Crystal Palace (H) - Post Match

[stan bowles]

Dunno if Phil was injured or not but first half particularly we were lacking in energy and dynamism today and he gives us that in spades. He should be getting game time at home to mediocre opponents.

The same mediocre opponents who beat us in the same game last season and stopped our 18 game winning run in 2017-18 ? Palace match up against us very well as the last 3 seasons shows.

 

[Bluemanc100]

Th

The cross for Aguero's second was a "pearl".

It was a needle from a haystack of shite mainly

lots of backwards passing and misjudged crosses.. he had to get one right .. it’s called the law of averages

 

[john blue]

Type of performance that has been too common this season. Lacking spark going forward, and unreliable defensively.
Wolves, Utd, Palace - ridiculous that we’ve shelled eight points at home against sides of that calibre.

Don't forget that team who are bottom. !

 

[Fordyboy46]

I think he'd say he's been without his first choice central defence for most of the season, and doesn't have the players in the squad to make it work. We had a similar scenario in his first season. This time we have the players in the squad but they have both been injured. Stones plays two games, then misses two games and has constant changes of partner. City need stability in central defence and unlike others I don't rate Fernadinho as a central defender. That's an emergency move not a desired move.

Pep has no idea who the best centre half pairing is, this Laporte injury has given him a headache he's not been able to get rid of.

 

[waspish]

I don't know what other people aren't seeing, but if it wasn't for Fern since the start of this season, we would be around United's position in the table.

He is magnificent. His anticipation at the back gets us out of trouble time and again.

He saved us going two goals down when Ederson and Stones went walkies, getting his body in front of their player and earning a foul.

Rarely does he get beaten in a straight header, he's clearing lines, he joining up the midfield.

If we had two of him on the pitch, we would still be in the title race.

Defying age.

Agree and Garcia is the same he reads the game he should be in this side

 

[Kenward Garg]

It was a needle from a haystack of shite mainly

lots of backwards passing and misjudged crosses.. he had to get one right .. it’s called the law of averages

Fair enough. I thought he played pretty well today and has done for a few games now.

 

[kaz7]

I wish Pep would become more pragmatic but I don't think that will happen. If he's serious about winning the champs league with City, he has to work on the team night n day about defending, drill it into them.

But I won't hold my breathe, I can see us getting beat 5-3 over two legs against RM, and Pep coming out with the same old excuses.

He had the best defensive record with barca and bayern,the prem is a different beast,defending high like we do is a massive risk,individual mistakes and injuries and no vinny is the problem,vinny leaving is the worst thing to happen in years,it was always going to be difficult

 

[manimanc]

True, when will the penny drop with him, that stones is not top class, and stirling is not worth a place in the team.

Stones is a pisshead. You can't be a pisshead and perform at the top. I think pep is hanging him out to dry and as much as I love stones he needs to have a word with himself and decide what he wants out of life.
If he knuckled down to it he can be a world beater, it's just that he seems to do the bare minimum most of the time.

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

I think he'd say he's been without his first choice central defence for most of the season, and doesn't have the players in the squad to make it work. We had a similar scenario in his first season. This time we have the players in the squad but they have both been injured. Stones plays two games, then misses two games and has constant changes of partner. City need stability in central defence and unlike others I don't rate Fernadinho as a central defender. That's an emergency move not a desired move.

We need to be ruthless in the Summer window that's for sure.

 

[quiet_riot]

So you don't think Txiki should be asking Pep "What are you going to do about this defence Pep?. It's not good"?

I'd expect a DoF to ask that, whether or not the coach was his mate or he'd won 3 trophies last season. Now I'd also expect part of the answer to be something like "Well my best centre back is injured and my two others aren't really reliable enough. I need another 2 by next season". But the simple and unanswerable fact is that we've clawed back a deficit twice now then failed to stop mediocre opposition from scoring almost straight away. As a DoF I'd be asking the question why.

Great, you know the answer, so there was clearly no need to call for Pep's head, unless for some bizarre reason you genuinely wanted to compare Pep and the Catalan boys to Brian Marwood and Mark fucking Hughes.