Rival watch

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Fat Sam's got his first win as Palace manager, coming from behind to beat his old club Bolton.
They now face City in the next round.
I wonder if this will give them much of a boost? Everton up next.
 
C.Kane said:
You currently have the edge over us in the last third, as evidenced by your successes even playing the 'false 9' without Costa on a few occasions. Besides that, your only other noticeable advantage is that your players and manager are vastly more experienced than our own...and it counts across 38 games when the pressure is on. Your response to our win demonstrates this. Other, less experienced teams would've followed that up with a limp draw lacking in confidence. Your body language against Leicester didn't show the slightest sign of self-doubt. You'd put the defeat behind you and moved firmly on.

I've noticed a number of people (not on this board - I mean pundits) defending Guardiola, bemoaning the fact that he has a certain system that he wants to play, but lacks the players to do it. The fact that Conte has taken you to where you are via converting a bit-part winger/wide attacker into a wing back, a full back into a CB and a LB into a LWB, and apparently has no need for a focal point up front in order to do so, just goes to show that a really good manager has the nous to make the most of the tools at his disposal. Bad workmen blame the tools, good workmen build palaces.
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I’m also feeling a weird amount of admiration for Conte. Everything he’s done so far has seemed just about right, including some creditable remarks after losing to us, and (reportedly) telling Costa to **** off to China.
 
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PleaseNotPoll said:
Juventus have unveiled their new logo:
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How to piss off your entire fanbase in one tweet, essentially. Well done. <ok>
I think it would be suitable for Jermaine Jenas merchandise, if any existed. For Juventus? Not so much.
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I hear the mousers are going to add:

'Annos, anno post erit nobis' to their logo


Something like this:
 
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If he keeps getting crazy roles like the latest Sherlocks,Richard the third and Star Trek,he'll be heading for the nuthouse......like Pep!
 
C.Kane said:
You currently have the edge over us in the last third, as evidenced by your successes even playing the 'false 9' without Costa on a few occasions. Besides that, your only other noticeable advantage is that your players and manager are vastly more experienced than our own...and it counts across 38 games when the pressure is on. Your response to our win demonstrates this. Other, less experienced teams would've followed that up with a limp draw lacking in confidence. Your body language against Leicester didn't show the slightest sign of self-doubt. You'd put the defeat behind you and moved firmly on.

I've noticed a number of people (not on this board - I mean pundits) defending Guardiola, bemoaning the fact that he has a certain system that he wants to play, but lacks the players to do it. The fact that Conte has taken you to where you are via converting a bit-part winger/wide attacker into a wing back, a full back into a CB and a LB into a LWB, and apparently has no need for a focal point up front in order to do so, just goes to show that a really good manager has the nous to make the most of the tools at his disposal. Bad workmen blame the tools, good workmen build palaces.
Click to expand...

Plus he has done what no one else thought possible, and actually turned David Luiz into a defender <laugh>

I must admit, even I raised an eye brow when we re-signed Luiz, I was like "He's your answer to our defensive issues? Him? Really?"

But Conte, and Luiz, have so far proved us wrong.
 
Bodinki said:
Plus he has done what no one else thought possible, and actually turned David Luiz into a defender <laugh>

I must admit, even I raised an eye brow when we re-signed Luiz, I was like "He's your answer to our defensive issues? Him? Really?"

But Conte, and Luiz, have so far proved us wrong.
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True. But I don't think even Conte foresaw how well that would turn out for you. Luiz clearly wasn't his first choice, and appeared to be more of a late window panic buy.

In both of our games against you, he looked the best of the 3 at the back, playing like he has a lot to prove and plenty of pride at stake (which he does).
 
Bodinki said:
Plus he has done what no one else thought possible, and actually turned David Luiz into a defender <laugh>

I must admit, even I raised an eye brow when we re-signed Luiz, I was like "He's your answer to our defensive issues? Him? Really?"

But Conte, and Luiz, have so far proved us wrong.
Click to expand...

I've seen Citeh rip that back line to pieces and fail to put the ball in the net. But they did open you up over and over again before you scored. We did it less but to better effect. I don't think it's a finished product in the way that ours is when everybody is fit. The right hand side is inexperienced in their roles but show real promise. Cahill and Luiz have mistakes in them and I think they will be found out against better teams and Conte will try and upgrade at least one of them in the summer as you're going to want to go for European success. I'd definitely replace Cahill first.
 
C.Kane said:
True. But I don't think even Conte foresaw how well that would turn out for you. Luiz clearly wasn't his first choice, and appeared to be more of a late window panic buy.

In both of our games against you, he looked the best of the 3 at the back, playing like he has a lot to prove and plenty of pride at stake (which he does).
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I think Bonucci was our first choice, having worked under Conte at Juve, but we had to settle. Can't say I am too unhappy though
 
"Thanks for that Brian" said:
I've seen Citeh rip that back line to pieces and fail to put the ball in the net. But they did open you up over and over again before you scored. We did it less but to better effect. I don't think it's a finished product in the way that ours is when everybody is fit. The right hand side is inexperienced in their roles but show real promise. Cahill and Luiz have mistakes in them and I think they will be found out against better teams and Conte will try and upgrade at least one of them in the summer as you're going to want to go for European success. I'd definitely replace Cahill first.
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Agree, he is no John Terry!
Never been a Cahill fan, he is far too inconsistent.
Maybe a Chinese Club will want to take Cahill off our hands for £60m, he is an England international after all <whistle>
I think Conte will make another attempt on Bonucci
 
Playing a back 3 allows you to carry an average defender so long as the other two are reliable. The wing backs don't have a lesser duty to defend, its just their job to attack too. So in theory you have a spare Centre back....so he can be accommodated and if he has an attacking streak, it frees him up to make the odd run. Having a DM or two further fills any cracks a weak CB might have in a back 3.

In a flat back 4 he has more responsibility and room for error because its his definate roll. Luis doesn't have a brain and gets exposed with 4 at the back all day. He's got lucky Conte favours a back 3 and its saved him from looking like the clown we all know he can be.

and this free kick scoring Brazilian defender hasn't scored from a free kick in 54 games.
 
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Spurlock said:
Playing a back 3 allows you to carry an average defender so long as the other two are reliable. The wing backs don't have a lesser duty to defend, its just their job to attack too. So in theory you have a spare Centre back....so he can be accommodated and if he has an attacking streak, it frees him up to make the odd run. Having a DM or two further fills any cracks a weak CB might have in a back 3.

In a flat back 4 he has more responsibility and room for error because its his definate roll. Luis doesn't have a brain and gets exposed with 4 at the back all day. He's got lucky Conte favours a back 3 and its saved him from looking like the clown we all know he can be.

and this free kick scoring Brazilian defender hasn't scored from a free kick in 54 games.
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Ya his free kicks have gone to ****. Think luiz lacks the discipline and concentration in a back 4. Dare i say Dier suffers exactly the same stuff and is pretty much like David Luiz the more i think about it. I think that's why he was shifted to DM (+ toby and vertongen are great) and you guys looked pretty un-spectacular when Toby was out. In a back 3 though, Dier looks just as good as any other decent defender.
 
humanbeingincroydon said:
So on the one hand The FA want to update their Respect rules to protect the sanctity of the referee's decision no matter how patently wrong it is...yet on the other they've demoted Mike Dean to the Championship.
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I think that this is just part of the narrative about him at the moment, to be honest.
He's refereeing a Championship match that's a local derby (Yorkshire), which is being televised.
It's exactly what happened when Birmingham played Villa in October, which he also reffed.
http://www.skysports.com/football/n...ck-thinking-in-rare-birmingham-derby-incident
 
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