One team has a chance to pull back to within four points of league-leaders Liverpool — and that team is not Manchester City. It’s the league’s second-most press heavy team, hosting the hardest team in the league to press. I want to say “should be fun” but every game we watch together ends up making us all question whether “fun” is actually a real concept and not just a theoretical ideal that none of us have truly ever experienced before. Game stats at 10 am EST. Oh, and don’t forget about the sale! The newsletter is 30-percent off through December 25. Subscribe here:
Another terrible game! Well, not terrible. It was interesting, and overall pretty impressive from Southampton, but Ings going off injured really nuked their chances in this one. Southampton are one of the best-coached teams in the league -- an obvious candidate for a team that could quickly become awesome with the addition of the right players and no change at all in system. City ... saw it out, I guess? They didn't concede many shots or any good shots. Guess we can't criticize them for blowing games they dominate AND for winning games they look kinda crappy in, but this wasn't really the response you'd wanna see immediately after Liverpool won 7-0. If we're updating our priors, this one didn't continue to move things toward "City are back and they're fine".
Metaphorical Full Pig recipient: Ben suggested we give KDB a full pig for assisting the winner and just generally thwacking the ball wherever he wanted with whichever part of his foot he wanted. He created the most chances and completed the most final-third passes, so he gets the award. However, in order to encapsulate his contradictory brilliance, he gets a full, uncooked pig. It's his choice to raise it and treat it like a child or do otherwise.
Thanks again for all the lively commentary. Another weak match, but this might have been my favorite chat yet. Always fun to feature a team we don't always talk about. Enjoy your weekends, all. Talk soon!
Is anyone in here keeping up with the NGITC fantasy league? Just curious if people are still checking their teams. I haven't done a great job of keeping the excitement going, but would like to start integrating it more often.
Roberto Firmino was the latest "crisis of confidence" player who wasn't actually undergoing any crisis but was just experiencing some negative variance. Who will be next?
OK, on the City goal, Sterling stopped his run, sat at the penalty area, and KDB found him with a cut-back. On that Bernardo Silva chance just now, he did a similar thing, and KDM found him with a cut-back. Seems like City may have re-emphazised the pattern that they've scored so many goals with over the past four years.
I used to kind of scoff at Romeu as a player because he just passed sideways but he almost never gives the ball away and I feel like they’ve had a lot of success with him and JWP
If city sign Haaland in January, are they title favourites? Not far behind liverpool, and that would be such a huge boost for them, this season and beyond. 538 has them as favourites anyway, and Haaland + KDB would be bananas.
In case any of you west coast lunatics who got up at 4:30 for Liverpool/Palace were wondering, no that wasn't a dream. It really happened. Klopp used all his subs!
I really think Sterling is better on the right. A good example at the end of him just coming inside into traffic, which doesn’t happen on the right. Great on either side, but I think his few weaknesses are minimised on the right
Ryan, I think you've mentioned your love of Le Carre before in the newsletter. Any recommendations for someone who has read the big name stuff (Spy Who Came In, Tinker Tailor, Perfect Spy, etc.) but wants to get deeper into the catalogue?
What do people think of Kyle Walker these days? Seems like he doesn’t show up when people talk about the world’s best RBs, but I couldn’t name 5 better
Where do you see Southampton finishing? I like them a lot but don’t think they can keep up a top 4 challenge all season (Unless the stats say otherwise)
Are Man City worse at set pieces than they should be? Could just be games I've watched, but they seem like less of a threat than they should be given that they have KDB and some lunky English defenders with foreheads. Deep down, does Pep believe any goal not scored in open play is unethical, and undermines his own success?
FT Stats:
Shots (on target): Southampton 9 (3), City 11 (5)
xG: Southampton 0.73, City 0.87
Attacking-third passes: Southampton 68, City 93
Penalty-area passes: Southampton 11, City 11
Another terrible game! Well, not terrible. It was interesting, and overall pretty impressive from Southampton, but Ings going off injured really nuked their chances in this one. Southampton are one of the best-coached teams in the league -- an obvious candidate for a team that could quickly become awesome with the addition of the right players and no change at all in system. City ... saw it out, I guess? They didn't concede many shots or any good shots. Guess we can't criticize them for blowing games they dominate AND for winning games they look kinda crappy in, but this wasn't really the response you'd wanna see immediately after Liverpool won 7-0. If we're updating our priors, this one didn't continue to move things toward "City are back and they're fine".
Metaphorical Full Pig recipient: Ben suggested we give KDB a full pig for assisting the winner and just generally thwacking the ball wherever he wanted with whichever part of his foot he wanted. He created the most chances and completed the most final-third passes, so he gets the award. However, in order to encapsulate his contradictory brilliance, he gets a full, uncooked pig. It's his choice to raise it and treat it like a child or do otherwise.
Thanks again for all the lively commentary. Another weak match, but this might have been my favorite chat yet. Always fun to feature a team we don't always talk about. Enjoy your weekends, all. Talk soon!
Southampton seem like they're gonna lose the ball every time Nathan Redmond gets near it.
Is anyone in here keeping up with the NGITC fantasy league? Just curious if people are still checking their teams. I haven't done a great job of keeping the excitement going, but would like to start integrating it more often.
WHEN THE HELL DID VESTEGAARD LEARN TO HIT PASSES LIKE THAT?????
LONG BALL CITY WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BEAUTIFUL GAME PEP
Roberto Firmino was the latest "crisis of confidence" player who wasn't actually undergoing any crisis but was just experiencing some negative variance. Who will be next?
*taps mic* anyone out there?
OK, on the City goal, Sterling stopped his run, sat at the penalty area, and KDB found him with a cut-back. On that Bernardo Silva chance just now, he did a similar thing, and KDM found him with a cut-back. Seems like City may have re-emphazised the pattern that they've scored so many goals with over the past four years.
I am a professional soccer journalist. Also: I have never heard of the kid who just came on for Southampton.
Romeu just got Christmas off. Well played
Any nominations for both a) what kind of ham we should award after the game and b) who the recipient of said ham should be?
Proudfoot just cited xG on the broadcast. Well-cooked meat!
HT Stat Update:
Shots (on target): Southampton 7 (2), City 5 (2)
xG (per Stats Perform): Southampton 0.39, City 0.18
Final-third passes: Southampton 25, City 35
Penalty-area passes: Southampton 9, City 5
looking forward to the end of Ederson’s career when he’s playing in the center of the park for Sporting Kansas City
Can’t wait to see how Pep coaches Redmond today
I used to kind of scoff at Romeu as a player because he just passed sideways but he almost never gives the ball away and I feel like they’ve had a lot of success with him and JWP
Mahrez doing a good Redmond impression so far
Of all of Danny Ings' accomplishments, naming his instagram account Ingstagram might be his greatest. Top tier handle.
How good would Papu Gomez be in this Southampton team?
Southampton look ... exactly how you'd expect them to look without Che Adams and Danny Ings.
Kind of funny that Hojbjerg gets held up as the lynchpin of the Tottenham revival under Mourinho -- and yet Southampton have flourished without him.
Southampton's press is starting to wear off. Not quite to the same extreme, but I'm getting some second-half v Spurs from the las5 15 minutes or so.
Ryan Sessegnon just scored -- for Hoffenheim.
City have one shot since they scored ... in the 16th minute.
Outside of the score, it's a really even game so far, which is a win for Soton and an L for City.
I hope next time he does a post match interview a reporter asks Vestergaard how it felt to fight in the battle of Helm’s Deep. Dying to know
The Kyles Walker Bowl!
Is Ferran Torres still on the field? Has he ever been on the field?
Thoughts on the City kit? It reminds me of seawater under a microscope
Nice to see Pep do his best Mourinho impersonation
The sound Ward-Prowse makes when he smashes in a corner is genuinely impressive, it's so loud every time.
Is Theo Walcott...good?
If city sign Haaland in January, are they title favourites? Not far behind liverpool, and that would be such a huge boost for them, this season and beyond. 538 has them as favourites anyway, and Haaland + KDB would be bananas.
Better crosser: TAA or KDP?
Good morning Ryan. Do you think Che Adams deserved the Ballon d’or this year?
Looking forward to a towering Vestergaard header
In case any of you west coast lunatics who got up at 4:30 for Liverpool/Palace were wondering, no that wasn't a dream. It really happened. Klopp used all his subs!
Naby Keita looked good today. He played the full 90 too. Excited
How many of Barca’s problems does Sterling fix? Could have spent the Griezmann money on him
Compared to liverpool's morning destruction, too soon to say man city's title hopes are already swimmin in shark infested seas?
I really think Sterling is better on the right. A good example at the end of him just coming inside into traffic, which doesn’t happen on the right. Great on either side, but I think his few weaknesses are minimised on the right
Most boring city team since the negredo Jesus navas nasri era
What did Aguero do to Pep?
What happened to Bernardo Silva? He used to be a real source of anxiety as an opposing fan.
Schalke about to lose to Bielefeld 🥴
Ryan, I think you've mentioned your love of Le Carre before in the newsletter. Any recommendations for someone who has read the big name stuff (Spy Who Came In, Tinker Tailor, Perfect Spy, etc.) but wants to get deeper into the catalogue?
What do people think of Kyle Walker these days? Seems like he doesn’t show up when people talk about the world’s best RBs, but I couldn’t name 5 better
Where do you see Southampton finishing? I like them a lot but don’t think they can keep up a top 4 challenge all season (Unless the stats say otherwise)
Have you got Peter Drury on commentary in the US? For me, he’s the second best English speaking commentator after Ray Hudson of course
Are Man City worse at set pieces than they should be? Could just be games I've watched, but they seem like less of a threat than they should be given that they have KDB and some lunky English defenders with foreheads. Deep down, does Pep believe any goal not scored in open play is unethical, and undermines his own success?