2016-2017 Premier League Season Thread....and it's LIVE!

[Jazzy B.]

I'll tell you what, If and it's a big if, Liverpool can just defend okay, I think they are City's biggest challenge.

Klopp has no balance just like Rogers, they're gassed and done after 60-65 minutes. Defence is A grade garbage.

If Conte wasn't so passive and reacted when he should have they wouldn't have won the match against Chelsea.

They'll easily beat Man City in a match though.

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

I also think you would be the best with Pogba to play him as box-to-box.
I doN't know what exactly think as a nr10 role today but Pogba doesn't seem to me that creative to play directly behind your forwards preparing chances to them.

also while he is a scum of a human being Fellaini is one of your bests in the season so far. Just don't want him to be something which he is not. He is a butcher, DM... and he is good a that. That's it

Fellaini is a role player/specialist to bring on in two situations:

1. we are protecting a lead and we need the holding midfielder to get more help....this is when we shift to a 4-2-3-1 (a naturally defensive formation) and play Fellaini + Carrick/Schneiderlin

2. we are chasing a game in the final moments and we put Fellaini in the box behind the striker so he can be a nuisance, head balls on etc. like an emergency striker or something

 

[DStyles]

#fireMourinho

 

[reservoirdogs]

Fellaini is a role player/specialist to bring on in two situations:

1. we are protecting a lead and we need the holding midfielder to get more help....this is when we shift to a 4-2-3-1 (a naturally defensive formation) and play Fellaini + Carrick/Schneiderlin

2. we are chasing a game in the final moments and we put Fellaini in the box behind the striker so he can be a nuisance, head balls on etc. like an emergency striker or something

emergency striker?

maximum cause of his height but otherwise... that guy is much better in defensive duties

 

[reservoirdogs]

#fireMourinho

lol that was quick

I hate Mourinho's guts but let's be honest:

1. MU won't fire him anytime soon.
2. after 3 losses in a row he shouldn't be fired yet

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

emergency striker?

maximum cause of his height but otherwise... that guy is much better in defensive duties

that's what I mean

use his height when we are throwing balls forward or we have a corner/free kick where we will deliver the ball into the box and he can win them

this is when we are chasing the game with 10 mins or less to go and we have to resort to that kinda strategy. It is situation-specific stuff.

Don't forget, Fellaini played as a striker for Everton.

 

[TTT]

Thing is Pogba has three options as a midfielder: a) play the holding role; b) play the no. 10/advanced role; c) play box to box

Tbh given his natural skill set and his ability to cover a lot of the pitch quickly, and given our midfield options, we have to play him box to box. But a box to box midfielder is a tough role because you have to be competent defensively and attacking-wise. Pogba is so ill disciplined defensively but Juve's defensive excellence helped mask his flaws. This dude loves to roam the pitch and just play in the schoolyard as Carragher alluded to early this season. So he has to play box to box but he has to be disciplined. If you cannot get a £89m player to be disciplined you got a fukking problem. I'm happy to build around Pogba but not to the extent where we brush away his flaws too. He MUST get his act together first and then it will be easier.

I would say he could play advanced role but we have options like Mata and Mkhi there. In comparison, only Herrera is a real box to box midfielder for us.

I think Fellaini gotta be dropped now and it's unfortunate. He doesn't play well under pressure even though so far this season he's been one of our better players. Most importantly, he doesn't complement Pogba. Pogba has to get the ball from deep because Fellaini isn't a great playmaker and passer or even dribbler. He can break up play and be a nuisance aerially. That's it. Schneiderlin and Carrick offer more for playing a traditional holding role and probably Blind too. Herrera has to start games because he works hard and plays box to box. If him and Pogba alternate between attacking and defensive responsibilities and then you have that holding player who plays the role properly, we can play a 3 in midfield.

The issue is, I think we need 2 strikers up top. Zlatan needs someone like Rashford or Martial to run off him and those players are STRIKERS, not wingers. I think given our options, we don't have great wingers until someone like Depay steps up to the plate. For now, we'll have to forgo wingers imo and use Valencia and Shaw's attacking capabilities from full back positions to provide that width. But I really don't know what formation is best for this team. We could play 4-4-2 diamond and still get the holding mid and the Pogba/Herrera to play 3/4s of the diamond, with Mkhi or Mata playing the no. 10 role. And that way we still get two strikers with Zlatan plus either Martial or Rashford based on form.

I know I've just rambled a little bit lol. Needed to express my thoughts somewhere.

Juventus never played with conventional wingers and relied on fullbacks for their width. Their system didn't have a conventional 10 like Sneijder or Ozil. It provided Pogba much more cover in midfield because Vidal covered much more ground and Pirlo at his best obviously dictated the tempo. Bonucci is also a good passer of the ball out of defence which helped as well. Mourinho's past 4-2-3-1 paired a defensive midfielder with players like Sneijder,Cesc and Alonso, at Real the difference was Alonso and Khedira were not conventional holding midfielders. I am not sure what role Pogba is supposed to play in such a system and whether United feel they need to change the entire system to fit in Pogba. I have also read about Mourinho's idea of a no.10 and he said Sneijder and Deco were his personal ideal of a number 10. I think Mikhitaryian has played in a system that requires him to contribute defensively but he doesn't seem to be favored. I am surprised Carrick hasn't played much given that he could play at the base of the midfield and just circulate the ball well.

 

[licktheballs]

Damn , Stoke getting had up

Palace out there styling on them

 

[Lord_Chief_Rocka]

Klopp has no balance just like Rogers, they're gassed and done after 60-65 minutes. Defence is A grade garbage.

If Conte wasn't so passive and reacted when he should have they wouldn't have won the match against Chelsea.

They'll easily beat Man City in a match though.

Ummm no. Klopp is a top manager. Matip has looked good.

Clyne and Lovren have been solid the last couple games

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

Juventus never played with conventional wingers and relied on fullbacks for their width. Their system didn't have a conventional 10 like Sneijder or Ozil. It provided Pogba much more cover in midfield because Vidal covered much more ground and Pirlo at his best obviously dictated the tempo. Bonucci is also a good passer of the ball out of defence which helped as well. Mourinho's past 4-2-3-1 paired a defensive midfielder with players like Sneijder,Cesc and Alonso, at Real the difference was Alonso and Khedira were not conventional holding midfielders. I am not sure what role Pogba is supposed to play in such a system and whether United feel they need to change the entire system to fit in Pogba. I have also read about Mourinho's idea of a no.10 and he said Sneijder and Deco were his personal ideal of a number 10. I think Mikhitaryian has played in a system that requires him to contribute defensively but he doesn't seem to be favored. I am surprised Carrick hasn't played much given that he could play at the base of the midfield and just circulate the ball well.

didn't Juventus play a 3-5-2 or something?

iirc they had three centre backs and then Lichtsteiner and Evra were the full backs and wingers simultaneously?

well I think to play that 3 in midfield, we could easily have Herrera play the Vidal role and then Carrick/Schneiderlin play the Pirlo role, especially Carrick who's a great passer of the ball.

 

[Jazzy B.]

Ummm no. Klopp is a top manager. Matip has looked good.

Clyne and Lovren have been solid the last couple games

And that's got what do with Klopp having no balance similarly to Rogers at Liverpool exactly? .


Klopp tells his players to press high for 90 minutes and by the 60th-65th minute they're all tired. Where's the balance? Pep will tell his players to press and also to keep the ball and pass it around so that they don't burn themselves out and tire. That's balance.

Defence is trash, everyone knows it which is why no one is backing them

 

[dappadonna]

Thank you , Dier back in defence

Wanyama n Dier in midfield is dead

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

Thank you , Dier back in defence

Wanyama n Dier in midfield is dead

Spurs have some strong ass midfield options

is Eriksen benched because of that Asian dude's form?

 

[superunknown23]

Meanwhile, Manchester United have threatened to take Juventus to court for allegedly selling them a chinese Product ZHONGBHA

 

[TTT]

didn't Juventus play a 3-5-2 or something?

iirc they had three centre backs and then Lichtsteiner and Evra were the full backs and wingers simultaneously?

well I think to play that 3 in midfield, we could easily have Herrera play the Vidal role and then Carrick/Schneiderlin play the Pirlo role, especially Carrick who's a great passer of the ball.

They played 3-5-2 under Conte and transitioned to 4-3-1-2 under Allegri so basically they always had 3 in midfield without a traditional second striker or 10 which is how they could accommodate Vidal,Pirlo,Marchisio and Pogba in one team. They had Cuadrado though which ended up helping them with width.