That’s overstated. It was true at the start of Klopp’s run, but we are much more controlled and controlling now. The league win was built on the back of suffocating teams and knowing when to shut up shop.
This is also a team that Klopp has drilled to solve problems on the pitch. I don’t it’s a lot to ask our players to see the ease with which City were getting in behind and make some adjustments.
I would be surprised if they do.
Think you are wrong but hope to fuck you are right.
As would I. Remember that the 67% chance city have includes all possibilities — them dropping points and us doing so as well.
I think both teams dropping points is far more likely than neither team doing so.
I can see us dropping 2 points, but I think if we win all our 7 matches we will win the league.
I hate to say it but I was really impressed the way they played us. If they keep that level of concentration up for the rest of their PL matches I simply don’t see anyone taking points of them. Perhaps if Simeone orders one of his players to take de Bruyne out …
Surely we need some kind of change in tactics/personnel for the FA cup game otherwise we’ll be in trouble in the wide open spaces of Wembley.
What about putting Joe at RB to provide stability there? Moving Trent forward where he likes to spend most of his time anyway, and switching Hendo to the Nr6 role.
Swapping Bobby for Jota might also help the midfield.
If we play the same tactics as Sunday I fear the worst.
First tactic should be to turn up on the right day and build from there.
We’ve not played like this for over 2 years.
I think he’d get pulled out of positional continually. Trent did very well against Foden defensively, who despite being a little rat is a very very good player. Trent was actually worse on the ball bar the assist, I expect him again to be much better come Sunday.
The back line needs to be Robbo, Virgil, Matip and Trent… They have the best cohesion and play the best offfside trap.
I think we’ll see Bobby come in for Jota on Sunday which will make us much better in midfield.
Very true. Our hand was forced somewhat when we played them at their place last season and we started with our 4 best strikers and went for it. They couldn’t cope for most of the first half but we didn’t take our chances.
Firmino or Mane at the #9 is a must. Jota just didn’t hold the ball up well enough or disrupt City in possession. Mane didn’t play there for too long on sunday but the difference between the two was clear.
At this point I’d have Jota as being first change/need a goal type sub in those games until his off the ball/hold up work becomes as good as Diaz or Mane.
Why would you move Trent? Our system is designed to give him the freedom to do his attacking thing from right back, same with Robbo on the left.
Moving Trent into a midfield role doesn’t free him up from defensive duties, he’ll still have to play in the way our midfielders do in order for the system as a whole to work. And we’ve never done that before so why risk it in a semi final against probably the best midfield going at the moment?
Trent’s issue on Sunday was he was awful with the ball first 20 bar the assist. I don’t want to see that in centre midfield come the weekend.
The wide spaces at Wembley are as much a benefit to us and risk to City as the other way around. In terms of pace, we are generally quicker at the front end than they are. In terms of balls played in to that space, we have better options in Trent, Thiago and Virgil, whilst they rely heavily on De Bruyne for that.
We lost the midfield battle in the last game against them - it’s in midfield again where the game will be won or lost.
I do like that everyone I have heard on the wireless has said our football is much more entertaining than Pepball.
I agree we need a change of tactics for Saturday and I am sure there will be but the Wembley pitch won’t affect that. These days it’s the same size as most PL grounds. Same size as the Etihad, for example. I think Bobby will come in for Jota. That might have been the plan for Sunday but I read that Bobby missed a training session towards the end of the week. May not have been fully fit. I don’t see any other changes in personnel unless there are injuries. I think we will be more direct. JK alluded to that post match.
There is a decent chance they do win all their remaining games. WHU away, who have beaten Chelsea, Spurs and us, and have beaten City, are going to be difficult for them though. Unfortunately West Ham’s form isn’t brilliant right now. If it’s a repeat of a couple of years ago where we were praying they dropped points but never did, then so be it. No-one could criticize us for not trying our best.
Nah we still do it in spells. Granted not as much as in previous years, but more than City
I rarely get the feeling that Jota is playing well. Struggles to hold ball up and lacks awareness of teammates’ runs when on the ball. That said he constantly pops up with important goals which is the most important thing!
This is the irony, City didn’t play that way, they set up to copy us. A direct quote from Guardiola “I try to imitate the best, I learn!”, when asked about the high press and quick long balls.
Maybe I’m simplifying it a bit, but they, like us, want to compress the field to make it smaller when defending and open it up and make it large when attacking. I don’t think we differ in that respect.