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Race for the Top 4 - 2018/19

Where will we finish in the league ?


  • Total voters
    423
  • Poll closed .

Lighty64

I believe
Aug 24, 2010
10,400
12,476
the thing is we have 9pts from 3 games, and haven't played that well for the whole game in any of the 4, yesterday we where punished. we where weak at our own set pieces so was always a worry when they had anything.

so worried about Kane, Dele and Eriksen, I know Kanes scored 2 but he looks knackered and slow with it, not getting shots off. Alli is doodling and Eriksen looks lost. the thing is yesterdays line up with someone like Son and Lamela on the bench you have some threat.
 

coys200

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2017
8,436
17,403
Can we please get off this Kane is knackered narrative. There’s really very little reason for him to be. He’s just 25, he had x2 3 week breaks last season. He’s had 3 weeks after WC. And in reality it’s been a pretty gentle month physically with a game a week, almost perfect to ease your way back into the season.
 

Davo99

Well-Known Member
Dec 2, 2006
4,063
5,827
He has looked a bit slow and lacking sharpness though. That moment when he was clear, with Lucas square, still stings a bit - that was a match defining moment.
 

yiddo

Well-Known Member
Aug 19, 2003
543
1,099
Can we please get off this Kane is knackered narrative. There’s really very little reason for him to be. He’s just 25, he had x2 3 week breaks last season. He’s had 3 weeks after WC. And in reality it’s been a pretty gentle month physically with a game a week, almost perfect to ease your way back into the season.

This narrative hasn't just come about though... it was talked about end of last season, during the world cup and still exists now.

Hopefully its just a period of slightly mediocre form because he is still scoring which is a good sign. But the narrative is there because he isn't at the level of form we have seen from him when he's heavily involved in play and dominating the CBs.
In most games for quite some time now he is on the periphery but still managing to pop up with a few goals here & there.

You would think with the fitness monitoring techniques and equipment they have these days they would be able to tell if someone is generally fatigued or lacking sharpness at least.
But until we see a couple of the dominating Kane performances of before, I think the narrative could be around for a while.
 

shelfboy68

Well-Known Member
Jun 14, 2008
14,566
19,651
the thing is we have 9pts from 3 games, and haven't played that well for the whole game in any of the 4, yesterday we where punished. we where weak at our own set pieces so was always a worry when they had anything.

so worried about Kane, Dele and Eriksen, I know Kanes scored 2 but he looks knackered and slow with it, not getting shots off. Alli is doodling and Eriksen looks lost. the thing is yesterdays line up with someone like Son and Lamela on the bench you have some threat.
I don't know how or why the team is so shit at set piece play with all the height the team possesses it simply isn't good enough, it's something I mentioned as an issue last year as a concern and is still happening.
 

luptic

Well-Known Member
Jul 21, 2008
2,352
3,062
Id love to see Kane rested for the upcoming International matches, either by himself or by the club or England...
Like that is going to happen. I think he and a few others need time to recharge their batteries.
 

coys200

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2017
8,436
17,403
Said it before with Kane. When he’s out of form people say he’s tired just because of his demeanour. He’s never been the easiest on the eye as an athlete, which is why so many thought he’d be a one season wonder. He can look laboured and cumbersome at times and even more so now as he looks heavier. But I honestly don’t believe it’s tiredness. Nobody ever says dele looks “tired” when he plays badly. Because he’s a lithe athlete. People talk about Kane like he’s dembele and can only play once a week. The guy should be in his physical prime, he’s just turned 25. It’s not a Rooney situation where he’s been playing non stop since he was 16 at senior level. This is only his 5/6th full season in the 1st team.
 

spursfan77

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2005
46,680
104,957
We usually power on in the second half of the season thanks to our fitness regime earlier on in the campaign.

The World Cup has robbed us of our usual preparations and so the second half of the season will probably be tougher.

Good results in these earlier games matter more this season than ever before if you ask me.
 

Lighty64

I believe
Aug 24, 2010
10,400
12,476
Said it before with Kane. When he’s out of form people say he’s tired just because of his demeanour. He’s never been the easiest on the eye as an athlete, which is why so many thought he’d be a one season wonder. He can look laboured and cumbersome at times and even more so now as he looks heavier. But I honestly don’t believe it’s tiredness. Nobody ever says dele looks “tired” when he plays badly. Because he’s a lithe athlete. People talk about Kane like he’s dembele and can only play once a week. The guy should be in his physical prime, he’s just turned 25. It’s not a Rooney situation where he’s been playing non stop since he was 16 at senior level. This is only his 5/6th full season in the 1st team.

And in those 5 seasons he has only had 1 proper preseason off, has had 3 injuries to the same ankle and rushed back twice. The last 2 seasons leading up to the start his partner has dropped a sprog.

He looks laboured in mine and others eyes, looks like he isn’t as sharp in his movement and thinking, positioning, and attempting to make himself a threat.
 

nicdic

Official SC Padre
Admin
May 8, 2005
41,857
25,919
I notice that 4(?) City players have been withdrawn from international squads for a mixture of personal reasons and "injuries".

Bugs me that we never do this.
 

coys200

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2017
8,436
17,403
And in those 5 seasons he has only had 1 proper preseason off, has had 3 injuries to the same ankle and rushed back twice. The last 2 seasons leading up to the start his partner has dropped a sprog.

He looks laboured in mine and others eyes, looks like he isn’t as sharp in his movement and thinking, positioning, and attempting to make himself a threat.

Not denying he could be mentally jaded. For someone relatively young his life has changed inexorably in 5 years. He hasn’t had a scoring dip in 5 PL seasons which is actually remarkable. It’s hard to believe he will go his whole career without a dip in form. The most alarming thing for me is the drop in attempts at goal. Might be a complete coincidence but it seemed to change around the time of the “claim” goal. Maybe subconsciously it triggered something in him and he’s over compensating to show he isn’t selfish.
 

Lighty64

I believe
Aug 24, 2010
10,400
12,476
myself I think he rushed himself back in attempt to regain the golden boot. there was no need to bring him on when we was 3-1 up v Chelsea.

1 summer off in 5 years isn't enough, and that he has most probably come back too early on all 3 injuries, just that extra week could make a difference.

hopefully reports that Southgate is worried might see him rested for at least 1 on the matches, or even both providing Southgate doesn't ask Harry but tells him. so annoying that with nothing happening next summer, they never arranged the PL start 2 weeks later
 

worcestersauce

"I'm no optimist I'm just a prisoner of hope
Jan 23, 2006
26,894
45,042
Not denying he could be mentally jaded. For someone relatively young his life has changed inexorably in 5 years. He hasn’t had a scoring dip in 5 PL seasons which is actually remarkable. It’s hard to believe he will go his whole career without a dip in form. The most alarming thing for me is the drop in attempts at goal. Might be a complete coincidence but it seemed to change around the time of the “claim” goal. Maybe subconsciously it triggered something in him and he’s over compensating to show he isn’t selfish.
I reckon he's got young kids:)
 

RichieS

Well-Known Member
Dec 23, 2004
11,916
16,436
I notice that 4(?) City players have been withdrawn from international squads for a mixture of personal reasons and "injuries".

Bugs me that we never do this.
I suspect it's because so many of ours are England players. The media don't give a monkey's if David Silva withdraws from the Spain squad but you can bet your bottom dollar they'd have something to say about Dele withdrawing from the England squad for "personal reasons".
 

coys200

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2017
8,436
17,403
Hopefully eriksen won’t have to play. Be a nice 2 weeks off for him. Wonder how the players are being treated in Denmark. Maybe it’s effected him a bit if they are getting bad press.
 

Lighty64

I believe
Aug 24, 2010
10,400
12,476
I suspect it's because so many of ours are England players. The media don't give a monkey's if David Silva withdraws from the Spain squad but you can bet your bottom dollar they'd have something to say about Dele withdrawing from the England squad for "personal reasons".

Silva hasn’t pulled out though, he retired from international football 2-3 weeks ago. It is so annoying that they have set this new tournament to start straight after a WC, and the PL or football association and uefa never used a single brain cell between them
 

RichieS

Well-Known Member
Dec 23, 2004
11,916
16,436
Silva hasn’t pulled out though, he retired from international football 2-3 weeks ago. It is so annoying that they have set this new tournament to start straight after a WC, and the PL or football association and uefa never used a single brain cell between them
I used a random player to make my point. I didn't know Silva had retired.
 

nicdic

Official SC Padre
Admin
May 8, 2005
41,857
25,919
I suspect it's because so many of ours are England players. The media don't give a monkey's if David Silva withdraws from the Spain squad but you can bet your bottom dollar they'd have something to say about Dele withdrawing from the England squad for "personal reasons".
Sterling though? You'd think it'd be worse for him than anyone else.
 
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