La Liga 2020-2021 Part II

les Habs

Registered User
Sep 21, 2005
22,236
3,964
Wisconsin
You'd think knowing the result since you're watching in on reply would make it easier to take, but still a frustrating match. Team was just lackluster and some really bad giveaways that against a superior team might have haunted us. Selection was poor yet again (same mistakes I've been saying for how long now) and the subs were badly done (yet again). Hopefully Koeman is sacked before the end of the season. The sooner the better too. A few player notes:
  • Despite contact looking minimal at best, not sure what Lenglet was thinking there. Completely unnecessary.
  • Pedri had a very good first half. How anyone could miss his talent is beyond me. Thank God they signed that kid.
  • I thought Dest looked good going forward in the first half.
  • Puig clearly changed the tone when he came on. Very involved in the build up.
  • Dembele needs to do much better with his chances.
This weekend of all of them was one where the win was vital. Team is still in it, but with Koeman at the helm making the same obvious mistakes over and over and over again I can't help but be skeptical.
 
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Vasilevskiy

The cat will be back
Dec 30, 2008
17,820
4,608
Barcelona
You'd think knowing the result since you're watching in on reply would make it easier to take, but still a frustrating match. Team was just lackluster and some really bad giveaways that against a superior team might have haunted us. Selection was poor yet again (same mistakes I've been saying for how long now) and the subs were badly done (yet again). Hopefully Koeman is sacked before the end of the season. The sooner the better too. A few player notes:
  • Despite contact looking minimal at best, not sure what Lenglet was thinking there. Completely unnecessary.
  • Pedri had a very good first half. How anyone could miss his talent is beyond me. Thank God they signed that kid.
  • I thought Dest looked good going forward in the first half.
  • Puig clearly changed the tone when he came on. Very involved in the build up.
  • Dembele needs to do much better with his chances.
This weekend of all of them was one where the win was vital. Team is still in it, but with Koeman at the helm making the same obvious mistakes over and over and over again I can't help but be skeptical.

Any chance we had we lost it today.
Madrid otoh...
 

Power Man

Grrrr
Sep 30, 2008
31,074
3,088
221B Baker Street
Benzema injured........not shocked tbh



There was a video showing their training and it hurt my joints to see their training methods. No wonder Cristiano used his own athletic team, they look like they're training for a weekend of stunts, not a season long sport that involves running. There's a difference between getting buff at the gym and being an idiot on whatever equipment you see for the day and the physio's don't seem to know the difference
 
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Duchene2MacKinnon

In the hands of Genius
Aug 8, 2006
45,300
9,465
Benzema injured........not shocked tbh



There was a video showing their training and it hurt my joints to see their training methods. No wonder Cristiano used his own athletic team, they look like they're training for a weekend of stunts, not a season long sport that involves running. There's a difference between getting buff at the gym and being an idiot on whatever equipment you see for the day and the physio's don't seem to know the difference
Too 5 midfielder disagrees.
 

Power Man

Grrrr
Sep 30, 2008
31,074
3,088
221B Baker Street
Not a big fan of Kroos either

Super player, but a total arrogant ass clown who is also an old man who hates young players celebrating a goal...like dude...there is nothing wrong with that
 

Duchene2MacKinnon

In the hands of Genius
Aug 8, 2006
45,300
9,465
Messi is ridiculous. And I appreciate those players but now Koeman thinks he made a brilliant move. Stupid line up
 

les Habs

Registered User
Sep 21, 2005
22,236
3,964
Wisconsin
Nice win that had some nice flashes of what the team is capable of, but the overall performance wasn't cohesive enough to inspire too much confidence. Add to that Koeman's weekly mistakes and you're left with is hope that he either puts two and two together or the election means his sacking. Sadly I doubt either happens.
  • Very happy to see Braithwaite actually used a striker, albeit for 28 whole minutes. Still the result is there to see on paper, but more important on the screen if you watched the match. Freed up space for Messi and others as the CBs were occupied with him. His assist on Messi's goal was very good and even if the assist for Alba should be easy for a striker he cushioned it perfectly. Most telling though, look at both Messi's and Alba's reactions. Messi in particular seemed to be developing a connection with him. I'd be very curious to see what Braithwaite might deliver were he given some consistent time up top. We badly need a striker and yet the only one we have either doesn't play or gets slotted wide left. Would have loved to see him have had Griezmann's chance which should have been buried. I'll just leave it at this. Per Whoscored, 5 goals and 1 assist in 8 starts at striker.
  • Again, not sure he anyone can't see Pedri's class. Kid looks like a player in his late 20s. And he just looks so cool and collected out there.
  • I said it a couple of weeks or so back, but consider De Jong simply based on what he's doing. Then consider where he's been asked to play, what he's been asked to do and what he's delivering. Imagine if instead of De Jong it was Busquets who was given the same task. No way he'd be putting in those sorts of performances, even at the same age. Forget the run on Messi's second, which is exactly what we need in that sort of moment and exactly what our opponents would do to us. (It should be noted he had a half-run on I believe the big Trincao chance). Look at the pass though. No-look, perfectly weighted, cool as you like.
  • Koeman... Again gets the initial selection wrong and then gets the substitutes wrong. Subs off Braithwaite for Griezmann who needed a rest. Completely unnecessary. Puts on Busquets who could probably also use a rest while Puig sits, again. Pedri and De Jong could both probably due with a rest as well and yet they didn't come off. And then the team started to lack shape at times in the second half. It worked against Elche at that stage of the match, but you can't do that against a top opponent. I will give him credit for taking Pjanic off assuming the player wasn't injured. At one stage Pjanic under little if any pressure just hoofed the ball forward to... nobody and surrendered possession needlessly.

Messi is ridiculous. And I appreciate those players but now Koeman thinks he made a brilliant move. Stupid line up

We he didn't make a brilliant move, but he made a smart move. That said I wouldn't give him much credit for it since it didn't even last 45 minutes and he could have made the move 45 minutes earlier or better yet 4-5 months earlier.
 
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