The Next Eight Games Before the World Cup

[Sutton_blows_goats 5,335]

16 hours ago, the gunslinger said:

But it wasn't. 

 

How does that what if help?

It doesn't help but it does demonstrate that there are small margins in football that can make a big difference. 

 

 

[Sutton_blows_goats 5,335]

1 hour ago, buster. said:

We had our awful games under SG as well, but we did tend to learn and take on board lessons.

Also fair to say that SG never had to play against elite clubs in the CL like Liverpool and this Napoli team.

I see lots of similarities between this team and the team that Gerrard managed. The talk of the horseshoe passing for example was something we seen often under Gerrard. Another similarity was the post winter break sh*t the bed that we had last year. Happened a few times under Gerrard too.

Edited October 19, 2022 by Sutton_blows_goats

[the gunslinger 3,366]

2 minutes ago, Sutton_blows_goats said:

It doesn't help but it does demonstrate that there are small margins in football that can make a big difference. 

 

 

i am not sure your senario was a fine margin. 

 

huge turnaround would be more like it. 

[Gonzo79 15,293]

2 minutes ago, Sutton_blows_goats said:

I see lots of similarities between this team and the team that Gerrard managed

There's an element of that, undoubtedly.  The thing is, when you're up against ultra-defensive sides, who are well drilled, there's always going to be a fair amount of boring/unenjoyable matches.  

 

Not much we can do about that. 

 

I do think there's less intensity about the way we play though and given the gulf between the top two and the rest, we really need to be beating Celtc at least twice a season.  SG had their number.  GvB doesn't.  

[Sutton_blows_goats 5,335]

3 minutes ago, Gonzo79 said:

I do think there's less intensity about the way we play though

I agree. However, look at the other side of the city. They play with intensity and as soon as the fixtures pile up their players start dropping like flies. And they have a bigger squad than us. If we were to try and match that intensity perhaps we would have no one left as half of our players are injured as is and the other half need game time managed. 

 

Agree we could do more though and need to find a balance.

[Scott7 6,004]

4 minutes ago, Sutton_blows_goats said:

their players start dropping like flies

So do ours but without the intensity and without the rewards intensity brings.

[Sutton_blows_goats 5,335]

14 minutes ago, Scott7 said:

So do ours but without the intensity and without the rewards intensity brings.

Yes mate that's what i said half of ours already injured without it but to be fair we play more games than them last season and so far this.

[der Berliner 3,744]

In the here and now, we require the Scum to drop points every now and then. We'll see how their (new) players cope with the Scottish climate/pitches around and post the turn of the year. And we sure need our best players back from injury and/or playing at the top of their game. By the turn of the year, we'll be out of Europe and don't have that double strain of European football as some sort of excuse. Likewise, Gio finally needs to get his act together about tactics and drops players who do not perform.

Edited October 19, 2022 by der Berliner

[buster. 5,186]

1 hour ago, Sutton_blows_goats said:

I see lots of similarities between this team and the team that Gerrard managed. The talk of the horseshoe passing for example was something we seen often under Gerrard. Another similarity was the post winter break sh*t the bed that we had last year. Happened a few times under Gerrard too.

Aye, not really difficult to see a big part of the problem is in the squad.

 

As well as inconsistent mentality, there is now

 naturally more wear and tear.

 

A different manager may well get better out of this squad but the fault line would show sooner or later. 

 

Gio has already shown this. Best league form since he arrived was his first seven games.

 

 

[Scott7 6,004]

Th players may not want to “play for the manager” in which case, play for your wages and your own reputation. King and Lowry will probably go on to better places but the rest need to realise that for them, this is as good as it gets.