Much as I respect the FA Cup, I for one would prefer 4th place this season, but Scousers doing what they need to do to keep us in 5th. Leicester will be really up for this game and yet again we will need to put our best team out, meaning at least 8 of them ( who I'll name) will have to play every game in PL and FA if we are to achieve either. This is the reality of too much reliance of money, too much chopping and changing managers, and no plan to build on past success. Surely even the thickest of our Board can see this now? So who to play ? This is who I'd pick. Willy (Courtois is 1 of the 8 but shouldn't be) Dave Christensen Rudiger ( 3 more ) Zappacosta Ampadu (if fit otherwise reluctantly, Drinkwater,) Kante Alonso ( Kante and Alonso 2 more ) Hazard Willian ( 2 more ) Giroud
I'm about to write off this season CP. For me it has been really ****, no excuses don't no another word that sums it up quite so accurately. Conte has lost the plot, players are trying, but to be honest, but some of them aren't good enough, His handling of situations on and off the pitch, and I refer to the Costa fiasco was scandalous, not to mention Luiz, the substitutions he makes are baffling. I really don't see it getting any better soon down to the inherent policies that our current owner /board adhere to. We have some great players out on loan that imho should be with us now, why on earth have we not learnt from the DeBruyne/Salah experiences?
Buggered if I know the answer to that. On Conte, he is one weird bloke our Antonio. He is without doubt a Manager with so much to offer but he has a quirk in his character that makes him spiteful, juvenile and smacks of lack of confidence. He was really shafted by ,let's say ,the Board. Was it just RA , how can you tell when RA is invisible and never utters a word to the fans.Whoever it was really pissed young Antonio off big time by letting him down with transfers and landing him with a bunch of (so far ) absolute duds.He had no chance of improving the team and could only look forward to the sliding backwards, full of grief and angst season we have had. He said so ,loudly and so often he pissed everyone off. I think he also deliberately made dumb selections and subs just to keep making his point. Not exactly a mature way forward, but.............. he IS still there, so he got RAs attention. He handled Luiz and Costa dreadfully and did so as if to prove his importance, like he wasn't sure himself. Classic insecurity. On our loan players. I do understand that the pressure on our Manager to keep winning means he is reluctant to play too many kids. Who is making the loan out decisions? RAs cronies or Conte? No quick answer to the problem, but a 3 year plan with intergration of youth plus a couple of world class players each season has to be looked at. If not ,we will be here this time next year saying the same things and hanging around the middle of the table.
Would love to see Ampadu again. Hasn’t he been playing more in defence recently? And alan (hudson oboi) hopefully too.
This has been a complete let down of a season tbf. We should be in a position of strength as the champions, with just a couple of signings to freshen the squad up. But no, and yet again we miss a chance to go from strength to strength. We implode yet again. Spins my ****ing nut, it really does
That is the best line up bar Alonso. Tony has done well to annihilate Alvaro. His better work than starting Cescy 3 times in a week. Tony out
lest we might actually win, Tony does a Cescy in HT FFS.. when was the last time he was that proactive to sabotage (other than starting Cescy) or improve any game? Then again, everything goes through Alonso - sorry of a Defender who cannot defend for his life FFS Tony out
Well "Tony" got the points and earned them today. First half was pretty good but I think tiredness took over for most of the second half. Morata looked better, took his goal well but made some terrible passes. Hazard was dreadful, 3 back heels to Leicester, no drive no oomph. He seems to suffer a huge drop in form when tired, which he seems to be. Christensen was poor made too many mistakes and goes to sleep.Moses was utterly hopeless, back to the frustrating player of before. Bakayoko was better than last game but shows nothing to suggest he's going to be any good.For such a big quick guy he's got no grunt about him like Pogba. All sounds negative, but most is due to tiredness and it won't get easier. Conte really has to sort out an answer to our dreadful midfield problem as it is making everyone elses' job so much harder. Kante has to have special praise he was absolutely brilliant.
Excellent result in the face of adversity - team showed character when it mattered; was relieved when bakayoko was replaced at half time esp as he was sitting on a yellow card; this was a timely morale boost considering we’re playing Spuds next week.
He had to bring on Cesc as Bakayoko was having another mare and had just been booked. Sensible game management. Frightening that you cant grasp that. Overall we negotiated a very tricky tie and now have a decent draw for the semi. Season could have been over yesterday but now we have something to look forward to with 1 and maybe 2 trips to Wembley. Time for some positivity. No good just saying 'Conte out' every post. He's clearly going in the summer so perhaps try supporting him and the team until then. Stick together and maybe we might just achieve something this year and then re-group in the summer.
He is unable to do that as he has a strange twisted Yankee view of English football and best ignored.
I actually thought we'd get beaten so I was pleasantly surprised with how we played. Bakayoko was disappointing again and Hazard wasn't his usual self but I thought everybody else was decent, including Caballero who should definitely be in with a shout of starting the Spurs game. Probably the best game we could've hoped for in the semi, without meaning to be too disrespectful to Soton. Outside chance of a trophy this season and if that was to happen along with a top 4 finish I'd say that was decent success. It could all go horribly wrong before that of course!
My thoughts exactly. 4th and an fa cup win would be a decent season. 5th and losing to spurs in the final would be a horrible season. that's how fine the margins are!
Hear hear. We did get a break with FA draw, but it is true that in semi finals, no teams are easy. I hope we are already working on next season and my wish is that Conte and RA decide to work together, recruit and sell together, and build on the very solid spine of a team we already have. Another manager now is starting from scratch again and will put us back 2 years by undoing what Conte has built. We've been there ,done that, not the way to go.
No disprect to Saints, but if Judas makes progress we can deliver the cup to Manu before ball is kicked. Spuds fan for semi, our only hope for a cup.