BBC: "How to stop Man City"

[Kinkys Left Foot]

Im not that arsed about the article tbh.
Its worthy of debate as to whether other Prem teams will "learn" from playing us last year and employ what they perceive as a method to beat us.
Liverpool can arguably say their model is the Pep antithesis but who else has the legs to press us like they do? Uniteds win against us was because we didn't take our chances so not really a cunning plan from PEG, whilst those without the same level of players as the bin dippers will employ the "Wigan" model of 11 players behind the ball, kick anything and everything and take the 1 chance that comes your way from either a fluke, a mistake or a bit of luck or skill.
If most teams approach the game with no real idea on how to attack us with a stop City scoring at all costs attitude, I can imagine we'll see much of what we did last year. Long grinding games with us scoring towards the end of games when they've run out of gas chasing the ball like paper in the wind for 80 minutes.
We at least have some different options this year which is what Mahrez gives us, should be fun.
Wheres my season card City, I'm starting to get twitchy?

 

[kaz7]

Don't recall anyone writing this when thre rags or chavs kept winning the league,why not celebrate the football and pep and write something positive

 

[Gorton_Tubster]

Anyone thinking this article is biased is as crazy as the idea that opposition teams are going to read it and learn how to beat us.

 

[Henkeman]

If there hadn't been an article about how to stop last season's runaway champions, some people would have pointed to that as an example of how City were being ignored and not given credit for a record breaking season...

 

[kaz7]

If there hadn't been an article about how to stop last season's runaway champions, some people would have pointed to that as an example of how City were being ignored and not given credit for a record breaking season...

The whole talksport narrative all of last season was will x stop them this weekend,they worshipped pep from afar but now he is here it's not wow thats beautiful amazing football but it's stop them at all costs,it's weird

 

[chesterbells]

An unintentional back handed compliment from the rags and dippers at the BBC.

My view too

 

[oakiecokie]

I bet a similar article was written all over the tabloids before the start of the season,after the Gunners Invincibles side.

 

[Henkeman]

The whole talksport narrative all of last season was will x stop them this weekend,they worshipped pep from afar but now he is here it's not wow thats beautiful amazing football but it's stop them at all costs,it's weird

From a media perspective, repeatedly saying "Aren't they good?" is extremely boring after a while. "How can x stop them?" is not.

Nevertheless, we have plenty on here who will see this article as being outrageously anti-City, and others who scream anti-City bias if it hadn't been written.

 

[Blue Til Death]

Why did the ****s spend our money making/buying the programme, nothing can stop City, its not fuckin rocket science...!

 

[CityInWashingtonState]

Premier League: How to stop Man City - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44845039

Mmm, Kay.

So basically you might stop us from winning if:
1) You try to play possession-based football and are better than we are at it (good luck, won't work in the P/L; might work for Barca);
2) You park the bus (you might get lucky);
3) You stop the supply line (you might get lucky);
4) You go aerial or counter-attack (best chance IMO - but will require an excellent defense and excellent counter-attacking offense).
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Take aways... absolutely nothing.

City dominated every side other than Liverpool last year - and no matter what an opposing side tries, it's bound to fail.
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My take on how to prevent City from winning...

Your best chance of stopping City from winning - is to set up defensively. Make sure you have an out-ball. And then hopefully you have a good counter attack. With luck, you might eek out a draw - and sometimes a win. If you've got the personnel, try to deny D. Silva and KDB time on the ball - they will kill you. You'll also need to defend against speedy wingers/backs against the likes of Sane/Mendy/Sterling.

City are big threats on the wing and in central attack - with scorers at multiple positions. It's extremely difficult to cope with this.
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Pep is a master strategist/tactician - our club man-for-man is better than Liverpool - so I expect that we might do something novel to counter Liverpool's success last season.