City v Arsenal semi-final pre-match thread

[Georgian Maestro]

He's only faced 2 shots on target since January...

An interesting stat would be to see average shots faced by keeper in the league this season. It would go some way to prove the defensive benefits of a keeper who can contribute to improved possession.

 

[edinburgh123]

I thought we played well at their place, our defence as ever being our only let down. Hopefully with the big Wembley pitch we use the width of Sane and Sterling well to stretch the game out. We need a strong mentality going into this one, this is the worst Arsenal team I've ever known.

He has to play Willy, I think he will and why he has given Bravo a couple of games before this one.

Yep that huge 115x75 yard Wembley pitch. Will be tiring for a team used to playing on a minuscule 115x74. Hope our wingers use that 18 inches at either side of the pitch to good effect...

 

[edinburgh123]

I would love to know what Willy has done to make people think he has ever been shit. All keepers make mistakes, sometimes they get away with it, sometimes not. I don't remember Willy alone costing us a game. Normally when we lose it's because we have failed to put away our often easy chances. The game against Chelsea was one we were never going to win.

Go back to the pre League Cup final last year when, like this year, it was looking like our only chance of a trophy and everyone was panicking over Willy in net over Hart. Before that game he was pretty poor. I don't think he is much better now - still has concrete palms, but compared to our other option he looks a safer bet now

 

[Norbiton]

Go back to the pre League Cup final last year when, like this year, it was looking like our only chance of a trophy and everyone was panicking over Willy in net over Hart. Before that game he was pretty poor. I don't think he is much better now - still has concrete palms, but compared to our other option he looks a safer bet now

Bravo really needs a game like that, zero to hero in the course of two and a bit hours.

 

[Dax777]

We had a great defensive display over the weekend. Willy wasn't in the net. Bravo hardly was tested. What was different? Hint look at our CBs.

Blaming Bravo is popular. It is also wrong.

Ascribing our good defense to Kompany is also wrong. Yet its even more popular than blaming Bravo. (:

 

[Dax777]

When we had hart in goal I thought willy was a shit back up now I think he is awesome just shows how bad Bravo really is!!

Or perhaps how bad your original evaluation were. Which should give you pause about your present evaluations (:

 

[Dax777]

Kinda hoping Delph will play on Sunday. He's played well the last couple of games he's been involved in and I think he'll be depesrate to win the FA Cup.

We need committed players for this game.

Are you suggesting we have uncommitted players? Like who?

 

[i kne albert davy]

Ascribing our good defense to Kompany is also wrong. Yet its even more popular than blaming Bravo. (:

What would you ascribe our defence to at Southampton to then, Kompany made the defence look far better whilst providing a set piece threat at the other end as well.

 

[Dax777]

What would you ascribe our defence to at Southampton to then, Kompany made the defence look far better whilst providing a set piece threat at the other end as well.

I wouldn't ascribe it to anyone really. Seeing as our defense has played as well as it did against Soton against all the other most non toptier Teams since the end of January.

Played about 10 of those games and conceded 3 chances or less in all but 1
One of them. Got a clean sheet in 7 of those games.

So its strange to me when we do what we've done consistently to teams of that caliber over the last 2 months, then suddenly many pretend it happened for the first time last weekend. And the sole reason is our captain.

I love the guy too. But I don't lie to myself. He was good. But so were all the other defenders who have been quite good against teams like that for about 2 months.

So, no I don't ascribe our improved defense to Kompany. Why? Because that's a false premise: Best I can say is our defense did not get weaker with Kompany coming in after a long layoff. It had been good for 2 months.

However, the drive to actually win us the game, that I will gladly give to him.

He in fact won us that game with his effort and passion on that corner kick. And I voted him man of the match for it.

On his thread some poster correctly pointed out that he was shaky in the beginning of that game, and gave up a few poor tackles, and was the one out of position in their 2 early attacks before we took the game over.

That guy was quickly admonished by Zimmer... But nothing he actually said was factually innacurate.

And for what its worth, defensively I thought Ota and Navas both had better games.

Now you got me talking, and a backlash and the insults are sure to come :-)

Fingers crossed, and hope the dreaded "rag" insult doesn't make the list (:

 

[BlueDeadHead]

Ascribing our good defense to Kompany is also wrong. Yet its even more popular than blaming Bravo. (:

I was talking about Ottamendi. I thought that was clear :)

 

[eversince 76]

I wouldn't ascribe it to anyone really. Seeing as our defense has played as well as it did against Soton against all the other most non toptier Teams since the end of January.

Played about 10 of those games and conceded 3 chances or less in all but 1
One of them. Got a clean sheet in 7 of those games.

So its strange to me when we do what we've done consistently to teams of that caliber over the last 2 months, then suddenly many pretend it happened for the first time last weekend. And the sole reason is our captain.

I love the guy too. But I don't lie to myself. He was good. But so were all the other defenders who have been quite good against teams like that for about 2 months.

So, no I don't ascribe our improved defense to Kompany. Why? Because that's a false premise: Best I can say is our defense did not get weaker with Kompany coming in after a long layoff. It had been good for 2 months.

However, the drive to actually win us the game, that I will gladly give to him.

He in fact won us that game with his effort and passion on that corner kick. And I voted him man of the match for it.

On his thread some poster correctly pointed out that he was shaky in the beginning of that game, and gave up a few poor tackles, and was the one out of position in their 2 early attacks before we took the game over.

That guy was quickly admonished by Zimmer... But nothing he actually said was factually innacurate.

And for what its worth, defensively I thought Ota and Navas both had better games.

Now you got me talking, and a backlash and the insults are sure to come :-)

Fingers crossed, and hope the dreaded "rag" insult doesn't make the list (:

First time I have to agree with a rag.
Too many judge on either a daily basis, a result basis or on a player being a scapegoat.

 

[The Silver Surfer]

Are you suggesting we have uncommitted players? Like who?

I'm suggesting he might be more effective than say Yaya who's slow nowadays plus he's already won a few things with us.

Delph might be that bit more eager to do a job.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I wouldn't ascribe it to anyone really. Seeing as our defense has played as well as it did against Soton against all the other most non toptier Teams since the end of January.

Played about 10 of those games and conceded 3 chances or less in all but 1
One of them. Got a clean sheet in 7 of those games.

So its strange to me when we do what we've done consistently to teams of that caliber over the last 2 months, then suddenly many pretend it happened for the first time last weekend. And the sole reason is our captain.

I love the guy too. But I don't lie to myself. He was good. But so were all the other defenders who have been quite good against teams like that for about 2 months.

So, no I don't ascribe our improved defense to Kompany. Why? Because that's a false premise: Best I can say is our defense did not get weaker with Kompany coming in after a long layoff. It had been good for 2 months.

However, the drive to actually win us the game, that I will gladly give to him.

He in fact won us that game with his effort and passion on that corner kick. And I voted him man of the match for it.

On his thread some poster correctly pointed out that he was shaky in the beginning of that game, and gave up a few poor tackles, and was the one out of position in their 2 early attacks before we took the game over.

That guy was quickly admonished by Zimmer... But nothing he actually said was factually innacurate.

And for what its worth, defensively I thought Ota and Navas both had better games.

Now you got me talking, and a backlash and the insults are sure to come :-)

Fingers crossed, and hope the dreaded "rag" insult doesn't make the list (:

Vincent Kompany is better.

None of those people have ever been, or will ever be, as good. It's been common over the last few years, that lesser players, when paired with Kompany, become better, sometimes they even outperform him on the day. Take him back out & those players either gradually drop in standard or fall off a cliff.

There was nothing special about our defence v Sothampton, but there were big improvements in certain areas. It's no coincidence that we scored from a corner, nor is it a coincidence that Stones got to miss an open net at a corner v Chelsea when Komapany took two players out.

There is no comparison between him & the lightweights trying to replace him. He is better. We need another one, or two, closer to that standard.

 

[MarsLlama]

I had a dream that I turned up in London on Sunday and found Pep had decided to prioritise the derby... he was playing something like

Gunn
Maffeo* Adarabioyo Kolarov Angelino*
García Nemané
Navas Phoden Sancho
Iheanacho

*Who isn't even bloody here.




We won on penalties.

 

[its a Barm]

I had a dream that I turned up in London on Sunday and found Pep had decided to prioritise the derby... he was playing something like

Gunn
Maffeo* Adarabioyo Kolarov Angelino*
García Nemané
Navas Phoden Sancho
Iheanacho

*Who isn't even bloody here.




We won on penalties.

No harm done then.

 

[inatbothends]

Getting ahead of myself here, but I want Spurs in the final and some closure after 1981...

More than anything!!!
Still makes me feel sick 36 years later

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

have a feeling Arsenal will win with wenger likely going end of season.

 

[Blue warrior]

Ospina, Perez, Mustafi are all out injured. Wellbeck a slight doubt. Peter Cech fit?

 

[Zin 'messiah' Zimmer]

I wouldn't ascribe it to anyone really. Seeing as our defense has played as well as it did against Soton against all the other most non toptier Teams since the end of January.

Played about 10 of those games and conceded 3 chances or less in all but 1
One of them. Got a clean sheet in 7 of those games.

So its strange to me when we do what we've done consistently to teams of that caliber over the last 2 months, then suddenly many pretend it happened for the first time last weekend. And the sole reason is our captain.

I love the guy too. But I don't lie to myself. He was good. But so were all the other defenders who have been quite good against teams like that for about 2 months.

So, no I don't ascribe our improved defense to Kompany. Why? Because that's a false premise: Best I can say is our defense did not get weaker with Kompany coming in after a long layoff. It had been good for 2 months.

However, the drive to actually win us the game, that I will gladly give to him.

He in fact won us that game with his effort and passion on that corner kick. And I voted him man of the match for it.

On his thread some poster correctly pointed out that he was shaky in the beginning of that game, and gave up a few poor tackles, and was the one out of position in their 2 early attacks before we took the game over.

That guy was quickly admonished by Zimmer... But nothing he actually said was factually innacurate.

And for what its worth, defensively I thought Ota and Navas both had better games.

Now you got me talking, and a backlash and the insults are sure to come :-)

Fingers crossed, and hope the dreaded "rag" insult doesn't make the list (:

You don't half talk some shit Yankee boy...

I look forward to your 'well I've been saying this' diatribe post Wembley summation..

Note to self, you can't have your cake and eat it numpty, the reason the defence looked more comfortable is due to the psychological impact Kompany gives the back line, clichy arguably had his best game of the season but has also played in those 10 games you mentioned,'coincidence???

You just scream out of a guy who has never played the game in any shape or form, other than Pro Evo/FIFA. Communication has been the shortfall of the defence all year, a person able to organise whilst on the field, ffs I'm arguing with an American who thinks that guy is otamendi....

Back in your box

 

[RandomJ]

Ospina, Perez, Mustafi are all out injured. Wellbeck a slight doubt. Peter Cech fit?

Bad news for us cos Ospina is shite.