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El Segundo

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  1. El Segundo
    Frustrating because despite all the changes we looked ok first half and should have gone in level at half time. Instead we decided to press the self destruct button again. Luiz gave a stupid foul away just outside the box, they wasted it so he gave them a second one. Beyond dumb. Zaniolo should be ashamed of himself, pretty much jumping out of the way instead of holding the wall together. A weak challenge from Diaby led to the third, followed by another trip to the self destruct button by Chambers. You can't give gifts to teams like City.
  2. El Segundo
    You just knew we would do something stupid to concede before half time. As if Douggie giving a needless free kick away in a dangerous place for the second time and risking a red wasn't stupid enough we then have Zaniolo doing a total bottle job in the wall. **** pussy.
  3. El Segundo
    I don't think people who want to stay at VP are ignoring the issues, just that the same issues might be just as bad or even worse if we relocate. The references to other clubs spanking new stadiums failing to overcome similar issues illustrates the point.
  4. El Segundo
    I don't think anyone is claiming the current site is perfect, just that there are already some advantages to it over potential alternatives. Does the perfect site even exist? Where has the transport infrastructure been designed specifically to cater for 60,000 + crowds every couple of weeks ? Etihad and Olympic Stadium possibly, but do they actually work any better in practice than other venues? The NEC, on paper, looks a good bet but the M42 is a nightmare at the best of times. The lack of trains and carriages could be addressed between the club and the transport authorities, and if it was maybe fewer people would go by car.
  5. El Segundo
    From the Laws of the game on handball It's an offence if a player • touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised Can anyone explain why or how this did not apply to the penalty we were denied?
  6. El Segundo
    Not sure about that. If Liverpool and West Ham play each other , the most points England can get in the QFs is 5. That's 2 for each win, plus 1 bonus for one team making it to the next round. With one team left, the most England can get for the semi will also be 5, and then 3 for the final if they win it. That's a max of 13. If they avoid each other the max points England can get at the QF stage is 10 - 2 for each possible win, plus 2 for each team making to the next round. If they both get through the most obtainable is again 10. If both get to the final there will be one bonus points plus 2 more for the winner. That's a potential total of 23 points. If they avoid each other and one of them wins but the other goes out at the QF stage, the successful team can still get a max of 13 points. As well as that, the unsuccessful team could still win one of their legs and get a further two points, so a max of 15 points. As far as I can see the only scenario with a lower potential maximum points than them playing each other is if they avoid each other but both go out. Based on that I'd say it's better for them to avoid each other. Yours nerdily.
  7. El Segundo
    Generally thought to be better to be away first.
  8. El Segundo
    Great win but kind of sad to see such a poor Ajax side these days. Not his biggest fan by any stretch but gave MOTM to Cash as he played well and without that goal line clearance at 1-0 the game could have gone very differently. Bailey back to his best after his dip on Sunday, and Diaby, finally, showing he can play a bit - still seems to lack confidence in himself though.
  9. El Segundo
    The thread title refers to our future, not to where we were five years ago, or where we are now. Those details provide context and show that the juggernaut has been heading in the right direction for five years, with the odd detour, and has advanced further than most of us could have dreamed of in that time. I read the question as being whether even further progress is possible and the direction of travel sustainable. I'm not as optimistic about that as I was a few months ago, for various reasons. That's not a complaint, it's more an observation.
  10. El Segundo
    Most clubs are in the same boat as far as increasing revenue and managing FSR/FFR goes. I suppose at least we have someone with a track record of high achievement in that area even if he is an absolute arsehole of a human being, as alleged, and as he sometimes appears. Since the turn of the year though I have had a couple of concerns about the current regime that have tempered my optimism a little. One is that Newcastle, Chelsea and Spurs, even Man Yew away and Luton away in the second half, have all shown that if you press us high and mark everyone else to prevent a longer out ball, we inevitably buckle. Emery doesn't seem to have an answer to this, and the more other coaches and teams see it happen, the more they will cotton on to it and apply it. In contrast Forest, Sheffield Untied and Man Yew and Luton first halves let us play our game and we were able to play through them and create loads of chances. In 2024, every team that's applied it from the start has beaten us comfortably, United overturned a two goal deficit in 45 minutes, and Luton almost did the same. Second it dawned on me yesterday that Monchi has not yet really sourced many signings who can be considered a success so far. Torres has been great of course, but I think Unai was always going back for him regardless of Monchi,. Tielemans has been good in patches, poor in others, but was a know quantity rather than needing to be identified by Monchi. Diaby and Zaniolo do seem to have been identified by Monchi and both have been massive disappointments, the former a very expensive one. Jury still out on Rogers, and the two young full backs of course. Don't know if I've missed someone but so far there's little to suggest we have secured the game changing recruitment guru we hoped we'd be getting. Add to the disappointment of the stadium expansion being shelved and our results taking a dip then I don't see our future shining quite so brightly as I did a few months ago. But still a million times brighter than just a couple of years ago,
  11. El Segundo
    Didn't look to be much purpose to Zaniolo's play to me apart from when he chased back to prevent an attack. Going forward, his main role, he didn't make much happen at all. Diaby actually did bring the ball forward and get some crosses and shots in although much of it was poorly executed as is his wont. I just don't see why Zaniolo should get credit for effort alone, that's the very least we should expect. There's misplacing a pass and then there's misplacing a pass when under no pressure that gifts a goal to the opposition. Having got away with it first half he did it again. Neither were very pleasant to my eyes.
  12. El Segundo
    That was earlier in the season when we had less need to rely on fringe or backup players, and when I think not many teams had worked out that we struggle against a high press and man marking - tactics successfully employed against us by Newcastle, Chelsea and Spurs since the new year. At that point we were competitive with more or less any club. And it's not just today, I'd say recent results and performances indicate injuries and suspensions have meant a bigger drop off in quality and mentality than it has for some of our rivals. Since peak mentality against City and Arsenal, we've bottled some big moments when the pressure has been on - e.g. the chance to go top against Sheffield united, the chance to effectively put ourselves beyond United's reach at VP, and to establish a decent gap between us, Spurs and United today. Doing it for half a season doesn't make you ready in my view, but I do agree we should not give up on it.
  13. El Segundo
    It's not about coming on and just running around a lot though is it? We may have well have kept Trezeguet if we are to be satisfied with that. We need players coming on who can add some quality as well as up the energy levels. At the moment nether Diaby or Zaniolo bring much to the table in terms of effective contributions or end product. As for your Konsa comment, he played a poor ball out of defence to McGinn first half which we were lucky to get away with, as well the one second half which led to the goal. Defended ok but his playing out was ropey today,
  14. El Segundo
    Today showed we probably don't quite have the strength in depth or the mentality for CL football yet but we shouldn't be giving up on it, especially as we can strengthen in the summer knowing we'll have some extra revenue. It's going to be harder after this season if the likes of Newcastle, Chelsea, and Man Yew get their acts together.
  15. El Segundo
    Bailey should have been key for us to day but he looked either not fully fit or unwell or something, he just wasn't his usual self today. He still looked more likely to make something happen than Diaby or Zaniolo. Watkins seemed strangely reluctant to shoot. Gave Cash MoM just because he did some good things as well as some bad, whereas most others were just bad. Would possibly have been McGinn but he threw away any chance of us coming back with a stupid challenge, and we're now without him for three games. I actually think Emery needs to take responsibility for two things. One, we once again came out after half time half asleep and lacking focus and quickly conceded. It's happened so many times this season I've lost count and I think teams have cottoned on and step it up the first five to ten minutes after half time to take advantage of an obvious weakness. Two, sticking to your principles is all well and good but surely there's a case for going long if you've been closed down by a swarm of attackers - it's better to concede possession by hitting it long into their half than it is to concede possession in the final third trying to pass it out through them when the odds are stacked against you. It's cost us against Newcastle, Chelsea in the Cup and again today.
  16. El Segundo
    It's barely credible that they could find a ref even worse than the collection of buffoons, clowns and donkeys operating in our leagues, but UEFA somehow managed it. If he'd been consistent in his decisions it could have been five a side by the end. Yellow cards for being fouled, more yellow cards for innocuous challenges, yet more yellow cards for what appeared to be absolutely nothing at all. Yet not even a foul for Brobbey barging into Lenglet after the ball had gone and sending him flying. He did the same again later. He even had a brief period where he let quite a few robust challenges go in some sort of feeble attempt to let the game flow before reverting to thinking he was reffing the battle of Santiago. Quite possibly the worst ref I've ever seen, and yet I still won't be surprised if the next one sinks to even lower depths. It must be hard to play football with such a clown ruining it.
  17. El Segundo
    Good point, but didn't he have offers to go to Saudi when we signed him?
  18. El Segundo
    I'd rather try and get our money back for Diaby than let Bailey go - although that won't help the FSR situation as much.
  19. El Segundo
    I think there's a core of players who make us what we are and would be extremely difficult to replace for similar money. I'm thinking Watkins, McGinn, Kamara, Torres, Konsa, Luiz Bailey and I'd include Ramsey in that. He makes us better when fully fit, and I don't think we'd find better or equivalent with the money we'd get, despite being pure profit from a PSR/FFP point of view. We could arguably get £100m plus for Luiz - if Caicedo and Rice are worth that then so is Doug - and not far off for Watkins. Watkins would be almost impossible to replace though whereas with Luiz we could probably source someone for quite a lot less who wouldn't represent a significant drop off in quality. My thoughts are Unai will try and sell Duran, since he's had some issues with him, and that Rogers was brought in on that basis - I think Duran may have gone in January if he hadn't got injured. Shame because I think the lad has all the tools to be a top player if he can sort his attitude out.
  20. El Segundo
    I'm not sure that would happen though. An initially large investment would be required to catch up with the likes of City, but the the aim should be to use that increase revenue massively with regular CL football, leading to greater commercial revenue and then increasing capacity to improve match day income. Problem is us and Newcastle, maybe other clubs with very rich owners like Palace and Forest, as well as the sky 6 would be investing on a similar scale so there will be at least 8 or 9 mega rich clubs vying for 4 or 5 CL spots each year. And I can see that situation leading to the resurrection of super league ideas.
  21. El Segundo
    Absolutely. In the interview with Palace co-Owner John Textor on the BBC and other websites, he pretty much says this as well. I know he's come out with some shot about a global superleague but he seems on the money with his PSR comments. Laments the fact they have three billionaire co owners but they are not allowed to invest, whereas City, Chelsea, PSG etc. had the opportunity to buy their way in to the elite, and now others are prevented from doing so and the established clubs are protected. He also makes the point that sustainability should be about the quality of your balance sheet, not a ratio against P&L. He also mentions in one interview that some PL clubs have been meeting outside the official PL meetings to discuss pushing for massive reform to profit and sustainability rules. But even if they can get the FA/PL to change tack, there is still FFP when you are in Europe. A system promoted by the in-no-way-dodgy-or corrupt-at-all Anglophobe Michel Platini to stop English clubs from dominating too much.
  22. El Segundo
    Yorke was unplayable that night - if I recall correctly he scored a fourth and it was disallowed (wrongly I think) for offside or something.
  23. El Segundo
    You're probably right but for me the difference is how much a club like City could actually significantly improve their squad by spending large amounts. I'd say their squad is pretty close to being at the ceiling of how good a squad can be - spending £500m might maintain that level by bringing in successors to the likes of Walker and De Bruyne, or Haaland if he goes to Real Madrid, but it would be hard to improve on it. Whereas I think we have a number of squad places and perhaps one or two first choices that could be significantly improved upon - for example squad options for keeper, centre back, defensive midfield, attacking midfield and striker. Right back/wing back we could improve the first choice. I like Matty Cash but I don't think he's elite level. I n other words it ought to be possible to close the gap a little more easily.
  24. El Segundo
    I rated Emery as poor on this one, but poor compared to his usual high standards. First because I think it's on him that, for the second game in a row whilst cruising to victory, we switched off during first half added time and then came out half asleep for the second. It was obvious very soon after half time we needed to change things - Bailey and Tielemans had clearly clocked off at halftime, McGinn and Luiz had lost control of the midfield, and Watkins was getting no service. Subs came too late after a lot of damage had been done. Up to a couple of years ago I used to think Michael Oliver was one of the better refs. He's been a joke the last couple of years. I was raging at the TV at some of the soft fouls he was giving to Luton, every time they were touched they went to ground and he just blew like a Pavlovian dog. In contrast he did little or nothing to protect Ollie who was being fouled in pretty much every challenge by Menge, and also waved away a couple of fairly blatant fouls on McGinn. He just looked very biased to me yesterday. Fair play for digging out the win in the end but we should have won that by 3 or 4.
  25. El Segundo
    If you believe the Meedya Emery is supposedly in the conversations about future managers for the likes of Bayern, Barca, Real Madrid and Man Yoo. If so, that would be largely based on what he's been doing at Villa. However I'm fairly sure they would also consider his record at regular CL clubs Arsenal and PSG, as well as his league performances at his Spanish clubs. Those aren't as impressive, and maybe they would conclude his strength is punching above his weight and moulding a team in his own image with aspirational clubs rather than operating at the established elite/galactico level. I hope that's the case and hopefully Emery thinks the same.
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