"The End of the World?" - new article on the blog now

[Mancio]

I think Dzeko's performance should be highlighted.

He was totally ineffective and Aguero did more in ten minutes than he did during all the game.

hardly dzeko fault when we concede 2 goals. as mancini said , we cant count on scoring 3 - 4 goals every game.

 

[twinkletoes]

I think Dzeko's performance should be highlighted.

He was totally ineffective and Aguero did more in ten minutes than he did during all the game.

hardly dzeko fault when we concede 2 goals. as mancini said , we cant count on scoring 3 - 4 goals every game.

Thes best form of defence is attack.

 

[Mancio]

I think Dzeko's performance should be highlighted.

He was totally ineffective and Aguero did more in ten minutes than he did during all the game.

hardly dzeko fault when we concede 2 goals. as mancini said , we cant count on scoring 3 - 4 goals every game.

Thes best form of defence is attack.

the best form of defence is to have great defenders and a balanced team.

 

[robbieh]

I think Dzeko's performance should be highlighted.

He was totally ineffective and Aguero did more in ten minutes than he did during all the game.

hardly dzeko fault when we concede 2 goals. as mancini said , we cant count on scoring 3 - 4 goals every game.

Thes best form of defence is attack.

Very naive thinking. Many teams soak up pressure then hit on the counter ala Napoli. My take on the Champs League is that we have been far too open. What sees off Spurs and even United is not necessarily going to see of the likes of bayern etc. More patience required and a more defensive set up.

Two years ago Barca kept attacking Inter but who won?

 

[twinkletoes]

hardly dzeko fault when we concede 2 goals. as mancini said , we cant count on scoring 3 - 4 goals every game.

Thes best form of defence is attack.

Very naive thinking. Many teams soak up pressure then hit on the counter ala Napoli. My take on the Champs League is that we have been far too open. What sees off Spurs and even United is not necessarily going to see of the likes of bayern etc. More patience required and a more defensive set up.

Two years ago Barca kept attacking Inter but who won?

I was drawn into Mancio's argument and I shouldnt have took the bait.

I was simply saying that it was not only the full backs that were ineffectual.

I think there was a distinct lack of pace in our defensive formation together with NDJ's lack of pace it meant that we were caught out every time on the counter attack.

So your point is valid but as stated in another thread perhaps the CL is not being prioritised as much as the PL so that could explain the choice of players.

 

[onceabluealways]

I have to take issue with some of that. I said in the blog that Zabaleta did find himself in space on that flank. But he isn't quick enough or a good enough footballer to use the width properly. He stops, puts his foot on it and comes inside.

Maybe I was too simplistic when I said "no width" in the post above.

Zabaleta can no more open a defence than i can open a can of beans with my flaccid member.

Which I agree with.

Fact remains that he did find himself in acres of space on occasion, but never got the pass.

If that was because the midfielders don't trust Zab to do anything decent with the ball or if they simply ignored him for no apparent reason - makes no difference, both are equally bad when a player is so blatantly open.

To be honest I have a hard time seeing Richards being equally ignored when finding himself in acres of space.

Absolutely right - there were times when Zab had 20-30 m space yet even when the pass got there it was to late. We seemed to want to keep possession that much that we missed longer passes ( and i don't mean 50 tards) which would of put us in great attacking positions

 

[Didsbury Dave]

I have to take issue with some of that. I said in the blog that Zabaleta did find himself in space on that flank. But he isn't quick enough or a good enough footballer to use the width properly. He stops, puts his foot on it and comes inside.

Maybe I was too simplistic when I said "no width" in the post above.

Zabaleta can no more open a defence than i can open a can of beans with my flaccid member.

Which I agree with.

Fact remains that he did find himself in acres of space on occasion, but never got the pass.

If that was because the midfielders don't trust Zab to do anything decent with the ball or if they simply ignored him for no apparent reason - makes no difference, both are equally bad when a player is so blatantly open.

To be honest I have a hard time seeing Richards being equally ignored when finding himself in acres of space.

Absolutely right - there were times when Zab had 20-30 m space yet even when the pass got there it was to late. We seemed to want to keep possession that much that we missed longer passes ( and i don't mean 50 tards) which would of put us in great attacking positions

an attacking position is never "great" if Zabatela is the one on the ball. He's a good squad player and a decent defender in the main, but he is not and never will be an attacking full back.

 

[Deleted member 14625]

Decent summary of the game, agree with most of it.

The problem for Yaya was that there was no-one in the hole for him to play the ball up to, it's where he needed to be himself with Barry finding him.

I take your point, Rammy, but the problem was also that there was no width to give him options either. He didn't play as a holding midfielder per se, he got forward into that "hole" space because their deep lying midfield allowed him too. But he didn't run at people, or should I say "through" people when in a tight situation. My guess would be it was to do with Platt's half time comments, about us keeping the ball, but it hindered us. And he gave it away and cost us a goal, arguably even two.

I keep saying it, but he's the wierdest, most contradictory player in the country.

The skinniest fat man and fattest skinny man; the fastest slow runner and the slowest fast runner; the fittest unfit player and most unfit fit player in the Prem!<br /><br />-- Thu Nov 24, 2011 12:14 pm --<br /><br />

I have to take issue with some of that. I said in the blog that Zabaleta did find himself in space on that flank. But he isn't quick enough or a good enough footballer to use the width properly. He stops, puts his foot on it and comes inside.

Maybe I was too simplistic when I said "no width" in the post above.

Zabaleta can no more open a defence than i can open a can of beans with my flaccid member.

Which I agree with.

Fact remains that he did find himself in acres of space on occasion, but never got the pass.

If that was because the midfielders don't trust Zab to do anything decent with the ball or if they simply ignored him for no apparent reason - makes no difference, both are equally bad when a player is so blatantly open.

To be honest I have a hard time seeing Richards being equally ignored when finding himself in acres of space.

There were many occasions in the second half where Zaba was W I D E O P E N on the right wing and nobody was even looking over there, never mind actually passing to him. It was the most frustrating aspect of our play. Even my Mam was shouting at the tele "pass it out wide Toure!" "look at the soace he's got out there!"