Are we clearly suffering from a lack of striker this season? Have midtable sides figured us out?

[TFC]

It isn’t difficult to “figure out” City. Our game is known by everyone in the world. What’s difficult is actually doing anything about it.

We were shocking in the first half and got a red card. Shit happens. That’s the story of this game and there’s no need to dramatise it any further. We will be fine.

Yep, this for me too. That said, I would love to see a proper striker attack some of those seemingly aimless balls we get into the box. There was one from Foden yesterday that was literally begging for 'not a false 9'.

 

[mexico1970]

Lost count how many times I have heard that Pep has been "Figured out" for him to manage this team to win more and more things.

I am a pragmatist and accept we can't win everything all of the time, we have our bad patches (Those patches are nowhere near as bad as they are made out to be) but we always seem to overcome them and stride on.

 

[Corky]

but shooting is not something that can be improved massively with coaching look at sterling. some people like aguero is born with it. what happened was we stopped buying that kind of players instead buying passers.

That is part of it, but look what Ancelotti did for Calvert Lewin, getting to shoot first time and his goal return improved.

Player who are direct and shoot on sight like Sane don't last long, but they open up games like yesterday.

 

[Pingu the Penguin]

Some of the unstoppables need to be droppable now

 

[butlerkb]

Yeh, good post. The lack of pace and energy across that midfield is a real burning issue when it comes to circumventing parked buses. Moving the ball quicker would help, but when a ’bus’ is as narrow and deep as Palace’s was yesterday, then the ability to fashion half a yard and the strength to hold opponents at bay, might also be useful.
I know they didn’t all play yesterday, but there’s a lack of genuine variety when it comes to particular attributes. Rodri, no change of gear. Fernandinho, 36 years old and no change of gear. Gundogan, 31 years old and no change of gear. Bernie (in great form, but….) no change of gear. Mahrez, 31 years old, built like a twiglet, no change of gear. Kev, 30 years old and (due to current lack of fitness….) no change of gear. Grealish (pretty lively yesterday, but….) no change of gear. Palmer (and please understand I’m not knocking the lad in any way - I’m just highlighting a squad issue), no change of gear.
The only players with the pace to test the opposition and to require them to double up and leave gaps elsewhere, are Foden and Sterling, and one of those has control issues that render him a waste of time on days like yesterday.
From the moment Palace scored, 5 minutes in, everyone in the ground knew the game was gone. 10 men or not, I think the last time we came from behind at half time to win was 4 years ago at Huddersfield. We didn’t lack resolve yesterday, in fact I thought the players gave it a decent go after the break, but physicality, pace, movement, we just don’t have it, which is why we are so easy to frustrate. Move the ball sideways multiple times, fail to work an overload, cut in and either float over a cross to no-one or scuff a shot into a forest of legs, and rinse and repeat.
Lack of a centre forward is an undeniable issue as we all knew it would be, but I agree those midfield runners you refer to are the bigger problem

We didn’t think this when we beat Chelsea or drew with Liverpool, I think we can play at pace in the big games but I think in games like soton and crystal palace I think the thinking is different, not as much urgency or movement and take more touches , more side passes, slower build up. I think it’s attitude.However kdb is out of form( maybe injured) and we don’t seem to know where jack fits in yet. Sterling is out of form and Laporte always has a bad game in him.Hope we turn it around in next two games

 

[LongsightM13]

no one should say Jack has been great as that is just not the case. but at the same time no one should shit on him for not being great till now, as that fault squarely lies on pep for not finding him the right role.

if you read some of the article before Jack's transfer you know exactly why he was brought. There were numerous reports saying he was bought to replace bernardo and phase out gundo. he was clearly bought to keep hold of the ball in the middle and carry the ball form center.

Yep he and Phil will be our 8s long term

 

[leo_city]

So your thoughts on playing Phil on the left (as a starter) rather than Jack

Bench Jack, play him every now and then, he can learn still, just don't start him over Foden on the left. imo it's a bit forced because he has yet to understand the whole idea of being a Pep player.

 

[Gorton_Tubster]

I agree with most of what had been said on here.

Scoring goals takes belief in yourself. Shearer /kane/even even Ronaldo all think where in the goal they will put the ball. Our players are thinking "will I score". And that's our midfielders and our strikers.

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

7 or 8 times out of 10 in similar games Kun would have found a goal and we'd have won 3/4-1.

Teams don't have to play football against us and we can't drop our level at all or we fall apart.

Yesterday was just complacency.

 

[citytill1die84]

Score 1st against City and 9 times out of 10 you win.