₦airaland Forum

atheist5:
what potential options do they have

So which combination on your team score and assist more than Alexis, Ozil, Walcott, Welbeck, Ramsey and now Lacazette?

Whether these players end up doing better is immaterial - hence potentially.

Lana1:
Jesus has been scoring quite a few offside goals recently. Na why i talk say no need to dey fret over City. The other day, they were scoring in 97 mins vs Bournemouth when added time was 95mins. Yet nobody go come shout PDP for them.

And as expected, ignorant Chelsea fans on twitter ve been going on about how he's better than Rashford. I honestly dont understand that fanbase and how they reason.

When they no even get any youngsters of their own, how wont they be dragging other people's youngsters....

The way you keep going on and on about City it appears you are even more worried than you are letting on.

That Bournemouth game was stopped by the ref in the 86th minute mark and restarted in the 89th. That is 3mins. Then Mike stopped the clock again in the 90th to address Pep and Eddie. The added time board at this point was raised showing 5mins. Mike after talking to both coaches restarted the game at the 91st min mark.

So my question to you is - who will account for the extra 4/5mins when the Ref stopped the game?

If he ended that game at the 95th min mark, it would mean he did not account for the time in which he himself stopped the game. That is why he ended the game at the 102nd min (to account for Sterling's red and goal celebration).

So did Walker deserve a red at the 40th min against Everton FC?
If Sterling deserved a red going by the books, why did Mike not book all the other City players that went to the crowd with Sterling?

Let me bring it home to your team. Was Lukaku's missed penalty deserved? What about Fellaini's goal against the same Leicester - was he not offside?

There is no way to spin this narrative in a way that does not robe your team in. You can't beat West Ham, Swansea, Leicester but lose (Real Madrid) and then draw (Stoke away) the two tough fixtures you have had but declare "Jury in" for your team and then flip the script for City on the back of pumelling 2 teams that were yet to lose prior to playing them coupled with being in great form.

Nah, it does not work that way.

atheist5:
and so how are man united or arsenal better than us in attack

They really have potentially better options. Not that they are better.

Neymar1095:
As much as I appreciate the time and effort Pep puts into choosing a starting XI for each match, sometimes I think it'll be easier to win the league if we use a more solid lineup, as suggested by the
last two title winners.

It is easier to focus on one team and use them game in game out like the last 3 winners. But guess what? The past 2 before Chelsea last season all burnt out. Even Conte's Chelsea showed signs of burning out from the end of last season and remember they did not even play as many games or competitions as City or United.

When a manager has plans of winning multiple trophies in a season or at least doing reasonably well in all, he would have to rotate the team. The real issue will be motivation. If these crop of players remain motivated, they could win the English Double or Treble (I dare say).

Emphasis on 'English' before the Treble. That means UCL is not included per se.

Every game will pose a different beast. You don't expect to waste Mendy in defence in a game that does not call for it like today.

Stones will come good. He has looked decent from preseason into now. He was always a good passer but now he is very confident and it helps. The lapses will come but he will learn from it. Even Pique has those lapses at times.

Stones-Otamendi will not be the only partnership. Vincent's calf injury forced Pep to use them today. Stones is quicker than Ota but the latter is ready to do the dirty work. City would still go for another CB in January which will most likely be John Evans. The exploitation by many teams during this transfer window was a deterrent. Same goes for the LB position which Danilo will have to play on occasions.

Yes, Kompany has lost some pace but he makes up for it with his decision-making. The real issues with pace is for the L and R backs and it has been sorted out. CBs generally don't need all the pace in the world to perform their duties except they are playing in an outrageously high line.

The only thing one need to pray against is injuries. This is a very deep squad that could go all the way in all competitions.

donjazet:
How you would ever rank arsenal ahead of Chelsea beleaguers me.

He said in attack (potential).

I just hope they haven't peaked so early.

Aguero is so improved. His all-round play is encouraging.

The ever-so deluded Spy360!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKKjgm2tTeY

Key word: Dubious refereeing decisions.

City has suffered those under Pep it is crazy.

Donlittle:
How is kyrie irving number 25 on this list? You mean to tell me there are 24 other players in this league better than kyrie?

That is why he left Lebron; nothing he did was recognized because of him.

Ersan:
Nairaland really needs a face palm emoji.

The resident pseudo-intellectual.

Always trying to belong.

I have noticed you today.

birdman:
nah, man, take the emotion out of it a little. Are you saying Kyrie on Warriors, or IT, or CP3 or Lebron or Kawhi on Warrios will not win a ring? Cmon now

Only Lebron will win a ring with GSW and he would do it playing his own way and not Kerr's. GSW will not win near 73 games in a regular season with Lebron. Draymond Green would not be the player that he is, playing with Lebron.

Read me clearly; take Curry off GSW last season and leave the rest of the team with KD (any of the PGs you mentioned above) and the rest of the roster against Cavs. Cavs win in 6 or 7.

Curry took 2 almost 3 games away from SAS in 2013/14 (their championship year) dropping 44 and 42 in 2 of the 6 games. A 51-win GSW team because of him if you remember (first year they truly handed their franchise to him). To put this feat in context, that same year, Lebron and his Miami Heatles lost 4-1 to the same Spurs. 4 of those losses were blow-outs!

I cringe to see the other names you mentioned there even as I wonder how many of them control the type of gravity SC does. How many free-way dunks did Iggy and KD have these playoffs simply because defenders would rather stop Curry from shooting a 3?

I said it before, Kawhi is a phenomenal robot but he simply does not do enough to add anything to GSW; The skill set he brings is not wanting in the team.

Green defends more positions than him. KD is a better offensive weapon. Curry has more gravity. Klay is more precise a spot-up shooter and Kawhi is not a center standing at 6'7. He does not pass the ball better than any of the starters bar Klay (and this is even debatable).

Put Curry on SAS as PG, and you would see how good a shooter 'long-arms' Green is. Put Curry on SAS and see Aldridge make 25ppg on 15spg. Heck, Spurs did very well against so many teams (Rockets) without Kawhi, KD went down and GSW started winning by greater margins and with more consistency. I fear to know the struggles KD would go through without Curry on this team.

For evidence, watch GSW VS OKC 2016 WCF. And just incase, you won't watch it, KD loses the ball far easily when he is doubled or tripled. GSW used that strategy in that SCs 46 point win against OKC at Chesapeake. We reverted to it in games 5, 6 and 7 against OKC in the comeback.

Without the gravity that Curry brings to the team, thus freeing KD, sure KD would get buckets (he is mega-skilled). But he would do it at far less efficiency and with a large margin of error.

birdman:
Look at it another way - if the warriors could get Curry for Kawhi, would they do it? It spurs could swap Curry for Kawhi, would they bite. I say yes, warriors would do it. Spurs would not.

Comparing kawhi and curry is hard to do. kinda like comparing lebron and kobe. One is a special offensive weapon. The other is a special system player. Offense is flashy, and easily distracts you from true value. But the league has had lots of special offensive weapons, but the system players are much more dominant over time. If Curry is looking really good right now, its not just his sharpshooting skills - its the fact that the warriors have loaded up. Kawhi with warriors personnel would win rings to, as would CP3, Kyrie, IT, etc

Bottom line, if you are a GM, and you have a solid roster ready to win a 'ship, you pick the system superstar, Kawhi, over the offensive weapon Curry every time.

This is incredibly false.

Kawhi in SAS, is yet to be the player Tony Parker was to them and Curry has already eclipsed Tony Parker in the all-time rankings for PGs.

Would GSW swap Curry for Kawhi? They won't even swap him for Lebron. I thought KD was being courted by the Clippers when CP3 was there, why did he not go there?

Now IT, Kyrie would have won a ring with GSW in Curry's stead? What in the last 4 years of basketball gives you the boldness to say so?

So which is the system player between Lebron and Kobe if I am to go by your leanings? Which of them was more dominant over time?

Kawhi is a definite top 5 player in the NBA currently but that is where it stops. If he continues at this rate in 2 more seasons we may revisit where he stands but I can't run amok in extolling him beyond what he has actually achieved.

James Harden was a bad game 5 OT away from outplaying him over the course of 6 games and I am not going to make him a God because of his NBA Finals MVP when Iguodala has one as well and is not even an Angel.

benji93:
Being a top 10 all time player in your team's franchise history does not amount to a sure Hall of fame consideration.Whether or not a player will be admitted into a hall of fame player in the future depends on his achievements with respect to his peers.His role in his team's championship run, if any,his personal statistics,including all star selection.All team and individual achievements are weighed and compared to that of his equally eligible peers.

!!

Mynd44:
@Decale, Kawhi

Remove the "wake me up when Kawhi gets into an NBA final"

In 2014, he was in the final, won the finals and gotten the MVP.

Bro, he did but we all know it was mega-hype as they could not find one player to crown the Cat-beller so they settled for him.

We have made the argument here before that LBJ averaged 28ppg in that final to Kawhi's 16 or 17. The narrative that Kawhi stopped Lebron is really a hyperbole. Gregg Popovich stopped Lebron through systematic team basketball and even Tony Parker (if I am not mistaken) led your team in scoring.

Going by that, it seemed in people's eyes that Kawhi had not fully earned his stripes and I think that is what Decale was referring to.

Wow, Decale, you said everything I was going to say so I just "liked" and "shared" what you wrote above.

I can take Lebron and KD over Curry. But James Harden, Kawhi, West Brook? It pained me to my bone marrow.

I love Kawhi more than the first basketballer I wrote there but he has to achieve things before they start raising him to the level everyone wants to pretend that he is at.

His scoring numbers barring last season's are not fantastic. His highest assist in a game is 7 or 8 bro. He really only just became a good shooter and the only thing he does better, he does because of his height and strength; Dunk and defend the rim better.

I would always remind people that for all KD's greatness, him and Westbrook did not win a ring. I mean even Kyrie and James got one in 3 years playing together but it was clear to all that KD and Westie just could not hit that mark. So I wonder why Curry became worse off simply because he helped KD achieve that?

Even KD was not spared in the madness. The game rated him 96 yet gave him 97 in some previous editions. They seem to believe that he too became "less off" by playing with Curry. It is crazy.

Olamyyde:
he was sent on loan from madrid

on the Madrid fan page on reddit, they have a bartomeu appreciation thread...lol

Bartomeu is Rosell's boy who is himself Perez' boy as he served under Perez when he headed Nike in Spain.

It is a well-known fact in Catalonia that Rosell was helping Perez get something's done including signing Luis Figo from us to Real Madrid.

I have said these things before on this thread in 2015.

I take my L.

snowstormm:
This squad is good enough for LA liga and copa del Rey but this squad can't win champions league

Did Madrid need to score all their chances in the King's cup game to prove how much better they are than us?

When last did Madrid midfield dominate possession in El Classico?

At moments in that game, Modric, Kroos and Kovacic were exchanging passes like it was 3 against 1.

Nah Fam, We would need a miracle to win La Liga. Even Bayern did not strengthen that much so the UCL looks like a breeze for them too.

Our hope now is PSG.

haymekus:
I still think coutinho is stupid for signing a contract without a release clause when he knows that he can't reject the proposal of bigger teams like Barcelona.

Moreover liverpool can't guarantee him either the UCL or EPL, so why make permanent decision based on temporal feeling??

The gist is that John Henry stopped the deal yesterday.

What is funny is why they think Barca would be interested next summer.

Like I said earlier, Nobody would be sure till 12 Midnight.

jonsnow92:
Eruditor how far

This is how you should be walking in this Thread now

No qualms. Let the transfer window close now would you not?

Good luck to you and Valverde expecting us to beat RM with what we have. LOL.

modextus:
Yes i think... They've just announced we've given up on the chase. I feel really bad for Coutinho honestly. I personally wouldn't be able to stand going back in such a situation. But i think Liverpool are only been foolish. In fact they're the biggest lossers in this transfer window. Rejecting 160million for Coutinho. They just don't want to admit it but they are a selling club. They aren't big.. And they never will. They would have shown to the world that they're truly big by selling Coutinho off and going ahead to win the league. All they'll have would be a player for a whole season carrying a fake smile and pretending to be happy.

I am taking that news with a pinch of salt. It is as if they want the player to publicly rebel or something. There is no "we would sell him next summer" when you know Barca would not be interested or the player's valuation could go down significantly with another ghastly injury.

Something just feels off. I won't believe the deal is off until the end of today. Let us see how Coutinho reacts to the news.

Chelseafan1:
Eruditor don go hide inside soak-away

I never said he would be announced by 7pm. Besides, we have today to fully understand or know if he would be here. I still think he would.

It is absolutely suicidal not to sell.

Coutinho saga is strange to even Pundits. Coutinho is clearly not worth £138M. Liverpool have started the season without him. They have gone a spell of 9 games per season without him. They have not won much with him. Yet by some strange phenomenon, they let this transfer saga get into today.

I said it here repeatedly that the player is not injured. His game for Brazil proved it. LFC really are shooting themselves in the foot by not cashing in on him yet. Even with him in the team, they still won't win the league. The matter boggles one's mind.

Emaprince:
Arsenal actually bidded 92mil for lemar but they were turned down.

Sanchez is staying at arsenal until they get a high calibre player to replace him.

*modified*

The money was accepted but lemar had concerns over the move.

Both news are fake.

I think the gist is coming from his camp to force Liverpool's hands or Arsenal are trying to cramp Liverpool's style by hiking the price they would need to pay.

Wenger would never spend £92M on a player. He might as well offer Sanchez £500k a week.

timbros:
Maybe na £29m Wenger wan bid, but shayo dey him eye na him e go bid £92m....

Someone that added £1 on Suarez's £40M when he would have gotten the player if he had added even £5M. Will now pay £47M more for a player he bidded £45M for and told Monaco to take or leave it.

timbros:
I'm just reading that Arsenal have withdrawn their Lemar bid. Rollercoaster.

No the person who started the lie has retracted it.

People underestimate Wenger's pride.

hardeycute:
I have a problem with you because the report is not from only one source so let's keep staring. 12pm is almost here...

I see you still believe Coutinho will move?Man is staying put but maybe a crazy fee like £150m (without add ons) can make it happen

How many sources said Arsenal had £200M to spend in June?

How many sources said Neymar would not leave?

How many sources said Ox turned down £180k a week?

They were all wrong. Sources don't count as much as common sense does.

Coutinho? LOL. I thought he had back pains? Why is he training with Brazil?

ddippset:
LOL. Are you sure about this? . And they are over billing us?

He would come for something less than what is reported. Personally I think £120M. Any other thing would come through add-ons.

hardeycute:
€100m for Thomas lemar

PL clubs surely have a different market because I don't understand this astronomical fees for this average players

It seems other European clubs are not happy with the income generated in England

Fake, just like the £180k/week talk of Oxlade who was only offered £100k. Arsenal will bid £70M for Lemar.

Noah13:
Anyone else seen this

Fake. Alexis has no tattoo. They superimposed his face on Marcus Sané's body.

haymekus:
Na wa for this Liverpool sef they have just agreed Chamberlain deal + still want Lemar...... But to release coutinho for us nah wahala

No, they actually begged us to wait before announcing it so that other clubs would not overbill them.