Premier League Gameweek 2 fixtures (18th - 20th August 2018)

George The Best said:
Think it’s disingenuous to suggest we ‘hoof’ it all the time. There is a time and place for long balls but don’t think we do it all the time. We are just one game into the new season. Let’s see how we play tomorrow before jumping to conclusions about how we adapt with Shaw, Fred and Pereira in the side. Not to mention Bailly and possibly Lindelof. Think we have better ball players now to play out from defence. Jose’s teams have, generally, not been hoof ball teams. Did Real Madrid play hoofball lol.
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I think so far its fair to say we've been a hoofball team under Mourinho. For the last two seasons it's been our most consistent route to goal. In the FA Cup final we didn't win because we lacked 'presence'. If it wasn't so important we would've found a way to work around it but instead we were left exposed without Lukaku or Fellaini.
Going forward to this season perhaps the changes in personell like Periera coming in and Bailly/Lindelof at the back will change things but if it doesn't and we're still relying on that 'presence' then it's fair to say that's the way Mourinho wants us to play - we just have to get better at it.
 
abdo99 said:
I think so far its fair to say we've been a hoofball team under Mourinho. For the last two seasons it's been our most consistent route to goal. In the FA Cup final we didn't win because we lacked 'presence'. If it wasn't so important we would've found a way to work around it but instead we were left exposed without Lukaku or Fellaini.
Going forward to this season perhaps the changes in personell like Periera coming in and Bailly/Lindelof at the back will change things but if it doesn't and we're still relying on that 'presence' then it's fair to say that's the way Mourinho wants us to play - we just have to get better at it.
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So ‘hoofball’ got us into 2nd place last season. The teams that play from the back must be absolute crap then. I just don’t buy into this theory, sorry. To think we’ve had players such as Carrick, Pogba etc and to liken them as hoofball players is just rubbish imo. Yes, I do think when we are stretched that Jose likes to get rid so we can re-group - our CB’s may have had a tendency to go long if they couldn’t see a pass - perhaps that’s why Jose wanted to add another. Lindelof and Toby (if he could have got him) can play out from defence. As I said, let’s see what the new season has in store before making rash judgements. Jose is not stupid. He will have analysed to death how we played last season - and will (or wanted) to make the necessary adjustments imo. Just one game into the new season so far. Let’s give him and the team a fair chance for Christ’s sake.
 
Nick7 said:
Not sure that set up suits them. It's removing parts of what make Kante so great and effective.
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He was never a holding midfielder, though, and what makes him so great and effective is being given the freedom to close players down. He had that at Leicester with Drinkwater as the player who held, whilst he pressed. Same at Chelsea too, with Matic beside him.

Having him as a holding midfielder means he is restricted to get around as much as he'd like, as his job would be to protect the back four.
 
Walters_19_MuFc said:
He was never a holding midfielder, though, and what makes him so great and effective is being given the freedom to close players down. He had that at Leicester with Drinkwater as the player who held, whilst he pressed. Same at Chelsea too, with Matic beside him.

Having him as a holding midfielder means he is restricted to get around as much as he'd like, as his job would be to protect the back four.
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This is spot on - Conte initially restricted him to that role in his first season, playing a 4-3-3 with Kante behind Oscar and Matic. He definitely struggled and the team suffered hugely as a result.
 
duffer said:
Chocolate wrists is we used to call that at school but yeah, not great.

I don't care about the fee but he didn't impress me yesterday. Nearly spilled a couple of saves as well.

Early days though.
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People had a go a DDG in his first season. He is young, especially in goalkeeping terms, so still learning, has come to a knew country and is under far more scrutiny than at Athletic Bilbao. Also he probably expected defenders to actually defend in front of him.
 
George The Best said:
So ‘hoofball’ got us into 2nd place last season. The teams that play from the back must be absolute crap then. I just don’t buy into this theory, sorry. To think we’ve had players such as Carrick, Pogba etc and to liken them as hoofball players is just rubbish imo. Yes, I do think when we are stretched that Jose likes to get rid so we can re-group - our CB’s may have had a tendency to go long if they couldn’t see a pass - perhaps that’s why Jose wanted to add another. Lindelof and Toby (if he could have got him) can play out from defence. As I said, let’s see what the new season has in store before making rash judgements. Jose is not stupid. He will have analysed to death how we played last season - and will (or wanted) to make the necessary adjustments imo. Just one game into the new season so far. Let’s give him and the team a fair chance for Christ’s sake.
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No signs of any change mate, think you’re clutching at straws. Whether it’s preseason or a cup final he plays exactly the same way and can’t see him suddenly changing now. He doesn’t know any other anyway
 
Burnley vs Watford & Man City vs Huddersfield lineups
Burnley vs Watford



Man City vs Huddersfield

 
At times, Pep makes Mourinho look predictable with his lineups. What the hell is that?
 
Walker, Sterling & Mahrez dropped. Strange, I thought Sterling & Walker were very good last week.

Stones playing right back?

Look at that bench! And that's with De Bruyne injured too! The strength in depth these cnuts have is astonishing. If they don't get to the CL final this year it's a failure imo.
 
Ederson

Stones Kompany Laporte
Bernardo Fernandinho Gundogan Mendy
Silva
Jesus Aguero​

Think it is something like that - some sort of 352.
 
Damien said:
Ederson

Stones Kompany Laporte
Bernardo Fernandinho Gundogan Mendy
Silva
Jesus Aguero​

Think it is something like that - some sort of 352.
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I also think it will be something like this. Has B Silva even played wing back before?
 
Vato said:
@Damien, why can't I see these type of videos anymore when I had no problem before? It just keeps on loading forever. Can you cure my computer aids?
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If you right-click the video then click download video it will play with adblock on.
 
Have you lads seen that Sanchez wasn't pictured getting off the plane today? If we was injured you think we would have heard something. The press have one job every week, any new injuries and who is coming back? They are instead asking him what he thinks about De Bruyne bring injured, idiots.
 
Loads of footballers having babies recently. Mooy missing for Huddersfield as his wife went into labour last night.
 
I want ultra defensive teams to pick Pep's team off this season, so he goes into meltdown like he did in his first. Is that too much to ask? :(
 
Huddersfield have basically zero quality up top so there's really no point watching this.
 
I'm firing up Al Pacino's Heat instead of watching the City game. Huddersfield have zero chance.

Think it's a disgrace I've never seen it before.
 
Very unbalanced this City team, big chance for Hudersfield to get a result today.
 
Anything under a 4-0 defeat is a good result for Huddersfield. That said, I expect City to score 5.
 
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