Saint Charlie

I mean style rather than systems. Not in a negative way, Koeman has got us playing lovely football at times but Pochettino has a more clearly identifiable way of playing. But I think relatively few Managers have proper plan B's because they believe in the way they want to play. Its easy to fans to throw around comments but if you train all week to play a certain way, why change in a game?

We were soundly beaten on the whole. Definitely not unlucky overall. Davis could easily have been sent off in the first half and City had as many close moments as we did to score other goals.

Of course they won't as now the competition has really opened up with suprise exits of big teams. Plus, its a quarter final. They will go strong as will we and it shouldn't be any other way.

Mourinho is a great Manager and Ferguson was an absolutely outstanding Manager. But they still do/did things that are questionable. I think Koeman got it wrong yesterday and cost us the chance of potentially picking up points. But I still think he is doing a great job for us overall. It is possible to separate single moments from the overview view, SOG.

What does "his ongoing commitment" mean?

Koeman said in the presser that Clasie can't play three in a week yet. So by that logic he decided to save him for Liverpool where I guess he will be subbed after 70mins as he also cannot last the pace for 90mins yet.

I wouldn't say his form has varied particularly under any of our Managers.

It probably is his best position on the ball but I think he lacks the aggression to play there and is far, far too easy to just run beyond. You don't need to be a Keane or Cattermole type but you do need some presence and tenacity unless you are playing for a Barcelona type team who is going to have 70%+ possession every week. Does he have that in his locker, can he develop aggression? Jury is out for me.

I reckon: Lloris Walker, Alderweireld, Van Dijk, Bertrand Dier, Wanyama (when playing properly), Alli Eriksen, Mane Kane

Its a post about Liverpool so not sure how it can be positive or negative. Its nothing about the result either, just their team selection. The League Cup is a great way to win a trophy in his first season so he will pick his best team. Only City are better than Liverpool from who is left in it and they just smashed them.

Nothing like Suarez. You know you cannot replace the quality, but you would try to target players with the same attributes I would imagine. The weaknesses of both Romeu and Clasie were the strengths of Schneiderlin. All of a sudden we are very easy to counter attack because our midfield is pretty immobile and lacking in agilty. Not overly sure what the point of Romeu is, and Koeman has subbed him at HT in his last two starts. Clasie obviously coming back from injury, but its not like he was out for a year. He just looks like for all his technique he will struggle with the physical demands of the PL.

Other pieces of interest: 1. Koeman barely ever dropped Clyne 2. Koeman has never left out Bertrand when fit 3. If only Targett had a right foot then he would get some more games. Some fullbacks seem able to play either side, its pretty poor if basically you are so one footed that its not even considered as an option.

Klopp will pick a strong side because: 1. He isn't a tool and knows they have a great chance to win a Cup with several top sides knocked out and a City team they just humiliated the only good opponent if they beat us. 2. They have a lot of players approaching fitness like Henderson, Benteke etc who need games 3. Saints are on a run of poor immediate form and the crowd will turn if we don't start well. 4. Its a great chance of a trophy in his first 6 months in charge which will buy him time. Fully expect a strong and motivated Liverpool team. It was an awful draw considering (City aside) the others available.

The third goal today summed him up for me. Too weak, too lightweight, not ready to influence a PL game. Saints have given him a lucrative Premier League career. He needs to start giving the club something back. In 80 plus PL appearances his highlights reel is very thin in terms of tangible things he brings to the side or games he has been above 6/10. I can think of one this season, Norwich, where they had 10 men for more than 45 mins. He played well as there was space you don't normally get. Easy to say it is a "big year" for any player but from the quite extensive amount of games he has played I need to see more to justify the number of starts he gets. He is probably near or above the average mark for number of PL games played so shouldn't be judged as a promising youngster any longer. Less talk in interviews, better performances.

Who is actually the Schneiderlin replacement? We knew for ages he wouldn't be here this season but neither Clasie nor Romeu seem to have the attributes Morgan had, even combined. Wonder if we would have been better spending the money it cost to buy both on one player and giving Reed more bench time (otherwise he will look to leave soon). Clasie looks good but Schneiderlin's main attribute was the kind of agility, work rate, stamina and control of a game that neither Clasie nor Romeu have. The fact the guy you look to as the dictator of the pace and flow of the game is unable to play 90mins each game by December is a concern IMO.

Is funny how many fans get offended when other fans have an opinion that makes it look like something the club has done hasn't worked out superbly. Probably even some that would just say Martina hasn't been given a chance!

United at home, Sunderland away, City away. He has also come on as a sub quite a few times at RB. Cedric has only played 90mins in 7/14 league games. So in half our league games either Yoshida or Martina have been playing some minutes. He didnt play in the cup versus Villa and didnt play more than half the Europa minutes either.

Koeman said Cedric not playing because we have lots of games (surely a 24yr old Intl can play Saturday then Wednesday?) and that Cuco Martini (he said that then corrected himself) deserved a go on the bench. How many of our leagues games has Cedric actually played 90mins in?

He definitely seems to need to do less than others to earn continuous recalls to the starting XI.

Stephens would be more than capable of doing what Martina has. In fact he would probably be a better RB than Yoshida as has played there a lot. But equally Romeu and Juanmi are very much jury out also, whilst Cedric has probably completed 90mins in less than half our games.

If fit play your best XI otherwise don't say you are taking the cups seriously. Best XI if fit, is undeniably: --------------------Stek----------------- Cedric----VVD----Fonte---Bertrand ----------Wanyama-----Clasie-------- -----------------------Davis----------------- Tadic-------------------------------Mane -----------------------Pelle----------------- If no Fonte then Caulker. If no Cedric then panic.

Best thing of Pochettino was that we didn't overly respect teams and played the same way all the time. Today we picked a weird team to sit deep against the best attacking team in the league but who had iffy centre backs and keeper playing. We had no Pelle so why drop Tadic who has been having a good season? Especially when just to fit powderpuff JWP in. What has he done to deserve a recall? The Yoshida thing is done to death but he isnt a good enough RB for PL football and if Martina is that ****e then its a squad gap. You expect to be beaten away at City. But give it a go at least and try and build momentum into the Liverpool game. Slight concern re Cedric, Tadic and Clasie and their inability to play every week or play midweek and weekend. We know the PL in intense but you need to sign players who can handle it because we dont have good enough options to leave starting players out unless they are injured.

3 all. Amazing.

3-2 Everton!

City must be glad Tadic only came on at HT!