Leeds (H) | Post Match Thread

I think given the amount of rotation it was an unfortunate result but hardly as impactful as losing with a full strength 11. The Derby defeat was more concerning than Leeds by quite some distance if you want to dabble in negativity..
 
Many have said it, that team should have won that game, to squander so many shots on target and possession is not anything to do with Pep. Pep has to and is looking at the bigger picture. We are still in 4 competitions and need to be pragmatic with lineups etc.
I am only concerned that going for all four has resulted in a little drop off in quality lately, as the number of games and changes is really having a toll on us. The reason the quad has never been done is because it’s bloody hard. People are allowed their own views but some of the comments in this thread read like spoilt know all kids and it’s embarrassing for me that they “support” the same team I do
 
Much of the discussion of the match - not only on here but also in the media - has concentrated on our team selection and on the fact that Leeds had only ten men for half the match. This is far too simplistic and mechanistic. That City team was easily strong enough to win, especially against ten men and if the match were played ten times City would probably win eight or nine times. Bielsa said after the match that a City win would have been the only just and fair result. So why didn't we win?

My opinion is that on Saturday a number of old faults came back to haunt us. Over 38 games City are the most consistent and best team in the country, but over 90 minutes we can be infuriatingly prone to certain faults. Football is an "on the day" affair. On Saturday we saw Cancelo - who would NOT have had him in the team? - make a complete mess of dealing with a hopeful high clearance and Ferna - anyone NOT have him in the team? - not cover Dallas's run through to receive the ball and score. The second Leeds goal was our old problem from Last season - the failure to strangle counter attacks at birth. We started the game with Stones and Ake, both pacey enough to deal with the problem but Ake was playing his first game since Boxing day and was never going to play 90 minutes and John Stones became our free man to carry the ball at Leeds, leaving Ferna to control the break. Ferna has never been particularly pacey and in the 91st minute he was unable to do it. Dallas clearly finished both chances well but combined with the peculiar circumstances of Saturday Leeds scored two goals from only two shots. This contrasts with City's one goal from 29 shots. Of these 29 only seven were on target and I don't remember any of the seven drawing a really good save from their keeper. Raheem scored 30 goals last season but on Saturday he looked like the player who signed for us in 2015 - his confidence in front of goal has gone completely and he is (temporarily) way out of form. He scuffed the best chance of the match way wide. Other than that it was like Southampton last season with shot after shot being blocked and City being unable to play those clever balls to get to the by line.

So was it deep rooted problems with the squad or a poor performance or just the football gods smiling on Leeds?
 
BillyShears said:
The most unbothered I've been by a competitive City game in quite some time.

All about Wednesday.
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Same. I’ve given up trying to explain to those in hysterics that the team selection was spot on, even with the benefit of hindsight and knowing we lost the game. We have 4 games now where the rotation will be minimal, maybe no more than 3 per game, then heavy changes against Crystal Palace. The rotation v Leeds was crucial to give us any chance whatsoever of getting through the next 4 games still in the CL and FA Cup and with a trophy in the bag. Our chances of an unprecedented (and almost impossible) quadruple actually INCREASED this weekend, as 7 key players got the rest they need to keep it within the realms of possibility.
 
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half & half derby scarf said:
Totally illogical post from you once again. 3pts is 3pts. Win against Leeds and take the pressure off.
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Beating Leeds with a "full strength" team would have piled more pressure on not taken any off. Would the same team have trotted out at Dortmund and then again at Wembley on Saturday? And what about Villa on the following Wednesday? DD is perfectly correct that Pep does most certainly not "make it up as he goes along". The club's avowed aim is to compete for every trophy and that involves playing a maximum of 60+ games, in a very condensed season this season. We have assemled a squad of high quality to make this possible. Pep has to take an overview of the season and plan in detail as circumstances change. The paradox is that, as Pep says, every game is equally important but circumstances dictate which games are more urgent. He will have planned the changes to be made in advance in the light of circumstances and I don't think anyone would argue that we need our "best" eleven to be freshest and fittest for Dortmund since defeat may well mean elimination and the end of a dream. But he will also have a good idea of the eleven to start against Chelsea and even Villa. And Spurs. Squad management (Rotation!) is not a panicky, last minute manoeuvre but a long term, flexible affair and Pep is better at it than anyone else.
 
StillBluessinceHydeRoad said:
Beating Leeds with a "full strength" team would have piled more pressure on not taken any off. Would the same team have trotted out at Dortmund and then again at Wembley on Saturday? And what about Villa on the following Wednesday? DD is perfectly correct that Pep does most certainly not "make it up as he goes along". The club's avowed aim is to compete for every trophy and that involves playing a maximum of 60+ games, in a very condensed season this season. We have assemled a squad of high quality to make this possible. Pep has to take an overview of the season and plan in detail as circumstances change. The paradox is that, as Pep says, every game is equally important but circumstances dictate which games are more urgent. He will have planned the changes to be made in advance in the light of circumstances and I don't think anyone would argue that we need our "best" eleven to be freshest and fittest for Dortmund since defeat may well mean elimination and the end of a dream. But he will also have a good idea of the eleven to start against Chelsea and even Villa. And Spurs. Squad management (Rotation!) is not a panicky, last minute manoeuvre but a long term, flexible affair and Pep is better at it than anyone else.
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What you say requires critical thinking though and there’s not a lot of that about on here right now.
 
shemnel said:
That was a good reality check, we aren't winning by divine rite. Tough to take and was similar to two seasons ago. I would like to see us play a bit more like the sitting/counter team again Dortmund.

Maybe I'm cautious overly cautious but after two clear warnings of Leeds breaks in the ten mins running up to their winner, I would have slowed the whole thing down and just taken the point with a lesson learnt.
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Agreed. After missing chance after chance, I had accepted that we could play into the night and not score.
I said to 'she who must be ignored' that's that, I'll take the point...... 12 seconds later they run up the field and sucker punch us.
 
BillyShears said:
I find myself amused by the levels of hysteria.
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I think for me it's confirmed what I thought in November/December that a lot of people on here don't actually enjoy football.

It's a really unfortunate by-product of Pep's tenure, and probably the 18/19 title race is creating a mental state where winning, getting the 3 points, is the bare minimum and anything less is a disaster.

You can see it in the match threads, people are unhappy from the first minute because it starts 0-0. It's only acceptable to be positive if we're 2+ goals up because if it's 0-0 everything is shit, and if it's 1-0 then it's only a matter of time before they equalise and everything is shit.

It just breeds misery.

I enjoyed the Leeds game. The first half was really back and forth, the tactical battle was really interesting with Leeds' insane man v man system - so strict that at one point Mendy jogged over to the RW and Rafinha followed him. The red card killed that match, which was a shame, but the absolute barrage we subjected them to was still entertaining, especially as they had a threat on the break. I enjoyed seeing Torres and Aké play, I enjoyed seeing Zinchenko get a chance in midfield, I loved seeing Fernandinho enjoy himself going forwards and Stones realising he was the free man when Bamford went off so he could play as an attacking midfielder.

I wish we'd won and found the breakthrough, and the missed chances are annoying, but at the end of the day it was a good game of football and I enjoy watching football. It's got very little bearing on the rest of the season so I'm not going to act like the sky is falling because we lost a game.

Unfortunately, when you create this mentality where the only time you enjoy football is when we've won by 2+ goals and are 14+ points ahead in the title race, you're not going to enjoy 90% of the season.

I mean seriously, if you can't be happy when City are 11 points clear, leading a CL quarter final, in the FA Cup semi final and the League Cup final then when are you ever going to be happy?
 
The result is what it is yeah disappointing but 11 points is 11 points clear. If we don't god forbid beat Dortmund then questions will be asked no doubt. I would have liked to see KDB Foden etc get 20 mins out of the Leeds game... may have killed it off who knows great with hindsight... anyway onwards and upward Come on City lets beat the Germans!
 
Didsbury Dave said:
This thread is a depressing wake-up call as to how many forum regulars know nothing whatsoever ever football.
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I make no great claims to knowing much about the game, in fact I often realise how little I do know, but that's why I am happy to trust in the guy that understands the game better than most people on the planet, as in maybe everyone but Bielsa ;-)
 
domalino said:
I think for me it's confirmed what I thought in November/December that a lot of people on here don't actually enjoy football.

It's a really unfortunate by-product of Pep's tenure, and probably the 18/19 title race is creating a mental state where winning, getting the 3 points, is the bare minimum and anything less is a disaster.

You can see it in the match threads, people are unhappy from the first minute because it starts 0-0. It's only acceptable to be positive if we're 2+ goals up because if it's 0-0 everything is shit, and if it's 1-0 then it's only a matter of time before they equalise and everything is shit.

It just breeds misery.

I enjoyed the Leeds game. The first half was really back and forth, the tactical battle was really interesting with Leeds' insane man v man system - so strict that at one point Mendy jogged over to the RW and Rafinha followed him. The red card killed that match, which was a shame, but the absolute barrage we subjected them to was still entertaining, especially as they had a threat on the break. I enjoyed seeing Torres and Aké play, I enjoyed seeing Zinchenko get a chance in midfield, I loved seeing Fernandinho enjoy himself going forwards and Stones realising he was the free man when Bamford went off so he could play as an attacking midfielder.

I wish we'd won and found the breakthrough, and the missed chances are annoying, but at the end of the day it was a good game of football and I enjoy watching football. It's got very little bearing on the rest of the season so I'm not going to act like the sky is falling because we lost a game.

Unfortunately, when you create this mentality where the only time you enjoy football is when we've won by 2+ goals and are 14+ points ahead in the title race, you're not going to enjoy 90% of the season.

I mean seriously, if you can't be happy when City are 11 points clear, leading a CL quarter final, in the FA Cup semi final and the League Cup final then when are you ever going to be happy?
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I was more annoyed by the goals conceded than the misses but I agree with you.
 
Watched the game again,and i'm gonna file under bad day at the office.

We had plenty of chances,even more possession,and a tad of bad luck.We should have had a penalty and their keeper was bang on his game as was the Leeds entire defensive unit.

One noticeable thing,yet again,our final ball and decision making is absolutely shocking for a team of our quality.

That team Pep put out was good enough to win,selection wasn't why we lost.
 
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