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I’m just thankful for the result that leaves us still hanging in there on the title fight between Arsenal and Chelsea.

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Sean, I don’t think anyone predicted how much City would drop off to he honest. Yes any team would miss Rodri but it’s more than that. I think the City golden generation is over and the team needs a rebuild of higher quality than the likes of Phillips, Salvinho and Nunes.

Nil, Arsenal had a good result yesterday but they drew at home against Everton the week before. Jesus isn’t an elite striker, he scored a few this week but then could easily go 6 months without a goal. Arsenal could still win the PL but everything has to go their way as there is already a points deficit. Your reasoning doesn’t make any sense.

And yes we could be 2nd by the end of today, we could also extend the lead. Why worry about it? Clearly Chelsea are in the fight and there will be twist and turns before the end. But Arsenal are really just hanging on.

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Nil how on earth are Liverpool “hanging in there” when they are leading the league? If anyone is hanging in there it’s Arsenal as they know any further slip ups will probably rule them out contention. They can still win but they need to be almost perfect until the end of rhe season and hope Chelsea and Liverpool are not.

Ciry are done. I know some people refuse to rule them out as they have been on crazy winning streaks before but that was with better squads than what they have now. The quality they once had is now aged and the recent new recruits not a patch on what went before them.

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If he did it would be very different to Klopp going. Klopp left the squad in a good state as we can see from this season results, Pep has let his squad grow old together and recruited badly in the last few seasons.

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Wasn’t impressed at all. A 5 or 6 performance bumped up toa 7 because he got a goal.

We need to replace him in the summer with a top quality striker. Jota cannot be relied upon but if he is OK with it would be a good back up/sub.

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Well that was fun as a neutral. Was a a bit like watching two poor u10s teams try and defend at times! Ange and Spurs have zero game management. Amorim has a big task on his hands.

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Nil, Robbo is only suspended for the league Cup game, will be back agajnst Spurs. Same as Slot. Wonder if there are any other first teamers that should have taken a yellow card suspension to run against Southampton?

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I think there’s a number of reasons that have coincided at the same time. Player performances have nose dived but why?

Key old players losing their legs at the same time for one.

Poor recruitment with the likes of Nunes, salvinho, Grealish and Doku not a patch on the likes of Silva, Mahrez and Aguero. They have also sold better players than they have bought, Palmer being the obvious but also Alvarez and even Delap.

Over reliant on Haaland for goals but when you play him it’s like being a man down during the build up and if you’re not in form then it shows, but there’s no one to change that.

115 (129/130) causing issues? Maybe not so much with the players but certainly with the crowd, not that they are know as the most influential anyway.

Injuries? Sure an elite player like Rodri will be missed but this again goes to poor recruitment, there should be a back up other than the injured Kovavic who I am not is an able back up in that role. Can you imagine what would happen if Haaland gets injured?

But also Pep must share responsibility. He is a great coach no doubt, he has shaped to some degree the template of how elite football is played these days. But I feel he needs every player in his system to function at 100% and he doesn’t have the flexibility to change things if they don’t. A player fails the system fails and he cannot or will not fix it.

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Mikus, you answered my question by asking a question.

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Why do we need to dig deep now?

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It’s either 129 or 130, heard both mentioned. Although 115 still has that aura about it, like this will be known as the 115 era in the Premier League.

Case has now been heard so now its down to the three judges to make their decision. Legal people usually give themselves a generous Christmas holiday so despite many ‘leaks’ from ‘ITKs’ there won’t be anything to get excited about until towards the end of Q1 next year.

Whatever the outcome one side will surely be upset and contest it, putting the final result in limbo for another year or so.

If they are found guilty, and for this next bit i am assuming they will be, then it will be interesting what fate awaits them. Punishment wise City won’t be expelled, the PL would need 15 teams to vote for that and at the moment I think only a few have pushed for it. But a big enough points deduction could mean inevitable relegation and this is more likely IMO. Stripping titles opens a big can of worms for the PL, but I can see teams initiating their own legal proceedings against them.

Personally I think the main issue is that ADUG have proved to be not fit and proper owners and so should be forced to sell ala Abramovich. Turn City back into a team that competes fairly and most likely at their original mid team level.

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Worried about Storm Darragh hitting Merseyside tomorrow early afternoon, it could easily turn some of those wild, wayward Everton long hoofs into great through balls! Maybe both teams will be taking a shoot on sight policy as it can really mess with the goalie.

Going to be hard, dirty perhaps and not a pretty watch. Actually might be good that MacAllister cannot play as he never seems up for it when there’s a physical battle in the middle, and he probably needs a rest.

Chance it might be postponed? Might be good for Liverpool to get some players back, and good for me to keep in the missus’s good books by not having a(nother) game in the middle of a Satuday!

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Nil, of course we can, our league position shows that. Injuries are not exclusive to Liverpool, every team has them, and Liverpool have one of the best squads to deal with them. Injuries happen, just look at Spurs currently to make yourself feel better! Out with both their first choice CBs and goalie.

Even the very best title winning teams, the great Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea, or more recently City and Liverpool, didn’t get everything going their way 100% of the time. Enjoy the ride and see where we are at the end.

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Joao Pedro is an excellent shout for a false 9, still only 23 years old. For the way Slot plays I don’t think a Nunez type doesn’t suit even if Nunez did improve his composure. I think either a tricky, creative player that gets involved in the build up or a larger player that can hold up the ball for our wide and central players to play off is more suited. Must be creative and good technique. Cuhna from Wolves also could fit the bill.

Could do a double swoop at Brighton for Pedro and Baleba, I believe he is having a great season. I don’t think an out and out DM like Ugate would suit our style, but a more mobile with good passing would compliment Gravenberch allowing MacAllister to play further up the pitch.

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If Arsenal do win the league then surely their set piece coach wins the coach of the season award?

The draw feels like a defeat because we conceded an easily avoidable goal in the last few minutes but ask most fans before they’d have taken a draw. It’s not an easy place to visit as young blue described.

It’s way too early, we need to look at the table in February to see who is challenging. If we do fail to win I am sure the rivals with bask in it saying how we claimed being champions after 13 games etc but I’ve not seen a single LFC fan say this, it’s all media rubbish.

“Best defence will win the league”. Not really, best defending might do however, as in the whole team defends as a unit. You could have peak Maldini and Baresi as a CB pair wouldn’t mean anything if your midfield is carved open all the time. That isblargely down to how the team is set up.

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Very funny clip thanks for sharing.

What’s everyone’s opinion now on the new CL format? I was skeptical at first but now you are getting some big team looking desperate for points as they face more difficult challenges than in the old format.

Still think a lot has to do with the luck of the draw. And I’m guessing you can draw someone on the 1st knock out stage that you’ve already played which is a bit boring and something the old format prohibited.

Ciry have Juve and PSG away still, also desperate for points. With Brugge at home last they should make the playoffs but that’s 2 more games to shoehorn in I think February.

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You have to remember that a lot of City have known nothing but success all their life. First as Utd fans, then as Chelsea and now as City.

Doubt they’ll ever be Spurs fans mind.

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Spurs can go one week as prime Real Madrid to the next as prime Rochdale. Today was certainly a Real performance.

Sean, I get why you laud City so much, its because historically they bounce back and go on crazy runs. But this current team has so many injury problems or players out of fitness or form that it’s not just a little wobble they are having.

Agre with Mikus they liley will throw 100m or so at the problem in the winter if the right player is available. Zubimendi? Would be mad for him as he would be 2nd choice once Rodri returns you’d think. But then money does talk.

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If you keep an eye on Maddison there’s never a City player within 5 yards of him. Pep being tactically outplayed.

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That 2nd goal was top notch

Still going for two all mind

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