2 of the first 3 goals scored by the fullbacks. I quite enjoyed Walkers goal, from KDB's pass to his finish. Cancelo was just world class all game. His goal is something he has in his locker so really just liked Phil's pass.
That performance was our best all round football performance for more than 2 years. We have had good results, like the 2 wins against PSG last season or the way we smothered chelsea weeks back but this was next level stuff and we could have won 15-0 if we took our chances. I know its Brugge but they are a decent team.
Funny how the team has evolved every season since Peps arrival but the average fan or pundit can never see it or figure it out. There is a link to this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWvsnHqSZZY
Most fans including opposition fans best version of Peps city is the one with Merlin and Sane destroying teams and Sterling scoring tap ins and we played a lot of controlled and fast paced football. It was flawless going forward but the defense wasn't great.
Last season was Peps best season tactically where I felt he looked at the the players available and made the necessary adjustments to ensure that we played to our strengths whereby we were defensively solid whilst we scored from the few opportunities we created. It was Covid football and we could comfortably control games and eventually score despite being poor in the creativity department.
This season our possession game has gone up several levels.At times it shocks me how good we are and how the players know what positions to take and execute their roles.
The finishing is still awful but its been like this throughout Peps tenure. He just prepares the team to advance to the final third and whoever is picked up front facks it up until they get it right. Only Kun and Yaya have been clinical in the Mansour era and it talks back to the clubs current policy of not buying ready made world class players.
Hopefully our next striker is world class because it does get annoying how wasteful our attackers are,borderline negligent and unprofessional. Less said about Sterling the better.
Anyway we look forward to the 2021-22 version of the team of which I have no clue which team is Peps best team. The back 5 picks themselves depending who you will have between Stones and Laporte and ahead of them only Foden, Rodri and KDB are guaranteed starters.
Honestly cant figure out the rest. Anyone else have an idea how Pep intends to line us up this season?
Total Football & how the team has evolved
posted on 21/10/21
comment by Citizen (U22721)
posted 1 hour, 26 minutes ago
comment by Sky-blue (U22529)
posted 25 minutes ago
comment by Citizen (U22721)
posted 20 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 9 minutes ago
We have 2 or 3 different players playing that role in the same game, any plans for man-to-man marking by the opposition go out of the window
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Exactly movement off the ball has improved immeasurably during peps reign, the way defending did under Mancini’s
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mancini laid the foundations of this team in terms of being solid and compact defensively.
An underrated manager but for me, we became a force because of him.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I was at the Sunderland game when Hughes got the bullet, every time we conceded a corner or free kick around the box you just felt we would concede.
Mancini changed that over night and could do it on a wet windy day in stoke.
It all started from that.
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I know for most Pep will probably be our greatest manager and rightly so as he is a generational coach but for me Mancini is our most important managerial appointment in the Premier league era.
Was disgraceful how the owners dismissed him.
posted on 21/10/21
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 21/10/21
comment by Sky-blue (U22529)
posted 1 hour, 58 minutes ago
comment by Citizen (U22721)
posted 1 hour, 26 minutes ago
comment by Sky-blue (U22529)
posted 25 minutes ago
comment by Citizen (U22721)
posted 20 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 9 minutes ago
We have 2 or 3 different players playing that role in the same game, any plans for man-to-man marking by the opposition go out of the window
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Exactly movement off the ball has improved immeasurably during peps reign, the way defending did under Mancini’s
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mancini laid the foundations of this team in terms of being solid and compact defensively.
An underrated manager but for me, we became a force because of him.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I was at the Sunderland game when Hughes got the bullet, every time we conceded a corner or free kick around the box you just felt we would concede.
Mancini changed that over night and could do it on a wet windy day in stoke.
It all started from that.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I know for most Pep will probably be our greatest manager and rightly so as he is a generational coach but for me Mancini is our most important managerial appointment in the Premier league era.
Was disgraceful how the owners dismissed him.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nah, thought it was surprising they lasted as long as they did with him. Had to after the title win but he was gone a long time before he actually left.
posted on 21/10/21
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 21/10/21
Bit of that and he went too public with some of his criticism.
posted on 21/10/21
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 21/10/21
That is very true! That and the qpr moment which was to me the most ridiculous end to a journey that had lasted all of my life up to that point.
posted on 21/10/21
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 21/10/21
Very underrated manager and if I was the Newcastle hierarchy he is the exact type of manager they need to bring in to start their rebuild. May not win the trophies but will setup the base.
Conte and Mancini are exactoy what Newcastle need at the moment. Funny enough even a Benitez
posted on 21/10/21
I’m sure his loyalty to Mario played a big part, can’t purely be results based.