AbouCuéllar
Author of A-M essays 📚
Think you're really reaching here, honestly.Well, since his thread has been bumped I noticed the Hale End lot didn’t hesitate to pass to each other which lead to some great chances and goals yesterday. When Pepe makes runs into the box or is in good positions they look for another option.
Quite damning tbh, doesn’t look good for Nico at all. If the manager, team mates and fans aren’t convinced by him after 3 seasons the club will either have to cut their losses or he has to accept the impact sub role.
I noticed Saka was furious with Pepe against Burnley, with everyone fit wasn’t surprised to see him dropped sadly.
Lack of combinations between Pepe and others is much more powerfully (less tendentiously) explained by playing style's than by some kind of weird Hale End preference. (Anyways, I don't see this at all; the goals yesterday for example were not anything like Hale End combinations...Ødegaard--> Saka to Saka's pull across which could've been meant for anyone, Auba-->ESR-->Auba, the third ESR--> Saka and Saka scores after trying to make a pass to Auba...)
Anyways, like I said, this feels like a massive reach, I don't see any reticence among the players to pass to Pepe, and if he is slightly less involved it has to do simply with his style being a less combinative one in general. Also a bit weird this idea because in the last couple games our goals have come from moves in which Saka passed (or was trying to, as he was taken down) to Pepe.
I didn't see that bit about Saka being furious with Pepe but releasing the ball on time and combination are simply not his strengths. This is something that we all get annoyed with teammates about, when they have this kind of style. Being from Hale End has little to do with it (unless you think Saka and ESR don't like passing to Ode or Auba for this reason...of course the reality is they pass to Ode loads. Why will this be? Because of the combinative playing style of the player in comparison to Pepe's? Or because, despite not being from Hale End both, there is some other kind of conspiracy we can think of...?).