Half-term report

M M

Marvin

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 Jan 2006
Messages
46,683
Where do you start?

perhaps where we are: 3rd and in CL last 16. Not bad, but then Chelsea are 7 points clear and have no CL football. It would be a surprise if they didn't go from here and walk it.

There were bound to be hiccups but we've done it the City way. 10 wins on the trot, and then a mini-collapse. The illogical way to do it. You'd think a new manager with new methods would struggle at first and then it would click. Hopefully a blip. The players are super-committed and that's a good sign. If you're not sure about that, then think back to leciester. We might have got thrashed but we never gave up, and against Arsenal we tackled them off the pitch in the 2nd half.

The City team looks to be in transition. We've got defensive players who get caught out for pace one on one and frustratingly Kompany, the player who could answer much of our defensive problems has been dogged by injury. Seemingly over his calf and muscle problems he does his knee ligaments as does Gundogan.

On the positive side: Leroy Sane looks very exciting and we have Jesus to come to. Surely with Aguero back in the fold, and those two we are going to score loads of goals the problem will be keeping them out at the other end. I am not sure Aguero isn't past his best as he looks a bit slower, but then again he's getting loads of chances. he could have doubled his return. Two full-backs and the return of Kompany, and I think we'd be sorted. I don't think our defence is good enough for us to play Pep football, but as long as we're heading the right way.

De Bruyne: Brilliant. Hazard and De Bruyne the two best players in the Premier league.

Elsewhere hugely impressed by Chelsea's manager. They are not a great team, and yet they win. perhaps over-reliant on Hazard.

Utd: More boring than LVG, and the beneficiaries of some incredible refereeing. I can't see them making the top 4 which given the amount they've spent would be a disaster.

Leciester: No surprise. The league has been very predictable apart from us.
 
I'd gave us 7.5 out of 10 at this point

A great start, some great results but let too many points slip away.

De Bruyne and Sterling have been excellent with Sane showing signs of improvement with every game he plays
 
6 out of 10.
Not too bad position wise considering the problems we have.
Major problems defending and being unable to convert chances.
Playing a high defensive line with defenders who have no pace is simply suicidal especially with a keeper who can't deal with the type of chance this deficiency leads to (the running shot and the one-on-one). Big problems dealing with the second ball as well, though this looks as though it is being dealt with of late.
Far to tiki-taka going forward though this has changed over the last two games with passes down the channels and more running at the opposition defence. Still needs improvement on converting chances and wing play (a reluctance ro beat their men and get behind the opposition defence).
 
Marvin said:
Where do you start?

perhaps where we are: 3rd and in CL last 16. Not bad, but then Chelsea are 7 points clear and have no CL football. It would be a surprise if they didn't go from here and walk it.

There were bound to be hiccups but we've done it the City way. 10 wins on the trot, and then a mini-collapse. The illogical way to do it. You'd think a new manager with new methods would struggle at first and then it would click. Hopefully a blip. The players are super-committed and that's a good sign. If you're not sure about that, then think back to leciester. We might have got thrashed but we never gave up, and against Arsenal we tackled them off the pitch in the 2nd half.

The City team looks to be in transition. We've got defensive players who get caught out for pace one on one and frustratingly Kompany, the player who could answer much of our defensive problems has been dogged by injury. Seemingly over his calf and muscle problems he does his knee ligaments as does Gundogan.

On the positive side: Leroy Sane looks very exciting and we have Jesus to come to. Surely with Aguero back in the fold, and those two we are going to score loads of goals the problem will be keeping them out at the other end. I am not sure Aguero isn't past his best as he looks a bit slower, but then again he's getting loads of chances. he could have doubled his return. Two full-backs and the return of Kompany, and I think we'd be sorted. I don't think our defence is good enough for us to play Pep football, but as long as we're heading the right way.

De Bruyne: Brilliant. Hazard and De Bruyne the two best players in the Premier league.

Elsewhere hugely impressed by Chelsea's manager. They are not a great team, and yet they win. perhaps over-reliant on Hazard.

Utd: More boring than LVG, and the beneficiaries of some incredible refereeing. I can't see them making the top 4 which given the amount they've spent would be a disaster.

Leciester: No surprise. The league has been very predictable apart from us.
Click to expand...

Perphaps off topic in terms of the thread, but I think the days of Kompany playing any significant role are over.

Clearly there's the issue around injuries in that when he comes back, if the past 2 years are anything to go by, there's very high chance he won't last long when he does. But also, he doesn't play "the Pep way". Yes, he defends from the front, which Pep likes but other than that he's a lump it forward kind of defender, and also his passing is well rough. He's not that great on the ball overall. Even if fully fit, I'd expect him to be playing a bit part or to get shipped out pretty soon.
 
Marvin said:
Elsewhere hugely impressed by Chelsea's manager. They are not a great team, and yet they win. perhaps over-reliant on Hazard.

Utd: More boring than LVG, and the beneficiaries of some incredible refereeing. I can't see them making the top 4 which given the amount they've spent would be a disaster.
Click to expand...

Whoever heads CFC at the end of the season wins the title. Titles are won by teams with a rock solid defence (Oh for the days of Vinny and Joleoninho), and somebody who only needs a sniff to score with half a chance.

The Swamp Donkeys: Heaven, Earth and the whole solar system will be moved by the FArce, PL, PiGMOL, the RagDipperArseHaringeyMeedya to make sure they get one of the CL slots. They are back to living a 'charmed' life. Two red cards the week of The War of Sergio's Foot and they get a clean bill from the FArce.
 
Not too bothered about defensive lapses other than they have hurt us because we failed to score more when the opportunities were clearly there. It is for everyone to see this squad has more potential. The togetherness is very good. Most players play better than last year, so credit must go to the manager for that.

The bad luck with injuries continue unfortunately.
New signings to be judged after a year with the club, especially the ones who'd never played in the PL before.

Youth set-up continues to develop in a very positive way, yet more patience is due.
Ladies team has done ever so well (hard to beat that next year). The club has looked after them very well and the womens team has become an important part within the club. Rightly so for womens football is the fastest growing sport worldwide.

Financially the club looks as healthy as ever. It'll be hard for the usual suspects within FIFA, UEFA and the former G14 clubs to find a new way to stop City progressing within Europe. The FA, referees and the media are still working on the agenda, but the club has lived with that in recent years and will live with it the next.

Finally back to the 1st team and the management. Never seen such a big group managing a squad. I expect Pep and his men to search and find the best way for his dream to play football the way he wants it within the PL. That will definitely not be a copy of what he did at Barcelona and Bayern. But everyone will see City play as a Pep-team when he comes close to what he is looking for.
 
I think Pep had his light bulb moment at Leicester. Realised that he needs to adapt and now seems to be embracing the challenge. It will be interesting to see how the focus on winning 2nd balls manifests itself at Hull (the Arsenal game was never going to be that sort of game).
 
We look like a side that is in transition, don't have the right players to fully make the most of the system and will have a few more blips along the way.

Some promising signs though.

7/10

Chelsea looked good, Arsenal not so good. I have been impressed with Liverpool but they are prone to sloppy moments much like us and I think United are getting better and look solid at the back. Should be a close Run thing this year.
 
6/10

Had higher expectations, which seemed warranted at the start of the season after the first few games. Then we tailed off and at times looked worse than under Pellegrini.
I am not blaming Pep necessarily, I think the summer was yet another wasted opportunity to get the players that we actually need (hint: defenders).
 
I will leave the media to decide on this question!! After a few games we were going to win it by a mile as we had so much money, the best squad ever in existence, so much money, the best manager the planet had ever seen and so so much money.Then after a few blips and a defence seemingly collapsing and a manager totally "found out" we were likely to finish out of the top 4 and having to sack the manager.

Even now we hear on one hand we haven't got one defender good enough for a top 4 prem side and on the other that we still have the best squad in the league. It surely cannot be both!

We are doing ok. After the early run of wins we were never that good as some of the wins were close run things against crap sides, but we won. Then we had some weak results ( home draws) where we should have won, Chelsea included, scraped away wins before Leicester woke up the media so they could really get the knives out.

The under 18's are great though!
 
7.5/10

Brilliant start, a serious wobble in terms of results and performances followed, and the recently signs that the team are adapting to his methods in the last few games.
Qualified from a difficult group in champs league. Piss poor in the league cup. Still in touch in the league but a bit further behind than wanted.

When it clicks it clicks. Challenge for the second half is to make it click for whole games at a time.
 
I'd think I'd go so far as giving it an 8 or maybe even a 9.

We scraped 4th last season remember, with a manager who knew the ropes inside out having been here 3 seasons. We started this season with the same glaring weaknesses in terms of defenders.

And yet, we are 1 point off 2nd, and we've come through a really difficult sticky patch. And critically, when we've been good, MY GOD we've been incredible. I cannot remember an English team in the past 20 years taking on Barca like we did and beating them like we did. Some of the football we've been playing has been absolutely phenomenal.

If Pep can achieve this in his first 4 months, I can only imagine what we will be like after a couple of years and a few more transfer windows.
 
Chippy_boy said:
I'd think I'd go so far as giving it an 8 or maybe even a 9.

We scraped 4th last season remember, with a manager who knew the ropes inside out having been here 3 seasons. We started this season with the same glaring weaknesses in terms of defenders.

And yet, we are 1 point off 2nd, and we've come through a really difficult sticky patch. And critically, when we've been good, MY GOD we've been incredible. I cannot remember an English team in the past 20 years taking on Barca like we did and beating them like we did. Some of the football we've been playing has been absolutely phenomenal.

If Pep can achieve this in his first 4 months, I can only imagine what we will be like after a couple of years and a few more transfer windows.
Click to expand...

im with you mate. when its clicked we've been phenomenal. we know we have areas to improve and when they are hopefully corrected, we will have some bloody side! a bloody good young side i hasten to add. the future looks incredible from the roots right up to the first team, on and off the field. we are lucky ladies and gentlemen, very lucky to be alive and witnessing the growth of the modern MCFC.
 
everything could be viewed a lot rosier or with a lot more doom-mongery depending on the next 2 results, which will actually be the half way point of the domestic season.
 
Good thread!

8/10. Not in terms of results, but process. Yes, we're a ways behind Chelsea, but some important stuff has been happening. Perhaps the most impact and most neglected has been Pep's learning process. He said from the outset that he was here to learn, but fans' focus has been on whether the squad can learn his approach.

There's no doubt in my mind that he is able to crack any problem presented to him. But until he came here, he's not known first hand what the challenges are facing a team playing his way in the PL. He's now had half a season of the PL. Now he knows what the problems are, and I trust 100% in his ability to find solutions and communicate them to his players.

I reckon we'll be there or there abouts this season, and back to back titles in the next two years.
 
Its kind of gone as I expected other than the timing of our blip. Thought we would find it difficult for the first 10 games or so then improve steadily. Love Pep still and think he will get us to previously unimagined heights of excellence but it will take time. Think he has improved almost all of our squad which is the mark of a great coach and we look more like a team than we have in the past few seasons. In terms of player performances, Dinho has been bloody amazing as has Merlin, Kev has done some amazing stuff and Sane is improving every game. Kun worries me a bit, his on field discipline hints that all is not well with him. Maybe he is not used to a coach that actually tells him how he wants him to play. So I would say 7 out of 10. Chelsea have been better than I expected however, if they lose Hazard or Costa they will struggle. Liverpool have looked good at times but are inconsistent, ditto Spuds. Refereeing continues to be very depressing.
 
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