Southampton (H) | PL | Post-Match Thread

[goalmole]

Is it part of the strategy to balls up great goal scoring oportunities.

That same accusation (that we are shit in front of goal) has bandied about for years now, including title winning seasons, record breaking seasons and when the sainted Sergio was leading the line. Truth is that, while ballsing up great goalscoring opportunities isn't part of the strategy, creating lots of chances is, and we do this usually with a crowd of 21 sets of legs in and around the penalty area making it less likely that the attacking players are going to get clean crosses into the danger area or clean shots at goal. The exception is when we attack on the counter but those counters are rare because we are the team that is usually camped in the opposition penalty area for 80% of the game.
Unlike some of our fans, I don't think we are shit, I just think the lower chance creation to scoring ratio is down to the style of football we play and the tactics other teams use to nullify the threat we pose, i.e packing their own penalty area and hoping for a counter.
We've seen this happening for years and it's going to keep on happening while we are the possession based attacking force that we are.

 

[Gray]

Having read most of the posts on here I am not going to change my mind - it was a bloody awful 98 minutes of turgid crap.

 

[MadchesterCity]

We have to buy a striker in January. We can't go all season with just Haaland. It's not fair on him. And if we don't do that, we won't win the title.

We have Echeverri coming in January

 

[Axel Freed]

Came across this video of some fantastic City goals at Soton, the first one sparks an absolutely mental celebration and a mini pitch invasion - Pete the Badge can be seen behind the goal - absolute scenes

 

[.db.]

I’ve only just noticed that both Ortega and Carson were listed as subs. Presumably the plan, in the event of an injury to the Viking, was to move Eddie to striker.

Ederson’s probably been more creative than most of our midielders this season, would be worth a go.

 

[.db.]

We have Echeverri coming in January

He’s a midfielder

 

[ancoats]

Having read most of the posts on here I am not going to change my mind - it was a bloody awful 98 minutes of turgid crap.

But did we win, YES

I wouldn't have cared if they scored an own goal to win us the game it's 3 points and a win, Sometimes you aim for the stars but hit the moon, I think we looked better and stronger in our defence today which was a plus and a clean sheet. Look I agree 100% it could have been better, but also it could have been 100% better and we lost, that's football

 

[i8rags]

3 that’s the magic number

 

[BlueMonkey79]

The novelty of winning isn’t doing it for you any more mate?

Never heard so much shite in all my life.

How can the novelty of winning wear off when the team you support is chasing league titles and other cups every year.

Yeah, let's fuck off winning for a 5-4 thriller either way.

What a bizarre comment!!!!

 

[Bluesince1979]

Came across this video of some fantastic City goals at Soton, the first one sparks an absolutely mental celebration and a mini pitch invasion - Pete the Badge can be seen behind the goal - absolute scenes

Always tickles me that pitch invasion. Maurizio gaudinio loving being in the middle of it

 

[metalblue]

It wasn’t what I’d call poor but it was predictable and frustrating which made it a hard watch, not helped with it being 1-0 and Southampton were always a threat - how fucking tall was that lad they brought on?

We are missing KbB’s creativity in the middle and no one has really taken that role on. It’ll come, in the meantime we will have to grind out results against well organised teams as our build up play is slow. Fair play to Southampton they came and had a go, they looked open to a drubbing at the start but didn’t happen, we let a couple of chsnces go by, and they certainly grew in confidence.

 

[.db.]

It wasn’t what I’d call poor but it was predictable and frustrating which made it a hard watch, not helped with it being 1-0 and Southampton were always a threat - how fucking tall was that lad they brought on?

We are missing KbB’s creativity in the middle and no one has really taken that role on. It’ll come, in the meantime we will have to grind out results against well organised teams as our build up play is slow. Fair play to Southampton they came and had a go, they looked open to a drubbing at the start but didn’t happen, we let a couple of chsnces go by, and they certainly grew in confidence.

It’s the creativity that’s the issue. We have gone from having a team full of creators (de Bruyne, DSilva, Sané, Mahrez, Sterling, Agüero), to a team where it’s whittled down to just the odd pure creative player and one is injured (constantly) and the other is 34 and looks like he’s lost that creative touch a bit.

Other than that we actually control games well, last few weeks we’ve passed the ball quicker, we have players who can take players on or have decent shots on them from distance… we just lack those chances we used to create where it is that final pass that has quality and unlocks the tight defence.

That’s where, especially at home, I’d rather see McAtee who is a proper midfielder rather than Lewis who works hard and is a good short passer of the ball. McAtee will be much more instinctively creative than Lewis and has a much better eye for goal.

 

[East Level 2]

Southampton are better than their league position suggests. They came and defended well but also tried to attack. Seen a lot worse go to Etihad and get something. They will go down playing like that though because they probably need to score 3 to win any game (usually).

Every team is deemed to be "better than their league position suggests" when we have a narrow victory against them.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

Too many one footed players without Rodri and De Bruyne and this seems to amplify our lack of pace.

However a win's a win.

 

[Big Swifty]

Too many one footed players without Rodri and De Bruyne and this seems to amplify our lack of pace.

However a win's a win.

Indeed.

Three points, clean sheet, no injuries (AFAIK).

Other than that - not a lot to say.

 

[Roachy]

It’s the creativity that’s the issue. We have gone from having a team full of creators (de Bruyne, DSilva, Sané, Mahrez, Sterling, Agüero), to a team where it’s whittled down to just the odd pure creative player and one is injured (constantly) and the other is 34 and looks like he’s lost that creative touch a bit.

This echoes my thoughts. By and large we dominate and control the match but the creativity and a little bit of flair has really fallen away. KdB is fantastic but has been on the wane for 12- 18 months now. Can't complain as we're top of the league and hopefully will be at seasons end. I think a major splurge is required next summer for this squad.

 

[Gorton_Tubster]

Walker, Kevin, Stones, Ake, Rodri... The equivelent of Salah, vvd, taa all being out at the same time. Difference is we dont get that coverage so it isnt talked about as much, even by City fans. We have an injury crisis so grinding out these results is to be expected.

 

[.db.]

This echoes my thoughts. By and large we dominate and control the match but the creativity and little bit of flair has really fallen away. KdB is fantastic but has been on the wane for 12- 18 months now. Can't complain as we're top of the league and hopefully will be at seasons end. I think a major splurge is required next summer for this squad.

If Pep wins the league with this squad, it will be one of his greatest achievements.

So far we’re picking in the points and may be top come the end of this round of games, but we aren’t as good at creating chances as we used to be. de Bruyne will come back soon but we just don’t know how long for.

 

[.db.]

Every team is deemed to be "better than their league position suggests" when we have a narrow victory against them.

Pep said the same thing to be fair.

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

christ we can't half be depressive on here after a win