Kai Havertz has picked up an injury in Dubai. We had a front 3 of Martinelli, Saka and Havertz – all of those are injured. We are left with Nwaneri (an 18 year old), Trossard and Sterling (who is on loan). It was clear 2 seasons ago that we needed enforcement in attack and we ignored it completely. I don’t care if it’s the manager or the technical director or the club stopping such a move, I know the money was there and we spent it all on defenders. We have this approach of making sure to cover all ifs and buts in the defense while praying for the god if something happens in attack. And the pryaer didn’t work, so we are going to pay the price!
Kai Havertz is out for the season. Not that he was a prolific striker but we lack even the half decent options in attack and him missing at this season puts our season in jeopardy. Ultimately, Sterling will play on one side, Nwaneri on the other and Trossard in the middle. It doesn’t give me confidence at all.
I’m not sure if anyone had given attention to the attack, at all! Gabriel Jesus is an injury prone player, everyone knew that when he was at City. Havertz was brought as a midfielder who is covering the CF position, but it’s not like he is a TH14 incarnation whom we have moved from the wings to the middle. We needed a striker and we didn’t have one since Aubameyang left. It’s such a pathetic condition that if the twitter ITKs spread the rumours that we are in the market for Eddie Nketiah, I will feel happy!
All this crap of ‘titles are won in the defence’ makes sense when you have Mustafi in your line-up. Not when you have a 17 year keeping the likes of Zinchenko (45m), Calafiori (35m) away from the starting line up. You, at this level, should have identified that talent, stopped yourself from spending 40 odd millions in the defence and used that money to get a CF. We were ready to pay 40m for Ollie Watkins, Villa were asking for 60. 60million GBP for a decent striker at 29 years of age is YES any day when you have Jesus and Havertz to pick from. If you were out of money, you should have sold Zinchenko, or shouldn’t have bought Calafiori and used some of that money to fix the main problem.
I’m frustrated. Havertz is injured for the season and we have no one to fix this problem. We did nothing in the transfer window.
You know what Mikel will do? He will try to fix it by playing Merino or Trossard in that position. Be brave enough, accept your mistake and develop someone in that role from the academy. You got MLS, Saka, Nwaneri who is saving your arse, go and develop someone for a change rather than crying in every press conference. If you can’t do that and the only thing you know is spending 100m to fix a problem, you are just Pep without trophies.
Right, a short rant today. Hope you are doing well.
1:1 poor defending by pool
Pool looking pool all half now 2:1 up. No one is picking Villa players up in the box. Villa could win this.
Real Madrid walking through City with consummate ease with Mabappe ripping City apart for 2:1 expect more RM goals to embarrass City.
Fcuking loving it !!!
Sorry 2:0 – 5:2 aggregate
Tony—City look lost up top with no Haaland and Gundo in for KDB…just a lot of useless possession with no end product…the only thing that makes me hesitate from calling this one done and dusted is the unusual nature of their particular fixtures against one another, but I very much doubt City have the horses to overturn this one
as for the Pool match, it’s 2-2 now and Pool appear to be in the ascendancy…it really should be 3-2 for the away side if Jota hadn’t butchered a grade A chance in the first half when he opened up his body to shoot and sent the ball miles wide
Nunez just went full-Havertz and missed a wide open net
I question Slot’s choice to withdraw TAA, as I think he’s played decently today, but I’m sure he’s worried about Villa’s countering prowess now that they’re dominating possession…plus I think there’s a bit of a disconnect between manager and player following all the chatter surrounding his potential move to Real…that said, I’m sure Slot wants him fully fit for their weekend fixture away to City, especially in light of City’s defensive woes as of late
what a challenge by our old buddy Emi
TRVL
I thought that TAA should have stayed on. Szoboszlai had a mere so was surprised he wasn’t hooked off. Poor decision making all game by him. Just a bad day at the office. He’s been good all season.
Could have gone either way but Villa looked stronger in the 2nd half.
Emery is putting together a good squad with an owner who wants to win not just make money like KSE.
Emi was his commanding self. Still say we would have probably won the PL if we’d kept Emi.
TRVL
RM with Mbappe had City contained and without Haaland they were toothless up top.
Need City to do us a favour next against Pool and need 3 points from the WH game to really up the ante against Slot’s Pool.
Hopefully, City will want bragging rights against Pool.
Consolation goal for City from a set piece MA style.
Mbappe is unplayable and with his devastating quick feet.
Didn’t see the City game but I’m hoping that when they scored a consolation goal in the 92nd minute, that one of their players hurriedly picked the ball out of the net and ran back with it to the half way line.
6-3 on aggregate. Thank you God. Real Madrid needed two games and still didn’t get a result as good as (our) 5-1. Cunts. The lot of them!
What we are seeing atm is Liverpool replicating our season of 22/23 when we blew the league when 9 points ahead.
Liverpool 2 away draws , both 2-2 is very similar 2 seasons ago when we drew away to Liverpool and West ham…both 2-2..
We went on and lost to city 4-1 at the etihad and coincidentally Liverpool are away at city this weekend.
As I have said previously , last season Liverpool were 5 points clear at the top of the league at the end of January and they went on to crumble with the exact same players they have now.
Of course Liverpool are still favourites but the momentum is turning in our favour which makes the title race very interesting.