Are City a better all round team without Haaland?

tolmie's hairdoo said:
I've been saying for nigh on a year that he is physically degrading, his talent for the exceptional will always be with him.

The extra legs yesterday of Bernie and Foden in the middle were telling. Kev's high-risk reward can only be supplemented by high energy in the middle of the pitch to account for the turnover he gives up.

Kev would be perfect in a team that passes far quicker, but we don't, and it's even more required if Kev is playing.

Even when Kev was at his peak, we looked a very different animal winning the title when he was out injured and Bernardo was filling the role.

Perhaps that's why we are in for Bellingham?
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The elephant in the room is Gundo though, you just can’t play him and Kev in the same team any more, it’s suicidal.
 
I would say whether we are a better team or not will be measured by how many trophies we win, regardless of how many goals Haaland scores.
 
applejuice said:
I don't think that it is Haaland...
It is Kev. His fitness fails a cliff.
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Without stirring the pot anyone paying attention could see the difference in pace and legs with Foden and Bernardo in the middle vs. KDB and Gundo. It's not a matter of better or worse for me there. It's a matter of when KDB and Gundo are leggy it fucks up the whole set up. Those guys need much more rotation than they've been getting to be at peak form.
 
JewelZee said:
Without stirring the pot anyone paying attention could see the difference in pace and legs with Foden and Bernardo in the middle vs. KDB and Gundo. It's not a matter of better or worse for me there. It's a matter of when KDB and Gundo are leggy it fucks up the whole set up. Those guys need much more rotation than they've been getting to be at peak form.
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Hopefully both will remain rested until the derby. That's a week and a half rest.
 
Maybe put Haaland in the team last 2 years.

Take him out of this year's team and we would not have a chance.
 
Fordyboy46 said:
We have to involve Erling more which sounds ridiculous seeing as he's scored 27 goals already. The last three or four he's started though he's been way off it, not helped by nobody giving him anything to feed off. We need another Merlin to thread the balls through then the prospect is frightening
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Phil Foden is no Merlin but I think he’s more at home playing centrally and would benefit Haaland.
 
As a team are we more familiar with a system that we are used to playing for a number of years that everyone is comfortable with - Yes.

Will we evolve to be include a clinical viking in a new system - yes.
 
jrb said:
Hopefully both will remain rested until the derby. That's a week and a half rest.
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Agree. But personally I would stay away from playing KDB and Gundo together anymore as much as possible. There's too much pace and aggressiveness these days in the Prem with younger middies and such for them to keep up with every three days. Bernardo is never outworked and should basically always be in the middle two except for the occasional break. JMO.
 
HelloCity said:
We just beat Fulham with 10 men and De Bruyne produced an all time great performance where he ran himself into the ground for the whole game and delivered some sensational balls. Yaya couldn’t have put that work in when he was 21 never mind 31.
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United at home 2012, Kompany header. Yaya was everywhere that night, one of the greatest performances I’ve seen by an individual.
 
jimmygrimblesboots said:
No , but we do need to adjust to Haaland though , he is the best No.9 in the world and we have changed our tactics , we are crossing more balls into the box because Pep knows he will more than likely get on the end of a few and score goals.
Only a City forum could have a thread with this title , a striker who scores 27 goals less than halfway through a season , staggering.
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Staggering yes. One can add idiotic, non-sensical, ridiculous, and on and on and on...
 
Mad Eyed Screamer said:
It's not a stupid thread.
It's a forum discussion.
The last 2 home games have been a defeat and a draw with Haaland.
The previous game v Chelsea with Haaland 1-0 to City. Yes many changes on both sides on Sunday with a comprehensive win for City without Haaland.
It's a legitimate question to ask
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Anything asked in a vacuum that ignores about 100 other pertinent and inter-related factors regarding a sport like football is not "legitimate". It's overly simplistic click bait. And of course you know that.
 
paulchapo said:
No idea but yesterday was the first time in what seemed like ages the real Manchester City turned up. On the front foot, pressing hard, moving the ball more quickly and forward, not sideways and back and totally controlling the game. Forget Chelsea's so called injuries that was still a top side they put out and they couldn't live with us.
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Chelsea had a front 6 of Havertz, Mount, Gallagher, Ziyech, Jorginho, and Kovacic. That's a Prem level group and we ran roughshod over them. They did play 2 youngsters at the back, by choice. Cucurella and Azpiliqueta were both available but were dog shit in the previous game so Potter decided to leave them out. He also left out Thiago Silva in deference to his age with a league game v Fulham coming up on Thursday. We were good, they weren't. Poor form is not an excuse. Great win, move on.
 
Kompany Car said:
The thing that was noticeable yesterday was the amount of off the ball running Mahrez did and tracking back when Chelsea won the ball.

We need that high energy pressing in the team and more so when Haaland is playing. Our lacklustre performances are nearly always when our wingers and at least one of the midfield three don’t put in a shift and aggressively chase down the ball.
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When in midfield Bernardo always puts in a shift...
 
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