Are City a better all round team without Haaland?

[franksinatra]

The one that annoyed me the most was in the first half when Bernie had an easy ball on to just loft it over their back 4 as Erling had already started his run, he saw the ball was on but just chose to play a 10 yard pass to the nearest player.

Infuriating.

Its the one I remember and thought of when reading this thread. It was not even a difficult pass and there were very little other options. Instead he slowed it down once again. Even if the pass failed it would at least put some fear into the defenders mind that they may face a rapid marauding 6ft4 centre forward charging down the channels/middle. Its like were playing with the handbrake on.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Peps opinion is actually the opposite (according to someone close to the first team staff). After the result last year at Madrid he believed instead they should double down on control. He wants more control than before hence why mahrez and grealish have been preferred this year. This issue is we have sacrificed the extra man from the false 9 for a proper no.9 relinquishing control. He has two options revert to the 17-18 approach with fast wingers and a no.9 but less control and the reason he moved away from that was due to teams sitting deeper and countering or find a way to have a similar level of control with a striker, which is what he’s been trying to do this season. I think either way personnel changes are required and we may have to sacrifice this season like 18-19 and move a step back to then move 3 forward.

I don't believe we need to sacrifice this season at all, that's the thing.

We can win the Prem and Champions League if we can just hang tough and luck also comes our way.

Only have to look at Chelsea against us in Champs League.

It's all still there for us and even with our struggles, no other outstanding team in our league to take proper advantage of it.

 

[Keeper!]

Pep needs someone next to him to tell him a few home truths, I suspect losing Arteta and Lillo has also had an impact.

Borrell is happy to be a part of the furniture after being everything under the sun since Pep came, Maresca is probably just grateful because he fucked off and then we brought him back.

A combination of circumstances are now having a negative impact, but the league is still there for this season and yesterday's injustice could create the siege mentality we need to fuck off the coasting approach.

The World Cup and sheer intensity of the the last couple of years have already been eluded to by Pep.

However, we have to adapt to Haaland, not the other way around. That's what happens when you buy an elite player off the top shelf.

Our football approach has been sussed, just a surprise it took so long.

We need to be more willing to give up more possession to teams by taking more risks, getting the ball into Haaland far quicker and also hitting the spaces. Let us use more his sheer physicality and pace.

Pep isn't going to do that, but that's what it is going to take. Teams are now able to stay in games.

Whereas before we used to get one and then go for the jugular, we now try to manage the game and we get results like yesterday and against Everton.

 

[Keeper!]

Get the chequebook out, and buy a decent left back, a fast winger and Bellingham.

And get rid of anyone that's not 100% committed, Bernardo ( sadly) , Cancelo and Laporte for starters, time to toughen up and man up.

 

[Keeper!]

We would have a lot more space to work in behind if we weren't trying to pin teams in on the 18-yard box.

That's the trade off. We could defend a bit deeper and our quality in the transitions would be incredible.

Liverpool-esque, I dare say.

100%, sit back and let the opposition have some possession, but sadly we lack so much pace in the team, is hitting teams on the counter possible with this squad?

 

[Keeper!]

Yesterday was a good example for me. Shaw was playing at Centre Back and Malacia at Left back, surely a decent ball to the back post aganst these two you would fance Haaland's chances in the air against them. I can't remember any decent crosses for him to attack.

And playing the dippers with an old Milner at RB and not ripping him a new one, quite incredibly naive tactics for me.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Pg 39, mate ;)

 

[Keeper!]

Not a fan of Grealish but he showed the moment he walked on the pitch yesterday he cared, that's all we have wanted to see, he has to play all the time and to become one of our main men, a changing of the guard is needed.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

100%, sit back and let the opposition have some possession, but sadly we lack so much pace in the team, is hitting teams on the counter possible with this squad?

I think Haaland's pace alone, would see him running in on goal at least two or three times a game?

Remember his goals against Palace, West Ham and Wolves, all being played in over the top or space in behind.

Our ability to play quick triangles would also mean opponents being the wrong side of the man.

At the moment we have players with attributes which run completely alien to what Pep is seemingly asking from them?

If you never buy a ticket, you can never win.

 

[Keeper!]

I think Haaland's pace alone, would see him running in on goal at least two or three times a game?

Remember his goals against Palace, West Ham and Wolves, all being played in over the top or space in behind.

Our ability to play quick triangles would also mean opponents being the wrong side of the man.

At the moment we have players with attributes which run completely alien to what Pep is seemingly asking from them?

If you never buy a ticket, you can never win.

Totally agree, our tactics have been so strange this season, we are so dull to watch, and I am starting to feel the players are feeling the same, so many out of form or seemingly unmotivated.

A big 6 months coming up with the rest of the season and a major overhaul in the summer, let's hope Pep is 100% committed, it's going to need all his commitment and abilities, a huge test for him.

 

[Del_Bosque]

There’s nobody anywhere near him he’s completely isolated

2 wingers might as well be on fucking deckchairs at the minute, not running at anyone not making crosses or through balls just standing out wide facing inwards laying it off

Kev and whoever is partnering him playing too deep.

Nobody attacking the byline, Kev did it once and we scored. I’d look at playing him just off Haaland or even out on the right. Because we might as well have no fucker out on the wings with how it is.

Also I think we are looking disjointed because The build up is all off it’s not slick at all through the middle and for me it all comes down to the center backs, Akanji and Ake just not at the required level to see games out or provide slick build up into midfield. Take longer to get the ball forward and the midfield are having to drop deeper to get it.

 

[Keeper!]

Yesterday when the Viking looked at Shaw at CB he must have thought Christmas had come again, what did we do? Nothing, never tested the stumpy fatty once, again quite incredibly naive.

 

[HolisticJim]

Think it's unfortunately a transitional season. When new players come along it takes a year to adapt to our system... I think with us changing the way we play to accommodate Haaland we have the reverse of that and it will take us a year (potentially two) to adapt - and maybe a few changes to personnel.

 

[bluesince76]

I think Haaland's pace alone, would see him running in on goal at least two or three times a game?

Remember his goals against Palace, West Ham and Wolves, all being played in over the top or space in behind.

Our ability to play quick triangles would also mean opponents being the wrong side of the man.

At the moment we have players with attributes which run completely alien to what Pep is seemingly asking from them?

If you never buy a ticket, you can never win.

Phil is no slouch and remember seeing Villa at home against us pre-Covid (I asumme) and Grealish was causing us all sorts of problems on the break with his pace.

If we're going to box teams into their own penalty area, it needs the 1-2s and ball inside the fullback that we haven't really seen since Silva left.

Part of the frustration yesterday was a few times Cancelo had the ball at you'd see Haaland make the run between the centre halves only for Laporte to turn and play it square to Ake. It didn't need to even be a great ball over the top, just something through and let Haaland race the defenders and keeper to it. Even if it didn't work the defence would drop deeper and deeper, giving room for our midfiled to play in and to take shots from distance, sorry, I meant for our midfield to pass sidewise and then back to Ederson.

 

[eastmanc]

especially you don't win the CL by not playing to your strengths

Very true.

 

[Eoiyflem]

I get what you’re saying and I know he’s deadly if it falls to him in the box but I’d have expected to see a player being touted as one of the best players in the world dribble past a player at least once in half a season
He looks like a donkey when on the ball to me
His goals are basically one touch finishes ( that’s not a criticism) but when on the few occasions he gets it in general play he looks awful

Keep with him this season and hope he gets 40 and let Madrid know we are open to offers
Use the money to get Bellingham and go back to the old system

Christ almighty

 

[Keeper!]

I get what you’re saying and I know he’s deadly if it falls to him in the box but I’d have expected to see a player being touted as one of the best players in the world dribble past a player at least once in half a season
He looks like a donkey when on the ball to me
His goals are basically one touch finishes ( that’s not a criticism) but when on the few occasions he gets it in general play he looks awful

Keep with him this season and hope he gets 40 and let Madrid know we are open to offers
Use the money to get Bellingham and go back to the old system

FFS wow, some weird stuff on here but that takes the biscuit

 

[haugemcfc]

I don't believe we need to sacrifice this season at all, that's the thing.

We can win the Prem and Champions League if we can just hang tough and luck also comes our way.

Only have to look at Chelsea against us in Champs League.

It's all still there for us and even with our struggles, no other outstanding team in our league to take proper advantage of it.

Think we have the best chance to win the Champions league this year ;-) some Big teams go out in the next round…
The Premier league is ours i Think
Win the next 2 and we’re top

 

[Eoiyflem]

Think we have the best chance to win the Champions league this year ;-) some Big teams go out in the next round…
The Premier league is ours i Think
Win the next 2 and we’re top

If we win our next 2 we also need arsenal to lose 3 games in a row to be top. Not a hope in hell.

We've dropped 8 points in 5 games and they've lost once all season and that was to another dodgy swamp decision. Time to get real chum

 

[Blu1]

If we passed him the ball & used the width of a pitch then no. For some reason pep wants us to walk the ball in the net