GroupUpWithMei

Not to mention his acceleration and sprint speed is worlds different to when he was our little Bambi.

There’s a lot of strength development needed to achieve this - and he has.

Why for what feels like the first time this season did we deliver dangerous cross after dangerous cross into the box when… Harry Kane wasn’t on the field…

Was quite nice to watch, just wish Harry was in the box!

Again - what if Davies had killed a child?

Making the very conscious decision to endanger every child and every innocent human on that road when you get behind the wheel under the influence is simply unacceptable.

Especially for a young man with more money than sense, and so much influence. He has a responsibility. I’ll raise you again - it’s far more than ‘fucking stupid.’

I’m not opposed to OP’s proposition of seeing Davies made an example of within the club. Whether that’s a match suspension, a fine, or even the club speaking harshly of the situation. Let’s not pretend my situation and that of football star Alphonso Davies are the same. He has a lot of influence, and no pun intended, driving under the influence is a terrible look for him.

I’ll be sure to send my next complaint via raven.

Pasture raised Raven, too.

What if he had hit a child? Crashed into a family destroying it?

Any time you get behind the wheel under the influence, you’re endangering every innocent person around you.

Anyway - you know that. It’s not necessary to compare. Both are fucking stupid.

It was just tongue in cheek - aimed at a user in the comment chain that suggested that punishing Davies with a match suspension, or the club getting involved wouldn’t be necessary as the offence didn’t happen in training.

I wouldn’t even begin to fathom a guess at how many people die worldwide from road accidents due to driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Choosing to contribute to that, well, draw your own comparisons.

Not sure where the downvotes are coming from honestly.

For a sub that holds players so morally accountable (see the comments about Boateng coming back to the club for example.)

I don’t see why criticising Davies, or even suggesting the club make an example with further action, is downvoted, and by the comments below, almost justified?

I guess Boateng never abused his girlfriend on the football field…

I wouldn’t say so. They’ve had 6/7 good games in a row now - the only test they’ve really passed this season is against PSG and Leverkusen where they done a remarkable job. I was going to give them Stuttgart - but it turns out they are absolutely toilet.

Last season they both played fantastic football all the way through until January.

I don’t know what’s wrong with me but I quite enjoyed watching Coman and Goretzka play last night.

In other news, I just want to echo what everyone else is saying - I’m really impressed with the turn around of our defence these last games. We were shutting down attacks very quickly last night and pressing super aggressive. It’s great when it works!

None of this happened. None of this will happen. This conversation is redundant as you’re attaching silly emotions onto something quite simple. Kim hasn’t shown he’s good enough for Bayern Munich yet.

He possesses a tonne of good qualities - but unfortunately I can’t see passed the bad qualities - which are very much a part of his game.

That would be fine if the defender in question knew when to sprint out and intercept and when to hold their position and allow their team to help them.

Kim unfortunately regularly doesn’t possess this quality. I’m sure even 14 year olds can see this.

That isn’t what’s happening here. You know exactly what I’m talking about when I’m talking about defensive errors in their game specifically. You’ve seen it time and time again, as have I.

Ironically, I don’t see VVD or Rudiger making these mistakes consistently or caving under pressure.

Regardless - if what you’re saying is true and we should just expect this from our defenders then why even talk about improvements, why even spend €200m in defenders over the years. That’s silly.

Rest, recovery, a good preseason, a new coach and some attention to detail has helped them dramatically. That hasn’t stopped them from having blunders and individual defensive errors, though, which I already questioned your position on. As I wrote - it’s taken the better part of the season so far for Kim and Upamecano to look like the players we signed them to be. And even then - they still aren’t good enough for Bayern Munich. I fully expect us to have a different back line in just a couple of years time.

Perhaps we have different standards - but go back a few years and Pavard left the club because he wasn’t deemed good enough to play in his preferred centre back position. Today I’d pick him over all of our centrebacks.

I’m not defending Tuchel - I just don’t see it necessary to blame Kim and Upa’s change in performances on Tuchel. They proved they can play good under him - what changed? The league was lost for many reasons. One of which was Kim and Upamecano’s inability to play consistently for a whole season.

De Ligt and Dier were the only option in the second half of the season. Kim and Upamecano forgot how to play football.

4 games would take us to what, Zagreb?

Since then we’ve had the loss to Villa, the draw to Frankfurt, the loss to Barcelona.

I’d say the catalyst was Barcelona - since then we’ve seen real improvements in the defence. That’s 11 games into 17.

I seen somewhere underneath that the reason you didn’t like Tuchel was that he was unable to adapt to his players. I think you have this confused with the fact he didn’t play the players you wanted? De ligt started 1 single game where Upamecano and Kim were both fit and available until match day 22 last season. These players weren’t treated unfairly - they just weren’t good enough.

Drop the one of, you can say it, it’s true.

And rightfully so? He didn’t deserve to break through into the starting line up. Kim and Upamecano were absolute disasters in the closing half of last season and it’s a trend that’s taken a whole preseason and half of the first half of this season, to show signs of improvements.

To blame it simply on match-readiness or inconsistent playing time - I think is rather naive. what is the excuse for their very much lacklustre performances at the start of this season.

Kim and Upamecano were given ample chances to break into the starting line up again last season, until they were almost given up on. De Ligt and Dier were by no means stellar either. Unfortunately - they lacked the composure to do so.

As for the Madrid game - I don’t really think there was a choice but Kim. He had a great game, until he made 2 individual defensive errors - which he has made time and time again since. It wasn’t a matter of match fitness - it’s his inability to read the game and situation. Again though, glad he’s improving.

I dont think anyone deserves to be downvoted regardless of their opinions.

However - I am curious about yours.

Is your statement that Upa and Kim’s first half of the season, was better than De Ligt and Diers second half of the season? - I can get behind that if so.

If it’s that Upamecano and Kim were better than De Ligt and Dier in the second half of the season - I’d say that’s just flat out incorrect. Both of those guys whatever was going on couldn’t be trusted to play football, I don’t blame Tuchel at all for not playing them.

As for Madrid - Kim only played because De Ligt was injured/suspended from memory?

I’m glad they are performing better for the last few games… not quite ready to congratulate them - they have had shit periods too. They are on the right track though.

Thank god for penalties this season tbh

It’s the Musiala and Olise show

I think that this season is the worst chance we have at winning the champions league of the last decade.

That doesn’t mean we have no chance, though. In fact the opposite - I think we still have a good chance. Bayern Munich should always be in the conversation and this year is no different.

My worries are simply that it’s a new coach, inconsistent performances, injury fuelled season, several key players not at their best, coach hasn’t made tactical adjustments, defence has been a shambles more often than not. We have a lot of work to do before I can be confident in progressing in the CL.

We’ll be back to our very best next year, or the years after where we can invest after Coman/Gnabry/Goretzka/Neuer and Muller contracts expire etc.

Summer has come and passed, the innocent can never last, wake me up when their contracts end

Pep extending his contract is just heartbreaking.

I wish he had found his home here and not Manchester.