Argo

Rumors that Sarri will get sacked and that the new Juventus manager is Pochettino...

7 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

Rumors that Sarri will get sacked and that the new Juventus manager is Pochettino...

Haha, Conte will win Serie A next season if that happens.

15 hours ago, Chelsbear said:

No one is or could be. There isn't a player capable of 40 plus goals a season, he was a freak. Same with Messi, Barca will be in big trouble when he goes. 

That's true, but stylistically, Hazard is nothing like Ronaldo. It would've at least made sense if Real went for Mbappe, someone who scores a lot of goals. Hazard doesn't, he's never had a great goal record, he's more of a creator and pulls the strings, something Madrid already had. I just really never understood the Madrid obsession with Hazard. 

24 minutes ago, Slojo said:

That's true, but stylistically, Hazard is nothing like Ronaldo. It would've at least made sense if Real went for Mbappe, someone who scores a lot of goals. Hazard doesn't, he's never had a great goal record, he's more of a creator and pulls the strings, something Madrid already had. I just really never understood the Madrid obsession with Hazard. 

Think the obsession is to have the best players in the world ala the galactico era. Hazard was regarded as the thrid best player behind the untouchable 2. 

The money isn't there anymore though and Ramos, Benzema, Modric and even Kroos are now well into their 30s so I think Real are going to be in trouble in a year or two. Same for Barca really

1 hour ago, Chelsbear said:

Think the obsession is to have the best players in the world ala the galactico era. Hazard was regarded as the thrid best player behind the untouchable 2. 

The money isn't there anymore though and Ramos, Benzema, Modric and even Kroos are now well into their 30s so I think Real are going to be in trouble in a year or two. Same for Barca really

It will make their league more interesting though.

Its going to end bad for him, look how they turned on Bale

I really hope they don't turn on Hazard because he wouldn't deserve it at all. Some if Madrid fans are some piece of work

7 hours ago, Ballack & Blu said:

Its going to end bad for him, look how they turned on Bale

Bale did not do himself any favours with golf and just holiday Spanish and suspect as Hazard says it his dream to play for Madrid and so will learn the language faster he will have a little more maneuver room.

He does need to score a couple of his trademark goals and am not sure whether RM will allow him that freedom. 

5 hours ago, Strider6003 said:

Bale did not do himself any favours with golf and just holiday Spanish and suspect as Hazard says it his dream to play for Madrid and so will learn the language faster he will have a little more maneuver room.

He does need to score a couple of his trademark goals and am not sure whether RM will allow him that freedom. 

He looks 15% at least unfit, i commented on his apparent bulk the other night..

21 minutes ago, Ballack & Blu said:

He looks 15% at least unfit, i commented on his apparent bulk the other night..

Some players when injured for a while put on weight, Hazard might just be in that category. 

Would he walk back into Chelseas side if fit Next season??

I do find the Bale situation intriguing.

£600,000 per week, not willing to go on loan and they don't pick him. 

Of course  he does not play their game  of professing adoration for Madrid and instead sticks a finger up by saying he likes golf and playing for Wales.

His contract is up in 2022.

 

 

7 hours ago, Strider6003 said:

Bale did not do himself any favours with golf and just holiday Spanish and suspect as Hazard says it his dream to play for Madrid and so will learn the language faster he will have a little more maneuver room.

He does need to score a couple of his trademark goals and am not sure whether RM will allow him that freedom. 

Real Madrid fans turned on Bale way before any of this though. Pretty much as soon as he joined the club they were on his back. After so many years of it he has probably thought f**k it and decided to give some of it back. At the same time, he could have easily left them by now, he's just wasting the rest of his career with them. He should have left after the 2018 Champions League win really.

And of course they also stopped his move to China in a last minute panic.

This season's CL is still to be completed and the qualifying games for next season have started. Good result for Linfield.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53679832