2015 - The Big Games.

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GX Blue

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When the game was approaching on Saturday, I was excited being a big game and all.
However I did think to myself, this last year when we had a big game we actually have done quite poor.
Looked this morning at our results over the last year against our main rivals. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Rags, Spuds and Champions League. Not included Everton as they aren’t that big a match or the Gladbach game as they were bottom of the League in Germany so not a 'Big' team in my opinion. Was a match we should have won. And we did.
Doesn’t cover up though that our record this year is actually pretty shocking and it seems that we are falling short a lot more often than not when we play decent opposition.

JUVENTUS - A - LOST 1-0
LIVERPOOL - H - LOST 4-1
SEVILLA - A - WON 3-1
UTD - A - DREW 0-0
SEVILLA - H - WON 2-1
SPURS - A - LOST 4-1
JUVENTUS - H - LOST 2-1
CHELSEA - H - WON 3-0
---------------------
SPURS -A - WON 1-0
UTD - A - LOST 4-2
BARCA - A - LOST 1-0
LIVERPOOL - A - LOST 2-1
BARCA - H - LOST 2-1
CHELSEA - A - DREW 1-1
ARSENAL - H - LOST 2-0
 
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GX Blue said:
When the game was approaching on Saturday, I was excited being a big game and all.
However I did think to myself, this last year when we had a big game we actually have done quite poor.
Looked this morning at our results over the last year against our main rivals. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Rags, Spuds and Champions League. Not included Everton as they aren’t that big a match or the Gladbach game as they were bottom of the League in Germany so not a 'Big' team in my opinion. Was a match we should have won. And we did.
Doesn’t cover up though that our record this year is actually pretty shocking and it seems that we are falling short a lot more often than not when we play decent opposition.


LIVERPOOL - H - LOST 1-4
SEVILLA - A - WON 3-1
UTD - A - DREW 0-0
SEVILLA - H - WON 2-1
SPURS - A - LOST 4-1
JUVENTUS - H - LOST 2-1
CHELSEA - H - WON 3-0
---------------------
SPURS -A - WON 1-0
UTD - A - LOST 4-2
BARCA - A - LOST 1-0
LIVERPOOL - A - LOST 2-1
BARCA - H - LOST 2-1
CHELSEA - A - DREW 1-1
ARSENAL - H - LOST 2-0
Click to expand...
is 1st v 10th usually classed as a "big game"? is Saturdays match a "big game"?
 
LadislavMplmx said:
is 1st v 10th usually classed as a "big game"? is Saturdays match a "big game"?
Click to expand...

If you take the Scousers out, you have to take Sevilla out too. Getting beaten by 4 goals 3 times in those games is the most worrying for me. We hadn't been beaten by 4 goals since August 2008 until the rags last season and its now 3 times in 20 games in the prem.
 
The big games are where the manager can make a huge difference. So why are you surprised the results are piss poor.
 
Top tier managers win big games, why are you surprised we're not winning them? We lack a top tier manager, therefore we lack wins in the big games.
 
Top tier managers do indeed win big games. Allegedly.

Mourhino was lauded as the best in the business on the 1st January 2015 and again in May 2015 when he won the league.

His record in 2015? He has won 2 games out of 11 played against big teams (Rags/Arse/Spuds/Scouse/Us and PSG & Porto)

That is shocking.
 
Pablo ZZZ Peroni said:
Top tier managers do indeed win big games. Allegedly.

Mourhino was lauded as the best in the business on the 1st January 2015 and again in May 2015 when he won the league.

His record in 2015? He has won 2 games out of 11 played against big teams (Rags/Arse/Spuds/Scouse/Us and PSG & Porto)

That is shocking.
Click to expand...


That's their problem.
I’m concerned with our own issue with this.
They have a 'bond' with him which is proving costly for them so far this season. Any other manager would have been sacked at Chelsea.
We need to look at ourselves and ask if Pellers is the right man as that record we have is awful.
 
Pablo ZZZ Peroni said:
Top tier managers do indeed win big games. Allegedly.

Mourhino was lauded as the best in the business on the 1st January 2015 and again in May 2015 when he won the league.

His record in 2015? He has won 2 games out of 11 played against big teams (Rags/Arse/Spuds/Scouse/Us and PSG & Porto)

That is shocking.
Click to expand...
And why he was/is a couple more shockers away from the sack
 
GX Blue said:
That's their problem.
I’m concerned with our own issue with this.
They have a 'bond' with him which is proving costly for them so far this season. Any other manager would have been sacked at Chelsea.
We need to look at ourselves and ask if Pellers is the right man as that record we have is awful.
Click to expand...
Reason why I am still willing to give Pellers some more time is that no obvious replacement exists except perhaps Ancelotti.
 
Father Paul said:
Reason why I am still willing to give Pellers some more time is that no obvious replacement exists except perhaps Ancelotti.
Click to expand...

End of the day we lost to Liverpool. A lot of knee jerk reactions on here and it looks like with this topic I’m just saying Pellers out the day after a bad result.
But the facts don’t lie... We weren't good enough last year and we came nowhere near winning anything. Then you look at his record over time in big games and you see how bad we do in those too.
Its not pleasant reading for him.
Anchelotti is a big player manager and would actually be perfect for us.
The Pep obsession might get in the way of that though.
 
GX Blue said:
End of the day we lost to Liverpool. A lot of knee jerk reactions on here and it looks like with this topic I’m just saying Pellers out the day after a bad result.
But the facts don’t lie... We weren't good enough last year and we came nowhere near winning anything. Then you look at his record over time in big games and you see how bad we do in those too.
Its not pleasant reading for him.
Anchelotti is a big player manager and would actually be perfect for us.
The Pep obsession might get in the way of that though.
Click to expand...
The reactions clearly aren't keejerk anymore
 
GX Blue said:
That's their problem.
I’m concerned with our own issue with this.
They have a 'bond' with him which is proving costly for them so far this season. Any other manager would have been sacked at Chelsea.
We need to look at ourselves and ask if Pellers is the right man as that record we have is awful.
Click to expand...

Why the calendar year tho? Go back a further 6 weeks and make it the last 12 months and it looks completely different because you then include wins against Bayern at home and Roma away and no losses.

Or why not in the league only from when he started against other Big 6. Mourhino is ahead in that by just 1 win - 12 against 11.
 
Pablo ZZZ Peroni said:
Top tier managers do indeed win big games. Allegedly.

Mourhino was lauded as the best in the business on the 1st January 2015 and again in May 2015 when he won the league.

His record in 2015? He has won 2 games out of 11 played against big teams (Rags/Arse/Spuds/Scouse/Us and PSG & Porto)

That is shocking.
Click to expand...
Indeed it's shocking, but they've been just as shite against EVERY team they've faced this year. Our issue is that we consistently under perform against specifically the better teams.

I like Pellegrini, he gets us playing great football, but he gets us playing great football against teams you'd very much expect us to beat. I've always thought he isn't a top manager tactically, for his first couple of years he simply refused to adjust to the opposition he was facing, whereas the majority of teams would adjust to play against us - this led to the exact same problem being seen for many a big game for 2 years almost, every football person & their mother could point to what we were doing wrong yet it wasn't changed.
This year I've been surprised to see that Pellegrini has started trying to adjust more for certain matches (e.g. Sevilla, Spurs, Villa, Liverpool & United), the only problem is he gets it "wrong" just as much as he gets it "right". An example would be setting us up perfectly for an away Europe performance (Sevilla) & then starting almost an identical line up against the team bottom of the table (Villa), 1 perfect followed by 1 that leaves you questioning the logic.

Nothing against the guy & don't wish him to leave by any means, but have felt throughout his entire time with us that whilst I like his attitude & style, he isn't the manager who was going to take us to the next level in terms of improving as a side - who that man would be I don't know, Pep seems the obvious shout but whether he could do it with a side that isn't close to being as dominant as his previous couple remains to be seen.
I think the vast majority of neutrals would say we have the best players in the PL, but we have never really shown that consistently.
 
GaudinoMotors said:
The reactions clearly aren't keejerk anymore
Click to expand...

So Liverpool is the first loss in 10 games after 7 wins and 2 draws and it isn't kneejerk? If we have that sequence for the rest of the season we will do alright.

I'm not an apologist here. Saturday was a fucking mess and it's his responsibility.
 
Pablo ZZZ Peroni said:
So Liverpool is the first loss in 10 games after 7 wins and 2 draws and it isn't kneejerk? If we have that sequence for the rest of the season we will do alright.

I'm not an apologist here. Saturday was a fucking mess and it's his responsibility.
Click to expand...

We should have that record though!
We shouldn't hardly ever lose a Prem Lge game. We have the best squad in the league.
A surprise result here and there ok, but to be smashed 4-1 twice and lose at home to WHU. I'd also consdider drawing 0-0 with Villa a basic loss as we are the only team in last 9 games they haven't lost against!!!
 
Pablo ZZZ Peroni said:
So Liverpool is the first loss in 10 games after 7 wins and 2 draws and it isn't kneejerk? If we have that sequence for the rest of the season we will do alright.

I'm not an apologist here. Saturday was a fucking mess and it's his responsibility.
Click to expand...
No it isn't kneejerk - of course we have decent runs - somtimes despite his selections and formations - eventually his luck / judgment (delete as you wish) ends and he reverts to getting it badly wrong. Nothing to do with unlucky losses or great games that didn't quite go our way - but managerial performances like Satudays shambolic debacle.
 
stablemcfc said:
Indeed it's shocking, but they've been just as shite against EVERY team they've faced this year. Our issue is that we consistently under perform against specifically the better teams.

I like Pellegrini, he gets us playing great football, but he gets us playing great football against teams you'd very much expect us to beat. I've always thought he isn't a top manager tactically, for his first couple of years he simply refused to adjust to the opposition he was facing, whereas the majority of teams would adjust to play against us - this led to the exact same problem being seen for many a big game for 2 years almost, every football person & their mother could point to what we were doing wrong yet it wasn't changed.
This year I've been surprised to see that Pellegrini has started trying to adjust more for certain matches (e.g. Sevilla, Spurs, Villa, Liverpool & United), the only problem is he gets it "wrong" just as much as he gets it "right". An example would be setting us up perfectly for an away Europe performance (Sevilla) & then starting almost an identical line up against the team bottom of the table (Villa), 1 perfect followed by 1 that leaves you questioning the logic.

Nothing against the guy & don't wish him to leave by any means, but have felt throughout his entire time with us that whilst I like his attitude & style, he isn't the manager who was going to take us to the next level in terms of improving as a side - who that man would be I don't know, Pep seems the obvious shout but whether he could do it with a side that isn't close to being as dominant as his previous couple remains to be seen.
I think the vast majority of neutrals would say we have the best players in the PL, but we have never really shown that consistently.
Click to expand...

Nice post. I get the frustration. My postion is I hate excessive criticism of anything to do with City.

Despite the Chelsea blip you would expext the Big 4 in the Premier League to continue to be Arsenal, United and Chelsea. Financially they are the biggest 4. Spurs are making agreat fist of it this season with their more limited respources and Liverpool now have Klopp and the expectation levels (again) have gone through the ceiling.

Our record in the last 4 games against the other Big 3:

United DLWW
Chelsea WDDW (I've included the cup game in there :) )
Arsenal LDDW

I make that W5 D5 L2 and that is not a disaster in my eyes as far as the big picture is concerned.
 
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