City v Saints post match

[Marvin]

I have no idea why having started off with a back four and looking comfortable we've gone to a back 3 when we don't have the players to suit that formation. They had way too much space on the ball today and against a better team we would really have been punished.

Also you would have thought Pep would have realised by now that Sterling's far more effective on the right.

Hopefully Vince can get a run of games now as he will make a big difference.

Agreed. Kompany's return was a bright moment. As was Kelechi's goal.

 

[quiet_riot]

Nobody's against Pep, but fans are entitled to question today's performance. That performance is a result of players AND management. Have a great game, then Pep and the team get praise. Have a bad game then Pep and the team get criticism. Pep cannot be excluded from criticism surely?

But I repeat, I don't believe anybody is against Pep (or the team).

Unfortunately, on here it seems if you dare say a bad word, you are anti-Pep and don't deserve to call yourself a City fan.

 

[1mrprodg]

Poor performance from all except Sane in the first half. I think Pep has the same issue I had with Pelligrini, he takes too long to sub. Nolito should have been introduced for Aguero at some point. I don't know if it's a lack of confidence or disinterest, either way, Aguero is not working for the team right now. We also need another playmaker... The only comfort we have right now is that we are still in first place after a shitty run.

 

[BLUEMATT23]

[I'TE="vmsuhail, post: 9789685, member: 47554"]On the other side, only 1 point above Top 4.[/QUOTE]

Im trying to be positive!!!

 

[hilts]

What doesn't?

Telling defenders and keepers whose natural instinct is to play it long to play it short only when safe to do so, they will mainly take the safe option. No one got better at anything by not doing something. The two players who you would think are best suited to passing out from the back stones and bravo are the ones who have made the last two mistakes. Long balls from the back cost goals as well but they aren't as easy to see. Hopefully the errors will lessen but they will always crop up.

 

[sir baconface]

You are putting words in my mouth. First few games I saw City outworking the opposition. Its clear they wanted to impress the manager. This squad have a track record of complacency and that's what we saw in the 1st half which is very annoying after you are on a bad run and have just got beat 4-0. Does not bode well

Understood, but this manager won't tolerate mediocrity and I'm certain this is a passing phase.

 

[bluegaz13]

Not a criticism of Gundagon.......however this season is a carbon copy of last season when we tried to shoe horn KDB into the side after a great start.

We were much more fluid at the start of the season and more importantly kept the ball....... Our ball retention is shocking at the moment.......with Fernandinho, Gundagon and KDB especially guilty.

The big difference is we are now being pressed high up the pitch which has either stopped us playing out from the back or forced us into mistakes.......we also do not seem to press ourselves like we did at the beginning of the season.....be interesting to see if we are still running as far !

We need to remember that Pep has only had one transfer window.........he will already now know who needs to be replaced so that he can implement his systems and ideas.

The big plusses today were the return of Kompany, the form of Sane and the second half performance of Sterling.

 

[FanchesterCity]

You are putting words in my mouth. First few games I saw City outworking the opposition. Its clear they wanted to impress the manager. This squad have a track record of complacency and that's what we saw in the 1st half which is very annoying after you are on a bad run and have just got beat 4-0. Does not bode well

Fair points there.
We've seen us playing some wonderful football (and we saw that under Mancini and Pellers too), but we've seen complacency and carelessness cost us dear too. The phrase 'depends which City turn up' is still a common one.

We can say the same for Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea and United too - all can play very well, or have a stinker. For me though, the real pain is that I think we have a squad that's more than a match for any of those teams, but we're not capitalising on that superiority. Someone else mentioned that we're probably at least 1 title short of where we could be, and to miss out on another would be very disappointing.

Sure, we are still top, but is it so wrong to believe we could / should be pulling away already?

 

[Tricky_Trev]

I have no idea why having started off with a back four and looking comfortable we've gone to a back 3 when we don't have the players to suit that formation. They had way too much space on the ball today and against a better team we would really have been punished.

Also you would have thought Pep would have realised by now that Sterling's far more effective on the right.

Hopefully Vince can get a run of games now as he will make a big difference.

It's because he's trying to find a way to play Fernandinho, Gundogan, Silva and De Bruyne in the same team. Hopefully he realises quickly that the solution is to bench Silva or Gundogan.

 

[Jamoid]

Very poor - collective loss of form - but not disheartened. Once we get past this shit streak, someone's gonna get pasted.

Boo boys fcuk off please.

Still on course for the title...

I agree it's a loss of form and mistakes but someone will get a pasting in the next few weeks