Another transitional season? No.

[Charlesfarsbar]

Transitional season is absolute bollocks, there is nothing wrong with this team that a few wins and a bit of confidence will sort out

Pep needs to take a leaf out of Dephs book and get back to the proverbial basics, a five point plan to get us back to where we need to be

1. Pick a settled defence and use that as your default for the vast majority of games. For me that means the following

walker dias laporte ake

2. move back to the inverted full back system that served us so well during 17/18. It makes us more solid and give us 5 behind the ball to protect against the counter. This would allow us to see if Rodri can hack it as a deep lying midfielder with the correct level of support he needs to be the teams pivot

3. Pick De Bruyne and Foden as the number 8’s ahead of Rodri , they will be the main creative outlet for the team and have goals and assists in spades between them

4. Use our wingers for width which means playing sterling on the right and probably Torres on the left. Use them to stretch the pitch and give room for the number 8’s to pick their passes through the defensive lines

5. get Back to the intense pressing we used to have, we can blow most teams away in the first half , if that doesn’t work you keep the ball and be patient and wait for the mistake that come through tiredness

This whole teams have found us out bollocks is just that. I’ve lost count of the amount of times we have played against a parked bus and still smashed hem anyway.

our problems now come from a lack of confidence, our defenders shit themselves when they are attacked which means there is a rashness in our play. To attack well you need to have a stable defence, it gives the whole team belief

it seems obvious, I’m not sure why Pep hasn’t done this as yet ? Perhaps it’s a pride thing of going back instead of forward, perhaps he’s convinced the players the old system stoped working so he had to develop something new ?

hes got a season to sort it out otherwise he’s definitely off, I wouldn’t want anyone else to try and fix it.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

Mendy doesn’t have the intelligence to play his supposed natural position never mind expecting him to play LW. His close control is abysmal, could you see him playing in the tight spaces that teams force our attacking group into. Also who would you drop to accommodate him? Sterling?

Agreed. Mendy doesn't have the intelligence and isn't an accomplished left back that he should be and I very much doubt he ever will be. However, if he is allowed the freedom to express himself, unleashed from defensive shackles he has the speed to beat his man and whip in accurate crosses, something that Sterling isn't doing due to being right footed. I'd like Sterling to be played on the right where he is more effective.

 

[blueparrot]

I would agree with this 100% If we Knew Pep was staying 3 more seasons however it’s more likely he leaves at the end of this season. The re- build can only happen once a new manager is in. For me the pep uncertainty is a huge issue

Makes no difference the players that are bought for Pep will be the players we buy for a Pep replacement.

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

Agreed. Mendy doesn't have the intelligence and isn't an accomplished left back that he should be and I very much doubt he ever will be. However, if he is allowed the freedom to express himself, unleashed from defensive shackles he has the speed to beat his man and whip in accurate crosses, something that Sterling isn't doing due to being right footed. I'd like Sterling to be played on the right where he is more effective.

I dont want to jump on the attack a specific player bandwagon, but some of Mendys accurate crosses in recent months have been bouncing off windscreens in Asda's car park

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

I dont want to jump on the attack a specific player bandwagon, but some of Mendys accurate crosses in recent months have been bouncing off windscreens in Asda's car park

He's low and confidence right now Wally and our patience with him is almost threadbare. But rather than chuck Mendy off a cliff as an abject failure I think he may have the ability to become an accomplished winger. This season is defo make or break for him I think and we'd lose big money on him if we sold him right now.

 

[BlueMoonz1977]

Its got nothing to do with this being a transitional season, the slump occurred last season from the get go after securing back to back titles.

Yes we are missing players but that has been a damning indictment on our physio team for some time - the amount of injuries we sustain is just stupid, horrendous and honestly not acceptable

This season is huge, for me it could be make or break for Pep. I dont mean the sack cos I dont believe our owners want him to go, and I dont either. But Pep might decide to go.....

This depends on whether the players respond and are still buying into his methods - lets be honest we sugar coated last season saying it was a blip after the excursions of 2 titles back to back.

We were in my eyes lucky to escape with a win against wolves.

It is evident that the rest of league have found a way to nullify our setup and style. It will work against those with not enough quality to build an effective counter or be vlinical when faced with the opportunity to shoot - but the big concern is that even those teams at the bottom end of the table are carving out opportunities against us.

Blend that with the ability to put away chances and we get exposed.

Other teams getting wise to our attack etc does not bother me - it is part of the game, what bothers me is us consistently playing the same way and getting exposed by the same methods week in week out

Pep has a huge decision to make now (the last thing I want is for him to call it a day on the back of 2 really poor seasons) he has to start adapting his tactics and methods, teams are now wise that we will have possession - in fact they actually give up possession knowing that they will pounce in their own half on the counter - it is not rocket science to see it. Rodgers even said it on his post match interview

We have to stop camping in the opposition half of the field, condensing the pitch to that extent is playing into the other sides hand. It is not alliwing space for any of the attackers to be a threat and in fact can actually make a player look guilty of having a stinker of a game

We are also guilty of trying to force the break through, as if it has to be comlleted withkn a certain amount of moves or time. That then means the wrong choice is made and the ball is lost

Remember back to the other year, we would have the ball with Ederson who would be part of the build up play with the defence, the opposition team trying to close them down like headless chickens - and then we would split the midfield and be through on goal - those days are currently long gone because they have wised up.

Why go chasing and get passed around, lets camp outside the box, wait to break the play and vounter with our fastest player - fucking hell it is how i would set any team up to play against us

We need to make the pitch bigger, not smaller.

I have a feeling Pep though will be too stubborn to change it, if he persists to condense the pitch that leaves the back line exposed, and the players dont respond to his way of playing then this is going to be a long season and one that may not have a happy ending

I just hope not and we get our mojo back

 

[Blu1]

Makes no difference the players that are bought for Pep will be the players we buy for a Pep replacement.

not sure about that. A new manager needs to put his stamp on it otherwise it’s going to fail. I also think the game has changed dramatically in the last 3 years. Players are much fitter & physically stronger now. I’m not sure the pep way works as well as it did. Don’t get me wrong pep is our greatest manager but the game has changed especially in midfield and quick full backs.

both these areas are now our weak spots against a lot of teams. Our fire power has saved us as we score more than most but that seems to be a concern without Aguero who’s also ageing. I just think more emphasis should be on not conceding.

any manager will want his players

 

[blueparrot]

not sure about that. A new manager needs to put his stamp on it otherwise it’s going to fail. I also think the game has changed dramatically in the last 3 years. Players are much fitter & physically stronger now. I’m not sure the pep way works as well as it did. Don’t get me wrong pep is our greatest manager but the game has changed especially in midfield and quick full backs.

both these areas are now our weak spots against a lot of teams. Our fire power has saved us as we score more than most but that seems to be a concern without Aguero who’s also ageing. I just think more emphasis should be on not conceding.

any manager will want his players

don't think it's changed that much in the 16 months since we won a domestic clean sweep. Putting that aside though I don't see any reason why with just 1 or 2 additions this side couldn't play slightly different under a different manager.
Ederson
Walker Dias Laporte ??????
Rodri or ???????
KDB Foden or Bernardo
Sterling Jesus Torres

 

[Blue Til Death]

Transitional is code for Shit when referring to any other club, Its no different for us either... This season we will be fine once we get all our players back and get in the groove....That tonking from Leicester wont do us any harm at all..!

 

[alexmcity]

Reasons to be optimistic?

Compare last season's squad and this season's squad.

Last season: Kompany retired, Laporte badly injured, Stones various issues, Otamendi past it, Rodri and Cancelo new to the league and adapting, Sane out for the season, Foden and Jesus still young and trying to make the first XI, Bernardo out of form.

This season: Laporte is back, Dias and Ake signed, Cancelo and Rodri have experience in the league and know how we play, Foden and Jesus are raring to go, Bernardo hopefully back to his best.