|
Post by empresstouch on May 22, 2021 14:51:12 GMT
No reference to Warrington, though the terrible early-2017 start to the Wolves’ Super League season highlights what happens when you’re captain’s name is absent from the team sheet.
However, we’re referring to a mid-table club whose team had nothing to play for, other than individual careers and prize money. It showed in a performance from players very willing to shoot from distance and charge down anything we threw at them, but with little quality in end-product to show for it.
I’d like to point out that our shot-blocking wasn’t bad either – even Richarlison weighing in on the act at least once. But alarmingly, it wasn’t always obvious that Everton needed the result far, far more. Indeed, certain players on both sides did look a little off the pace.
The 2020-21 season has exposed the snowball effect in 21st century professional sport; congested fixture lists for all, plus ever-increasing footballing knowledge from coaches and outside sporting scouts, and then throw-in medical advances to pull more productivity from player performance = more injuries.
We are certainly not immune to this – no Europe in 2020-21 or otherwise. Yet despite the many one-trick-ponies Ancelotti has had to man manage into forming team strategies that surpass our opposition, we’ve limped into the final round of matches this season with a chance to secure 7th – and European football in 2021-22.
Securing this, at the expense of both Tottenham Hotspur AND Arsenal.
If we’d been offered this scenario in December 2019, when after losing a home game to would-be relegated Norwich City (their only Premier League away win in 2019-20) left us in the relegation zone – again, with a host of managerial candidates steering clear of us - only to be 90 minutes from Europe 17 months down the line – and led by the best manager in the world... I’d have taken that alright.
The number-crunching, as I’m sure we’re all now aware, has become relatively simple:
WIN at Man City: Leicester would only need to hold Spurs to a draw, Arsenal are beyond catching us. 7th.
DRAW at Man City: Leicester must WIN at home to Spurs AND Arsenal must do no better than draw at home to Brighton. 7th.
LOSE at Man City: Definitely no Europe, possibly slipping down as far as 10th if Leeds win.
So a minimum of one snooker is required. But it’s not just the maths that get interesting (to some, at least).
How Man City: players and Pep Guardiola, will approach tomorrow’s season closer is a little of a mystery. We can certainly expect a very, very difficult game. Any complacency that may have lingered in that squad would almost certainly have been banished in the Brighton defeat; the manner of being 0-2 up and losing 3-2 would’ve gone down very well with Tuchel at Chelski. It’s no good for us IF there’s a backlash in waiting.
Yet in a completely different scenario to Wolves, individuals will still have one eye on next Saturday evening – including an outstanding manager who was brought to Manchester for the very purpose of achieving what his employers and fans want most: that Champions’ League trophy.
With two other games affecting Carlo Ancelotti’s plans in how he may inform his players mid-game to ‘go for it’ or ‘hang on to what we’ve got’, it’s a strange scenario for Man City to play out.
And this is just the preview of what may play out at the ETIHAD. Then consider what (potentially is) Harry Kane’s last game for Tottenham; what may be Mikel Arteta’s last game in charge at Arsenal (and Aubameyang’s last game at The Emirates too).
And all this affecting the race for 4th; Leicester chasing Liverpool and Chelski. Throw-in Kane vs Salah for the Golden Boot as well. There’s a lot to be decided tomorrow.
It really shouldn’t take ANY motivation from Ancelotti to get the absolute most his players have left in the tank. Nor should any of us NOT be excited at the thought of eliminating Tottenham and Arsenal for a place in Europe next season.
Many statistics will be in play on social media soon, if they’re not already. It shouldn’t just be the players whom raw, sheer adrenaline is running through the veins.
Yes, we could’ve done ourselves many favours on many occasions this season. It would be the mother of all statements to have secured European football through defeating the best team on the continent – on their home patch.
The butt of the jokes we may well be going into the Europa Conference next year. “Who did Arsenal, Spurs [and possibly several others] get for the knockout stages?” We won’t be the butt of the jokes forever - that's for sure...
|
|
|
Post by rugbytoffee on May 22, 2021 16:13:15 GMT
We were a tad lucky I thought , although our defence stood up well. Traore showed what pace and an attacking mindset can cause. We seem to look for the easy backwards/ sideways pass. Maybe we haven't the players currently to produce this type of play?
Europe won't be here for us next season and maybe with the current players that is a blessing.
A lot of work needed in the transfer market , but are we attractive enough to entice the young hungry players we are crying out for. Me personally would focus on players that already know the league, country and hopefully will be able to hit the ground running. but hey this isn't Football Manager 2021.
I am sure Carlo and staff know what is required but a - Are the players available and b- Would they come?
|
|
|
Post by empresstouch on May 22, 2021 16:32:57 GMT
"However, we’re referring to a mid-table club whose team had nothing to play for, other than individual careers and prize money."
Referring to Wolverhampton. Just in case I wasn't clear. My apologies in any case.
|
|
|
Post by Avinalaff on May 23, 2021 8:04:01 GMT
We were a tad lucky I thought , although our defence stood up well. Traore showed what pace and an attacking mindset can cause. We seem to look for the easy backwards/ sideways pass. Maybe we haven't the players currently to produce this type of play? Europe won't be here for us next season and maybe with the current players that is a blessing. A lot of work needed in the transfer market , but are we attractive enough to entice the young hungry players we are crying out for. Me personally would focus on players that already know the league, country and hopefully will be able to hit the ground running. but hey this isn't Football Manager 2021. I am sure Carlo and staff know what is required but a - Are the players available and b- Would they come? I think given the results in the last 10 games or so, for us to be going into the Man City game hoping to get a point, and hoping Spurs lose is a reflection of our reality more than anything. The job should have been done long ago, but getting over the line has been something, that as a club, we struggle to do. You'd have thought with all Carlo's experience, that perhaps this season, we'd have managed it, but it's a glass ceiling for us that we have to smash through. When we look at our squad, on paper at least, we should really be beating struggling teams, yet it's those very teams we've found difficult, and I think that's because we give every side that faces us, much more time to express themselves, than we ought to. I'm expecting Man City to take the points today, as their squad is just too far ahead of our own, and even their B team is a powerful side, but maybe our lads can forget about Europe, and just go out there today, with a point to prove to themselves, and we'll see what happens elsewhere.
|
|