Rodri with help becomes that much better...
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Are City a better all round team without Haaland?
- Thread starter Mad Eyed Screamer
- Start date
DenisLawBackHeel74
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Game would have been 8-nil. if Haaland was playing. Plus he would have snapped Kepa over his knee if he dared talk shit just before the first pen….
Agueroooo9320
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After thinking about this, I will say some opinions and ides about our play. It is not Haaland that is making us worse. it is our midfielders. if you want to get more specific there are three scenarios this season compared to the other seasons that make us worse.
1) the first one is pressing from the front. though I am not sure why this is happening as Haaland has shown himself to be a good enough presser. but for some reason the wingers do not press when Haaland plays. they let their fullback get the ball and play out without any sort of press. as a result the midfield also drops back instead of high pressing.
2) when we get the ball in our half after the opposition attack we don't possess it, instead every single time we try to launch a half arsed ball to Haaland and give it straight back to the opposition to attack right back at our goal and in doing so making us lose control of the game.
3) final one when haaland plays our midfielders drift wide and start to launch crosses especially KDB. that is just lazy playing and this leaves us vulnerable in the center both in a attacking and defensive sense.
As you can see all of this has nothing to do with Haaland directly or how he can play. but mostly due to our midfielders trying to over-correct for the presence of Haaland. I don't think pep specifically tells them to change that much. it is just them being lazy and taking the easy way out. basically them thinking "punt it to haaland and he will do the work for us. I am going to wash my hands off it and not going to take responsibility". pep needs to pull the midfielders and wingers aside for a special meeting and give them the bollocking
1) the first one is pressing from the front. though I am not sure why this is happening as Haaland has shown himself to be a good enough presser. but for some reason the wingers do not press when Haaland plays. they let their fullback get the ball and play out without any sort of press. as a result the midfield also drops back instead of high pressing.
2) when we get the ball in our half after the opposition attack we don't possess it, instead every single time we try to launch a half arsed ball to Haaland and give it straight back to the opposition to attack right back at our goal and in doing so making us lose control of the game.
3) final one when haaland plays our midfielders drift wide and start to launch crosses especially KDB. that is just lazy playing and this leaves us vulnerable in the center both in a attacking and defensive sense.
As you can see all of this has nothing to do with Haaland directly or how he can play. but mostly due to our midfielders trying to over-correct for the presence of Haaland. I don't think pep specifically tells them to change that much. it is just them being lazy and taking the easy way out. basically them thinking "punt it to haaland and he will do the work for us. I am going to wash my hands off it and not going to take responsibility". pep needs to pull the midfielders and wingers aside for a special meeting and give them the bollocking
maurizio
Well-Known Member
Totally different playing against sides that let you play like yesterday and sides that pack the defence and hope to hit us on the break. Haaland and Kevin have been used to get the goals when there's no space. Kevin has been run into the ground over the last year, yet only a couple of weeks ago he was all over the pitch and utterly brilliant against Liverpool. I think we will have to use him sparingly, but we will continue to rely on him to put perfect balls in front of our attack in tight games. Haaland would have probably enjoyed playing yesterday and scored a couple as well. He's a fantastic goal scorer which is what we've wanted. Having overlapping full backs was a plus, look at how Mahrez benefited. I bet Jack would have as well. I reckon we played a better all round game yesterday but it was helped by it being a more open match.
If given the proper rest v playing time, I agree.I don’t think we can judge anything based on yesterday. Both teams had makeshift teams out and no one matches up to us in terms of being able to make such changes. Not only that but they are badly out of form as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if we beat Arsenal in the cup comfortably by a couple of goals due to changes being made then as well.
Kev is still the best creative midfielder in the world and certainly the best in our side. Foden and Bernardo might have extra legs but they’re also very quiet in terms of dictating play and controlling the tempo. Kev, even on his very worst days, is always there trying to make things happen. This is one of the best attributes a player can ever have. His form in the second half of last season was also arguably his best ever and played a huge part in us winning the league, something we wouldn’t have done without him. He’ll be back to his best again soon enough, just as he always is.
ali benarbia's studs
Well-Known Member
NO, we have a squad in which we rotated all season. We are in a good position to build furthermore on a cracking season.
We have a great squad but as we enter the later stages, we ought to firstly stick with our strongest back 5......and get the best out of starters and subs in games. We have lots of talent this season.
We have a great squad but as we enter the later stages, we ought to firstly stick with our strongest back 5......and get the best out of starters and subs in games. We have lots of talent this season.
lol..friday/saturday i saw some "Arsenal influencer/fans" bringing up this topic & now it has reached the city space..it is made to wind up city fans (& perhaps players who read too much stuff on social media/press)
you can always have discussion if a false 9/flexible 9 is better for team play than an old fashion 9..at the moment the q isn`t valid because Haaland has a good link-up play / his first touch is similar to Alvarez & he scores enough goals to compensate for the lack of wing/midfield play...time will tell
in general human beings fall way to easily for some narratives in this case made up by other fan bases...last year (to the end of the season) it was "in season 20/21 city only had an advantage against Lpool/other teams because of empty stadiums" (to emphasize mental weakness of the city players) & many city fans bought it despite contrary evidence (for instance close 18/19 title race)...this year it is everything with Grealish & lack of g/a (media/other fans bases want to brandmark him as a flop to reflect negatively on city transfer activity in the past/future)
you can always have discussion if a false 9/flexible 9 is better for team play than an old fashion 9..at the moment the q isn`t valid because Haaland has a good link-up play / his first touch is similar to Alvarez & he scores enough goals to compensate for the lack of wing/midfield play...time will tell
in general human beings fall way to easily for some narratives in this case made up by other fan bases...last year (to the end of the season) it was "in season 20/21 city only had an advantage against Lpool/other teams because of empty stadiums" (to emphasize mental weakness of the city players) & many city fans bought it despite contrary evidence (for instance close 18/19 title race)...this year it is everything with Grealish & lack of g/a (media/other fans bases want to brandmark him as a flop to reflect negatively on city transfer activity in the past/future)
kaz7
Well-Known Member
Weird thread , probably gone over my head !
kaz7
Well-Known Member
He is not the best striker we have ever had , short memory by any chance ?Holy fucking shit guys.....
Man City played against a horrible Chelsea team under Graham Potter and Haaland-haters are quickly coming out from the woodstocks to downplay him.
Have people already forgotten Man City scored 6 goals against Ten Hag's Man United, a far better team compared to Potters Chelsea...
Erling Haaland is easily the best striker in Man City's history already & is doing his job more than well. Madness to put any blame on him.
Re the midfield pressing - we're playing 442 when De Bruyne plays. The team fall back, including wingers. It's a choice we have to make now - energy with others vs. absolute moments of magic from de Bruyne.After thinking about this, I will say some opinions and ides about our play. It is not Haaland that is making us worse. it is our midfielders. if you want to get more specific there are three scenarios this season compared to the other seasons that make us worse.
1) the first one is pressing from the front. though I am not sure why this is happening as Haaland has shown himself to be a good enough presser. but for some reason the wingers do not press when Haaland plays. they let their fullback get the ball and play out without any sort of press. as a result the midfield also drops back instead of high pressing.
2) when we get the ball in our half after the opposition attack we don't possess it, instead every single time we try to launch a half arsed ball to Haaland and give it straight back to the opposition to attack right back at our goal and in doing so making us lose control of the game.
3) final one when haaland plays our midfielders drift wide and start to launch crosses especially KDB. that is just lazy playing and this leaves us vulnerable in the center both in a attacking and defensive sense.
As you can see all of this has nothing to do with Haaland directly or how he can play. but mostly due to our midfielders trying to over-correct for the presence of Haaland. I don't think pep specifically tells them to change that much. it is just them being lazy and taking the easy way out. basically them thinking "punt it to haaland and he will do the work for us. I am going to wash my hands off it and not going to take responsibility". pep needs to pull the midfielders and wingers aside for a special meeting and give them the bollocking
Teams can still carry mercurial talents and I'd always back Kev to produce the goods when we get to the business end of the season, but I think some of the tactical knots Pep is getting tied up in revolve around accomodating a player who's not quite as mobile as he was - Kev has quite a few miles on the clock in terms of both appearance and injury in the 7 years he's been here