Half a season to go and the title is over????
A few people had a little too much to drink in their pre-Christmas commiserations!
Lest minds be so foggy they forgot, United and Liverpool we’re BOTH miles ahead and dead certs for the title in 2012 and 2014 and NEITHER won it! Liverpool were 3-0 up at Palace and drew 3-3 in the last few minutes. United drew 4-4 at home to a shit Everton team. It is almost NEVER over when it is a few points and a few games to play.....and we have HALF A SEASON and to play them at home in the coming weeks!
Of greater concern is the lack of new ideas, the constant shipping of goals, the erosion of a once (a month ago? Two, maybe?) dominant goal difference, the “4 shots, 3 goals and one hitting the post” type stats that are coming from these displays. We are afraid to tackle around the box, so we try to block. Walker hop, hop, hopping to get in a block when he is shepherding the player away from the goal...even though he is taking him ONTO HIS STRONG FOOT...and diving into a sliding challenge with his leg in the air IN OUR BOX. Or, how about having a full back who can simply block a cross as a start? It’s great to be a lung busting runner, but stopping the cross is the BASIS of being a full back...or was in the olden days of football.
As has been said, Stones and Laporte at the back should pick itself unless we have injuries. These players are not running 10-12K per game, they are shuttling little passes back and forth like a training session. No, it is the midfielders and forwards, playing every game with a knock or a niggle, that need the rest, which is why most substitutions take place amongst that group of players. With the midfielders we have, two of them should be getting subbed out after an hour almost every game, with one of the forwards getting a break, too. THAT is how you create desire to play AND rest the weary, because running 30+ year olds for 90 mins every week for 3+ months in the hope that they can get a rest over the busy Christmas season gets you exactly where we were yesterday...NONE OF THEM ON THE FIELD BECAUSE THEY ARE INJURED WITH MUSCLE INJURIES.
The reason we have no one who seems to know how to fill in for Fernandinho is because we never give the poor bugger a break at 60 minutes and rotate a player into the position....even when we are 2 or 3 goals up. The reason Silva is injured is because, in the absence of KDB, we haven’t given him a rest even though Pep said he was going to be a part timer this season. Foden will run all day in that hole, even if he isn’t Merlin.
I’m hoping that game is a wake up call, not only to the players, but the coaching staff. However, to even mention writing off the season because we lost a game and are now a whole 4 points behind (but we still have better GD) a team that is playing out of its skull at the moment and is unbeaten is flapping of the highest order. Unless you believe they will be invincible and not draw many either, it is not over. Unless you believe that City can’t go on a run, or that no one else will stumble for the rest of the season, it isn’t over.
Rather, for me, this is EXACTLY the time I want to see just how good of a coach and team we are. Where do we go from here? What do we do in response to that result? When, if ever, this season will we get our best XI on the field together and what do they have in the tank?
No, this isn’t the time to flap and write us off, unless you think that is all we are worth.
And, did you hear the crowd when we were trying to come back? Best atmosphere for a meh home game all season!!! Blue Moon ringing in the ears, pulling the team on! THAT is the City of old, when the Kippax was heaving and the sound coming out of the smoke filled upper reaches of the Kippax was a sound to behold! No, there’s some life left in this old dog...players and fans alike...and we have just been slapped in the face by a leather glove, so are we going to fight Iike men or lie down on the field of battle like whipped dogs afraid they have been mastered?
I know which my money is on...and I’m looking forward to the battles ahead.
