2018-19 FA Cup Thread

bleedblue1223

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Jan 21, 2011
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I think people forget that what Sarri is doing is what Pep advised him to do. Year 1 is to teach the system to 14 players, and year 2 is when you focus on the squad as a whole. The starting 11 still can't figure out how to pass the ball quickly enough or make runs off the ball, it takes times, especially when we've been a counter team for so long, and a team that's relied on Hazard doing things individually. He's stubborn because the players haven't grasped the concepts and he's not a pragmatic like Mourinho or Conte.
 
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bleedblue1223

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Jan 21, 2011
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Klopp and Pep are possibly the two best managers in the world. I certainly rate both them very highly , at least.

And if Chelsea give Sarri time, they'll see he can go toe-to-toe with them. It's almost like people have totally forgot about what people were saying about Klopp and Pep early in their tenure. It's the exact same nonsense.

Right now, Chelsea just don't have the talent, nor the pieces that fit Sarri to compete.

Liverpool and City have risen the level of the Prem , imo. If you want to hire a pragmatic guy in the hopes they'll be able to win a title in the current climate of the Premier League , I just don't think it will be possible at the moment. There's two juggernauts that hired elite managers and backed them with a lot of time and resources. And it doesn't look like either club is slowing down.

You either follow suit, or you risk being a perennial top 4 bubble team.

Not to mention Spurs , who have a terrific manager (who they gave time to) and are fantastically run. And United, who seem to finally have found their stride. If United finally start being good in the transfer market again, look out.
Completely agree. I just hope Roman remains patient enough.
 

Il Mediano

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Feb 24, 2018
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It was there to be won last season

Because he created a side and system capable of going against Goliath.

That's the point. Financially speaking , they shouldn't have been close. Juventus poached his best player , (and the guy who broke the single season scoring record) , and he still had Napoli come back swinging by taking a virtual no-name winger in Mertens and turning him into a false 9-esque scoring machine.
 

Il Mediano

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Feb 24, 2018
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Completely agree. I just hope Roman remains patient enough.

Roman seems like he's checked out.

Historically speaking though, I wouldn't lay money on it. We'll see if Chelsea is wise enough to realize their past success with the managerial game of musical chairs can't work anymore.
 

bleedblue1223

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Jan 21, 2011
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Roman seems like he's checked out.

Historically speaking though, I wouldn't lay money on it. We'll see if Chelsea is wise enough to realize their past success with the managerial game of musical chairs can't work anymore.

Sarri will stay as long as Champions League is attainable. It's better than the past, but still not ideal.

I think the only chance at stability is some sort of club legend like Lampard if he proves he's good enough at Derby.
 

Il Mediano

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Feb 24, 2018
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Sarri will stay as long as Champions League is attainable. It's better than the past, but still not ideal.

This is it , though. They might be able to find a guy capable of getting the current roster into the top 4, but finding someone capable of creating something immediately better than the programs City and Liverpool have established is virtually impossible.

I think Sarri would likely need 2-3 years in all honesty. And that might entail a season (or two) outside top 4.

Otherwise I fear you'll just become a club spinning it's tires and considering top 4 enough.
 

The Abusement Park

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I’d say Pep and Klopp are probably the best 2 managers in the world right now but neither are miracle workers. They needed to build a squad made for their style of play and it took a little bit of time. Nothing wrong with that but miracle worker is high than I’d give either guy credit for.
 

Duchene2MacKinnon

In the hands of Genius
Aug 8, 2006
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I’d say Pep and Klopp are probably the best 2 managers in the world right now but neither are miracle workers. They needed to build a squad made for their style of play and it took a little bit of time. Nothing wrong with that but miracle worker is high than I’d give either guy credit for.
You just can't compete with a bunch of scrubs. Year in and out. Also yeah, they are top 2 right now anything better than that stupid narrative a couple of years ago of f***ing SImeone LOL.
 
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robertmac43

Forever 43!
Mar 31, 2015
23,094
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Happy about the draw that Brighton got. Obviously Millwall has a great record in the Cup but I'm not going to put much thought into that. Brighton is just a step up in class and I think we will be able to get through to Wembly because of it!
 

phisherman

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Apr 17, 2015
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How does Klopp get to be named top 2 manager when he's won nothing recently. Let's disrespect Conte, Allegri, etc.
 

PeteWorrell

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Aug 31, 2006
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Klopp and Pep are possibly the two best managers in the world. I certainly rate both of them very highly , at least.

And if Chelsea give Sarri time, they'll see he can go toe-to-toe with them. It's almost like people have totally forgot about the narratives surrounding Klopp and Pep early in their tenure. It's the exact same nonsense.

Right now, Chelsea just don't have the talent, nor the pieces that fit Sarri to compete.

Liverpool and City have raised the level of the Prem , imo. If you want to hire a pragmatic guy in the hopes they'll be able to win a title in the current climate of the Premier League , I just don't think it will be possible at the moment. There's two juggernauts that hired elite managers and backed them with a lot of time and resources. And it doesn't look like either club is slowing down.

You either follow suit, or you risk being a perennial top 4 bubble team.

Not to mention Spurs , who have a terrific manager (who they gave time to) and are fantastically run. And United, who seem to finally have found their stride. If United finally start being good in the transfer market again, look out.
Klopp and Pep also change formations when whatever they are doing is not working unlike Sarri. The situation at Chelsea right now should not be blamed entirely on him as the board are not on the same page as the manager but he still shoulders a part of the blame. He stubbornly refuses to have a plan B even though everyone have figured his tactics out. Kanté is being wasted in a role he is clearly not comfortable in, Kovacic has regressed and Jorginho is easily pressed out of games. You cannot have Hazard pulling miracles on his own every game on a long and tough schedule like the one in the Premier League.

Something is really rotten at Chelsea with them completely failing to support their managers. Conte was absolutely right to complain and we are seeing the same thing with Sarri right now.
 

Duchene2MacKinnon

In the hands of Genius
Aug 8, 2006
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How does Klopp get to be named top 2 manager when he's won nothing recently. Let's disrespect Conte, Allegri, etc.
Mourinho won everything there is to win and he's a trash manager right now.

Allegri isn't great nor is his resume. He won the Serie A with juve... so?

I'd take poch over most and he hasn't won shit.
 

phisherman

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Apr 17, 2015
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So being the best manager is just about playing style? Then Eddie Howe must be number 3 then.
 

Havre

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Jul 24, 2011
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I think people forget that what Sarri is doing is what Pep advised him to do. Year 1 is to teach the system to 14 players, and year 2 is when you focus on the squad as a whole. The starting 11 still can't figure out how to pass the ball quickly enough or make runs off the ball, it takes times, especially when we've been a counter team for so long, and a team that's relied on Hazard doing things individually. He's stubborn because the players haven't grasped the concepts and he's not a pragmatic like Mourinho or Conte.

I do believe football has moved passed the time where teams could do "one thing" really well and win with it, but at the same time I don´t have a problem with a coach trying to get his squad to understand his basic principles ("being stubborn") even if it hurts the team short term. Arguably both Guardiola and Klopp did the same thing when they came to England. Even if they didn´t play players clearly out of their natural position the same way Sarri has done.

Will be interesting to see what happens. I think the time when Chelsea could almost pick whoever they wanted to manage them is gone. So replacing Sarri might not be all that easy....
 
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les Habs

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Sep 21, 2005
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It seems sarcasm is lost on the Mourinho fans. Anyway, the Solskjaer Express just keeps rollin' on. FA Cup and a top four finish wouldn't be a bad season considering where they were.
 
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Live in the Now

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Dec 17, 2005
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I do believe football has moved passed the time where teams could do "one thing" really well and win with it, but at the same time I don´t have a problem with a coach trying to get his squad to understand his basic principles ("being stubborn") even if it hurts the team short term. Arguably both Guardiola and Klopp did the same thing when they came to England. Even if they didn´t play players clearly out of their natural position the same way Sarri has done.

Klopp did...many times. Milner at LB and Firmino as #9 being the obvious ones. Worked anyway. We'll see another tomorrow with Fabinho at CB.

Pep did with Delph too and Sane as the situation required.

Great managers have a habit of making things that seem dumb look pretty good, to talk a player into sacrificing their personal goals for the team.
 

Havre

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Jul 24, 2011
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Klopp did...many times. Milner at LB and Firmino as #9 being the obvious ones. Worked anyway. We'll see another tomorrow with Fabinho at CB.

Pep did with Delph too and Sane as the situation required.

Great managers have a habit of making things that seem dumb look pretty good, to talk a player into sacrificing their personal goals for the team.

That is not what I mean. Fabinho isn’t playing as a CB because what they are doing isn’t working. They don’t have anyone else. I would argue the same with Milner.

Changing your shape completely as Conte did is. Klopp has never done that. Neither has Guardiola.

Pochettino is also quite stubborn in his style. He is flexible as to the formation though. And as the away game in Madrid showed he can be pragmatic in individual games. I guess the difference there is that he has had the team for years so it is easier for him to break away from his style now and then - because the players understand his whole philosophy much better than they would with Sarri. Also worth mentioning Pochettino’s biggest “flaw” is probably his match management. It might be improving, but often is Spurs get stuck in a game there is no way out (BVB being an example of the opposite of course).
 

Evilo

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Mar 17, 2002
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I can't see why the f*** Chelsea would give Sarri 3 f***ing years.
He has a roster which is VERY MUCH capable of reaching top 4.
Sure he struggles with this team, but a large part of it is due to his inability to adapt. When you have the best ball retreiver in the world in midfield, some solid defensemen, one of the top offensive players in the game, the most expensive goaltender in the world, you should be able to compete with Spurs and United.
The FACT is that he adores one player in a league where the guy could thrive.
Sarri doesn't want to adapt and use Kante there instead because it's quite obvious Jorginho is not only useless in the EPL so far but actually detrimental to his team.
Bakayoko was sent packing for less even though he was coming off injury. And now he's class in Milan.

Sarri deserves a whole lot of the blame here.
 

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