Marmoush and RAN have to be given meaningful playing time on their return from AFCON. It's ludicrous how little playing time Marmoush has had this season. RAN has to be given starts to allow him to get his City career going.I understand the frustration at the result, but I don't think it's worth all the anger and strife I'm seeing. We've got a very, very depleted squad at the moment as a result of injuries, recovering players, and some fit players being away at international tournaments. Pep's usual options to see games out and kill them off - which have worked a treat in recent weeks and months - weren't available to him today and so we eventually let one slip in from Chelsea. We're not title-winning material yet, don't let the media convince you otherwise as they try to drum up interest in a non-existent title race. Next year is the target as this squad gets to know each other.
Before kick-off today we were missing Gonzalez, Kovacic, Marmoush, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Bobb, and Stones through injury. On the pitch, we had a recovering Rodri (who was goosed after 70 mins today but couldn't be taken off because, guess what, we have nobody to replace him). Then we lost Gvardiol and Dias during the game. We've played lots of intense games very close together and it was going to hit us at some stage with the absences we've got. It was frustrating to pass up so many big opportunities to put the game to bed, but that's a mark of where we are: good enough to finish 2nd and have a go at the cups, but not good enough to win the Premier League yet.
Sadly its the way of the world now, yes its disapointing not to win every game, but we are not playing that badly we are just not quite on it or getting the breaks at the moment,Is it just me but I thought Haaland had a very good game without scoring.
I just do not get where all the dreadful comments are coming from.
Goes for every player.
Disappointed losing that injury time goal but none of our players were dreadful.yesterday
Doku would walk into that Arsenal side as well. Agree with the rest although not sure Arteta would on Dona due to Raya now being probably the best keeper (without Ederson) in the league with his feetWe were 3 minutes from a deserved win without being at our best …..that’s what champions do…..so the press keep telling us about the media darlings Arsenal !
However, when reality sets in we are not good enough to win the league this season but we have made huge progress on last season.
in our previous league winning sides we had at least seven elite players and in a comparison with any of our challengers at the time all of those players would get into the other contenders team.
At the moment only Donnarumma, a fit Rodri and Haaland would make the Arsenal starting line up.
I have high hopes for Cherki, O’Reilly and I think Khushanov given a chance will become elite, but the rest although potentially very good are not at the level….I include Foden in this because of his failure to influence a game that someone of his ability should be able to.
I think we should comfortably make top 4 ( mainly due to the poor quality of the rest of the Premiership) and at least we are still involved in all competitions.
To make the next step we need to go for quality before next season….similar to our Summer transfers in 2010 and 2017.
The word you used..unbalanced...is how I saw City yesterday.Are we not where we expected to be before the season? We were 3rd favourites for the PL, which felt about right
So I've got no concerns with where we are at currently, we are trending upwards and we are not a bad side, just an unbalanced one. Problem is, we are always going to compare this side with arguably the greatest English teams of all-time.
We are part way through a rebuild and a lot of our signings have been developmental projects, so I think we are a minimum of a season away from getting close to being the dominant side. Sprinkle in a top midfielder and centre half and we're nearly there
Agree apart from the last line.Whilst as gutted as the rest of us with the late goal on reflection I remain upbeat.
No lack of effort. We just needed a second goal. Any team that loses both centre half in a game would be In trouble. Especially with our schedule
Think it’s Arsenals year but regardless no need for doom and gloom.
Apparently there's a 5cm tolerance?? Only other time this has been used this season is City at Newcastle this season. I smell a Rat!!I thought that too. It looked like Delap was offside but VAR didn’t look at it. But this was a mugging by Oliver and his assistants. I don’t trust the integrity of that guy.
Refs need to come down more on those foot injuries, don’t tell me they don’t know what they are doing. Loads of joints in feet and take a long time to heal.Surprise surprise a foot injury. Those dirty Cockney bastards were at it all game and determined to get one of us.
He still needs to be looked after & not run into the ground but all these injurys could put a stop to that .Trying to be positive, seeing rodders back and doing his stuff so well is a sight for sore eyes, he obviously tailed off second half but still great to have him back.
Stood out a mile. Either someone needed to drop back just in front of Rodri or bring someone on to occupy that area for the last 20 mins.This is exactly how i saw it.
Sadly he's starting to move like Robocop.Only today did I realise how slow Ake is
Cant believe both didnt get more playing time prior to afcon knowing theyd be away for a whileMarmoush and RAN have to be given meaningful playing time on their return from AFCON. It's ludicrous how little playing time Marmoush has had this season. RAN has to be given starts to allow him to get his City career going.
They may well have to come to us but the likelihood is that they won't need to win that game whereas we will so they'll do what vastly inferior sides have managed, ie sit in defend (and they're the best around at that) and rinse our high line on the break. Drawing instead of winning these last 2 have dented our title hopes.Agree apart from the last line.
They still have to come to us.
A lot of negativity about last night which stems from the fact they grabbed a stoppage time equaliser.
Some of the players getting stick played well for me, Bernardo in particular.
Losing 2 centre halfs who were playing well is huge, it was Chelsea we were playing who despite everything have some top class players.
By hook or by crook we need to beat Brighton, we then have 2 weeks to reset for the PL.
We were 3 minutes from a deserved win without being at our best …..that’s what champions do…..so the press keep telling us about the media darlings Arsenal !
However, when reality sets in we are not good enough to win the league this season but we have made huge progress on last season.
in our previous league winning sides we had at least seven elite players and in a comparison with any of our challengers at the time all of those players would get into the other contenders team.
At the moment only Donnarumma, a fit Rodri and Haaland would make the Arsenal starting line up.
I have high hopes for Cherki, O’Reilly and I think Khushanov given a chance will become elite, but the rest although potentially very good are not at the level….I include Foden in this because of his failure to influence a game that someone of his ability should be able to.
I think we should comfortably make top 4 ( mainly due to the poor quality of the rest of the Premiership) and at least we are still involved in all competitions.
To make the next step we need to go for quality before next season….similar to our Summer transfers in 2010 and 2017.
Eureka ! Let's not forget the match Arsenal took Rodri out. The complete match they targeted players. It was about this time that pigmol decided they wanted the game to be more physical because they thought it had lost it's edge !!! Me thinks heads had been put together to put the brake on City.Surprise surprise a foot injury. Those dirty Cockney bastards were at it all game and determined to get one of us.
Agree . We need players competing for every position and if it means players are unhappy with game time then so be itA winning side has a good bench by definition. City are 2nd after 1 year of re-building. Man Utd have spent 13 years in the wilderness after spending hundreds of millions. Arteta has spent over £1B on his side. The good bench will come with time.