Audi cup final

[Mike J]

Gotta say im feeling confident about negredo. He seems to have excellent movement and gets in some great positions. His finishing probably isnt up to scratch, but hopefully that will come over the first few games

[Equilibrista]

I wouldn't fancy trying to overlap Navas! You wouldn't be able to catch the little whippet never mind overlap him.

He looks amazing. Negredo I think will score loads of goals. Strong and showed some pace for the goal (even though I'm sure either Owen or McMannaman said he was "slow" before the game).
I can't wait to see Evera's face when he comes up against Navas......he'll have a face like that Phil Jones when Aguero scored last season.
Roll on the season the futures bright.....the futures blue.

I saw the goal Negredo scored yesterday. Have seen him play for Sevilla these last few years. From what I read in the forum he had one of his typical performances: missing easy chances sometimes and scoring from difficult positions. But when he's in the "zone" he can be lethal. Sometimes you'll have to be patient, but, unlike Sevilla, MC have other top strikers, which will be good to motivate him (apart from his salary!).

And Navas is always dangerous, and does not stop working from beginning to end and putting up a good effort for the team. He never seems to run out of gas. Hope you'll enjoy them both.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

I wouldn't fancy trying to overlap Navas! You wouldn't be able to catch the little whippet never mind overlap him.

He looks amazing. Negredo I think will score loads of goals. Strong and showed some pace for the goal (even though I'm sure either Owen or McMannaman said he was "slow" before the game).
I can't wait to see Evera's face when he comes up against Navas......he'll have a face like that Phil Jones when Aguero scored last season.
Roll on the season the futures bright.....the futures blue.

I saw the goal Negredo scored yesterday. Have seen him play for Sevilla these last few years. From what I read in the forum he had one of his typical performances: missing easy chances sometimes and scoring from difficult positions. But when he's in the "zone" he can be lethal. Sometimes you'll have to be patient, but, unlike Sevilla, MC have other top strikers, which will be good to motivate him (apart from his salary!).

And Navas is always dangerous, and does not stop working from beginning to end and putting up a good effort for the team. He never seems to run out of gas. Hope you'll enjoy them both.

Fair play to you mate. It's refreshing to see football fans wishing their former players well when they move on. Good luck for the season.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Just got to watch this.

1. Yaya was anonymous in the 45 mins he was on.... i dunno if its because Bayern had most of the ball or because he was primarily so deep.
2. Jovetic wasnt nearly as influential as he was yesterday
3. We looked like we missed Silva
4. Kompany looks great
5. Negredo definitely put forth his best performance so far
6. Fernandinho looks to have virtually solidified his spot in whatever our "best lineup" will be
7. Bayern are clearly the best club in the world.

It was a preseason friendly so it doesnt mean much but it was also against the stiffest competition yet who played with basically their lineup best 11 to begin with.

1. Que?

[Equilibrista]

Fair play to you mate. It's refreshing to see football fans wishing their former players well when they move on. Good luck for the season.

Thank you. I have to admit, though, had they signed for Real Madrid, I'd probably think differently. Seeing Negredo scoring goals wearing the RM shirt would have made me want to throw up...

[Benjay]

Speaking as a Gareth Barry fan, who thinks he should be playing behind Yaya & Fernandinho in situations like the 1st half plan today, I don't like the look of him.

He didn't seem to be puttiing himself about as he usually does & that concerns me, especially as he should be fighting for a shirt.

I think he has lost a bit of heart due to not feeling he has a future at the club, & he simply can't function at 90%, he needs to be full on if he is to be any use.

I feel sorry for him, but if he's not on it, he will be a liability.

Hopfully the Count will spot it & have a word.

I like Barry too but he needs to take a look at Milner. Milner is a man he is going all out to be noticed by Manuel. Absolutely no lack of effort.

[Stannaz1988]

I thought jovetic played well in the first half dropping back off the striker and working well closing down whilst bayern had all the possession, he will get better with more games

[Ted Hughes]

I thought jovetic played well in the first half dropping back off the striker and working well closing down whilst bayern had all the possession, he will get better with more games

I thought he was too far forward & it ruined our midfield. Nasri was miles better in that spot imo, but Jovetic is probably well behind on fitness.

Nasri looks like a new signing when played inside & the same ineffective non entity when played wide. I hope the Count is quicker than Mancini to spot this.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Just got to watch this.

1. Yaya was anonymous in the 45 mins he was on.... i dunno if its because Bayern had most of the ball or because he was primarily so deep.
2. Jovetic wasnt nearly as influential as he was yesterday
3. We looked like we missed Silva
4. Kompany looks great
5. Negredo definitely put forth his best performance so far
6. Fernandinho looks to have virtually solidified his spot in whatever our "best lineup" will be
7. Bayern are clearly the best club in the world.

It was a preseason friendly so it doesnt mean much but it was also against the stiffest competition yet who played with basically their lineup best 11 to begin with.

1. Que?

I'm sorry, I can't just leave it at that. Are you fucking serious? Really? Did you watch the game? Did you see how in the first half we struggled to get out of our defensive third? Did you see how that changed drastically in the second half when Yaya was there to take the ball from the defenders to get our attacks started?

It seems if Yaya is not rampaging with the ball that a lot of people don't notice what he "actually" does for this team.

[brite blu sky]

I thought jovetic played well in the first half dropping back off the striker and working well closing down whilst bayern had all the possession, he will get better with more games

I thought he was too far forward & it ruined our midfield. Nasri was miles better in that spot imo, but Jovetic is probably well behind on fitness.

Nasri looks like a new signing when played inside & the same ineffective non entity when played wide. I hope the Count is quicker than Mancini to spot this.

Nasri stops doing little twirls when he has responsibility to be the main playmaker - ie more central free floating.

The basic gist I can see is that on getting the ball we should be able to get it forward faster and with incisive accuracy. So Jovetic a bit deeper would suit that no doubt. When they get it in the blood this approach will cut teams open, but there may be less determination not to lose the ball ie take more chances, so the pressing game to get it back becomes that more important. The two go together I think.
As said this will suit Dzeko too as he is good with space in front of him. I think our best lineups and positioning will be the ones that are able to shift the ball very quickly up to the front.
That would bode very well for CL games. Prem park the bus teams will be another thing though. The Count may have to learn a strategy for that as he goes along.

[Ted Hughes]

Just got to watch this.

1. Yaya was anonymous in the 45 mins he was on.... i dunno if its because Bayern had most of the ball or because he was primarily so deep.
2. Jovetic wasnt nearly as influential as he was yesterday
3. We looked like we missed Silva
4. Kompany looks great
5. Negredo definitely put forth his best performance so far
6. Fernandinho looks to have virtually solidified his spot in whatever our "best lineup" will be
7. Bayern are clearly the best club in the world.

It was a preseason friendly so it doesnt mean much but it was also against the stiffest competition yet who played with basically their lineup best 11 to begin with.

1. Que?

I'm sorry, I can't just leave it at that. Are you fucking serious? Really? Did you watch the game? Did you see how in the first half we struggled to get out of our defensive third? Did you see how that changed drastically in the second half when Yaya was there to take the ball from the defenders to get our attacks started?

It seems if Yaya is not rampaging with the ball that a lot of people don't notice what he "actually" does for this team.

Him & Fernandinho look awesome imo. If Barry or A.N. other, maybe Rodwell, could sit behind them so both can make forward runs, then I recon those two could actually run the midfield with a Silva, Nasri or Jovetic in front of them either feeding two strikers or one striker plus Navas.

That could be a serious lineup in Europe.

Only for particular games of course, but it would be both solid & dangerous, with big pace on the counter.

[Dameerto]

I saw the goal Negredo scored yesterday. Have seen him play for Sevilla these last few years. From what I read in the forum he had one of his typical performances: missing easy chances sometimes and scoring from difficult positions. But when he's in the "zone" he can be lethal. Sometimes you'll have to be patient, but, unlike Sevilla, MC have other top strikers, which will be good to motivate him (apart from his salary!).

And Navas is always dangerous, and does not stop working from beginning to end and putting up a good effort for the team. He never seems to run out of gas. Hope you'll enjoy them both.

I got the impression from our preseason that he is happiest with another striker to help distract the defence since he seems to like playing off the last man a lot. Would you say that was true from his time at Sevilla?

[Equilibrista]

I saw the goal Negredo scored yesterday. Have seen him play for Sevilla these last few years. From what I read in the forum he had one of his typical performances: missing easy chances sometimes and scoring from difficult positions. But when he's in the "zone" he can be lethal. Sometimes you'll have to be patient, but, unlike Sevilla, MC have other top strikers, which will be good to motivate him (apart from his salary!).

And Navas is always dangerous, and does not stop working from beginning to end and putting up a good effort for the team. He never seems to run out of gas. Hope you'll enjoy them both.

I got the impression from our preseason that he is happiest with another striker to help distract the defence since he seems to like playing off the last man a lot. Would you say that was true from his time at Sevilla?

He has played most of his years in Seville with another striker (Kanoute or Luis Fabiano), but when these two left, he has played as our only striker. Last year he always played "alone". He has scored more or less the same amount of goals per season (around 20 in La Liga, 25 last season). I would say that when he plays alone he's a little bit more exposed, he gets more chances to score but misses more. With another good striker, maybe he does not score so often, but he's more creative and assists more. On the whole, I would say you are right.

[Dameerto]

He has played most of his years in Seville with another striker (Kanoute or Luis Fabiano), but when these two left, he has played as our only striker. Last year he always played "alone". He has scored more or less the same amount of goals per season (around 20 in La Liga, 25 last season). I would say that when he plays alone he's a little bit more exposed, he gets more chances to score but misses more. With another good striker, maybe he does not score so often, but he's more creative and assists more. On the whole, I would say you are right.

Thanks for the info - it's my misfortune not to have watched him very much before he joined. He looks like he will fit in well this season though. There could be the making of a good relationship between him and Dzeko too. (If they get to play together much).

[Lev Bronstein]

Sadly, I couldn't see last nights game and had to rely on updates. I did see BM get beat by Dortmund in the German Super Cup. From my limited knowledge then, it appears to me that they aren't the force they were last May, and that PG's tinkering isn't working very well (still can't work out why they appointed him).

So, my question is who's going to get the sack first, Pep or ollum?

[Bleed_Blue]

So, my question is who's going to get the sack first, Pep or ollum?

I pray each and every day for Gollum's healthy life and long stay as manager of the rags, if possible for eternity. Gollum's is going to turn rag's into new Liverpool. They are going to get so fucked up that they would have no present and future, only past for the next foreseeable 10 years at-least.

Pep is too much of a dick, who wants to apply his own kind of a play. Have to see how far will he continue like that.

[phips]

Sadly, I couldn't see last nights game and had to rely on updates. I did see BM get beat by Dortmund in the German Super Cup. From my limited knowledge then, it appears to me that they aren't the force they were last May, and that PG's tinkering isn't working very well (still can't work out why they appointed him).

So, my question is who's going to get the sack first, Pep or ollum?

I don't think that's a fair assessment for Pep. I didnt see the Dortmund game so I don't know what lineup he put out there but the lineup he put out vs City was basically his starting 11 minus Gotze for Kroos. And they were very impressive in the first half. I think the biggest issue he has is his midfield and whether to play a false 9 or Mario M. Schweinsteiger, Gotze, Ribery, and Martinez are certain starters. But then it comes down to who the other two are between muller, mandzukic, Thiago, Kroos, and robben. Plus, he could play muller or Gotze as a false 9 and Martinez as center half with Dante. If anything, his "problem" is having too much

[YayaJonas]

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I thought once yaya and navas came on we seemed to pull together more

[I Just Blue Myself]

Sadly, I couldn't see last nights game and had to rely on updates. I did see BM get beat by Dortmund in the German Super Cup. From my limited knowledge then, it appears to me that they aren't the force they were last May, and that PG's tinkering isn't working very well (still can't work out why they appointed him).

So, my question is who's going to get the sack first, Pep or ollum?

I don't think that's a fair assessment for Pep. I didnt see the Dortmund game so I don't know what lineup he put out there but the lineup he put out vs City was basically his starting 11 minus Gotze for Kroos. And they were very impressive in the first half. I think the biggest issue he has is his midfield and whether to play a false 9 or Mario M. Schweinsteiger, Gotze, Ribery, and Martinez are certain starters. But then it comes down to who the other two are between muller, mandzukic, Thiago, Kroos, and robben. Plus, he could play muller or Gotze as a false 9 and Martinez as center half with Dante. If anything, his "problem" is having too much

That's all well & good, but currently he's fucking with a system that worked flawlessly last season. Most importantly the defence is looking shakier by the minute & playing Martinez & Lahm out of position constantly so close to the start of the season won't help with that.

Of course, this is still preseason & Bayern arguably have the best 'squad' in in the world, but even the best individuals have to be managed the right way & I'm not so sure the same way applies in Barcelona & Munich.
Mandzukic is, if reports are to be believed, already fed up with Guardiola's plans (false 9 etc) & the constant, never ending drama with Lewandowski. I could see him leaving even this window, if this carries on into the season.
Schweinsteiger & Lahm have carefully questioned the preseason experiments in public already. They have the power to hound Pep out personally via the tabloids, should their position within the club & team ever be threatened, never mind Rummenigge, Hoeness & co. (see Klinsmann & van Gaal in recent years). All it takes are a couple of unlucky results.

Plus, however good Ribery, Gotze, Thiago & all the others are, Messi they ain't.

[phips]

Sound points. How often do you see a treble winning side change their philosophy the following season? Players in and out is to be expected but a changing of tactics and positions is lunacy...