City v Swans post match thread

[kaz7]

Currently sat 2nd, a point off.

hardly a disaster karen ;-)

Just saying as you keep saying we are top when there was always two games to go

 

[BluessinceHydeRoad]

I don't think City can afford to rest players, and certainly can't afford to play "the kids". Our injury list is long and has kept some of the most important members of the team out for much of the season. It would be naive to believe that either Vinnie or Sergio will be back and in top form any time soon. The same players have to keep on and Pellegrini is right to say that the most important thing is to get the three points. This is going to be more difficult against more in form sides than the Swans, especially away from home. United found out what can happen when you "use the kids" yesterday. They had no choice but their back line of three (relative) youngsters and a DM who needs more experienced heads to keep him in positionn were given the run around by a Bournmouth team who had been round the block a few times. Yet there are still posters on here who prefer to change the old saying to "If you're young enough you must be good enough"! United dropped three points in a match that they would have marked down as a banker.

Defensively we do look fragile to say the least and Swansea adopted the same ploy of playing with no out and out striker as Stoke and Liverpool. Routledge caused problems as they moved with pace towards our box and we were grateful again to Joe. When their substitutes - including two real forwards with real pace - came on we conceded quickly. Mangala and the rest of the back fourwere clearly not blameless but when we concede the same way week after week we are entitled to as why defenders who are so obviously in difficulty are not given more help. Gomis scoed with a quite stunning shot that screamed past Joe, but he had turned Mangala and outpaced him after a ball from midfield played by a Swansea lad under no challenge or pressure whatsoever. When Mark Hughes got the sack we were complaining that after buying Kolo and Joleon City still couldn't defend any kind of cross into our box and we seemed hopeless at defending corners. Roberto Mancini took the fairly simple step of ensuring we had more men in our box to defend corners and we weren't so Kamikaze in open play. Improvement came straight away. Pellers tells us endlessly that he wants to play attacking football and score goals. Great, but at the moment it isn't working. Yesterday was a case in point. I didn't get there until after we had scored, but I knew we needed another if we were to win! I think the problems are obvious and twofold; we defend too high a line against anyone with real pace and we commit too many bodies forward. The result is that our full backs overlap, no one drops in behind, BOTH our CM's are stranded up field and our CB's are left trying to hold the 18 yard line against players running at them with time and space. This hasn't worked and it could fail spectacularly against the pace Walcott and, possibly, Sanchez and the guile of Özil and Ramsey. I think Pellers has to devote more attention to how we play when we don't have the ball. Pellers tells us that defence is about more than the back four, and I believe it's time he took his assertion seriously.

 

[blueinsa]

Just saying as you keep saying we are top when there was always two games to go

I said it because we where ;-)

Long long season and nothing is won or lost this weekend.

 

[pete1970]

Villa not exactly frightening arsenal at the mo
Still thats why theyre bottom i guess

 

[cleavers]

V Borussia, even though the scoreline was wrong, I think we benefitted from starting with a 3 in the middle. It wasn't obvious but some things we did were spot on, then later in the game, we were able to run, because as a team we hadn't been over stretched, thus we could go balls out & overpower them. Silva & Yaya were full of running 2nd half there.

I agree, so it begs the question, who's getting it wrong, the players or the manager ?

 

[Keepingthefaithsince1976]

What they really need this week is not a "pre-season" its a rest, to recover, why are people ignoring Pellegrini on this ? Some of the players who are playing are walking wounded.

Why do you think ? He isn't fit enough to do more than an hour, in an ideal world he wouldn't be playing at all yet.

A number of the players are knackered, because we've been unable to rotate them due to the injury situation.

Totally agree. I'd give them 2 days off to spend with families and get the Christmas shopping done. Some of the bozos on here would have them doing the SAS course up the breckon beacons.But they know better than a management team that have worked in professional football for over 30 years.

 

[paulchapo]

I would have them off until Wednesday at least.That still gives us four days to train before the game.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

Totally agree. I'd give them 2 days off to spend with families and get the Christmas shopping done. Some of the bozos on here would have them doing the SAS course up the breckon beacons.But they know better than a management team that have worked in professional football for over 30 years.

I agree they need a rest and this week should be a few days off. I don't expect to see another lacklustre performance on Monday though.There will be no excuses for that.

 

[Keepingthefaithsince1976]

Dont fall over but i completely agree on the work rate issue.

Great sides work as hard off the ball as they do on it and it only happens currently when they can be arsed it seems.

Bob suffered from it and so too does Pellegrini.

It has to change and Txiki needs to make sure it does when it comes to recruiting the right players who not only have the skill, they also have the stomach for the fight.

You better get a chair Mr Kneville because i too agree with this. The primary reason we lose games is because of the lack of work as a team. Yaya has been inspired the last couple of games like a dog with a bone at times. Unfortunately others don't take up the mantle when they lose the ball...I'd get slated on here if i mentioned the main culprits but its their on the replays. One thing i love about following City is when the players get up for it the crowd are absolutely buzzing.

 

[ballinio]

I don't think City can afford to rest players, and certainly can't afford to play "the kids". Our injury list is long and has kept some of the most important members of the team out for much of the season. It would be naive to believe that either Vinnie or Sergio will be back and in top form any time soon. The same players have to keep on and Pellegrini is right to say that the most important thing is to get the three points. This is going to be more difficult against more in form sides than the Swans, especially away from home. United found out what can happen when you "use the kids" yesterday. They had no choice but their back line of three (relative) youngsters and a DM who needs more experienced heads to keep him in positionn were given the run around by a Bournmouth team who had been round the block a few times. Yet there are still posters on here who prefer to change the old saying to "If you're young enough you must be good enough"! United dropped three points in a match that they would have marked down as a banker.

Defensively we do look fragile to say the least and Swansea adopted the same ploy of playing with no out and out striker as Stoke and Liverpool. Routledge caused problems as they moved with pace towards our box and we were grateful again to Joe. When their substitutes - including two real forwards with real pace - came on we conceded quickly. Mangala and the rest of the back fourwere clearly not blameless but when we concede the same way week after week we are entitled to as why defenders who are so obviously in difficulty are not given more help. Gomis scoed with a quite stunning shot that screamed past Joe, but he had turned Mangala and outpaced him after a ball from midfield played by a Swansea lad under no challenge or pressure whatsoever. When Mark Hughes got the sack we were complaining that after buying Kolo and Joleon City still couldn't defend any kind of cross into our box and we seemed hopeless at defending corners. Roberto Mancini took the fairly simple step of ensuring we had more men in our box to defend corners and we weren't so Kamikaze in open play. Improvement came straight away. Pellers tells us endlessly that he wants to play attacking football and score goals. Great, but at the moment it isn't working. Yesterday was a case in point. I didn't get there until after we had scored, but I knew we needed another if we were to win! I think the problems are obvious and twofold; we defend too high a line against anyone with real pace and we commit too many bodies forward. The result is that our full backs overlap, no one drops in behind, BOTH our CM's are stranded up field and our CB's are left trying to hold the 18 yard line against players running at them with time and space. This hasn't worked and it could fail spectacularly against the pace Walcott and, possibly, Sanchez and the guile of Özil and Ramsey. I think Pellers has to devote more attention to how we play when we don't have the ball. Pellers tells us that defence is about more than the back four, and I believe it's time he took his assertion seriously.

You have nailed it there, committing too many men forward, not enough effort to get behind the ball is putting a lot of pressure on the back four, a decent manager would not allow the players to do as they fucking please, carry this on & another thrashing is around the corner.