The back four isn’t title winning quality

Neville Kneville said:
It doesn't really change anything relevant to this thread.

Fernandinho wasn't a def mid & had to become one thanks to Yaya/Pellegrini, but he was one of the world's best midfielders anyhow, so it was irrelevant.

Right now, we have to win most of our remaining games & pick the best team to do it.
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Are you suggesting that we have to drop Rodri and rely mostly on Fernandinho until Laporte is back?

Fernnadinho hasn't played much since the end of Fenruary as he suffered several injuries and wasn't exactly at the level of his pre-March performances. He turned 34 several months ago. He is an excelent option to have but he shouldn't be expect to start many games as a DM. Normally, CBs cover less distance than DMs, so he might be more useful at CB right now or maybe next to Rodri in more difficult games. Fernandinho also makes mistakes. That error for the penalty against Newcastle was like Otamendi's mistake vs Norwich.
 
alexmcity said:
Are you suggesting that we have to drop Rodri and rely mostly on Fernandinho until Laporte is back?

Fernnadinho hasn't played much since the end of Fenruary as he suffered several injuries and wasn't exactly at the level of his pre-March performances. He turned 34 several months ago. He is an excelent option to have but he shouldn't be expect to start many games as a DM. Normally, CBs cover less distance than DMs, so he might be more useful at CB right now or maybe next to Rodri in more difficult games. Fernandinho also makes mistakes. That error for the penalty against Newcastle was like Otamendi's mistake vs Norwich.
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No.
 
mayo31 said:
People go on about the press and their bias against us.

Not sure you have to look further than this site and thread to see we have a lot of our own who seem to have given up on certain players and the team/squad

Well, sorry this is it until January so suck it up
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You're wrong and I'll explain why. This is a discussion forum where people discuss, rant, rave and get it off their chest. It is the online version of the pub pre internet days, probably a little more ordered as you can measure your response uninterrupted and in peace and quiet. Everytime people do just that though the same boring old lines are trotted out. 'Grow some bollocks, man up, what were you like when we were shit, I wouldn't want to be in the trenches with you" and on and on. What utter tosh.

Here we do dissect games and individual performances. We get angry after the likes of Saturday's,thankfully rare these days, poor performance. We get it out of our system, regroup and go to the next game and get behind the lads 100%. The players are non the wiser unless they are on here incognito reading posts.

Success hasn't made us spoilt, or suddenly highly critical, or expect too much. We have ALWAYS been that way, as are football fans of every club. Forums such as this actually mean the players get an easier ride come match day. All the disappointment and frustration is spent by the time the next game comes around.

Before our success and being "Spoilt" we were all staunch loyal fans who never criticised or gave the team or individuals stick, that's how the story seem to go eh? Wrong! I remember being at Maine Road on more than one occasion when 30,000+ sang in unison, " What the f****k is going on??!!" And " You're not fit to wear the shirt!" Where a player, Richard Edghill, who after making a couple of costly mistakes against Coventry, was booed so unmercifully everytime he touched the ball he was substituted at half time. When a fan was so enraged as we stumbled to yet another mediocre defeat at home to Bury he went onto the pitch, ripped his season ticket up and threw it onto the ground.

So this forum is just that a forum. Having a rant, slagging the players or the manager off on occasion doesn't make anyone disloyal, or mean they have given up on the team or certain individuals, or the title race. It's just a place to release some frustration. We all want the same, the best for our club and success and many of us will be there on Saturday roaring the lads on against Watford. This is the way it has always been and always will be.

Finally, although I quoted you in this post it isn't personal, your post just highlighted some of the things that get trotted out often when people discuss a poor performance or a defeat and I wanted to address it.
 
We already have a lack of height at the back, and are vulnerable to crosses.

Fern would sort out the problem with distributing the ball from the back but would leave us even more vulnerable to set-pieces. I hope Garcia gets a chance.

We have two games coming up in a short period. Pep might want to win them both and get a confidence boost for Ota and Stones, or he might see it as a chance to give Garcia some game time. I am not particularly impressed with the way Pep develops young players. For months he has had the opportunity to bring through Foden but he never does. Always it is Gundogan who starts or comes on as a sub. We've had talk of back 3s, and playing a defensive midfielder in the backline but the most obvious solution is to play one of the young players there.
 
Over reaction from people becoming spoilt with amazing football in the last 2 seasons. The back 4 weren't alone in Saturdays downfall, the defending from the front and the space between the lines caused most of the issues. They tried to stem this by strangely dropping Dave closer with Rodri and Gundogan closer to Aguero, i can see what they were maybe trying to do but it in hindsight it should have been the other way round.

A bit of work on the training ground between Otamendi and Stone, i think we'll be OK. Neither of them are very good at playing on the left side but i think Otamendi has played there the most (in the 100 point season) so he should take that spot.
 
Marvin said:
We already have a lack of height at the back, and are vulnerable to crosses.

Fern would sort out the problem with distributing the ball from the back but would leave us even more vulnerable to set-pieces. I hope Garcia gets a chance.

We have two games coming up in a short period. Pep might want to win them both and get a confidence boost for Ota and Stones, or he might see it as a chance to give Garcia some game time. I am not particularly impressed with the way Pep develops young players. For months he has had the opportunity to bring through Foden but he never does. Always it is Gundogan who starts or comes on as a sub. We've had talk of back 3s, and playing a defensive midfielder in the backline but the most obvious solution is to play one of the young players there.
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Fern is actually one of our best players v set pieces. Aerially & on the ground.

Play Rodri & him instead of Gundogan & we can then keep two centre backs, have much stronger team against set pieces & have a much more powerful team without losing anything in attack.

Agree about Foden. Just having fresher legs is an advantage with so many slow players in the team. He wouldn't need to play 90 mins, just help out covering ground 'til it the oppo slow down. He is also a goal threat.
 
paulchapo said:
You're wrong and I'll explain why. This is a discussion forum where people discuss, rant, rave and get it off their chest. It is the online version of the pub pre internet days, probably a little more ordered as you can measure your response uninterrupted and in peace and quiet. Everytime people do just that though the same boring old lines are trotted out. 'Grow some bollocks, man up, what were you like when we were shit, I wouldn't want to be in the trenches with you" and on and on. What utter tosh.

Here we do dissect games and individual performances. We get angry after the likes of Saturday's,thankfully rare these days, poor performance. We get it out of our system, regroup and go to the next game and get behind the lads 100%. The players are non the wiser unless they are on here incognito reading posts.

Success hasn't made us spoilt, or suddenly highly critical, or expect too much. We have ALWAYS been that way, as are football fans of every club. Forums such as this actually mean the players get an easier ride come match day. All the disappointment and frustration is spent by the time the next game comes around.

Before our success and being "Spoilt" we were all staunch loyal fans who never criticised or gave the team or individuals stick, that's how the story seem to go eh? Wrong! I remember being at Maine Road on more than one occasion when 30,000+ sang in unison, " What the f****k is going on??!!" And " You're not fit to wear the shirt!" Where a player, Richard Edghill, who after making a couple of costly mistakes against Coventry, was booed so unmercifully everytime he touched the ball he was substituted at half time. When a fan was so enraged as we stumbled to yet another mediocre defeat at home to Bury he went onto the pitch, ripped his season ticket up and threw it onto the ground.

So this forum is just that a forum. Having a rant, slagging the players or the manager off on occasion doesn't make anyone disloyal, or mean they have given up on the team or certain individuals, or the title race. It's just a place to release some frustration. We all want the same, the best for our club and success and many of us will be there on Saturday roaring the lads on against Watford. This is the way it has always been and always will be.

Finally, although I quoted you in this post it isn't personal, your post just highlighted some of the things that get trotted out often when people discuss a poor performance or a defeat and I wanted to address it.
Click to expand...
Man up and grow some bollox, I wouldn't want you in the trenches with me, where were you when we were shit






..you asked for that : )
 
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