Yeah with them and Arse playing Monaco basically it leaves 3 teams. 13 teams able to get 18pts, but as you say those two play each other so that’s only 11.
However all have pretty dismal GDs
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I think this has been brought up before, there is incentive to finish higher in the league table. I don’t think we just qualify and all of a sudden Slot starts playing the kids. The path is theoretically easier for 1 than 8
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Not surprising that someone with KY in their forum name picks that up. Basically the same seeding advantage as you see in the NCAA Basketball tournament.
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Slot just doesn’t seem like a ‘play the kids’ kind of guy.
He may change if we end up with an exhausted squad, but so far he’s always played the strongest possible team.
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But given the way some big teams are performing, we could end up playing a team like RM or AC Milan in the last 16 so winning the group wouldn’t have been advantageous.
This is the point that Slot has made and if it works out that way then it may make him rethink how he approaches next season’s CL.
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Sure, you could get unlucky. But on the balance of probability the lower seeded teams are more likely to be weaker teams, and there is no way to optimize to manage around that. However, the difference between finishing 8th versus 9th is likely greater than the difference between finishing 1st and 8th. The 8th place finisher avoids a full round to play in the same pathway as the 9/10, whereas 1st faces ~15th - a 6 rank difference, but right now that is only a 2 points difference.
So if Slot doesn’t take the last round seriously so he can have a stronger side available for league games, so be it.
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Real Madrid are the ones who concern me. Not doing great, but will do plenty to qualify, but in a position way lower than their true level. A high ranking team who has been crushing all before them might just have a final worthy opponent in the last 16. I don’t fear them, and I know we beat them once already, but I suspect they will be a different proposition in a knockout contest.
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City and Atletico are the two other potentially nasty surprises for somebody near the top of the table.
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I suppose we can’t get a Madrid vs City situation going on…
I think in his previous clubs he did play more youth, but i dont know how much of that was forced or just better youth options available as they wouldnt have been away on loan.
Part of this seasons decisions on loans may have been taken to allow him more time with an already big squad. So, we may see a different approach next season to this one.
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I think where the squad allows him he will use it in the final two games.
He won’t start playing the U23s but the likes of Endo and Elliott may start.
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Of course, that is clear. There are good chances that they will be at their best then, not in their current semi-mediocre form. With Ancelotti, they always hit top form towards the end of the season.
But there are also a lot of other teams who could hit top form later on, and we will probably have our shaky moments too, so who knows how that will pan out.
In any case, the tag of favourites the media are currently trying to put on us is stupid and not at all accurate. We are just the team most in form right now, that is all.
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Bwahahahahahaha.
The biggest Manchester City apologist out there having the temerity to criticise other clubs for being sportswashing projects is staggering.
I notice that The Grauniad hasn’t enabled comments for this article. I wonder why? 
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I’m curious as to why you deem him the biggest Manchester City apologist?
I’ve read multiple articles from him actually denouncing what they’re doing.
The only bad one I remember is his take on Coote.
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I’m not gonna calculate as a fan, also because I have zero influence on it, but I also hope the club doesn’t calculate (much) either.
Do what we can to always go for the win or get the best possible results.
If we’re in a great position/already qualified or won the league part and we judge it’s useful for us in some games to rotate, even if we end up drawing a tougher opponent, do it regardless.
Can’t worry too much about certain things.
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Here’s a little reading list from the past year (I stopped looking after 10 pages of his articles).
Directly on Manchester City
Where Manchester City is mentioned
I would say in general pretty fair when talking about Manchester City, making sure their accomplishments are not separated from the elephant in the room.
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Thanks. I’ll read them next time I’m waiting for the Middle East thread to load.
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Let’s go Atletico, Lille, Milan, Benfica, Monaco, Juventus. And a draw between Dortmund and Barca would also be nice.
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