City v Arsenal post match thread

[Neville Kneville]

There was a time when this was the mantra of every winger - 'get to the byline and cross it in' - and it was up to somebody else to make sure they were in the box.
There's no reason why it can't still work. The game is a simple one, people just want to make it sound complicated.

It has become so obvious, the inverted winger trick, that everyone is expecting it. But if you have normal wide players, then swap them as a variation, it gives the oppo two different problems rather than one. So simple.

 

[Dribble]

I think he's making a reasonable point in the sense he's saying people said Pellers was the problem, far less the players. We had a seriously good group of players and Pellers ought to be getting more from them. In that sense, he's right to say that now we have a manager who most regard as one of the very best, if not the best in football. Given that, we should be expecting him to prove the Pellegrini naysayers right and that a quality manager will do much better even with the players he had, let alone with new 'improved' players.

What's not being said is that Pellers did manage to win a league and two league cups, and that last season was truly an atypical one in which 'top teams' fell below par.

To my mind, he's only saying that all those who said 'anybody decent would walk the league' now have somebody decent - so let's see. It's a fair point.

Personally I think the game's a lot more complicated and it's never as easy as just having the best manager. Pep is not a guarantee of anything, and he himself readily admits that. We hope he's going to significantly improve us though - and thus increase our chances of success.

He wasn't the only problem, but he was the main one imo. It's as simple as this, it took 12 months to dismantle a good team and system that required evolution not revolution and I just pray it won't take Pep that long to reverse the damage done. Pep may be classed as the best living coach by some, but he's not God Almighty with magical powers, so the opportunistic digs are unnecessary imo.

Do you think if we have a fantastic season, he'll come back and post that perhaps he was wrong about his Manuel? Will he heck, he's just having a petty dig in the name of revenge, whilst forgetting all about what's best for the team he's supposed to support.

But as they say, 'The difficult takes time, the impossible takes just that little bit longer'. I'm willing to place my trust in Pep so we can finally continue our journey that was interrupted to the point of regression and I just wish that poster and his like could do the same. I won't be holding my breath though...........

 

[SexAndManCity]

Defensive errors were only through continued efforts to keep playing the ball. They could have hoofed clear every time but it doesn't get you anywhere. Eventually the passing and movement will become second nature.

Pitch looked weird though. The ball seemed to move slowly and heavily early on and a few bad touches/bobbles contributed to a number of bad moments.

 

[SebastianBlue]

Zaba looked sharper.
Yaya looked slimmer.

I agree with both additions. In retrospect, I'd also say that Navas showed that he can pick out a good cross when he has someone to target. And Nacho has started where he left off last season—I will be extremely disappointed if he is not the second/third striker in the league this season.

 

[FanchesterCity]

He wasn't the only problem, but he was the main one imo. It's as simple as this, it took 12 months to dismantle a good team and system that required evolution not revolution and I just pray it won't take Pep that long to reverse the damage done. Pep may be classed as the best living coach by some, but he's not God Almighty with magical powers, so the opportunistic digs are unnecessary imo.

Do you think if we have a fantastic season, he'll come back and post that perhaps he was wrong about his Manuel? Will he heck, he's just having a petty dig in the name of revenge, whilst forgetting all about what's best for the team he's supposed to support.

But as they say, 'The difficult takes time, the impossible takes just that little bit longer'. I'm willing to place my trust in Pep so we can finally continue our journey that was interrupted to the point of regression and I just wish that poster and his like could do the same. I won't be holding my breath though...........

I think if we have a fantastic season, none of this will matter and all ill feeling goes out the window. There's nothing like City doing well to make your troubles fade away.
What's done is done, we have to treat this is a fresh start. It's just very hard to do that as fans as we all have memories and opinions about certain players and any faith in Pep is often offset by our lack of faith in certain players every improving!

It's not helped when that lot down the road believe they've improved their managerial situation (please let them be wrong) and they're signing some decent players. I can't see this season being easy for anybody, but at least I think we have a guy who gives us a damn good chance. That's all we can really ask for I think!

 

[The slaughtered lamb]

Defensive errors were only through continued efforts to keep playing the ball. They could have hoofed clear every time but it doesn't get you anywhere. Eventually the passing and movement will become second nature.

Very true. That's why I'm nowhere near as concerned by this as I was this time last season after Stuttgart. At least we're working towards something now. People were shot down after the Stuttgart game as overreacting to a friendly beating, but it was clear that we were going into the season destined to make the same defensive mistakes as the season before.

 

[Kazzydeyna]

He wasn't the only problem, but he was the main one imo. It's as simple as this, it took 12 months to dismantle a good team and system that required evolution not revolution and I just pray it won't take Pep that long to reverse the damage done. Pep may be classed as the best living coach by some, but he's not God Almighty with magical powers, so the opportunistic digs are unnecessary imo.

Do you think if we have a fantastic season, he'll come back and post that perhaps he was wrong about his Manuel? Will he heck, he's just having a petty dig in the name of revenge, whilst forgetting all about what's best for the team he's supposed to support.

But as they say, 'The difficult takes time, the impossible takes just that little bit longer'. I'm willing to place my trust in Pep so we can finally continue our journey that was interrupted to the point of regression and I just wish that poster and his like could do the same. I won't be holding my breath though...........

If (when) we have a fantastic season my friend I'll be too busy celebrating it to be bothered about resurrecting this thread.

And I fully expect we WILL have a fantastic season. I've said it consistently for the last 6 years at least. And been proven right every time (even last year we won a trophy and got to the last four of the worlds most prestigious club competition - that to me was still a fantastic season because, you know, as the song goes, I really WAS here when we were shit).

The point still stands though. It's impossible to square the circle of "Pellers was a **** because with this squad he should have won (even) more than he did" whilst seemingly at the same time saying "Pep will need lots of time to improve results because he's been bequeathed a shit squad and only been able to spend £100m+ on it".

3 trophies in 3 years with a shit manager. What's your expectation for the next 3 years with the best manager in the world?

I have full and complete faith in Pep's ability, to me it's not in question. Seemingly you and I agree in this.

I just happened to respect the last guy too. He gifted me and all of us the chance to see us win 3 trophies in 3 years and progress in the champs league. I don't give a fuck that he wasn't 'cool' or 'chic'. He managed my team, our team, to 3 unforgettable moments. How can any blue not love him?

You can still admire pep and respect Pellers achievements. The two things are not mutually exclusive. I suspect (obviously cannot prove it though) that if anybody asked Pep his views on Pellers ability the words "corpse", "****", "senile", "Audrey Roberts" would not form part of his opinion. Far from it.

And thank you @FanchesterCity , you express my points far better than I do (in your earlier post).

 

[Kazzydeyna]

He wasn't the only problem, but he was the main one imo. It's as simple as this, it took 12 months to dismantle a good team and system that required evolution not revolution and I just pray it won't take Pep that long to reverse the damage done. Pep may be classed as the best living coach by some, but he's not God Almighty with magical powers, so the opportunistic digs are unnecessary imo.

Do you think if we have a fantastic season, he'll come back and post that perhaps he was wrong about his Manuel? Will he heck, he's just having a petty dig in the name of revenge, whilst forgetting all about what's best for the team he's supposed to support.

But as they say, 'The difficult takes time, the impossible takes just that little bit longer'. I'm willing to place my trust in Pep so we can finally continue our journey that was interrupted to the point of regression and I just wish that poster and his like could do the same. I won't be holding my breath though...........

Anyway, sod it I'm going to bed. We can meet for a beer at the end of the season to celebrate the title. That's not a dig, I honestly think we will win it this year. When we do this thread will be long forgotten.

 

[80s Shorts]

Defensive errors were only through continued efforts to keep playing the ball. They could have hoofed clear every time but it doesn't get you anywhere. Eventually the passing and movement will become second nature.

Pitch looked weird though. The ball seemed to move slowly and heavily early on and a few bad touches/bobbles contributed to a number of bad moments.

They found it hard to see each other in them kits as well. (shit, forgot about the socks).

 

[MCFC_4Heatons]

... the match highlighted we don't have the defenders or keeper for Pep's game ... Neither Joe or Willy looked comfortable .... Clichy is decent defensively but nothing to write home about in possession of the ball and not what Pep would like, he's homegrown so stays, Fernando did OK considering it's a new role for him, no idea why Kolarov was playing at all let alone at CB, the sooner he leaves the better, away to Southampton was the final straw for me with Kolarov he was a disgrace in that match!! I just hope Zab needs some games to get match sharp as I love him but sadly think we've seen the best of him now. Sagna will probably be no.1 RB again. Assuming we buy Stones, it looks like Otamendi and him at CB until Vinnie gets fit & think we desperately need a fit and firing on all cylinders Vinnie to have any chance of achieving our goals.

We're buying some very exciting young players but we seem to be neglecting where we needed strengthening the most! Need new left and right backs with technique, speed and energy and new CB ASAP and I don't think our keepers can cope with the way Pep wants them to play!!