Bodo/Glimt (A) | CL | Post Match Thread

franksinatra said:
I think, sadly, the team
Is a mishmash of ideas and concepts and the players we have don’t complement each other to play one way or the other.

An obvious issue is the defensive high line but how do you change that when your midfielders consist of a slow, ageing Bernardo (still love the guy) and Rodri/Gonzalez who don’t have the greatest mobility?

A lower defensive lines means an immobile, slow midfield having to cover large spaces, between adopting a forward press on the edge of the opposition box, to try and maintain possession, but also, when the ball is lost, cover even greater distances to defend a bigger gap between the defence and midfield. The gaps in the half space would become even greater, even worse than the space Bruno Fernandes found in the Derby.

The press upfront has completely gone. We have gone from KDB, Alvarez, Aguero, Bernardo hunting in packs to a cumbersome Haaland and players like Savinho, Doku, Reijnders, and sadly Foden adopting a fake press where they half-heartedly close down but rarely win the ball back or physically challenge for the ball. That in turn allows the ball to pass through the lines enabling the opposition to get straight at our back line.

We’re still trying to control the ball, yet the side is packed now with less technically gifted players and so the build up is becoming ever more slow and ponderous, allowing the opposition to regroup and revert to a low block. Consequently we end up stuck on the edge of the box unable to break sides down as the vision/creativity is not the same. Again we’re in a halfway house situation, buying Doku/Semenyo and Haaland (all blessed with pace) which is negated by the slow build up as the midfield neither have the space to play the ball into for the players like Haaland or space for Doku/Semenyo to attack there fullback and run beyond them.

All of Dokus best games have been when he has picked up the ball around the halfway line and then attacked the fullback with grass behind to run into (TAA for example v Liverpool).

Additionally the slow build up, to the edge of the 18 yard box, even if the defender is skinned, the winger has a packed box of defenders/midfielder's to bypass to find the intended target. It’s an almost impossible task.

We saw tonight and against United how often the opposition players got in behind our defence and fired balls across the box and there was 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 situations in the box because the break was so quick and our midfield had not got back to help out. These opportunities never arise for us due to the slow build up. When our wingers do reach the byline they have to circum-navigate about 6/7/8 players as the slow build up has allowed the opposition to regroup.

To add to all this we’ve lost a lot of leaders or the leaders we have (Rodri/Bernardo) have lost the physicality they used to have. Sadly players like Reijnders/Cherki/Foden don’t have the same drive as the ones that have gone before. KDB is a prime example, for as brilliant he was as a technician he would also happily fly into a challenge, block someone in the corner. Our latest players are too passive so are easily bypassed, navigated around.

We still have some great players but the side doesn’t work for me either with the technique/press to control possession or the physicality/pace in defence/midfield to enable the side to go full throttle and turn it into a end to end game (Pep
Himself after the 4-4 with Chelsea said we cannot play this way).
Click to expand...
A brilliant analysis of the situation, sir. I agree with every last word of that.
 
I still can't figure out why we don't get the EDS in training to play in a low block then get first team to figure out the best way to get Haaland involved and if we can't then find a method of attacking that results in an attempt on goal. We seem petrified of taking it into the penalty area and we don't want to cross it in thus accounting for our woeful ignorance of ever knowing if the opposition keeper is any good
 
franksinatra said:
I think, sadly, the team
Is a mishmash of ideas and concepts and the players we have don’t complement each other to play one way or the other.

An obvious issue is the defensive high line but how do you change that when your midfielders consist of a slow, ageing Bernardo (still love the guy) and Rodri/Gonzalez who don’t have the greatest mobility?

A lower defensive lines means an immobile, slow midfield having to cover large spaces, between adopting a forward press on the edge of the opposition box, to try and maintain possession, but also, when the ball is lost, cover even greater distances to defend a bigger gap between the defence and midfield. The gaps in the half space would become even greater, even worse than the space Bruno Fernandes found in the Derby.

The press upfront has completely gone. We have gone from KDB, Alvarez, Aguero, Bernardo hunting in packs to a cumbersome Haaland and players like Savinho, Doku, Reijnders, and sadly Foden adopting a fake press where they half-heartedly close down but rarely win the ball back or physically challenge for the ball. That in turn allows the ball to pass through the lines enabling the opposition to get straight at our back line.

We’re still trying to control the ball, yet the side is packed now with less technically gifted players and so the build up is becoming ever more slow and ponderous, allowing the opposition to regroup and revert to a low block. Consequently we end up stuck on the edge of the box unable to break sides down as the vision/creativity is not the same. Again we’re in a halfway house situation, buying Doku/Semenyo and Haaland (all blessed with pace) which is negated by the slow build up as the midfield neither have the space to play the ball into for the players like Haaland or space for Doku/Semenyo to attack there fullback and run beyond them.

All of Dokus best games have been when he has picked up the ball around the halfway line and then attacked the fullback with grass behind to run into (TAA for example v Liverpool).

Additionally the slow build up, to the edge of the 18 yard box, even if the defender is skinned, the winger has a packed box of defenders/midfielder's to bypass to find the intended target. It’s an almost impossible task.

We saw tonight and against United how often the opposition players got in behind our defence and fired balls across the box and there was 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 situations in the box because the break was so quick and our midfield had not got back to help out. These opportunities never arise for us due to the slow build up. When our wingers hit the byline they have to circum-navigate about 6/7 to eight players as the slow build up has allowed the opposition to regroup.

To add to all this we’ve lost a squad of leaders or the leaders we have (Rodri/Bernardo) have lost the physicality they used to have. Sadly players like Reijnders/Cherki/Foden don’t have the same drive as the ones that have gone before. KDB as an example, for as brilliant he was as a technician would also happily fly into a challenge, block someone in the corner. Our latest players are too passive so are easily bypassed, navigated around.

We still have some great players but the side doesn’t work for me either with the technique/press to control possession or the physicality/pace in defence/midfield to enable the side to go full throttle and turn it into a end to end game (Pep
Himself after the 4-4 with Chelsea said we cannot play this way).
Click to expand...
Yep. Great post written after thinking about what we’ve been seeing over the past year or so. It’s going nowhere this tippy tappy stuff. What’s Linders and Toure doing? Thought they might have had a bit more influence. And our corners are probably the worst in the league.
Surely this is the low point. With Guehy in defence on Saturday I’m expecting 3 points and a turnaround in our performances going forward.
Up the Blues!
 
Just about thawing out from what I think was the coldest away end since Copenhagen in 2009!

Huge respect to all the other Blues who made it up here - and I hope that seeing the Northern Lights was at least some compensation for that utter shower of shit.

I thought Pep was crying when they came over at the end, but maybe not - but you have to give credit to Bodo for the performance - and, for me, the pitch, our injuries, the cold, coming off the derby defeat, etc....are excuses that simply do not justify our performance.

At the final whistle, even those that were visably angry, joined in with 'we love you City'...becuase we all know that however poor the past month has been, this is still the club we love.
 
franksinatra said:
I think, sadly, the team
Is a mishmash of ideas and concepts and the players we have don’t complement each other to play one way or the other.

An obvious issue is the defensive high line but how do you change that when your midfielders consist of a slow, ageing Bernardo (still love the guy) and Rodri/Gonzalez who don’t have the greatest mobility?

A lower defensive lines means an immobile, slow midfield having to cover large spaces, between adopting a forward press on the edge of the opposition box, to try and maintain possession, but also, when the ball is lost, cover even greater distances to defend a bigger gap between the defence and midfield. The gaps in the half space would become even greater, even worse than the space Bruno Fernandes found in the Derby.

The press upfront has completely gone. We have gone from KDB, Alvarez, Aguero, Bernardo hunting in packs to a cumbersome Haaland and players like Savinho, Doku, Reijnders, and sadly Foden adopting a fake press where they half-heartedly close down but rarely win the ball back or physically challenge for the ball. That in turn allows the ball to pass through the lines enabling the opposition to get straight at our back line.

We’re still trying to control the ball, yet the side is packed now with less technically gifted players and so the build up is becoming ever more slow and ponderous, allowing the opposition to regroup and revert to a low block. Consequently we end up stuck on the edge of the box unable to break sides down as the vision/creativity is not the same. Again we’re in a halfway house situation, buying Doku/Semenyo and Haaland (all blessed with pace) which is negated by the slow build up as the midfield neither have the space to play the ball into for the players like Haaland or space for Doku/Semenyo to attack there fullback and run beyond them.

All of Dokus best games have been when he has picked up the ball around the halfway line and then attacked the fullback with grass behind to run into (TAA for example v Liverpool).

Additionally the slow build up, to the edge of the 18 yard box, even if the defender is skinned, the winger has a packed box of defenders/midfielder's to bypass to find the intended target. It’s an almost impossible task.

We saw tonight and against United how often the opposition players got in behind our defence and fired balls across the box and there was 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 situations in the box because the break was so quick and our midfield had not got back to help out. These opportunities never arise for us due to the slow build up. When our wingers do reach the byline they have to circum-navigate about 6/7/8 players as the slow build up has allowed the opposition to regroup.

To add to all this we’ve lost a lot of leaders or the leaders we have (Rodri/Bernardo) have lost the physicality they used to have. Sadly players like Reijnders/Cherki/Foden don’t have the same drive as the ones that have gone before. KDB is a prime example, for as brilliant he was as a technician he would also happily fly into a challenge, block someone in the corner. Our latest players are too passive so are easily bypassed, navigated around.

We still have some great players but the side doesn’t work for me either with the technique/press to control possession or the physicality/pace in defence/midfield to enable the side to go full throttle and turn it into a end to end game (Pep
Himself after the 4-4 with Chelsea said we cannot play this way).
Click to expand...
Good post but I don’t fully agree. A deeper set up creates way more space. If you watch typical passages of play involving us you have 18 players in the opposition third. The creativity needed to unlock that is insane. 3 mobile forwards and a bit more space and time to get your head up and move the opposition around would make a world
Of difference. Or maybe not. But at least try something different
 
skillman said:
Look at the difference man. Pass and move, pass and move, pass and move - all with movement off the ball from players trying to create angles for those on the ball. Night and day to the shit served up now.

Click to expand...

Sadly all the work that was put into the team to create that style has been lost

We are a shell of that style
 
franksinatra said:
I think, sadly, the team
Is a mishmash of ideas and concepts and the players we have don’t complement each other to play one way or the other.

An obvious issue is the defensive high line but how do you change that when your midfielders consist of a slow, ageing Bernardo (still love the guy) and Rodri/Gonzalez who don’t have the greatest mobility?

A lower defensive lines means an immobile, slow midfield having to cover large spaces, between adopting a forward press on the edge of the opposition box, to try and maintain possession, but also, when the ball is lost, cover even greater distances to defend a bigger gap between the defence and midfield. The gaps in the half space would become even greater, even worse than the space Bruno Fernandes found in the Derby.

The press upfront has completely gone. We have gone from KDB, Alvarez, Aguero, Bernardo hunting in packs to a cumbersome Haaland and players like Savinho, Doku, Reijnders, and sadly Foden adopting a fake press where they half-heartedly close down but rarely win the ball back or physically challenge for the ball. That in turn allows the ball to pass through the lines enabling the opposition to get straight at our back line.

We’re still trying to control the ball, yet the side is packed now with less technically gifted players and so the build up is becoming ever more slow and ponderous, allowing the opposition to regroup and revert to a low block. Consequently we end up stuck on the edge of the box unable to break sides down as the vision/creativity is not the same. Again we’re in a halfway house situation, buying Doku/Semenyo and Haaland (all blessed with pace) which is negated by the slow build up as the midfield neither have the space to play the ball into for the players like Haaland or space for Doku/Semenyo to attack there fullback and run beyond them.

All of Dokus best games have been when he has picked up the ball around the halfway line and then attacked the fullback with grass behind to run into (TAA for example v Liverpool).

Additionally the slow build up, to the edge of the 18 yard box, even if the defender is skinned, the winger has a packed box of defenders/midfielder's to bypass to find the intended target. It’s an almost impossible task.

We saw tonight and against United how often the opposition players got in behind our defence and fired balls across the box and there was 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 situations in the box because the break was so quick and our midfield had not got back to help out. These opportunities never arise for us due to the slow build up. When our wingers do reach the byline they have to circum-navigate about 6/7/8 players as the slow build up has allowed the opposition to regroup.

To add to all this we’ve lost a lot of leaders or the leaders we have (Rodri/Bernardo) have lost the physicality they used to have. Sadly players like Reijnders/Cherki/Foden don’t have the same drive as the ones that have gone before. KDB is a prime example, for as brilliant he was as a technician he would also happily fly into a challenge, block someone in the corner. Our latest players are too passive so are easily bypassed, navigated around.

We still have some great players but the side doesn’t work for me either with the technique/press to control possession or the physicality/pace in defence/midfield to enable the side to go full throttle and turn it into a end to end game (Pep
Himself after the 4-4 with Chelsea said we cannot play this way).
Click to expand...

Glad it’s not just me who has noticed the ‘fake’ press especially by Foden.
 
When you have a young and inexperienced back 4 you protect it. You don’t tell the full backs to bomb forward leaving 2 centre half’s alone. And the midfield to attack so they can’t get back to protect the 2 centre Halfs against the constant Bodo quick breakaway attack. That was on Pep.
 
Pingu the Penguin said:
Good post but I don’t fully agree. A deeper set up creates way more space. If you watch typical passages of play involving us you have 18 players in the opposition third. The creativity needed to unlock that is insane. 3 mobile forwards and a bit more space and time to get your head up and move the opposition around would make a world
Of difference. Or maybe not. But at least try something different
Click to expand...

It creates more space between our defence and midfield, but if sides revert to a low block on the edge of there area, and break it just leaves a bigger gap between our immobile midfield and our defensive line. It would only create more space if the opposition, when not in possession of the ball, decide to stay forward and match the position of our defenders.
 
Not happy with Haaland by any means but at least he proactively volunteered an apology to the travelling fans.

Pep, on the other hand, seemed worryingly unworried in his presser.
 
When you've got so many injuries/suspensions/ineligible players then surely it makes sense to have as many starters in their best positions, whilst keeping everything as simple as possible

Instead we had the left footed Ait-Nouri underlapping the left footed Cherki on the Right Wing.and then Reijnders underlapping Ait-Nouri and ultimately somebody overhitting a pass and a complicated move resulting in a Goal Kick.
 
BlueMoonz1977 said:
Sadly all the work that was put into the team to create that style has been lost

We are a shell of that style
Click to expand...

Send it to Pep.

This is how your old City teams used to play football.

Fast, decisive, one touch, forward, controlled, wing play, attacking, football.

Now City are just passing the ball slowly, sideways, and backwards to death, getting nowhere.
 
JOGAMIGMOG said:
Yep. Great post written after thinking about what we’ve been seeing over the past year or so. It’s going nowhere this tippy tappy stuff. What’s Linders and Toure doing? Thought they might have had a bit more influence. And our corners are probably the worst in the league.
Surely this is the low point. With Guehy in defence on Saturday I’m expecting 3 points and a turnaround in our performances going forward.
Up
Click to expand...

JOGAMIGMOG said:
Yep. Great post written after thinking about what we’ve been seeing over the past year or so. It’s going nowhere this tippy tappy stuff. What’s Linders and Toure doing? Thought they might have had a bit more influence. And our corners are probably the worst in the league.
Surely this is the low point. With Guehy in defence on Saturday I’m expecting 3 points and a turnaround in our performances going forward.
Up the Blues!
Click to expand...

Ljinders I fully expected to see a real upturn in our pressing game and fitness levels as that is what Liverpool excelled at. Sadly it’s not materialised.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top