Lovebitesandeveryfing
Well-Known Member
This was a blip. An irritating, even very irritating blip, but a blip nonetheless.
I think we have to get a sense of perspective on this by looking at the three games collectively. For Newcastle and to some extent Liverpool, all neutral observers and not a few blues have agreed that we played well at not playing very well, if you can understand that. That is, we "managed" those games, while never being at more than third gear, sometimes dropping into second gear. Both teams gave us space behind the back four in a way that Stoke almost never did. Normal — Newcastle were on their own turf, Liverpool are Liverpool, they were up for getting the three points at the Etihad to prove a point of their own. All our goals in those games showed our ability to punish defences instantly without necessarily playing particularly impressively. Yesterday we had an entirely different job to do — the onus was completely on us — and we could find no way of rethinking our game to get past Stoke's organisation (which was superb, full credit to them). This was to my mind very reminiscent of the Palace match at the Etihad last season. They were stubborn, and we only got through because of a piece of class from Edin. Think, even, of the Villa game. We didn't break them down until the 60th minute.
When it's not going through up the middle there aren't a thousand other ways to get through. Either you have a barnstorming piece of individual brilliance (i.e. Yaya several times last season, but he's not looking even close to it at present, is it only to me that he looks phenomenally sluggish?) or you go down the wings where there's space. Stoke had that pretty well covered as well. Only well to get through that way is to have Navas on right from the start, and to have Zab on. But Zab has got to be rested sometimes, and it's obviously not going to be against LIverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Bayern. That's why we got Sagna, and we got him for free, let's be honest. He's no Zab, of course not, that's why we got him for free.
We are three points behind Chelsea, which is nothing at this stage of the season. I look at this as potentially the kick up the arse we needed. I expect us to play fully up to pace, and to be right up for it against Arsenal. The onus will be on them, and it will in no way resemble this match. And make no mistake, with Fernando tidying up (injury situation?) in front of a back four of Zab, Vinny, MDM/Mangala, Clichy, this is the best defence City have had in the last four seasons. We'll be the ones soaking up, and then breaking fast. But I do think that that midfield has to vary the tip-tap possession stuff with long, sharp, accurate balls straight out of deep midfield a little more. It's varying it that catches the opposition out. If your rhythm is the same right the way through, the opposition can deal with it, and that's what the stokies did brilliantly yesterday. Hats off to them. We move on…
I think we have to get a sense of perspective on this by looking at the three games collectively. For Newcastle and to some extent Liverpool, all neutral observers and not a few blues have agreed that we played well at not playing very well, if you can understand that. That is, we "managed" those games, while never being at more than third gear, sometimes dropping into second gear. Both teams gave us space behind the back four in a way that Stoke almost never did. Normal — Newcastle were on their own turf, Liverpool are Liverpool, they were up for getting the three points at the Etihad to prove a point of their own. All our goals in those games showed our ability to punish defences instantly without necessarily playing particularly impressively. Yesterday we had an entirely different job to do — the onus was completely on us — and we could find no way of rethinking our game to get past Stoke's organisation (which was superb, full credit to them). This was to my mind very reminiscent of the Palace match at the Etihad last season. They were stubborn, and we only got through because of a piece of class from Edin. Think, even, of the Villa game. We didn't break them down until the 60th minute.
When it's not going through up the middle there aren't a thousand other ways to get through. Either you have a barnstorming piece of individual brilliance (i.e. Yaya several times last season, but he's not looking even close to it at present, is it only to me that he looks phenomenally sluggish?) or you go down the wings where there's space. Stoke had that pretty well covered as well. Only well to get through that way is to have Navas on right from the start, and to have Zab on. But Zab has got to be rested sometimes, and it's obviously not going to be against LIverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Bayern. That's why we got Sagna, and we got him for free, let's be honest. He's no Zab, of course not, that's why we got him for free.
We are three points behind Chelsea, which is nothing at this stage of the season. I look at this as potentially the kick up the arse we needed. I expect us to play fully up to pace, and to be right up for it against Arsenal. The onus will be on them, and it will in no way resemble this match. And make no mistake, with Fernando tidying up (injury situation?) in front of a back four of Zab, Vinny, MDM/Mangala, Clichy, this is the best defence City have had in the last four seasons. We'll be the ones soaking up, and then breaking fast. But I do think that that midfield has to vary the tip-tap possession stuff with long, sharp, accurate balls straight out of deep midfield a little more. It's varying it that catches the opposition out. If your rhythm is the same right the way through, the opposition can deal with it, and that's what the stokies did brilliantly yesterday. Hats off to them. We move on…