The squad needs a rebuild, we're worse than last year. Lukaku hasn't strengthened us at all, and a lot of our key players are getting older.

 

I'd sell

Lukaku 

One of Pulisic/Ziyech (probably Ziyech cause he's older)

RLC

Alonso

Werner (earns massive wages and he's regressed hugely since last year)

Kepa

Saul

Christensen leaves on a free, Rudiger as well if we're unlucky

 

Recall 

Broja (wouldn't mind seeing him at Southampton one more year, they've done a great job developing him but we won't have any other STs if Lukaku goes)

Gilmour (though he's had a terrible year Norwich doesn't suit him at all, was never meant for a relegation fight)

Maatsen (replaces Alonso)

Ampadu (had a good year, would be a decent backup now)

Gallagher

 

Sign

One CB (two if Rudiger leaves) (De Ligt if he's available otherwise Kounde)

One CM (Rice hopefully though he hasn't looked great for England, and price might be an issue)

One LF/RF (though CHO/Mount/Gallagher and probably Pulisic isn't terrible)

 

Admittedly looks like something out of Football Manager but we have way too many average/subpar players earning massive wages at the moment

We just can’t finish.

With Loftus Cheek constantly pulling out 2/10 performances surely we can give Saul some game time

What happened to Chalobah started the season well now faded. 

2 hours ago, charierre said:

Very honest interview. He looks seething about our first half performance , the mistakes and our misses. 

Indeed he has basically written off our chances of turning the tie around without saying it directly.

41 minutes ago, Nevamind said:

What happened to Chalobah started the season well now faded. 

Injured currently I think.

8 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Indeed he has basically written off our chances of turning the tie around without saying it directly.

I know he is being realistic, but not sure I like the ease at which he dismissed any chance of a comeback. Either way his first job is to get us winning again, and ideally not leaking goals. Saturday is looking like a big game.

 

15 minutes ago, forbzy said:

I know he is being realistic, but not sure I like the ease at which he dismissed any chance of a comeback. Either way his first job is to get us winning again, and ideally not leaking goals. Saturday is looking like a big game.

 

We carry on like this and the new owners sack him imo.

4 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

We carry on like this and the new owners sack him imo.

Hopefully rubbish but there are some rumours that he is currently trying to negotiate an exit due to his personal issues.

11 minutes ago, forbzy said:

Hopefully rubbish but there are some rumours that he is currently trying to negotiate an exit due to his personal issues.

Could be true. Either way you don't impress a new boss by saying you cannot inspire the team to even have a chance in the second leg.

5 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Could be true. Either way you don't impress a new boss by saying you cannot inspire the team to even have a chance in the second leg.

Yes. Especially with no away goals rule it would be stupid to throw in the towel after the first leg. Admittedly it is hard to see where our goals are going to come from at the moment, but if we can actually take our chances then who knows?

Meh, think we're overreacting here. The way I see it he's saying we can't compete IF we keep crapping the bed like the last 2 matches. 1 international break ago we were just "fine".

Get ourselves straight and let's do the job against Saints and THEN we're good to go guns blazing at Bernabeu. Till we get that win against Southampton, nothing matters anymore. 

30 minutes ago, forbzy said:

Yes. Especially with no away goals rule it would be stupid to throw in the towel after the first leg. Admittedly it is hard to see where our goals are going to come from at the moment, but if we can actually take our chances then who knows?

Let's be honest any chance we had of turning it around has died unless TT fixes the squads attitude and his own. If the team hears that then they hear the manager does not believe in them.

5 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Let's be honest any chance we had of turning it around has died unless TT fixes the squads attitude and his own. If the team hears that then they hear the manager does not believe in them.

Let’s be honest he probably said a lot worse to them in the changing room after the game

20 minutes ago, timetowaste said:

Let’s be honest he probably said a lot worse to them in the changing room after the game

We can but hope he said what needed to be said.

2 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Could be true. Either way you don't impress a new boss by saying you cannot inspire the team to even have a chance in the second leg.

I actually found his comment a bit refreshing. Most managers are BS artists. I think the ownership issue is finally wearing us down.

What a difference a year makes. We had the same bunch of players against the same team last season & we outclassed them over the 2 legs with a composed & measured performance.

I don't know why we keep reverting to this all guns blazing high line pressing game when we play our best with a measured & calm approach to a game. Last night reminded me of the same chaotic & disorganised stuff we were playing before TT arrived. It's the same pattern whenever we play this type football: come out all guns blazing, can't score in the opening 20 minutes, concede on the counter and collapse. The same pattern was there against liverpool at the bridge but somehow Kovacic scored a wonder goal & we made a decent comeback. This high line pressing of city & pool does not suit our way of playing & would prefer us to revert to the same composed football we played last season against madrid last season.

21 minutes ago, KingOfMilwaukee said:

I actually found his comment a bit refreshing. Most managers are BS artists. I think the ownership issue is finally wearing us down.

He must be seething inside to say something like that in public. We pretty much handed the tie to them on a plate.

9 hours ago, charierre said:

Very honest interview. He looks seething about our first half performance , the mistakes and our misses. 

 

https://twitter.com/CFCPys/status/1510378409855262720/photo/1

Just secure and i'll be happy to get this season over with. Incredible amount of sh*t luck and admittadly some terrible decisions from the higher ups screwed us.

Lukaku, Super League, farcical planning in defense with the contract situations (and letting Guehi and Tomori go in those circumstances), no wingback cover on either side meaning the injuries messes us up, sanctions, sale of club and uncertainty about that, only team to never get a Covid break despite one of the biggest ourbreaks, less rest between games than any team in all of Europe etc etc.

Perfect sh*tstorm.

 

30 minutes ago, Sindre said:

Just secure and i'll be happy to get this season over with. Incredible amount of sh*t luck and admittadly some terrible decisions from the higher ups screwed us.

Lukaku, Super League, farcical planning in defense with the contract situations (and letting Guehi and Tomori go in those circumstances), no wingback cover on either side meaning the injuries messes us up, sanctions, sale of club and uncertainty about that, only team to never get a Covid break despite one of the biggest ourbreaks, less rest between games than any team in all of Europe etc etc.

Perfect sh*tstorm.

Yep, it's been a chaotic season. One that I haven't seen us experience for decades.

Whoever the new owner(s) are, they need to back Tuchel 100%.

Tuchel is still the man for the job no disputing that, no way we let him go if he's got personal issues (the stuff with his wife) hopefully he can sort that out and it doesn't impact his job. 

Since the international break we've been off it, no surprises here it's happened all season and last season we lose our momentum and fall apart. Fine we get back on the horse.

Yesterday was an off day Mendy, dropped his level hard both world class goals by Benzema but I'd like to think Mendy last season would have maybe got to one of them. Nevertheless not many keepers would and I place no blame on conceding the two, the third was unacceptable at this level. 

TT got it wrong tactically, personnel wise there's no shame in saying this, he gets it right so often it's such an outlier when he doesn't. Real Madrid have two danger men shut both down and they really struggle, we needed pace vs Vini Jr and two solid cbs to martial Benzema. TT and the team will learn from this. 

The reason it's so hard to repeat UCL back to back is because of the levels of hunger, when every team is motivated to beat you, how do you sum up a level even higher. Its not easy when you don't have a serial winner in your squad, Barca couldn't couldn't do it with prime Messi, only CR7 Madrid were capable and a lot of those squad members were in the 11 yesterday.

That's the level we must be at, better than last season, we're not even currently as good as our team was last season. Lukaku has sadly been a downgrade to Abraham and Giroud. Losing Chilwell has been quite detrimental to our season. 

Last year when we played them it wasn't just our pressing that won us the game, we looked to play penetrative passes over the top and through the lines vertically. Yesterday all we did was knock the ball side to side, look to get it to the opposite wing and put in a ball to their box from the wing. 

It was very comfortable for th Madrid defenders, Tuchel must come up with another dimension to our attack next leg. It's no surprise our goal came from a vertical ball into the box rather than from the wing. We need more central lateral passing and at a much quicker pace. 

Spurs and Liverpool came back from 3 goals down a few seasons back and Barca from 4 and this is with away goals in effect. No reason why we can't. The attacking must be better and the defending must 1000% be better.

Saul or Alonso need to start vs Southampton and make a case for the 11 next week.  

Edit: main points I'd say is Kova should have started, and so should Saul/Alonso. Changing to a back 4 at half time stemmed their attacking flow but due to the switch ot meant having less bodies back to deal with that early punt forward which left Rudi and mendy in no man's land which gifted the 3rd goal.

Hard to blame TT for being proactive perhaps in hindsight waiting a little longer before changing formation could have prevent that. Hindsight is 2020 and Rudiger despite being on a yellow card would usually deal with that but there's no taking away Mendy blew it .

Edited April 7, 20224 yr by LongtimerLurker

1 hour ago, Sindre said:

Just secure and i'll be happy to get this season over with. Incredible amount of sh*t luck and admittadly some terrible decisions from the higher ups screwed us.

Lukaku, Super League, farcical planning in defense with the contract situations (and letting Guehi and Tomori go in those circumstances), no wingback cover on either side meaning the injuries messes us up, sanctions, sale of club and uncertainty about that, only team to never get a Covid break despite one of the biggest ourbreaks, less rest between games than any team in all of Europe etc etc.

Perfect sh*tstorm.

 

That’s really cheered me up. 😩

11 hours ago, forbzy said:

Yes. Especially with no away goals rule it would be stupid to throw in the towel after the first leg. Admittedly it is hard to see where our goals are going to come from at the moment, but if we can actually take our chances then who knows?

I'm pretty sure he said that to get a reaction, normally he will back the team... maybe a different approach is needed to give the players a kick!