Huddersfield v City post match

[franksinatra]

You can get away with one or two changes, but when you leave out all of your creativity and pace in one go (KDB, Silva, Ya Ya, Sterling, Sane), it's a recipe for exactly the kind of turgid, one paced performance we got yesterday. Nolito, Navas, Delph, Fernando, none of them is really fit for purpose and as a collective whole they're physically and mentally slow to the point that we were never comfortable against a hustle and bustle Championship reserve team. We need significant upgrades on all 4 of them in the summer and although yesterday wasn't the best day to judge Sergio, given the lack of support, he's looking an increasingly uncomfortable fit in Pep's game plan. He badly, badly needs 2 or 3 goals in the next couple of games

The one thing we know about Kun is we will not have to wait long for the goals to flow again.

It could be be argued he is not perfectly suited to Peps system but the one thing we do lack in this side is natural goalscorers. Sane looks like he is not frightened of the goal but we are still too reliant on him to be in the right place at the right time. I think he brings another skillset others in the team lack.

I agree about the changes though. Just wish the supporting cast would put in one or two decent performances to justify them being at the club. Particularly Nolito as he looked a bery intelligent footballer at thr start of the season.

 

[franksinatra]

Silva and Yaya, in particular, were having well earned rests; however, it remains the case that if you take both of them out of the side our cohesion in possession drops. Leaving the unavailable Gundogan and Nasri aside, Yaya and Silva are still the two best passers of the ball when you take all aspects into account.

Completely agree with all that and I would fully expect us to struggle against a team at the highest level withoit them. Still a bit surprising a players such as Navas, Nolito, Fernandiniho cannot dictate a game and create a weakened Huddersfield side.

 

[blueinsa]

Completely agree with all that and I would fully expect us to struggle against a team at the highest level withoit them. Still a bit surprising a players such as Navas, Nolito, Fernandiniho cannot dictate a game and create a weakened Huddersfield side.

Navas and Nolito dont play in the same positions to dictate a game and fernandinho is defensive.

To a poster yesterday on here pre match everyone said and thought the midfield lacked creatively and that was borne out in the performance.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

Did I dream it, or did Navas

He was decent 2nd half because he tried to be, most of the time wheras he didn't try very hard for most of the first half imo

If only he hadn't got his deckchair back out when Navas put that ball across the six yard box, we'd be through now.

Serge has lost, one, two yards of pace & will either run a lot harder & find a new way to be as good as he was, or go imo.

And if he goes to a top team, he will have to run a lot harder there, to be fully effective.

He isn't quick enough anymore to stroll then sprint.

Thank God for that!
I thought I'd dreamt that Navas cross.

 

[East Level 2]

All this discussion about Sergio makes me wonder if he's a victim of the 11th commandment: Thou shalt not play two up front. And the commandment referred to two strikers not a striker and a winger/striker.
In 2011-12 he had Tevez, Mario, or Dzeko alongside him much of the time. You can't go to the reigning champions with two strikers can you? No of course not, but if you do then you can beat them 6-1.
In 2013-14 he had Negredo, Dzeko or Jovetic to help. And guess what; we won the league again and scored for fun. To play one up front you need midfielders/wingers contributing a large number of goals and visible support. I'm not sure we have that so Sergio is isolated all too often.

 

[IcriedwhenTueartleft]

I'll respectfully have to disagree. I think it's almost impossible to have adult conversation about Silva, Aguero, Zaba, Kompany, Hart, etc on Bluemoon. Too many people see them as sacred shrines never to be criticised, only to be worshipped.

Unfair statement but in line with your rather silly slating of Kun on your podcast of late. Silva, who I have been critical of in the past 12 months, has been magnificent this season. Kun worked very hard yesterday but had little support up front, Pep needs to be careful how he handles some of these guys and not marginalise them as he searches out of his near mythical Xanadu playing style.

 

[Gabriel]

When the keeper came racing out, Aguero had a chance yesterday to lay the ball off to Navas who could have ran the ball in against two defenders on the line (yes I know he'd probably have missed). In the second half, Aguero fed Navas and then sat back waiting for the cutback rather than attack the goal; Navas beat his man and fizzed the ball across goal to where Aguero should have been. Given how often those two have played together, it still baffles me how little synergy there is between them.

 

[franksinatra]

Navas and Nolito dont play in the same positions to dictate a game and fernandinho is defensive.

To a poster yesterday on here pre match everyone said and thought the midfield lacked creatively and that was borne out in the performance.

That side had better footballers than any Championship side and in particular a weakened Huddersfield team. Personally I will settle for the draw but think the supporting cast,based on their abilities, could do better. Fernandiniho was a box to box player for Shakhtar.

 

[Rammy Blue]

When the keeper came racing out, Aguero had a chance yesterday to lay the ball off to Navas who could have ran the ball in against two defenders on the line (yes I know he'd probably have missed). In the second half, Aguero fed Navas and then sat back waiting for the cutback rather than attack the goal; Navas beat his man and fizzed the ball across goal to where Aguero should have been. Given how often those two have played together, it still baffles me how little synergy there is between them.

It's because Navas is so shit, if I was Sergio I'd have given up long ago trying to work out what Navas is doing, I expect Sergio thought it would be smashed against the defender's legs as usual....

 

[levets]

I felt it was another shocker from Sergio.

Trying too hard to do too much in the wrong areas, letting his dented pride get in the way of making better decisions on the pitch.

Would go as far as to say his return has only highlighted how toothless we are as a cohesive attacking unit when he leads the line.

His head is always down and only thinking about what he can do by himself.

Completely disagree. I thought he was the standout performer. Shows how opinions differ. He does need a goal though, if only to get fans off his back.

I felt Fernando, Nolito, Navas, Fernandinho, Delph and Zaba were ALL under performers.