It's Quiet thread 14 - 'do one' edition

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TonyM said:
City gash? Those were the days. lol. We'll be back. Eventually.
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I bet United fans were saying that 6 years ago and the scousers 30, look at Arsenal and Chelsea nowhere near in last few years, it doesn’t take long to fall away, I think sometimes we sit on our laurels too much, Mancini era was prime example, buy the players he wants and then we would have had back to back leagues. I get we have to balance the books but arguing it seems over £5-10 million seems almost childish when it would pay back huge dividends. For me the loss of Sane was the catalyst for this, maybe he was a sill but you man manage him and tie him up with a great deal. That lad will be a ballon d’or winner within 3 years, he was what we need now, young energetic players who offer us something different, we seem to have very similar players now, nothing with a spark that gets you off your seat and spurs the team on. If Pep didn’t fancy him then Pep commits longer term than he has and Sane goes, or you think look Pep is off in 2 years this lad is our future 10 years and keep him.
 
FantasyIreland said:
We need a left back,a centre forward and a defensive midfielder much more than this lad.

We aren't even deploying/utilising Foden or Bernardo to the best of their abilities,without adding to the issue.
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I would argue he has the ability to control the game... At the moment kdb can't do it alone... Regarding foden / Bernardo not getting minutes in their actual position is on Pep.

Aouor would be an ideal replacement for Gundogan. We know he is coming right back once he recovers from. COVID.

I was very impressed with his performance vs Us in the quarters
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
It's not even our press which is the fundamental problem, even if the intensity of it isn't what is once was.

The problem is now the press from the other teams.

They have stopped doing it to us, allowing our backline to retain the ball and not create a spare man.

Rodgers admitted as much. Save their energy for the breakdown and hit hard and fast.

Stands to reason, our defence have been allowed to come out fifty yards from goal.

The fundamental reason also why Ederson is never in the game now, apart from picking the ball out of the net.

Our system won't change, but that's the nub of it.

Same with any decent big-hitting boxer, just be wary of their best shot and stay in the fight.
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Why won't are system change? Arrogance , ignorance or unwillingness or a combination?
 
razman said:
I would argue he has the ability to control the game... At the moment kdb can't do it alone... Regarding foden / Bernardo not getting minutes in their actual position is on Pep.

Aouor would be an ideal replacement for Gundogan. We know he is coming right back once he recovers from. COVID.

I was very impressed with his performance vs Us in the quarters
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Maybe we don't want to upset Arteta, I'm fine with that but I'd 100% want to upset Arsenal
 
As awful as we were on Sunday, with new signings and returning injured players over the next couple of weeks we’ll get back to good form. Even if we play badly, the quality of our players will get us back on track to a top three finish.

The quality of our players won’t win us the league though, that comes from great coaching and adapting. I would love for Pep to turn it around but I feellike we’ve come to the end of our cycle with Pep and the players just don’t have that same excitement and enthusiasm now. I hope I’m proved wrong, but I won’t be.
 
Adebayor said:
As awful as we were on Sunday, with new signings and returning injured players over the next couple of weeks we’ll get back to good form. Even if we play badly, the quality of our players will get us back on track to a top three finish.

The quality of our players won’t win us the league though, that comes from great coaching and adapting. I would love for Pep to turn it around but I feellike we’ve come to the end of our cycle with Pep and the players just don’t have that same excitement and enthusiasm now. I hope I’m proved wrong, but I won’t be.
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pretty sure after last season a top 3 finish would end pep anyway with what khaldoon said in the summer!
 
FantasyIreland said:
We need a left back,a centre forward and a defensive midfielder much more than this lad.

We aren't even deploying/utilising Foden or Bernardo to the best of their abilities,without adding to the issue.
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This kid would solve our issues 10x more than any LB signing.

This side and our entire way of playing is about the midfield. We are missing David Silva of a few years ago. With Gundogan we keep hold of the ball but he doesn't play killler passes or press, with Foden we play killer passes but lack control, and with Fernandinho we lack killer passes and control but have another defender.

You get someone like Aouar in who will do the role Silva did on the ball, will press like a mad man, and we have the midfield balance back. His extra running compared to Silva will help us as well.

Get the front 5 pressing again and Rodri won't get bypassed, Fernandinho could play defensive mid, Gundogan could even play there 14 games in a row on the way to winning the league.

LB is a bullshit position, you can put anyone there if the rest of the team is sorted. Striker is a short term issue. Gabby and Aguero will be back after Leeds and Delap with 10 games under his belt will be a genuine addition to the squad.
 
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FantasyIreland said:
Say you're right,as it stands......how have you solved the left back issue? I know we ave Cancelo to return,but id sooner him at right back.
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We got 198 points in 2 seasons without a left back. Pep won everything for 4 years with a CB filling in at LB at Barca.

Aké is a much better option at LB than Delph or Zinchenko. Cancelo can play there if you need a bit more attacking output.

Fernandinho could play the inverted LB role which would mean he's sitting next to Rodri 80% of the game and doing a bit of 1v1 defending out wide the rest of it - something he can do easily.

Sort out the midfield and everything else falls into place.
 
domalino said:
We got 198 points in 2 seasons without a left back. Pep won everything for 4 years with a CB filling in at LB at Barca.

Aké is a much better option at LB than Delph or Zinchenko. Cancelo can play there if you need a bit more attacking output.

Fernandinho could play the inverted LB role which would mean he's sitting next to Rodri 80% of the game and doing a bit of 1v1 defending out wide the rest of it - something he can do easily.

Sort out the midfield and everything else falls into place.
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I do think we need a LB, but I also agree our current main problem is midfield balance. I was so disappointed by our midfield against Leicester. Not secure, no composure, giving the ball away cheaply...where have the triangles gone? There was nothing. Just KDB rushing forward and hitting crosses. Pep's great sides are all about the midfield. Ours currently has no balance at all. We need to find that as a matter of urgency. Aouar would solve that for me. He's potential Silva-esque. Gundogan but with dynamism.
 
Having watched Liverpool last night, and against Chelsea we are simply a million miles away from them at the moment.

Whilst we were absolutely dominant domestically for 2 seasons, Liverpool have addressed their weaknesses, enhanced their squad and looked to develop all elements of their play. For example, their defensive work on opposition throw-ins, their corner and free kick routines and their addition of Thiago, Minamino and Jota to provide more quality in the squad. Thiago in particular is a great addition for them. Their full backs are vital to their attacking, with balls into the channels or chipped/crossed into the box and they run all game. Their central midfielders are runners. Providing the support and balance but not necessarily being hugely influential in creating chances. Thiago changes that and can remove some of the burden on the full backs/front three.

Whilst we finally scored from a corner, those little details that Liverpool have gone into still escape us. We have a lot of injuries but we really need to get back to a settled 11 with players being given a chance to learn their roles and gel.

Ultimately the first half v Wolves showed how good this City side can be. We can win the title playing like that. The pressing intensity, the balance it was all there. The personnel at the back didn't matter because the front 3 pressed, De Bruyne was too and Rodri/Ferny mopped anything else up. It was only through a lack of fitness that we fell away in the second half.

If we can get some more pace and energy in the middle, and if that player also has the qualities to pass and create then putting them in with Rodri and De Bruyne we'll instantly be title challengers again, regardless of the perceived issues at LB and up front. Aouar is the man we should be buying.

Ederson
Walker
Dias
Laporte
Mendy
Rodri
Aouar
De Bruyne
Foden
Sterling
Jesus

That's a team you can look to cement over a three-four year period and that could dominate again. Ake, Gundogan, Fernandinho, Doyle, Aguero, Torres, Mahrez, Cancelo, Bernardo all able to push for starting places or squad roles within that shape.

I don't get how no one at City has seen how desperate we are for energy in the middle of the park.
 
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