I presume you're not including Haaland as an injured player, but I fear that he's going to be out for longer than we were led to believeApart from Rodri who of our injured players are going to make any significant improvements…..(maybe Bobb)
Stones is never going to be fit for consecutive games and Akanji has had a stinker of a season.
We can no longer hide behind the injuries !
Part of it that can never be underestimated is how much say Pep has in recruitment player contracts , and wish lists etc and the consequence on the balance of the squad and the like and the subsequent necessity to off load players.I agree. I often wonder if the circumstances of Sergio's departure play a part in this. As I saw it at the time it appeared Pep was being ruthless in dispensing with his services, and I think the majority of fans like myself were being sentimental and would have been happy to see Sergio being given some sort of new contract. Then we saw Pep's tears for Sergio on the last day and his ' he cannot be replaced" speech. I think he really felt that and there was some guilt there on his part. In hindsight it appears he was right, Sergio was done and he made the right decision but I wonder if that emotion has affected his decision making since as we have not seen that degree of ruthlessness and he has certainly held on to some of senior players to long. Hindsight is a wonderful thing !
Take Salah and Virgil out of Liverpool and see how it goes. We were without Rodri and Haaland who are as importend to us as those to.Apart from Rodri who of our injured players are going to make any significant improvements…..(maybe Bobb)
Stones is never going to be fit for consecutive games and Akanji has had a stinker of a season.
We can no longer hide behind the injuries !
Calmed down and sobered up since posting yesterday.Toothless.
Embarrassed the previous great City sides.
Having a massive amount of possession with nothing to show for it, goals wise or even one decent opportunity being created is the slow, boring build up. Once wide yes, Doku especially tried it but to get to that point we have probably made 20 passes and allowed their whole team back to get into shape. We are dull and boring to watch, we have been even in the early part of the season when winning. This next team hopefully is exciting and reignites something with us fans too because what is served up currently is the reason the atmosphere is flat.Liverpool are miles better than us this season. We are closer to United and West Ham in 15th and 16th than we are Liverpool in 1st. In fact we are almost as far behind Liverpool as Wolves are behind us.
We had 7 players playing yesterday who either werent here or weren’t important players for us as recently as the treble season, 3 have been here for 3 games.
Those who’ve been here (like you say, Foden and De Bruyne) aren’t playing well.
All of our leaders are either injured, didn’t play, havent been playing well, are past their best and haven’t been a big part of this season… Dias Stones Rodri Gündoğan BSilva and Haaland didn’t start, Gündoğan BSilva and De Bruyne haven’t been playing well, bar Haaland they haven’t really been a big part of any good we’ve done this season because they’ve been out too much or just past it.
Considering all that, we did fine yesterday. It was a decent performance from an inexperienced team. It wasn’t all boring sideways passing, our wingers skinned their full backs all game and we worried them more than I’ve seen most teams do… until the last thing we did with some very poor crossing/passing/shooting.
It was frustrating but I think people are acting like this is our treble team who’ve nose dived, when really it’s an experimental newly put together half a team in its infancy.
Add Reis for Aké, possibly Cambiasso for Lewis, possibly Wirtz for De Bruyne, Haaland for Foden and bring Rodri back into the fold, and you’re talking about the team of the future just starting out, rather than the team of the past coming to an end.
Calmed down and sobered up since posting yesterday.
In hindsight, we played OK and could have got something from the game.
Disappointing that we couldn't take advantage of the space Doku was creating, I counted 3-4 Liverpool players drawn to him several times.
A couple of years younger , KDB, Gundo and a fit Rodri would have occupied that space and buried them.
Foden though, WTF.
I thought Nico played well too, in fact all three new players did.Khusanov did well - I found another bright spot.
Since losing at villa on Dec 21st, in the league we've had 5 wins, 2 draws, and 2 defeats, that's 17 points out of 27, scoring 23 and conceding 12 (5 of them in 1 games), 1 of the defeats was embarrasing, the other pretty much expected. I'd say that is a significant recovery.Starting with the loss to Spurs in October we went P13, W1, D3, L9. Champions of England going 13 games with 1 win.
Yes, I'd say that's falling off a cliff. We've barely recovered since and were it not for the points we gained early in the season we'd be nowhere near 4th.
We could and maybe we should but we won't as player contracts and other restrictions combined with the fact that some will be happy to stay on despite weakening our side will mean given we have increased our first team squad by three in January that it might be 3 maybe 4 in and 4-6 out I would guess over the summer but as long as those three are top notch and cover our weaknesses at the back and in midfield and we ease back Rodri I think we will finish closer to the top than we will this season which on current trend will be around 30 points.Nearly 24hrs since the game.
My views. At nearly 65 to 70% posession and hardly any chances created pretty much sums the game up. Made it easy for them. 2 shots on target, 2 goals. Then sit deep all game. Teams have worked us out. What frightens me is the total lack of pace and energy in our play. We are so passive.
Please don't tell me not to call out what I see. Rico Lewis is such a poor player from what we have had. Instead of putting his foot through it he turns back inside trying to be clever and ends up looking like a **** conceding a corner which leads to the goal. Fucking basics not being done.
Foden..Absolute wank. He is a highly decorated 24 yr old winner but appears to be shying away f from everything. I dont care about what he has done in the past, it's about now and he has been bang average at best.
Doku. Played well but fuck me his final ball is abysmal even though we had nobody in the middle.
Khusanov was superb. I have no idea why the media want to ruin a kid who has come into the prem and bar a bad 5 mins v chelsea (a game we won remember) he has been outstanding. A real shining light for us.
This season. FA cup. I dont think we are strong enough for top 4. Only keep KDB on reduced wages on a pay as you play deal. He can still help us in certain games. Such a shame to see him yesterday but he is a legend and always will be. Pep. PLAY GREALISH IN THE MIDDLE FOR FUCK SAKE.
Of the squad I could genuinely sell 10. I am sort of cool with this season. Makes me realise how good we have been something that nobody else will ever do again. One positive,Those tarquin cunts wont be anywhere the title again!! Latte drinking cunts.
With 4 cunts around him and no support ?If only Doku had an end product
hahaha deadFucking shit.
I’m going to cry wank to the theme tune of the Antiques Roadshow.
Compared to the garbage that preceded it, granted that is clearly true. But we're splitting hairs aren't we. Dropping 10 points in every 27 is pretty poor, and carrying on at that rate we would finish on 65 points. That would be the lowest total since Sven was in charge.I thought Nico played well too, in fact all three new players did.
Since losing at villa on Dec 21st, in the league we've had 5 wins, 2 draws, and 2 defeats, that's 17 points out of 27, scoring 23 and conceding 12 (5 of them in 1 games), 1 of the defeats was embarrasing, the other pretty much expected. I'd say that is a significant recovery.
I remember us discussing this in Athens on the eve of the Super Cup Final.A treble and four in a row in the last 2 seasons.
I didnt see the drop off coming as others did.
That said I would trade off the previous 2 seasons for this.
Just need the old guard and new lads to get us over the line for top 5 now.
I did forget about Haaland to be fairI presume you're not including Haaland as an injured player, but I fear that he's going to be out for longer than we were led to believe
It might not have made any difference yesterday but a left footed Haaland attacking the near post would have at least given Doku an option
Calling a manager who has won 6 out of 7 league titles clueless isn't so much unfair as an admission of idiocy.Is calling him clueless fair criticism? Tonight I thought playing Phil as the 9 and playing direct corners was ineffective. Calling a manager who has won 6 out of 7 Leagues clueless isn't fair criticism IMO.
Disagreed ! I don’t think our players are single cell amoebaToothless and spineless