The Game Is About Glory - Mid-Season Review

[milo]

Season 2 Episode 27

As we near the half-way point of the season, @thfcsteff, @GPRD81 and @milo chat about how it’s gone so far and pick their best game, goal, young player, most improved player and our player of the season so far. We also look forward to January and say who we would have heading for the door and what positions we would prioritise to improve.


Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-game-is-about-glory/id1549996381

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/2TL6nSBfDK0Dn7laU2Vcqp?si=zwUheITvQnSIyqyzKR0CE

Google Podcasts

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aH...2ahUKEwizwpz19K3vAhWD0YUKHf7ZBcgQ9sEGegQIARAC

RSS Feed

https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/5ff4636ed6e3f1135f46f0cb

 

[milo]

From the season so far. Who/what would be your:

Best goal?
Best game?
Best new signing?
Most improved player?
Best young player?
Best player?

 

[Rorschach]

Nice one lads.

 

[Daisuk]

Great pod, lads! Really enjoyed it, lots of interesting observations over Conte.

Best goal?
Lucas vs Norwich.

Best game?
Silly to pick a draw, but thought we were good against Liverpool, showed that we can perform against the best.

Best new signing?
Romero, what little we've seen of him.

Most improved player?
Dier or Davies.

Best young player?
Skipp, without the slightest hint of doubt.

Best player?
I think Lucas has been good all season, Dier as well. One of those, I think.

 

[milo]

Cheers @Daisuk - I think that Lucas for best player is a good call. He really suits a counter attacking team and the improvement in coaching is helping the whole team attack better.

 

[milo]

The other questions on the episode. Looking forward:

What should be our target for the rest of the season?
What are our chances of achieving that?
Where will we finish?

 

[milo]

2 in and 2 out. Which 2 players would you look to move on in January and which 2 positions would be your priority to strengthen?

 

[billyiddo]

Best goal?
Best game?
Best new signing?
Most improved player?
Best young player?
Best player?

- Dunno, nothing stands out?
- Emirates Marketing Project - excellent counter attacking performance & win and also felt great after- enduring the summers Kane transfer saga to stick one on City.
- Little early to say, Romero on paper but Royale deserves a mention seeings as he's playing regularly and growing in to the team
- Dier genuinely looked like a donkey the last couple of years and is now (see below) probably our best performing player
- Skipp with little to no competition
- Dier

 

[billyiddo]

What should be our target for the rest of the season?


What are our chances of achieving that?


Where will we finish?

I think we should aim to win the battle for 4th and do it well enough that we make a good attempt at taking 3rd from Chelsea (i think that's just about the most realistic ceiling for us this season) we should also aim to win the League Cup



I think it will be tough but i put us ahead of Arsenal and United in the hunt for top 4 and provided Liverpool continue to field a weakened side i think we have a fair chance of winning the LC



4th and LC runners up

2 in and 2 out. Which 2 players would you look to move on in January and which 2 positions would be your priority to strengthen?

Lo Celso & Doherty out

Attacking RWB & backup CF (or Vahlovic in dreamworld)

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

- Dunno, nothing stands out?
- Emirates Marketing Project - excellent counter attacking performance & win and also felt great after- enduring the summers Kane transfer saga to stick one on City.
- Little early to say, Romero on paper but Royale deserves a mention seeings as he's playing regularly and growing in to the team
- Dier genuinely looked like a donkey the last couple of years and is now (see below) probably our best performing player
- Skipp with little to no competition
- Dier

Thanks @billyiddo...saved me 15 mins writing

 

[Glenda's Legs]

Best goal?
Moura v Norwich

Best game?
Liverpool is up there in terms of feeling that things were starting to click. We played with a purpose, had a game plan, and despite it being a draw, we could have won and it left me with a sense of optimism for what is to come.
But I'd go for City in terms of game I enjoyed the most. The full crowd after so long away, an absolutely cracking atmosphere, beating City again - what a great way to kick off the season. And optimism (see above) albeit short lived in this instance.

Best new signing?
Romero. But credit to Royal who looks good. Gil has promise. Gollini is the one with the question mark.

Most improved player?
Any of our defenders could be up there for this one. But Moura would be my pick. He's always for me had Amsterdam as his safety cushion protecting him from too much criticism but I generally find him a frustrating player. However he is coming into his own under Conte which is great to see.

Best young player?
Skipp. Has slotted in extremely well and is earning his place as a regular starter.

Best player?
Dier I think. (Although if I'm picking him here I should probably have him as most improved as well so maybe a bit confused on my part). Shout out to Hugo.

What should be our target for the rest of the season?
Top 4. A couple of weeks ago I would have said a Europa place and the league cup, but if we could get top 4 (maybe even 3rd) it would be an enormous achievement and so important not just for finances and keeping/attracting players, but for keeping Conte on board.

What are our chances of achieving that?
Not easy but if we assume Woolwich and Utd to be our challengers I think we have as good a chance as they do. The question is how we will deal with the games in hand advantage. Normally I'd have low expectations but with Conte anything feels possible.

Where will we finish?
4th.

(Edit : Best new signing contender : Conte. Not in the spirit of the question I know. Even though it took a couple of attempts, how fortunate we are to have him.)

 

[Daisuk]

Best goal?
Moura v Norwich

Best game?
Liverpool is up there in terms of feeling that things were starting to click. We played with a purpose, had a game plan, and despite it being a draw, we could have won and it left me with a sense of optimism for what is to come.
But I'd go for City in terms of game I enjoyed the most. The full crowd after so long away, an absolutely cracking atmosphere, beating City again - what a great way to kick off the season. And optimism (see above) albeit short lived in this instance.

Best new signing?
Romero. But credit to Royal who looks good. Gil has promise. Gollini is the one with the question mark.

Most improved player?
Any of our defenders could be up there for this one. But Moura would be my pick. He's always for me had Amsterdam as his safety cushion protecting him from too much criticism but I generally find him a frustrating player. However he is coming into his own under Conte which is great to see.

Best young player?
Skipp. Has slotted in extremely well and is earning his place as a regular starter.

Best player?
Dier I think. (Although if I'm picking him here I should probably have him as most improved as well so maybe a bit confused on my part). Shout out to Hugo.

What should be our target for the rest of the season?
Top 4. A couple of weeks ago I would have said a Europa place and the league cup, but if we could get top 4 (maybe even 3rd) it would be an enormous achievement and so important not just for finances and keeping/attracting players, but for keeping Conte on board.

What are our chances of achieving that?
Not easy but if we assume Woolwich and Utd to be our challengers I think we have as good a chance as they do. The question is how we will deal with the games in hand advantage. Normally I'd have low expectations but with Conte anything feels possible.

Where will we finish?
4th.

(Edit : Best new signing contender : Conte. Not in the spirit of the question I know. Even though it took a couple of attempts, how fortunate we are to have him.)

I agree with all of that.

I think what you touched on in the pod about how well Conte manages his press conferences to give messages to fans and how quickly he understood he needed us on board is so spot on. It's very subtle, but very clever. Most managers are hired guns in this day and age, so I wouldn't worry so much about that.

And Gareth on the pod, that's you @ricky2tricky4city, right? Do you guys prepare much in advance for each pod? You're so well spoken and have clearly given everything a lot of thought. I find myself agreeing a lot with steff, but find the opinions of milo and Gareth to be very refreshing and interesting to listen to - gives me new perspectives on things a lot of times. Maybe I'm just too used to the drunken ravings of the fighting rooster guys.

I think we should aim for top four, obviously - hopefully we can win a cup as well. Realistically i think it'll be tough. We might just get top four, but might just as easily miss out seeing as le arse and united are finding their form as well.

 

[milo]

I agree with all of that.

I think what you touched on in the pod about how well Conte manages his press conferences to give messages to fans and how quickly he understood he needed us on board is so spot on. It's very subtle, but very clever. Most managers are hired guns in this day and age, so I wouldn't worry so much about that.

And Gareth on the pod, that's you @ricky2tricky4city, right? Do you guys prepare much in advance for each pod? You're so well spoken and have clearly given everything a lot of thought. I find myself agreeing a lot with steff, but find the opinions of milo and Gareth to be very refreshing and interesting to listen to - gives me new perspectives on things a lot of times. Maybe I'm just too used to the drunken ravings of the fighting rooster guys.

I think we should aim for top four, obviously - hopefully we can win a cup as well. Realistically i think it'll be tough. We might just get top four, but might just as easily miss out seeing as le arse and united are finding their form as well.

@Daisuk Gareth is @GPRD81. @ricky2tricky4city is Ricky.

We have a set of notes (a script) that we have for each episode. That has the outline of the show and a set of questions but we use that as a outline plan rather than something that we stick to rigidly. If someone makes an interesting point or observation, we normally run with that.

I think that each of us does something different in terms of our own prep and it would depend on what the main discussion is on.

I keep a set of personal notes which act as an aide-memoire. I scribble down observations during games. That's definitely needed for this Sunday's record where we are covering four games and there is a risk they merge into one.

We don't know what each other are going to say though and don't discuss positions on topics or questions in advance. We do have a WhatsApp group though and some of what is discussed comes up on that.

 

[Bullet]

I find myself agreeing a lot with steff, but find the opinions of milo and Gareth to be very refreshing and interesting.

I'm the opposite! I find Gareth and Milo talk so much sense and I completely agree with them on nearly everything, to the point I'm thinking of asking one of them to marry me but I just can't decide which one.

 

[milo]

I'm the opposite! I find Gareth and Milo talk so much sense and I completely agree with them on nearly everything, to the point I'm thinking of asking one of them to marry me but I just can't decide which one.

Ram's the real catch