Greenlizard0 PL & FA Cup SF Football Thread ** spoilers ** [21st - 23rd April 2023]

[DavidTJ]

Most important thing is that with our fit first XI we do play as good a football as any team in Europe.

But we are lacking squad depth and a club captain that inspires confidence and solidity....we're very fragile, and Fernandes aside, lacking leadership across the team.

I am not sure on Fernandes as a leader. He gets very petulant on each and every decision perhaps he can make that work in an Man Utd against the world mindset

I was really wrong about squad depth, thought we would be okay. On paper we seem to have good cover everywhere except striker, in reality we don't.

 

[Sui]

Antony has been playing much better lately but the criticisms of him earlier in the season were 100% valid and correct at the time.

I’m still not convinced, he’s far too one dimensional. He might come good, but he really needs to do some work on his weak foot for that.

 

[ik9000]

Antony has been playing much better lately but the criticisms of him earlier in the season were 100% valid and correct at the time.

I’m still not convinced, he’s far too one dimensional. He might come good, but he really needs to do some work on his weak foot for that.

Lineker was trying to get Schmeichel to speak his mind on Antony yesterday in the studio discussion. It sounds like he'd been rather vocally unimpressed with him when they weren't live but he was very tactful in not being drawn into saying too much on air.

 

[BaZ87]

I'm not sure his issues are technical but like a lot of talented forwards, he doesn't have (or at least hasn't shown) the mentality to be a top forward. He's more interested in looking good, trying to do an Arjen Robben impression and scoring the perfect goal than simply scoring any goal and impacting games every minute of the game. Salah, for example, rarely uses his right foot or goes down the outside of defences but what he does better than almost every wide forward is make sure he's getting into positions to score or assist - he's always looking to run in behind or break into the box when we're attacking down the other flank. So many forwards just stand around waiting for the ball to come to them 30 yards from goal.

 

[fez]

I’m still not convinced, he’s far too one dimensional. He might come good, but he really needs to do some work on his weak foot for that.

The jury is still massively out on him but he has improved a lot and has even started using his right foot a bit now. You can 100% see his game changing bit by bit. He goes on the right sometimes now and is OK when he uses his right foot. That alone makes a huge difference to how easy he is to defend against.

I'm not sure his issues are technical but like a lot of talented forwards, he doesn't have (or at least hasn't shown) the mentality to be a top forward. He's more interested in looking good, trying to do an Arjen Robben impression and scoring the perfect goal than simply scoring any goal and impacting games every minute of the game. Salah, for example, rarely uses his right foot or goes down the outside of defences but what he does better than almost every wide forward is make sure he's getting into positions to score or assist - he's always looking to run in behind or break into the box when we're attacking down the other flank. So many forwards just stand around waiting for the ball to come to them 30 yards from goal.

Nah, I think he is just young and adjusting to the league and team. Its too early to say if he has the right mentality. He seems to be happy to take advice and adapt his game and hes only 22. Next season should tell us a little more about him.

I am not sure on Fernandes as a leader. He gets very petulant on each and every decision perhaps he can make that work in an Man Utd against the world mindset

Hes an odd one. He leads by example so much of a time from an effort standpoint but he is whingy and doesn't put the team above his emotions when he needs to. Liverpool game is a good example of this. He has a resting whinge face somewhat like Gabriel Jesus so he always looks like hes having a whinge when perhaps he isn't which doesn't help.

I was really wrong about squad depth, thought we would be okay. On paper we seem to have good cover everywhere except striker, in reality we don't.

Nah, we have a paper thin squad in loads of places.

No good cover at CB
No cover for Casemiro
No right winger apart from Antony.
No out and out striker for when Martial is injured 75% of the season.

You can't challenge on 4 fronts when you don't have remotely good cover for 5 positions and you don't have a proper striker who is consistent and available most of the season.

 

[Bigpig]

I love people picking out the random players that go from rubbish to brilliant as proof of their ability to spot talent. Same as the people who said it was crazy to even consider selling Rashford after last season.

For every player than turns it around massively there are 5 that disappear because they don’t cut it.

Antony has been playing much better lately but the criticisms of him earlier in the season were 100% valid and correct at the time.

Not many could have predicted the turn around in Jolinton hah

I’m just a huge fan the way he’s turned it around

He came out an apologise after his first season. Said he was getting in trainers to help him improve his fitness etc.

New Brazilian coach said he’s definitely on his radar.

My comment was more to do with the people that laughed at the Isak transfer and there was a few.

When his performances was there and stats to back it up.

Break out season fantastic.

Brilliant Euros

Second season the goals dried up a little but he was playing a more deeper role with a striker in front of him. (Fantastic stats even then)

 

[BaZ87]

Nah, I think he is just young and adjusting to the league and team. Its too early to say if he has the right mentality. He seems to be happy to take advice and adapt his game and hes only 22. Next season should tell us a little more about him.

He's young and he may change but you can't use the League as an excuse as he wasn't picking up big numbers in a pretty rubbish League with Ajax. Again he may change and add that desire and determination to his game but plenty of players in that position just don't have it and it's what separates a talented player with a top class one.

 

[Purdy]

Most important thing is that with our fit first XI we do play as good a football as any team in Europe.

Aight wouldn't go that far

 

[Mekrel]

I don't think Antony will come good, he seems to have an attitude problem in my opinion. Whenever the camera is on him he has the permanent cocky scowl on his face. Thinking you've made it when you haven't is a very dangerous opinion to have of yourself.

I hope I'm wrong, but I'm definitely not convinced. Seems too one dimensional with cutting in on his left and trying to find the top left corner.

 

[ik9000]

I don't think Antony will come good, he seems to have an attitude problem in my opinion. Whenever the camera is on him he has the permanent cocky scowl on his face. Thinking you've made it when you haven't is a very dangerous opinion to have of yourself.

I hope I'm wrong, but I'm definitely not convinced. Seems too one dimensional with cutting in on his left and trying to find the top left corner.

it's ok, he's taking self awareness and image management courses with the JLingz evening school

 

[Robbo]

I think Antony has shown some more promising signs lately - he's more effective than Sancho for example (not hard, admittedly) - but it's very early days.

In fairness he's only just turned 23 so is still relatively young. He does look like the sort of person you'd expect to find having a fight outside a local Co-op in a run down area, which is not ideal.

 

[adam cool dude]

I don't think Antony will come good, he seems to have an attitude problem in my opinion. Whenever the camera is on him he has the permanent cocky scowl on his face. Thinking you've made it when you haven't is a very dangerous opinion to have of yourself.

I hope I'm wrong, but I'm definitely not convinced. Seems too one dimensional with cutting in on his left and trying to find the top left corner.

He is from a very poor background so that will just be him. He is from the Favela's which is why he is how he is. Is talented like a Mason Greenwood? Not from what I have seen but he has improved game on game and is also in a new country with a new language to learn so let's see how he gets on next season.

Also if you watched him yesterday he did a lot more than "cutting in on his left". He ever put a few crosses in with his right.

 

[Ayahuasca]

A lot of South American players come from incredibly poor backgrounds, it's no excuse really.

 

[Robbo]

A lot of South American players come from incredibly poor backgrounds, it's no excuse really.

No excuse for what? Having a face like a slapped arse?

He hasn't really done anything wrong in general

 

[HangTime]

I know Levy's got some friends in high places, but getting them to send out a nationwide emergency alert just because his team was 5-0 down at 3pm was an abuse of power IMO. Must be a quid pro quo for helping keep unemployment stats down by allowing the likes of Lloris, Romero and Dier to put themselves down as "Professional Footballers".

 

[mid_gen]

Aight wouldn't go that far

Beaten Arsenal and City this season. We are capable of competing with the best sides with our strongest squad out, but have a woeful lack of depth in the squad compared to other sides and poor leadership.

Getting rid of slabhead in the summer will be like cutting loose an anchor. Does do anyone in the team any good seeing the captain perform so abysmally, for his own sake he needs to go play somewhere expectations are lower and in a system that suits him.

 

[Ayahuasca]

No excuse for what? Having a face like a slapped arse?

He hasn't really done anything wrong in general

I was responding to a post that said "He is from the Favela's which is why he is how he is." So it sounds like even adam admits he acts a certain way rather than just looks a certain way.

 

[BaZ87]

Beaten Arsenal and City this season. We are capable of competing with the best sides with our strongest squad out, but have a woeful lack of depth in the squad compared to other sides and poor leadership.

Brentford won away at City, drew away to Arsenal, beat Utd, beat Liverpool etc, does that make them as good as anybody in Europe too?

One off games don't tell you very much. Utd have not played at a level that Arsenal have reached and certainly not the level City have, with or without your first 11 out.

 

[adam cool dude]

Brentford won away at City, drew away to Arsenal, beat Utd, beat Liverpool etc, does that make them as good as anybody in Europe too?

One off games don't tell you very much. Utd have not played at a level that Arsenal have reached and certainly not the level City have, with or without your first 11 out.

Man Utd haven't even had a full season of ETH. Pep is 7 years down the line and Arteta is in his 4th season.

It is all basically down to whether we get sold before the summer. If we are on a even keel to City I can see us challenging.

 

[ik9000]

If we are on a even keel to City I can see us challenging.

So you mean breeching FFP limits too?