Starteta Wars: Phase VI - Return of the Jedinamo Zagreb

[PrinzPoldi]

Did you watch City in the final two games? (Draw and lost) they were fully focussed on the champions league knowing they’d won the title. If they had to, they would’ve won those final 2 games with ease.

So hypothetically, yes we could’ve beaten EVERYONE, but is that realistic? No team beats everyone.

so can we say Pep had a wrong tactics cause now they are out of the CL?

 

[Farzad]

so can we say Pep had a wrong tactics cause now they are out of the CL?

Pssst. Pssst. When you guys compare The One Trophy wonder to Pep or Klopp or Wenger; it really doesn’t help your cause.

 

[PrinzPoldi]

I agree with you but to me the last 10 minutes or so were an abomination.

I'll probably get hammered on here for loving Brexit ball or something but it was crystal clear towards the death that Tuchel has tactically nullified us.

You've got to switch things up in the last few minutes, I don't want to see ponderous little triangle passes in our defensive third in injury time. Get the ball out to Ødegaard or Saka or White ASAP and pump it into the box.

We've got the best set piece ( okay not quite the same situation) and aerial threats in the PL, may as well use it as a last resort. Havertz and chuck Saliba and Rice up there and have the rest gambling on them doing something in the box. You're at least going to cause a bit of chaos and nerves for Bayern.

To be fair there's a decent chance we'd have been caught on the counter but at least it would have felt like we threw everything at Bayern. If we're going out who cares if it's 1-0 or 2-0.

if we never practiced it, it was like kicking the ball randomly into the box and not going to work.

 

[PrinzPoldi]

Pssst. Pssst. When you guys compare The One Trophy wonder to Pep or Klopp or Wenger; it really doesn’t help your cause.

if Arteta is not on Pep or Klopp's level in your opinion, why would you expect him to do a miracle and able to beat all these teams to the league title and CL?

don't tell me Arteta spent a lot so he has to deliver.
A lot of teams spent a lot, including Villa, so they are entitled to the league and CL?

If Pep is so superior as you said, he has a much bigger crash out and bottle job than Arteta in the CL.
In the end, they are the #1 favorite/ranking in the CL, then Bayern. We are around 3rd and 4th.

All the bookies put City as #1 favorite to win the league.
We are #2 right now. We are about where we supposed to be.

So what the fxxk you are crying about here?

 

[Farzad]

if Arteta is not on Pep or Klopp's level in your opinion, why would you expect him to do a miracle and able to beat all these teams to the league title and CL?

don't tell me Arteta spent a lot so he has to deliver.
A lot of teams spent a lot, including Villa, so they are entitled to the league and CL?

If Pep is so superior as you said, he has a much bigger crash out and bottle job than Arteta in the CL.
In the end, they are the #1 favorite/ranking in the CL, then Bayern. We are around 3rd and 4th.

All the bookies put City as #1 favorite to win the league.
We are #2 right now. We are about where we supposed to be.

So what the fxxk you are crying about here?

He has a top job at a huge club after years of his control of club and his Project he is responsible. Pep won a treble last year that is why he can afford not to win every competition and not take a hit to his reputation. This is 3 years in a row of late season collapse

 

[Xln]

Is it true post match interview he mentioned something about making certain positions stronger? That's really ruthless, hopefully he stands by it and replaces some mid level players. Saying this I'm scared he might keep his favourites on the pitch and replace the real quality...

 

[HagnSprayGooners]

He has a top job at a huge club after years of his control of club and his Project he is responsible. Pep won a treble last year that is why he can afford not to win every competition and not take a hit to his reputation. This is 3 years in a row of late season collapse

Please could you go back through the timeline to when City started spending. How long did it take for them to assert this kind of dominance? And how much money?

 

[2Smokeyy]

Is it true post match interview he mentioned something about making certain positions stronger? That's really ruthless, hopefully he stands by it and replaces some mid level players. Saying this I'm scared he might keep his favourites on the pitch and replace the real quality...

 

[Farzad]

Please could you go back through the timeline to when City started spending. How long did it take for them to assert this kind of dominance? And how much money?

No. I got a lot to do this week, it is called google. Stop comparing the one trophy wonder to managers with lots of trophies; how can we hold Mik to the same standard for criticism as pep who won a treble last year? Probably with weakest team he has had at City.

 

[pireshenry]

It’s a champions league quarter final mate, did you expect us to create 30 chances over the two legs?

Aside from scoring the two goals in the first leg, we had a great chance at 1-0 with Ben White. Martinelli had an unbelievable chance last night as well. We also got ourselves into excellent positions yesterday in the first half but couldn’t capitalise.

You’re being incredibly harsh. I’m not sure what you’re getting at really? You are also not stupid, you know it was a very even game and both teams and chances.

I agree.

This is champions league against Bayern. We created chances but didn’t take them and it cost us.

 

[fute]

Well, only the league to focus on now.

Same for City and Pool.

Interested to see who rises to the occasion in these final matches.

 

[Batman]

Well, only the league to focus on now.

Same for City and Pool.

Interested to see who rises to the occasion in these final matches.

City pretty obviously. You can see that ourselves and Liverpool are shot. Confidence is low for both sides and Pep isn't going out with just an FA Cup. We'll probably lose to Wolves to be honest. Our bad periods spiral.

 

[fute]

City pretty obviously. You can see that ourselves and Liverpool are shot. Confidence is low for both sides and Pep isn't going out with just an FA Cup. We'll probably lose to Wolves to be honest. Our bad periods spiral.

Liverpool are in a rut. Not sure if there is anything left with them. League cup might just be their apex this year.

City is City. But not the City of old. Haaland is struggling. Rodri complaining about being tired. Something weird is going on with them.

For us, we are more than capable of finishing strong and winning the title, but yeah. The Aston Villa game we've seen before. The Bayern games we've seen before. It is up to Arteta to make history instead of repeating it these last games.

 

[Batman]

Liverpool are in a rut. Not sure if there is anything left with them. League cup might just be their apex this year.

City is City. But not the City of old. Haaland is struggling. Rodri complaining about being tired. Something weird is going on with them.

For us, we are more than capable of finishing strong and winning the title, but yeah. The Aston Villa game we've seen before. The Bayern games we've seen before. It is up to Arteta to make history instead of repeating it these last games.

Rodri was complaining about being tired last season too. He has 3 less games to play now than last season and their run in is very easy. They simply do not drop points once they get to this stage of the season unless they've already wrapped the title up. For us to win, we have to find a way to go against our disgusting April form under Arteta AND they need to slip up at least once if not twice. Simply isn't going to happen. No sense in giving the idea any air. We blew it against Villa.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

if we never practiced it, it was like kicking the ball randomly into the box and not going to work.

Well what we were doing didn't work for 90 minutes.

Pumping the ball in the box the last 5-10 minutes at least gives you that element of chaos. We're a very strong aerial side also. Someone like Dier wouldn't enjoy being bombarded aerially for sure.

 

[Riou]

Well, only the league to focus on now.

Same for City and Pool.

Interested to see who rises to the occasion in these final matches.

Sadly we all know what team it definitely won't be...

 

[Riou]

Also Liverpool did bottle the cup game v United and will regret not winning the Europa this season, but at least they won something.

5 trophies in the last 6 seasons is still a good haul from Klopp, all things considered.

Us not winning anything these past 2 seasons, we have more regrets.

 

[Penn_]

Rotating will be of even greater importance next year given that what is effectively the CL group stage will now be 8 games as opposed to 6.

And it's a league format so can't guarantee being able to rest players in the final couple of games like we had the chance to this season. Worse still, might have an extra two games due to the knockout round that decides the last 16.

 

[TheEliteMaster100_]

Can Arteta even overtake 16/17 Sp**s points tally this season?

It's as simple, if we don't win a major silverware (UCL/EPL) by summer 2025, then we move on from him.

Arteta questioned himself after last season's collapse, how will he question himself if we don't win anything this season or next season?

 

[berric]

Objectively, this was still a pretty good season for Arteta and the team expectations-wise.

There were a lot of enjoyable moments as well, but still, once again he failed to squeeze that extra 1% needed to get above the finish line when it mattered. This is the third season in a row it happened.

Three main gripes I still have with him are:

- His football looks like an AI simulation. You need direct play to get things over the line in the CL - hence why Klopp's Liverpool got to the final in their first year coming back, despite conceding a comical amount of goals they were always a threat.

- His lack of faith in his bench after five years in the club is appaling. All those discussions this autumn about how he should rotate or try to integrate some youngsters to at least come instead of key players when we're trashing Lens 5-0 are even more relevant now.

- Bottled this window with Kai Havertz. I don't get it - you have a job to replace Xhaka with a natural LCM to take some weight out of Ode and you do that... You do that and sorry, to me you're not a serious club.

But let's see what the summer brings. I'd still give him a big window, as good outweigh the bad so far.