kevinhectoring

There’s a philosophy football match I think

Don’t think you read my post. The wonder of Klopp is he remains almost competitive with City in the league with a far weaker squad. Of course Liverpool have some great players, TAA probably the best footballer and - until his injury - Robertson was outstanding. But Virgil is past his best as a defender and Salah is as inconsistent as he is brilliant. On the statement in my post, Nunes, Gakpo, Diaz, Gomez, Matip, Jota would have no game time at City. Liverpool have done well to produce Jones, Elliot and Bradley but none of them would catch the eye of the City scouts. None of them is comparable to Foden. Very surprised you don’t rate Doku. On the left he is a force of nature who makes Grealish look ordinary - why he’s playing on the other side is a mystery.

Half the Liverpool team wouldn’t get into city’s second XI. And Arsenal are no better. The surprise is that city haven't already won it.

2nd

Impressed Warne went with 3 at the back and that he backed Bradley - that was brave. Delighted for Tommo. We’re going up

would that make any difference to the amount the clubs pay?

What sort of 3 at the back? Fozzy, Cash, Nelson, with each of them making regular visits to the oppo’s box? Served us pretty well until Fozzy was crocked. And where are your midfielders sitting in this 3 at the back? The obsession on here with formation is bewildering, far more important is what field positions players take within the formation. And if those 3 are fit imo we want each of them at CB

Is it in your hands?

… or the times the player throwing the ball in decides not to land it where it can be trapped but instead delivers a venomous long hop that is at chest height by the time it reaches the intended recipient

Without a payoff? I don’t think so.

Raheem Sterling and Mo Salah miss a handful of those every season. Imagine what CBT is looking at. First he doesn’t know whether W will shoot or cross. (What he does know is, he should have crossed 2 seconds earlier. ) Then the ball is hit pretty hard, inside of the foot, so it has swing. It is aerial. ( This type of ball is now necessary because W is releasing the ball too late. ) Then, the ball is coming between the keeper - who almost reaches it with his right hand - and the defender. Distracting. And - critically - it is hit so as not to be a volley but instead to be a half volley; except half volleys come in various sizes, ranging from yorkers to long half volleys, and more precision is needed than when hitting a volley. Oh and because of the angles CBT is having to travel more quickly then he was when he should have received the ball. I expect xG had it at well above a 50% chance. I’d agree it’s above 50 but in this div not by much at all. Looking forward to your laughing emoji

I need to watch it again then, that is not my recollection at all.

I was one of many who advocated bringing Hourihane on if we were drawing after 70 mins. But a cursory glance at Wycombe’s chances late on shows that his head is now in the departure lounge: he was almost single-handedly responsible for a Wycombe goal on more than one occasion, dawdling around defensively like Tom Lawrence in one of his sulks. Sorry to say the safest place for him now is Villa Park. Otherwise he might enter the annals of our club’s history of end-of-season near misses

Joe Ward has added significantly to the fluidity we have had recently and he makes Wilson play better. We missed him

I think NML can complete a full season - despite being 31, having a big frame and being a high intensity player. but not if he’s overplayed. It a question not of too many matches, but of too many minutes.

CBT was angry the ball wasn’t released to him earlier. Meant that instead of getting a pass along the ground with the keeper stranded he gets a fizzy cross that misses the defender by a whisker and is not easily redirected

NML has been gradually ground down over the season. Same happened last season. And yet we expect miracles from him

I don’t think Wycombe or their fans will be 100% tonight. Their season is over. And I don’t think they remain as focused as we do on the Morris/Couhig history. The only question is whether our fans will goad them from their torpidity…

I’d be surprised to see a change. I think Vickers started (?in Jan) for contractual reasons or similar and I think Wildsmith is the better keeper. Conditions at Portsmouth were awful so keeping errors were likely. That said, Wildsmith does seem to be developing a habit of walzing out to the left front corner of his box then doing something crazy. It looks awful when it happens but one of his great strengths is decisiveness and quick thinking and so when he gets things wrong it looks even worse than it is, because he commits to it 100%

We need to unlock a solid defence. I’d pair Tommo w CBT on the left and appoint Waggy cheerleader. After his rest I think NML will cause havoc down the rw so hopefully Collo has his heading boots on. Hourihane on as AM if we’re not winning at 70 mins. He might find space up there as they tire. If Ward is fit, selection becomes more difficult …

I was with you until Fozzy took his shirt off.

Excellent. If we get in a pickle we get a 75% tax write off

Wish I could oblige. 2 months ago I would have said we’d lose in the play offs. But with the side we’re selecting, and with how we’re playing, I’d now say we’d be favourites.

the most exciting way to go up is through the play offs.

NML might be ok off the bench on the right wing in the champ. Barks would be on the bench imo i feel Nelson could be useful at CB, also dare I say it Fozzy if his injury is overcome. the type of player he is, I agree Smith might struggle next season if we go up. But he’s got a very important part to play alongside Adams for these last few games Yes, Ward, Wilson, Cash, CBT could comfortably thrive in the championship in the right set up maybe Nyambe too We have only one player who could survive in the PL and he’s a goalie