“City in crisis”

[Colin Bells Boots]

With the team is in this current state where the results and performances are so poor and totally unlike we have witnessed, with year upon year of success and great performances, it is natural for posters to be disappointed and upset.

However, I feel that some of the tone and wording of certain posters, towards the players in general and some very specific, is truly offensive, disrespectful and disgusting.

Disappointment is natural and a fair emotion, whilst vindictiveness and spite is unacceptable imo.

Neither the manager nor the players are enjoying this phase, and pure vitriol and insults will never help improve matters.

 

[IrishBlueSince92]

Another thing that is a worry is the likes of Gvardiol, Silva, Gundoan and Haaland having to play every game at the minute due to injuries and shit transfer activity

 

[urban genie]

It is a crisis now and after Sunday questions will start being asked. I honestly don't see things changing anytime soon, we just don't have the personnel to change it round

it isn't a crisis and getting beat by an on form liverpool at a ground we never win at won't lead to questions being asked.

When the 3rd went in last night I just laughed at the ridiculousness of it, some part of me has missed this city.

relegation, administration, going out of existence, they are crisis moments 6 games without a win and lapses in performance aren't

 

[the blue panther]

Are we in the middle of a perfect storm, or approaching the middle - at Anfield on Sunday?
It's been pretty shit all season, but for Haaland's goals, but "crisis" sounds a bit odd when we're 2nd in the league - I guess that comparative to what we're used to, it seems like a crisis.

It's a rough patch, induced by injuries. We'll snap out of it soon - we just need to stop making it worse than it has to be!

 

[Bellamy's Caddy]

The issues, are unfortunately relatively straightforward:

- Trying to replicate the incredibly high standard of unprecedented (by and club) success was always going to be a huge challenge. Especially with all the fixtures brought on by the last few years.
- The Rodri injury. We hard a warning last season when he was suspended, however the majority of games since his injury have followed the patter of Villa away last season.
- Injuries, injuries and all the injuries. Our treble winning back 4 have hardly played together all season. Its like a wackamole for players coming back, and dropping out.
- Over reliance on certain players. Yes, Gvardiol in particular has been very poor in the last few games, but the amount of game time for him, Rico Lewis, Gundogan, Bernardo and Haaland is worrying. Naive to expect them to be able to be that consistent and not succumb to injury themselves.
- Mistakes in recruitment. Let's talk about Phillips. Now is the time he should have been coming into his own at City, but he couldn't find the level, and hasn't found the level at West Ham or Ipswich either. However City paid the fee and its held us back from finding an adequate cover to Rodri. This needs addressing urgently in January. As does a cover option for Haaland. Alvarez wanted to leave, that's understandable, but to not bring in someone to replace him in the squad was a huge error.
- The lack of goals from anyone not called Haaland. Our wide players have been ridiculously ineffective. I'm not making Grealish a scapegoat, but on one of the inside City clips he made a comment that I found strange about how 'all his shots seem to get blocked'. Made me think, that can't be coincidental, does he just want too many touches? Bernardo, Savinho and Doku are all far from prolific either. They're all ridiculously talented, so I'm really puzzled at what is going on there.
- Mental fragility. Last night was a case in point, as it has been the last few weeks. After Feyernoord got their first goal there was no leadership out there and a collapse looked inevitable.

So, how do we fix this?

- It does look like the injuries are easing slightly, hopefully we will be able to have a stable back 4 before too long.
- January transfer market. Not something we tend to involve ourselves in, but surely needs must?
- Change in tactics? Pep famously sticks to his principles. It's done him and us incredibly well, but we've never had this level of sustained injuries and loss of form to contend with. A hammering at anfield isn't just about the damage to the league, it's the impact mentally on a seemingly fragile bunch of players.

The good news? It's only November. The second half of the season is historically where we come good. We really need that this season. Oh and we've got Pep Guardiola for two more years. If these problems do take significant fixing, which they may well, then we have the very best person here to do it.

 

[bluegaz13]

There is an aviation saying ‘The Swiss Cheese Effect’ when looking at accidents and the causes etc….In other words all the holes are aligned.

With regards to the current situation :

​

• Most players away at the Euros etc - Tiredness
• Most games played by a Premiership team last season
• Injuries - see above
• Lack of a pre season for many of the team
• Ageing squad - Especially Midfield
• Complacency and poor planning to account for some of the above
• The constant speculation re the 115
• The uncertainty over Pep - I realise we have haven’t picked up since he confirmed, but the rot had already set in
• And the mental and physical fatigue from winning the treble and then retaining the league last season.

Pep certainly isn’t infallible and has made some mistakes and maybe his ego wanted to prove that he could win without spending ( in answer to some of the sniping of the bitter journalists) but I’d back him and our hierarchy to put this right , however it might not be this season.

Some of the players are coming to the end of their time at City and need us to get behind them for what is remaining of their City careers….but there is no room for sentiment and the club have to be ruthless over the next 12 months to enable us to get anywhere near to the levels we previously were at.

 

[Blu3m00n91]

It’s been mentioned before but the warning signs was there in the fa cup final last season. Terrible recruitment has completely fucked us over and we’re paying the price.

 

[dadnlad]

Forest next week we could eeek out a win by 1 goal

were built for forest they soak it up and hoof it and run big lad in middle

 

[mancity111]

it isn't a crisis and getting beat by an on form liverpool at a ground we never win at won't lead to questions being asked.

When the 3rd went in last night I just laughed at the ridiculousness of it, some part of me has missed this city.

relegation, administration, going out of existence, they are crisis moments 6 games without a win and lapses in performance aren't

It can feel like one to some given the past 8 years and a smashing on Sunday which is more than likely to occur at a venue we have a very ordinary to say the east on and more will be asking for some " drastic change " as if that will change our fortunes and results for the better.

I agree its not a crisis , there may be some dissention in the ranks there may not as an outsider I wouldn't have a clue either way.

The reality is the players are low on confidence and have been for much of this season in truth , one slip up and the walls quickly cave in.

We are relying on aging and injured players often not match fit that just don't have the ability anymore to get the job done nearly as efficiently and effectively as they used to.

Its likely to get worse before its gets better so we will have to get used to some more of these results this season especially.

We can and will return to the summit again but it might take a season or two maybe longer but we are around for the long haul that I am sure of notwithstanding the outcome of the farce we are involved with in the courts at present and even if its an adverse outcome we will return perhaps even stronger than before.

I follow a side in the AFL called Geelong and their full forward who at 33 was still a top line contributor almost week in week out in 2022 when we won the premiership was basically washed up and a crock and liability a year later as we missed out on finals a year later about the equivalent of winning the title and finishing out of Europe altogether the next season.

It can and often does come quickly for many a player when its over red rover for you at the top level.

17 goals conceded in 6 games is definitely a concern and if we cannot keep clean sheets we will slide down the table and have no hope of going deep into Chumps League this season but again that is not a crisis.

I keep coming back to other sides perhaps a number of them of now favored to finish above us this season now and what they have done since 2011/2012 and if we are in a crisis now then its fair to say they have been in many a crisis over this period.

I support City and have done for over 50 years from afar and like most am extremely disappointed when we lose but would I rather support or be in the shoes of any other club going into the future.

NFW.

 

[jonny689]

It’s a blip, a particularly bad one but still just a blip due mainly to tiredness and injuries I feel. The lads deserve to be cut a bit of slack after what they’ve done the last four years!

We’ll still be fighting for trophies come the end of the season! Keep the faith!