The back four isn’t title winning quality

Ardwick Green Blue said:
Looks like we are going to be playing catch up with Liverpool for a while now. Clearly nothing is decided in September but it's a fact that with the departure of Kompany and now the loss of Laporte for months we are weaker than last season. It's hard to judge Cancelo on his two minutes of playing time, though.
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The loss of Vinny is equally about the loss of boot-room team talks as it is / was his presence on the field.

Can anybody fill his boots on and off the pitch?

Someone said bringing in Pierce, yet we let Vieira go and i think we need that kind of tactical nuance.
 
I think Otamendi would be the first to admit his display yesterday was not good enough but it was more down to lack of concentration caused by complacency than a lack of quality. He’s been quality for us in the past and is not too old for a centre back. He had the best passing stats in the league in 17/18. Stones wasn’t great yesterday but he’s feeling his way back in. I do worry about the full backs though, Zinch has done a good job for us but we need Mendy back. Walker makes too many mistakes and doesn’t offer enough going forward. However, it may not be the best time to bring Cancelo in with the centre backs lacking form and fitness.
 
We have Shakhtar wed, so keeping KDB and Fern on the bench made a lot of sense, it just goes to show that we can't afford to underestimate anyone, including Norwich in this league - as Pep says time and time again, it's the toughest league in europe.

We put it behind us, learn what we can and we go again.
 
Keeper! said:
Yesterday Norwich were outstanding and totally deserved their win.
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Not outstanding just organised and determined any PL team with those qualities would have beaten us. The OP asks is the current back four winning material and sadly the answer is a definative no. A post above says that Walker is the least of out problems and that says it all really. Pep faces his biggest challenge since his early months and hopefully he can find a way.
 
Father Paul said:
Not outstanding just organised and determined any PL team with those qualities would have beaten us. The OP asks is the current back four winning material and sadly the answer is a definative no. A post above says that Walker is the least of out problems and that says it all really. Pep faces his biggest challenge since his early months and hopefully he can find a way.
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The same group of players have won the league previously though and shown they are winning material. Your overacting after losing one game.

Can we never lose a game now or are you going to have a meltdown when we do ?? What were you like last season when we lost a game ?
 
Cheadle_hulmeBlue said:
The same group of players have won the league previously though and shown they are winning material. Your overacting after losing one game.

Can we never lose a game now or are you going to have a meltdown when we do ?? What were you like last season when we lost a game ?
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Would be interesting to know what some were like before Pep came. Or... [shudders] before 2008.
 
The main issue yesterday was Otto's brain fart, not for the first time this season he completely switched off in the box.

Any other year he would be getting dropped but how can you do this when we are so thin at the back?

We need Pep to insert a rocket straight up his asre and then hammer it home for good measure.
 
Cheadle_hulmeBlue said:
The same group of players have won the league previously though and shown they are winning material. Your overacting after losing one game.

Can we never lose a game now or are you going to have a meltdown when we do ?? What were you like last season when we lost a game ?
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No back in May I said we needed to replace Vinny and we didn't the loss of Laporte has put that into sharp focus. Zinchenko appears to be suffering a similar fate as Delph last season, Stones looks weak in the challenge and Otto is a good back up but no more. Walker is athletic and honest but not very creative. Both collectively and individually as a unit they don't look the part. Yes of course they have contributed to our success and I am greatful for that but I am only giving an honest answer to the OP and yesterdays result merely colours this
assessment. The coming weeks will tell a tale and hopefully we can hang on until we try to replace Vinny and get Laporte back on the pitch.
 
People using the loss of Vinny are being slightly disingenuous, he was never fit for three seasons.

His loss in the dressing room as a vocal leader is quite separate.

Quite simply, the back four, regardless of who it is made up of, suffers when you have Gundogan in it.

For me, we should be playing both Rodri and Fernandinho together in the middle when we are away from home.

Interesting to note it was Vinny who told Henry with Belgium how City were susceptible at the front post and should get across Fern in the World Cup game.

It is the system which others are also now exploiting.
 
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