City v Boro post match

[dickie davies]

Most of the time there was only Aguero in the box, can't blame the wingers for not finding a player or deciding not to cross when there is only little Kun to aim at. Pisses me off no end, as do our corners.

I agree that Aguero is on his todd but strange how DeBrune manages to find him
It also re enforces my point about full backs and players who offer a goal threat

I've given up any hope on corners

 

[grim up north]

I agree that Aguero is on his todd but strange how DeBrune manages to find him
It also re enforces my point about full backs and players who offer a goal threat

I've given up any hope on corners

Navas found him but that doesn't count he is a boo boys dream

 

[dickie davies]

Really disappointed that we conceded at the death, however i'm more disappointed with some of our supporters including Paul Lake on radio Manchester who expected us to walk this game 3 or 4 nil
It was never going to be easy as Boro are a difficult side to break down and for us it was always going to be a hangover match following the effort and emotion of Tuesday

Onto the team selection and I was perplexed
Silva, DeBrune and Gundogan cannot play in the same team when the opposition defend deep. Navas was never the man for today and neither was Clichy
Chances were always going to be at a premium, so what was required was players who can get us a goal, so either Sterling or Nolito should have started. If one or both was not fit to start then Kelechi should have been in, at the expense of Gundogan
In tight games we require our full backs to overlap or make runs forward into the opposition penalty area to get behind their defense and also to create space for our more creative players. Zabba did this on numerous occasions, but only the one time in 85 minutes did Navas actually find a City player in the box (and it was a shocking miss from Aguero)
Meanwhile on the other side of the field, Clichy got a nosebleed if he went withing 40 yards of Boro's penalty area

Navas found him but that doesn't count he is a boo boys dream

 

[Peggy's a blue]

Funnily enough, I think we may be more effective away from home this year. In the past I have never been happy with away form. But this year the we are set up may be better away.

 

[SilverFox2]

Couple of observations that may or may not have already appeared.

Firstly 'Boro as far as I know are the only team to have beaten City without having a single shot on target during a game.
Cannot remember the year but it was at Maine Road and was the result of an og.

Secondly, I wonder when Pep is going to notice that scoring goals is the only way that any team can win a game of football. Surely there should have been more goals given our possession and goal attempts or is it only our defence that must learn how to not make mistakes.
Just one extra goal would have secured the extra 2 points so lets have some of his struggle for improvement in the general direction of those who are likely to get goal scoring opportunity generated by the possession he is obsessed about.

 

[OB1]

A defence that doesn't concede is the main point of Guardiolas system that he is trying to implement (and why he has always had the best defensive record). It will take time though as the whole point behind it is it is reliant on all 11 players doing their roles rather than having a flat back four with midfield cover creating a back wall like some others do. He won't see the goal today as a Bravo or a Clichy error as some have been saying, he will see it as a midfield error for losing possession loosely.

I've never been sure we will win the league this year though,I've always thought next season would be the one we'd see sustained positive results in, particularly with the competition and the benefits they have in not having European football (training sessions will do us far more good than a long league cup run would have done, for example).

A leaky defence can still win the league if players take their chances though, proven by United last title win when they were defensively pants but Van Persie won it for them. I'm not sure we have the clinicality to do it though, we seem to be taking a fair few chances to convert one.

I'm personally not worried at all about the defence long term though.

I wouldn't call our defense exactly leaky, I think only Chelsea and Liverpool have conceded few shots against, and not by much. I also think our shots against average has been improving, it certainly did today. The problem and it is not new to this season is a propensity to concede too high a proportion of goals from shots against us; whilst doing the inverse at the other end. Today being a perfect example of this problem, with us scoring 1 goal from 25 attempts and Boro scoring 1 from 5 i.e. they were five times as efficient in their finishing in this game.

 

[Ric]

Firstly 'Boro as far as I know are the only team to have beaten City without having a single shot on target during a game.
Cannot remember the year but it was at Maine Road and was the result of an og.

It was at Eastlands that mate. Sun Jihai scored for them.

http://bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/History/Matches/Match.aspx?id=4552

 

[Len Rum]

I agree that Aguero is on his todd but strange how DeBrune manages to find him
It also re enforces my point about full backs and players who offer a goal threat

I've given up any hope on corners

Our corners are now the worst ever in the last five years, which is saying something.

 

[nellyonthewing]

The danger is if we keep dropping points like this at home then we will have to go to Chelsea & Arsenal and win to redress this.

 

[the_game_161]

Dropped 6 points at home last two home games..can't be doing that to win the league. Got to beat these type of teams