Men's Soccer (Football) Thread Soccer • Page 460

There already was. They announced at the start of the season that they were cutting down on blocking at set pieces. But they just didn’t.

For what it’s worth, the Arsenal goal was just weak keeping. There was less interference in that than most Arsenal set pieces.

 

Ian said it best. For a big man, he’s a total coward.

 

Nice to have a proper rivalry between title challengers again though. Feels like Arsenal vs Utd of the 90’s/00’s.

None of the boring pleasantries of the Liverpool vs City years, even if the games were often quite exhilarating. These teams hate each other and that’s pretty fun in and of itself, and the game would have been great at 11 vs 11.

 

I think it’s somewhat weak keeping. But I also think it leaves the keeper in a tough spot. I’d like to see defenders protect their keeper a little stronger.

 

Much like quarterbacks, keepers get too much protection.

 

Yeah I guess it’s more weak defence than anything. The weak keeping aspect comes into playing with Ederson flinging himself into the ground as soon as he runs into Martinelli

 

Haaland is such a mard whenever someone has the guile to compete with him.

 

Haaland acting like a turd but I still want him at Barca after City get relegated with this trial.

 

Kinda feels like Haaland will either go to PSG or Madrid eventually. Barca can't afford him.

 

Conflicting reports on Rodri. One saying it’s a season ending injury and another saying just a matter of weeks.

Obviously you hope it isn’t too serious for his sake, but given it was his first start, they haven’t been exactly missed him so far this season.

 

Arteta visiting Rodri to wish him well

 

I think I would rather lose Haaland to Madrid rather than Rodri. It blows my mind how critical he is.

 

You mean the child who got a yellow before making his professional debut? C’mon

 

How much do you think Barca will miss ter Stegen? @Garrett

 

If this was ter Stegen of 2-4 seasons ago, immensely. For now, let’s see what Pena can do. I foresee us going into the Keeper market next summer.

 

Ah, that makes it okay then.

 

John Stones time to play as a holding midfielder? Or more likely Kovacic or Gundogan with Rico Lewis playing into midfield from RB. Pep's small roster starts to look pretty thin with Rodri, Ake, Bobb and KDB out.

 

Finally

 

Been interesting to see the football puritans come out of the woodwork. Lots of talk about the “dark arts” this week, which was predictable following the crybaby interviews from rattled City players.

I don’t seem to remember the media caring about the sanctity of the game when Arsenal were being overpowered and out fought by the likes of Stoke, who would defend for 89 minutes and get a goal from a corner. They just said “Arsenal don’t like it up them” and carried on. They weren’t obligated to come out and play against us, just like we weren’t obligated to on Sunday with 10 men.

It’s almost as if City have a PR plan. They know they’re going to be getting a lot of bad headlines soon, so they’re trying to position themselves ideologically as the team that plays “proper football” in the title race.

 

Arsenal being a “dark arts” team is fucking hilarious to be fair.

 

What would Wenger think of it all

 

City have done next to nothing against top teams playing with a low block (Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Arsenal last season). Arteta would have been questioned for the rest of the season if he did anything other than park the bus with 10 men Sunday.