Yeah but that didn't matter as the ref was off watching some game on Planet Zod.
Pre Match - Inter (H) - Tue 8pm (GMT)
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Actually really good opponents over both legs. And as Rurik said up above, way better to measure ourselves against and put issues to right than playing Sp. Lisbon or RB Salzburg. Let's hope we avoid City and Bayern in the next round - it'd be ideal if they drew each other in fact.
The way they beat our press yesterday was impressive (and something we will see from City so should help us in planning) and their passing very tidy indeed but from midfield on forwards they offered little to no threat bar a worldie. On another day we'd have put 2 or 3 of those chances away (Mo, Diaz, VvD would be my pick from our 5 best efforts) and won this match comfortably.
So although half our team played crap we were still a rung above and unlucky to lose. Someone was going to score a worldie against us sometime so no better match for it to happen in.
It does my head in when people say that (a couple of the studio guests said the same so you're not alone). Would It be preferable then to be only 1-0 up? Or maybe level or even behind to, you know, give us that extra incentive?
FFS that 2-0 proved conclusive in the end and gave us the leeway to not play anywhere near our best but still progress.
The key to rotation is still getting what you need out of the games . .. we are still on course in all 3 remaining competitions so give credit where it's due !
Thought Inter was a very good team and Inzaghi impressed me as a manager.
We deserved to go through but they followed us all the way.
One of the better teams we've played this season. With Barella for these two games as well it could have been even closer.
We deserved to go through but they followed us all the way.
One of the better teams we've played this season. With Barella for these two games as well it could have been even closer.
He's had a few games like that recently. In fairness he had an incredible run where he was just impeccable. I'm sure he'll get it back on, but we might need to rotate him more for a bit.
Agreed - perhaps either Forest or Watford would be good opportunities to rest him completely, or give him 60 mins in each.
We looked out-fought in a few areas of the pitch. It was somewhat disturbing
TAA Excellent?...
For the goal we conceded TAA was just jogging back. Not saying categorically that if he had got back sooner that Inter would not have scored,
but there was a possibility. But we will never know
He could have been tighter but he has done that his whole career. He knows he has the speed to recover so most of the time he just drops off and let his opponent make his move, then go in for the tackle. It has worked well for him to be fair. This time round Martinez took his shot early which caught him out totally. Another way of looking at it would be that Martinez didn't fancy himself 1v1 against VVD and decided to take the shot.
In any case, it was a worldie and it happened so fast it's hard to prevent imo.
Yeah you're probably right
Yes. He made a number of excellent defensive interventions, put in some superb crosses and corners and made some good midfield runs.
If you don't rate his performance then look around at what other people also think. You seem to be in a minority of one.
I thought the same when I first looked at it ... why did he not choose to close him down completely? However I then watched it back a couple more times, in retrospect I think VvD was spot on.
There was no cover behind him, go too close and he was offering Martinez the opportunity to skip to the inside (possible, he is pacey and that sort of player) then he would have a shot at anywhere he liked on goal. Martinez couldn't try to out-run him down the outside so that left Martinez with two options, try to run directly at goal (Virgil would have nailed him) or try for a worldie.
That shot wouldn't have come off 99/100, it had to be hit hard and in absolutely the top corner, otherwise Ali would have saved it. We just have to accept that occasionally people are going to score worldies, we do it too, you can't stop them all but VvD made by far the best percentage play.
I loved it in the first half when their striker was put through with a run on goal about 25 yards out, noticed he had Van Dijk for company and just immediately gave up ... didn't even try to get the ball
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Did not say that I didn't rate his performance just pointed out that he jogged back for the goal we conceded and that he should have tried harder to get back...Other than that he had a great game
If you can find a replay of the goal from the time we loss the ball to the goal, watch Trent and then tell me if I am mistaken
I can't remember the game or goal but the exact same scenario played out earlier this season as with this goal last night. TAA pushes up, they play behind pulling Matip out of the middle. Attacking player fills that gap and it's at best 1v1, at worst 2v1 with VVD. TAA jogged back then as well. It's a problem. Shouldn't TAA be busting it to fill in for the gap Matip leaves when pulled wide? We can't always rely on VVD and Alisson's individual brilliance.
That's were Hendo should be and if I remember it correctly, he wasn't on the pitch.
I would say that is the responsibility of the DM / covering midfielder to prevent Matip (CB) being pulled out of position. Our attack relies heavily on our FBs to be a creative source, we can't expect them to always be busting a gut to get up and down the field every time the opposition has a break, or be in two places at the same time ! If we are going to play like this, and we have done for a long time so nothing is going to change, then cover must come from other players and we must accept that now and again we are going to concede. The flip side is we score more goals than anyone else because of it.
I agree with all of this but would add, if the system has failed and we are left 1 v 1 then the full back needs to be making every effort to get back, as should the midfield who are not where they ought to be...
Watch this from 3.25 in and watch where TAA is when the ball get intercepted and watch him jog back
Played great be could have and should have done better in try to snuff out the threat
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