Sorry but it was the same problem as last season and Pep has not fixed it still. The only player who has pace at the back and recovery speed is AK45 yet there appears to be no consistency in his selectionThis has been our issue all season and is the reason we've dropped so many points from winning positions. We can keep the ball and play simple passes no problem. At times at the start of the second half, when possession was up at 94% we played some excellent football. But we weren't going anywhere. So after a while we try to be a bit more incisive. But when we were at our best that came from our wide players beating their man, or it came from a clever shift in tempo. Slow passing suddenly turned into a quick incisive ball into space to someone running in behind. The goal against Leeds was a great example of what City used to do regularly and that's exactly what we needed to do at 1-0 up against Forest. Tire them out chasing the ball, slow the tempo then bang - quick pass into space and a pull back/pass along the 6 yard line and it's 2-0. From there you do exactly the same and space opens up as Forest commit players forward making it easy to go and kill the game.
What this City side do is pass pass pass and then suddenly someone plays a pretty ridiculous ball or someone turns into trouble/runs at their opponent and loses the ball. Immediately we're in trouble.
The fix is simple. Off the ball we need to recognise the space and patterns to attack better so we can control the game but still create chances, without risking giving it away and conceding. The second bit is to not defend like amateurs. Their first goal is why you don't play two full backs who can't defend. It's piss poor. The second is players ball watching and defending people rather than space.
The issue is, this should have been fixed by now in my opinion. It was in evidence against Chelsea, Brighton, Bodo - it's been there all season.
The positive is Pep will fix it and we'll be back to the winning machine we once were - but it's possibly too late for the league title now.
Huh?Mental take.
It’s a supreme piece of play by Anderson there’s fuck all anyone could’ve done about it.
Exactly what I’ve just said.Huh?
Anderson does a simple 1-2 with a teammate around Foden in the middle of the pitch, and has literally 5 plus yards of space in each direction around him to shoot with no worries.
What do you mean, no one could have done anything about it?
Spot on.Plain fact is that some of these players are not as good as some fans think they are.
Talk of big blu sharks etc was laughable.....people think we seecthe team we were 2 - 3 seasons ago.
There's barely a player in the squad fit to lace tge boots of prime walker, David Silva, kdb, Gundogan, sterling and even further back in Kompany Sergio and ferna.
This lot aren't even close some of them never will be...
It's like all those fans who thought Jack Grealish was world class ( but has now found his true level) all over again.....
Dillusional
The League cup final, you hope the match officials and VAR don't spoil it and anti City
On paper, we are good enough to beat them in a final, but i said that last season with palace
Plain fact is that some of these players are not as good as some fans think they are.
Talk of big blu sharks etc was laughable.....people think we seecthe team we were 2 - 3 seasons ago.
There's barely a player in the squad fit to lace tge boots of prime walker, David Silva, kdb, Gundogan, sterling and even further back in Kompany Sergio and ferna.
This lot aren't even close some of them never will be...
It's like all those fans who thought Jack Grealish was world class ( but has now found his true level) all over again.....
Dillusional
Yes, you are correct, but think of this, Erl is a beast and could comfortably do that job leaving (probably) Semenyo to capitalise.Get somebody else to take that role and put him a position like Rodri did when he scored to attack the incoming corner. He is no use just blocking the keeper. If they pull him back or obstruct him he should hit the deck and make them make a decision.
Mate how long have u been watching football?
If the GK comes out and doesn't get the ball but takes out the player it's a penalty always is and always has been. Even if Haaland does keep his leg in it's still a penalty.
If we play like last night we will get beat.
For too long, which is why I can easily spot when a striker is looking for the pen. Haaland changes his path to create the contact. You can see it really obviously on the angle where the camera is at Haalands back, I think that’s why he didn’t make a big deal out of it at all, given he did make a big deal out of a different one only a few minutes later.
Pre VAR some might have given it but everyone complained that they did back then too.
Hate to say it, but....Henderson; last year; they've got form!
How Much ???Pass pass pass I’m done with that shite and who the fuck with 30 secs to go takes a short corner! Pep was about to make two subs then we scored, why not bring them on then to push home the advantage? I didn’t think we would win the league this year im just surprised with how bad we are that we are still second. Still I’m fortunate I got an email from City saying for £30k + VAT I can have a box for the Madrid game.
Brighton manager virtually accused Arsenal of anti-football.If we’d nicked a winner, this thread would read completely different. That’s football. Fine margins change everything and people forget the bigger picture when the result doesn’t go our way.
Truth is, this squad needs time. We’ve got new lads in, different roles, different partnerships - that doesn’t just click overnight. You can’t build understanding in five minutes. We’ve got to let them gel, let them grow into it and see what it can become. Writing half of them off already helps nobody.
And honestly, are Arsenal really that much better than us? They get results, fair enough, but it’s hardly great to watch. Sitting with 10 or 11 behind the ball against teams they should be taking the game to? It’s proper turgid at times. How many games have they recently been very lucky in - Spurs goal disallowed, Chelsea not given a penalty and tonight with the poor goalkeeping for their goal and the Brighton stone wall penalty not given. You say there's a real lack of quality, but I'll argue that there's a real lack of quality in the world of football today. I can't name 10 world class players in today's football. I could name 50 in the 90's without hesitation.
I’d rather give this group time and see us try to play the right way than panic every time we drop points. It’s a process and it won’t sort itself out by everyone losing their heads when we don't win.
When a midfield player playing at right back and a kid in his first proper season are being talked up as potential players of the season, it just highlights how poor this squad is now compared with seasons gone by.
Yeah, just go for it. We’ll win it all next year anyhow.Look, this squad is not the finished article by any means, Really this season was a rebuilding season and a nod to the future. We have a very young squad that lacks experience. Also one or two players who are not fully back to their best after injuries and need more time
I will say one thing about the rest of the season and cup games, Pep needs to let the players play and attack and attack more and take the handbrake off, I don't want to see us hiding the ball in midfield and moving it from side to side going nowhere. There has to be more of an end product and more shots on target
Lastnight was our own downfall because of game management with Pep controlling the handbrake
Yeah, just go for it. We’ll win it all next year anyhow.
A lot easier when a good goal is chalked off to make it 2 - 2 in their derbyArsenal had a bit of rocky spell, but have since won three games 'on the trot' in a pressurised title 'run in' situation (two of them away from home) ..... that's a good reaction, some might say even a title winning reaction !