Rakitic was good first half, decent set ups and freekicks. Popped up left and right trying to make things happen and assist. I liked it better. Second half was poor of many unfortunately.
Sad that Lens started to win the fights and got the better of us as the game went on, kinda scary.
Another pinch for Rafa indeed. Normally it’s fine, big squad, big competition can’t complain. Last game he was so agitated as well. The club has toyed with him but he’s here now and needs to sit down and shut up. No need to build up more trouble, unless that motivates him even more. To me it looks risky situation, which we knew from before the summer ended already.
Fernando is at the end of his rope. He adds nothing in offense leaving a huge hole of uncreative nothing in the heart of our formation, the place you should be most dangerous. And in defense this man is a mere training cone for the opponents to blast by because he simply cannot keep up.
Either put a creator like Banega or a destroyer like Krychowiak in that spot, because Fernando (and Jordan) simply provide neither.
Indeed. That goal by Ocampos is way more incredible than the free kick golazo by Lens.
Ocampos couldn’t repeat that goal if he repeated that play 50 times. Partially just slow reaction time by their keeper Samba, but also just a magical touch by Ocampos.
Yeah, we’ll have to wait and see, but he definitely has not been looking like the Pulpo of old. He had some amazing moments this preseason where I saw the same old Pulpo, but less convincing since the season started.
It still helped Sow in my opinion. Just Fernando his positional presence made Sow play more relieved.
For the creativity we only have Rakitic and Oliver. Oliver who apart from the start had quite a good game against Las Palmas. So maybe his role might become more crucial in this team.
Especially against lower status teams. Otherwise just put the breaker there for which besides Fernando we have Soumare or Gudelj.
First half not bad, trying to go forward nothing really successful but not out of tune too much either. Second half he was vulnerable and felt like a weak points, Lens coming through that side a couple of times. Still hard to estimate what he has in him. But playing him in games when necessary and this game being one of the higher levels you’d expect him in then he did acceptable in my opinion. I bet Carmona would have done fine too tho if not better.
Was sort of thinking that as I wrote my post. But then again, even if we had lost 5-0 to Lens and they had won 5-0 v. Manchester City, they’d still be béticos and they’d still have a near empty trophy cabinet with a Copa del Rey gathering dust.
of old. He had some amazing moments this preseason where I saw the same old Pulpo, but less convincing since the season started.