What's the problem(s)?

Keeper! said:
Statistics are an obsession of american sports and cricketers, they don't tell the full story.

The opposition allow us to have the ball for long periods, it what we do when we have the ball that counts but at this moment it is what we don't do with the ball that is the worry.

We are nowhere near the attacking threat we once were under Pep, we used to absolutely batter teams , they were beaten in the tunnel, never mind the pitch
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I don't normally quote stats tbf but these only enforce that on the pitch it is obvious our main issue is converting chances.

Fix that and we would match the scouser for a title challenge we are not as bad as many on here are making out
 
urban genie said:
I don't normally quote stats tbf but these only enforce that on the pitch it is obvious our main issue is converting chances.

Fix that and we would match the scouser for a title challenge we are not as bad as many on here are making out
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The problems are far deeper than that, we no longer look like a happy camp, that's the biggest issue to me.
 
Keeper! said:
You have to replace them if you want continued success or build the squad to compensate for their loss, we have done neither.

Why did the club wait 12 months to replace Kompany? Why wait so long to replace Aguero?

Did we really expect a great young player to come in and replace the finest player in our history?
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You want instant replacements of the legends who are at the same level or close to the level of the legends.

Last season, we didn't expect that Laporte would be badly injured, that Stones would suffer so many injuries and problems, that Otamendi would fall off a cliff, etc. We looked for a CB but the available players were expensive and we had doubts about their quality.

We can't sign a promising young striker when Aguero is still here and Jesus still struggles to get enough games. What if Jesus is the heir of Aguero?

Again, things are more complicated than you present them.

Chances are that nobody on here knows a fraction of what Pep and Txiki know about football. They make mistakes because it's impossible to not make mistakes. If some of us on here had to replace them at City, our mistakes would be much bigger and deeper. We come up with simple pictures of what is happening and conflate them with reality.

I think and predict:

1. We have a much better squad than many on here reckon.

2. We will have a stronger team in several months than many on here expect.

Let's see who is right.
 
Keeper! said:
Completely agree, Pep has come to England and revolutionised how we play and more importantly how we think about the game.

He is the teacher of total football.

But unfortunately for us the teacher has taught the students too well and they have pushed his principles on to another level, can the teacher respond?
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That indeed is a good question, but I saw early signs of pep being more adaptive in the last game.Usually pep would ask his team to do a full press man to man against the last line of defence of the opposition, even in big games like pep's bayern did to barca or even us against liverpool.But yesterday we played a bit like liverpool but instead of going for a full press yesterday we counter-pressed their cm and had many counters.Even klopp was subjected to same criticism and people said others have improved what he initiated , I for one would not bet against pep.
 
alexmcity said:
You want instant replacements of the legends who are at the same level or close to the level of the legends.

Last season, we didn't expect that Laporte would be badly injured, that Stones would suffer so many injuries and problems, that Otamendi would fall off a cliff, etc. We looked for a CB but the available players were expensive and we had doubts about their quality.

We can't sign a promising young striker when Aguero is still here and Jesus still struggles to get enough games. What if Jesus is the heir of Aguero?

Again, things are more complicated than you present them.

Chances are that nobody on here knows a fraction of what Pep and Txiki know about football. They make mistakes because it's impossible to not make mistakes. If some of us on here had to replace them at City, our mistakes would be much bigger and deeper. We come up with simple pictures of what is happening and conflate them with reality.

I think and predict:

1. We have a much better squad than many on here reckon.

2. We will have a stronger team in several months than many on here expect.

Let's see who is right.
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Stones is and has been a permanent "sick" note.

Otto was clearly past his best and was expecting to leave immediately after the formidables season.

Aguero has always had injury issues and was getting to the age where decline was inevitable.

You can never replace legends with legends, but you always buy the very best available, then you have a very good chance of those players becoming new legends.

Mahrez, Cancelo , Gundogan are not the very best of players, there are better players out there available.
 
FantasyIreland said:
I have a few ideas.

1. A lack of preseason/fitness
2. A inadequate replacement for Arteta
3. A lack of a striker,a hard man type.
4. A lack of leadership/characters/Fight
5. Squad disharmony

Am I wrong or being unfair? Is there another reason?

Whatever....something isn't clicking,and we need to find the answer otherwise top 4 will be a struggle.
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Absolutely number 1. We seem to be able to play insanely good football for 30 mins, then our intensity drops off. I’d also add missing Aguero & Jesus to help kill teams off in those first 30mins is also a massive factor

Fan expectation is maybe a little unrealistic having had 2 record breaking seasons.
 
alexmcity said:
Actually, Liverpool had a (short) pre-season, played friendlies and the CS game. We started our preparation after their CS game. Besides, they didn't miss players due to covid in the first 2 games, we missed at least 3. Not the same at all.
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Let's agree to disagree mate. All the best Blue.
 
Keeper! said:
You have to replace them if you want continued success or build the squad to compensate for their loss, we have done neither.

Why did the club wait 12 months to replace Kompany? Why wait so long to replace Aguero?

Did we really expect a great young player to come in and replace the finest player in our history?
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Kompany was hardly world class when he first came to city was he?
Same, to a some certain extent can be said about silva and aguero, very much like with dias atleast 3 or more good signings in the next 2 windows would be enough for us to win next year.
But can understand the angst and frustration, scousers are good odds to win again.I think a lot of fans would not be this agitated if liverpool were not doing this well.I hate it too.
 
Maly Wilson said:
Absolutely number 1. We seem to be able to play insanely good football for 30 mins, then our intensity drops off. I’d also add missing Aguero & Jesus to help kill teams off in those first 30mins is also a massive factor

Fan expectation is maybe a little unrealistic having had 2 record breaking seasons.
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I agree,we have been spoilt in terms of what we witnessed in those 2 seasons,but the drop off has been much more dramatic than it should have been.

We need to find that press again,we need to start getting bodies in the box when on the attack (our wide men often find themselves passing backwards when in the final 3rd,purely down to having no options) and we need to get more back when under the cosh.

Keep saying it,but we need a big physical/industrious and clinical striker.He would both take the pressure off the engine room and would be the much needed outlet and target our schemers are looking to find.
 
Keeper! said:
The problems are far deeper than that, we no longer look like a happy camp, that's the biggest issue to me.
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How do you work that out?

We had 23 efforts on goal vs Leeds. 2 on target. You look at a problem, you pick the simplest and most obvious answer and that is we struggled to make the most of numerous opportunities without our central strikers.

Irritating when people want to make more of what is a straightforward injury crisis.

If I took Salah and Mane out of the Liverpool side and they went to Elland Rd, I think there'd be a high probably they'd struggle for goals too.
 
vasan said:
Kompany was hardly world class when he first came to city was he?
Same, to a some certain extent can be said about silva and aguero, very much like with dias atleast 3 or more good signings in the next 2 windows would be enough for us to win next year.
But can understand the angst and frustration, scousers are good odds to win again.I think a lot of fans would not be this agitated if liverpool were not doing this well.I hate it too.
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This squad can win 10 on the bounce. It's not perfect but it's a lot better than you think.
 
vasan said:
Kompany was hardly world class when he first came to city was he?
Same, to a some certain extent can be said about silva and aguero, very much like with dias atleast 3 or more good signings in the next 2 windows would be enough for us to win next year.
But can understand the angst and frustration, scousers are good odds to win again.I think a lot of fans would not be this agitated if liverpool were not doing this well.I hate it too.
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Kompany was the most sought after teenager in world football,prior to injuries putting a few clubs off.Aguero was also ripping trees up and it was clear he was a generational talent.Silva needed no introduction,we signed a magician and a player with that skill set and mind set was always going to succeed.
 
I agree with most of the positive comments on here and do think we will be much stronger come December. I only have some issues with our team.

1. Pep's contract- It has to be addressed quickly, we need long term stability and some insight into the future and we don't have that.

2. Left Back - This is a long term problem and while I don't like it being used as a scapegoat, it has to be addressed. I wish our scouts would deliver for once and give us an Alphonso Davies or something similar.

3. Mahrez and Mendy - Mahrez really doesn't suit our play style and isn't adjusting to our system even after a year. Considering how he played both against Burnley and today, he should be sold to Real Madrid where he would be far more effective, as the system is for players like him. Mendy started off well and then just dropped off after he picked up the yellow card of the day.

4.Wrong team Selection - After seeing Sterling miss four sitters vs Burnley, I was certain Pep would start our only striker albeit his young age. We had 23 shots, 2 on target and Sterling again missed 2 sitters today. He didn't know how to make the striker runs and so De Bruyne and Foden couldn't find him and he was never in the box when we needed him so Torres and Mahrez couldn't cross it to him. It could've been a completely different game had we had Delap on.

Positives:

1. Bernardo looked good, he had his pressing game on and looked like his 18/19 self.

2. Rodri had a decent game, making good interceptions, through passes and was the only one pressing the opposition in the midfield.

3. Our CB partnership, Laporte and Dias, looked wonderful and both of them played excellently.

4. We have a young team now, it will take time for them to gel, let's give them time and support, which is what the dippers did for 3 years until they won the UCL. Let's get behind our lads, look at our performance from game to game and aim to get back to our peak by December.
 
I have it good authority from David Icke that the Gypsy's Curse has finally found out that we've moved from Maine Road! It manifests itself in putting all our players under spells that guarantee that at some point in a match some one will make an individual mistake that will cost us the game. The curse runs deep in some players (Ben Mendy is the prime example but Ota and Stones had it in spades last season too)) but it can strike anyone anywhere (Ederson yesterday). I'll save my more serious comments on this excellent thread, which will probably concentrate on the relationship between chances made and goals scored, failing to kill teams off when we're on top and more recently players being knackered after no break and no pre season, till later!
 
A few things stand out.
1) A lack of pace. Sterling is the only forward with electric pace. Now that's not a major issue provided you are on the front foot all the time and you don't sit back and try and play on the break as we did from 30-75mins.
2) Everything goes through KDB. He's a big personality, but last night he was throwing his arms around like a spoilt kid in the school team when players didn't run or read his intended passes. He seldom did that to Aguero, David Silva because they were on his wavelength and not in awe of him.
3) We've replaced top class players with 'potential'. Foden has great potential but he isn't David Silva. Likewise Rodri. Two key positions in our team.
 
Marvin said:
This squad can win 10 on the bounce. It's not perfect but it's a lot better than you think.
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Can but won't Marvin unfortunately we struggle to get anything from behind and now we really struggle to keep leads.

Clean sheets are vital for us never more so and we can't achieve that anymore.

You would hope we will get back some of that ruthlessness which was a hallmark of out title years under Pep but once you lose that its hard to get it back especially under the same manager.
 
1. No Preseason - well in that case why not? Who made that decision? Didn’t they have enough of a break in the lockdown months?

2. Ederson has been nullified as one of our main set up players. His influence on games offensively has almost ground to a complete halt.

3. Poor recruitment - We have needed a left back for 4 seasons and still haven’t signed one.

4. No strikers - going into a season with two strikers each year has always been a risk, particularly when one of them always misses games through injury. As Jesus is capable of playing on the left, we should have signed another striker. We will need one next season anyway as Aguero is likely to be done by then so we should have signed one for this one. Aubamayang would have good as a short term option and would have been a perfect solution at very little initial outlay.

5. Lack of leadership. Why are the players allowed to choose the captain?? Surely the a manager sees leadership qualities and makes this decision himself. Choosing a captain who is likely to play less than half then games is madness to me.

6. The forward four players have become extremely lazy at getting back and helping out the overrun midfield when the opposition attack. This needs addressing. There were times yesterday when Leeds had 4 on four. Contract this with a break that Sterling had which looked promising. Leeds got 8 men behind the ball very quickly so the threat was extinguished. We need to do this too at times especially when not in good form.

7. Mahrez - A luxury we can’t afford.
8. Mendy - A complete liability who opposition coaches now Target.

The biggest positive for me yesterday was the instant understanding between Dias and Laporte. Hopefully that lays the foundation for better things to come. Aguero coming back will help as will Jesus.

However, this looks very much like a continuation of last season and if anything worse from what I have seen so far so to expect anything other than the same end result is very much wishful thinking currently.
 
We have two full backs who offer fuck all really offensively ie assists or goals
Yet they seem to get caught up the pitch allowing teams to exploit the space.
I just don’t get it
The dippers also have two full backs who do this but they offer so much offensively that it is worth the risk
Sometimes I wonder apart from keeping the ball what our plan actually is
 
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