Lots of truth in that, but it ignores the FACT that we have been living a charmed life this season, pulling victories out of nowhere, with full backs scoring winners out of nowhere, and a very VERY average start (at best) by some supposedly internal, world class, players.
Sure, injuries to two of our best players (Rodri & KDB) haven’t helped, but it’s that the entire team has looked disjointed, slow, ponderous, and under constant attack by clubs others are beating off the park.
We have looked devoid of attacking threat in many games, with today merely being the latest example. We had 2/3 possession and our first attempt on goal came on 79:20, with Haaland passing one into the keeper’s hands.
In fact, it wasn’t until Doku came on that we looked to have attacking threat at all, unless Nunes managed to get around the outside of his full back a time or two.
Defensively, only Ederson saved us getting the Sick Swan against us…at Bournemouth…so the last 4 years might have been glorious, but football is a “What have you done for me lately?” game, as United have learned to their horror! Istree doesn’t cut it, unfortunately, and everyone will bask in the warm glow of this defeat, and its manner, as the hopeful end of Pep’s Man City domination.
It feels like he’s been sussed, when teams in the lower half take us to the mat and we escape with a late win. When we are battered for 80 minutes, though, that’s a different animal and I’m hoping the ONLY factor at play was that half the starting line up was injured, as was most of the bench.
Lastly, we had a midfield today that played like they were running on molasses and needed three touches, and at least one 360° turn, just to get the ball under control and find half a yard of space. Gundo, God love him, has looked a pale shadow of the player who left for Barca, because the 2 years are like dog years at his age. Kova played well, but was hustling about trying to find a spark where none existed, and, to be honest, I’m not even sure who the midfield support was for most of the game, because they swept through us like wildfire.
I know it sounds alarmist to watch one really poor performance, that we almost pulled out of the bag, but for the width of the post, but no-one in their right minds could say that City looked anything but bereft of ideas and the energy to create any today. With a couple of tough games coming up and an international break that will be taking the poss if ANY City
Players leave, it’s not a great time for us and so I’m glad we have clawed our way to 2nd and are still in with a serious shout.
We desperately need players fit and at it RIGHT NOW, but it appears Pep and Co. are going to have to wait until after the international break for most of them, Christmas for Oscar and next season for Godri. What’s weird is that Godri might have played his last game for Pep, but we won’t know until Pep decides what he wants to do, which is a travesty in itself!
CTID and all that, but today was a bad day. Felt like the Housing Inspector came in and told me the crack I noticed in the wall was actually going to require a complete remodel and new foundation and it was only the lovely wallpaper that had been hiding the damage for the last 18 months!
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