City v Watford Post Match Thread

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Squad rotation is a really difficult thing for a manager imo because everyone has their own idea of exactly when and who to rotate and therefore there will always be criticism. Ultimately if a manager rests players and wins then he will look like a genius but if he doesn't get away with it will look a bit of a dope, but it is always going to be a gamble. My main concern with squad rotation is that I think some managers (Benitez when he was at Liverpool springs to mind) forget that the most important thing in any game is the result and not that players get a break.

Pellegrini is right to rotate his squad, it's a no brainer, everyone needs a rest, every squad member needs a game otherwise they will a) get ring rusty, or b) leave, I think Pellegrini has managed the squad pretty well to be honest, he puts faith in players to do a job, mostly this season, they've done just that, where we have cone a cropper is cover for Vinny, quality, top drawer quality, with Pellegrini's system, of fast, attacking football, and mobile, adaptable players, the likes of Lescott and Boyata have struggled,even MDM, a man with good touch has lack of pace, so these 2 paired up, against fast, mobile players are bound to suffer, like yesterday, and it's an indicator, that we need another CB of quality, with pace.
Boyata, not had enough 1st team games, and is played out of position at RB
Richards, still coming back from his injury, not fully upto speed yet
Nasty, likewise, has been out injured, not regained his form
MDM, often caught out of position, dives in
Vinny, the only quality CB we have

It's no coincidence that the substitutions of VK and Zab changed the game, Rodwell still isn't upto speed form wise, and Lopes, well, not a lot he could do, the change in formation paid dividends, I'm sure Rodwell will come good again.
But it is worrying that we have no like for like cover for Vinny, Yaya, Fernandinho , a CB and someone to fill Yaya's shoes, as he's not getting any younger, must be on the cards

I think this gave us the platform but the big difference was when Jovetic came on and started running at the Watford defence. The ToryGraph concurred with this view by not even mentioning Stefan Jovetic once, not once. Literally, not a single mention!

 

[samharris]

City are at that stage of the season where the only thing that counts is getting the win. In the FA cup it is always win or bust anyway. The season, and yesterday in particular, is not about "the battle of the managers" - is it only City's fans who have difficulty coping with the possibility that we might actually have two great managers in succession? - but I actually thought Pellegrini came up with the goods when it really mattered. The first half was a shambles with the full backs overlapping, Lescott and Dimichelis chugging along in the wake of some (three!) nippy lads for Watford while we produced nothing up front. At half time, to say the least, the quadruple looked more than dodgy!

When I saw Zaba and Vinnie warming up at half time the boost to my confidence - let alone the team's - was huge, especially when Vinnie announced his arrival with a clenched fist and a drive forward which was three times faster and more energetic than anything we'd seen in the first 45. He woke the lads up and enthused them! I don't want to criticise Micah, who has had at least 18 months of injury hell and is still "coming back" but I do believe that the Zaba-Navas partnership is on a level which is near telepathic. With Zaba both creating and exploiting space Jesus, from being a frustrated, peripheral figure forced inside in the first half, became a constant danger and game changer. As a result Edin and Sergio came alive and the City goal machine surged into life. Marcos Lopes, who had worked hard without really getting into the game, gave way to Jovetic, whose give and go game was another problem for Watford. Watford didn't drop back in the second half, they were pushed back.

So, in the end we're through to the last 16. The posts of "bad day at the office", "that team should have been easily good enough to beat Watford" are not necessary. The fact is that for 45 minutes they were nowhere near good enough. It was Pellegrini's substitutions which saved the day and he deserves the credit. I'm sure he'd rather have rested Zaba and Vinnie (Stevan was always going to get half an hour) but' in the end, as he says, top teams have to win the game they're playing or they don't win anything. Well done, Pellers!

Great post,thats exactly as I saw it....when Vinnie came on giving it the clenched fist I knew we would win.

When Fletcher came on for the scum with the clenched cheeks...I knew United would lose..

 

[Lancet Fluke]

Squad rotation is a really difficult thing for a manager imo because everyone has their own idea of exactly when and who to rotate and therefore there will always be criticism. Ultimately if a manager rests players and wins then he will look like a genius but if he doesn't get away with it will look a bit of a dope, but it is always going to be a gamble. My main concern with squad rotation is that I think some managers (Benitez when he was at Liverpool springs to mind) forget that the most important thing in any game is the result and not that players get a break.

Pellegrini is right to rotate his squad, it's a no brainer, everyone needs a rest, every squad member needs a game otherwise they will a) get ring rusty, or b) leave, I think Pellegrini has managed the squad pretty well to be honest, he puts faith in players to do a job, mostly this season, they've done just that, where we have cone a cropper is cover for Vinny, quality, top drawer quality, with Pellegrini's system, of fast, attacking football, and mobile, adaptable players, the likes of Lescott and Boyata have struggled,even MDM, a man with good touch has lack of pace, so these 2 paired up, against fast, mobile players are bound to suffer, like yesterday, and it's an indicator, that we need another CB of quality, with pace.
Boyata, not had enough 1st team games, and is played out of position at RB
Richards, still coming back from his injury, not fully upto speed yet
Nasty, likewise, has been out injured, not regained his form
MDM, often caught out of position, dives in
Vinny, the only quality CB we have

It's no coincidence that the substitutions of VK and Zab changed the game, Rodwell still isn't upto speed form wise, and Lopes, well, not a lot he could do, the change in formation paid dividends, I'm sure Rodwell will come good again.
But it is worrying that we have no like for like cover for Vinny, Yaya, Fernandinho , a CB and someone to fill Yaya's shoes, as he's not getting any younger, must be on the cards

I totally agree that he has to rotate and I also agree that by and large he has done it well, obviously he has because we have generally won despite the changes. But that doesn't stop me from picking pedantic holes in his rotation, nothing malicious but I assume we all do that as supporters who have our own opinions on players, don't we? For instance I would have played Fernandinho against Cardiff and rested him completely for the two cup games but as I say, I understand that those gripes are pedantic especially when we are winning games. FWIW, I think Lescott has done a very reasonable job when he has been called upon, the biggest issue we have had in terms of rotation (IMO) has been the holding midfield role which again was a problem yesterday as Rodwell was poor. Zab was an important change but the Kompany change allowed us to get MDM out of the back four and sorted the holding role in one sub. There is a thread saying we need to sign a defender, I'd rather we signed holding midfielder this month tbh.

 

[OB1]

Cheers OB1. The notion that we should start our strongest XI every game, in particular, is so daft I can't believe it's even been suggested. Dzeko, Milner, Navas, Clichy, Jovetic et al, would leave the club within weeks were that the case, and Aguero, Silva, Kompers and Ya Ya would be burnt out by Christmas each year!
Still hoping we'll swoop for a top drawer centre half in this window. Yesterday just re-emphasised how badly an injury to Vinnie might knacker our chances on all fronts.

I would like us to ad a CB too but it's not looking hopeful. I still crave another creative player but if Jovetic can stay fit, our cover will be much better in that respect. I also think Lopes will develop into a useful member of the squad but he needs time. So a centre back is definitely the priority.

 

[jimharri]

Cheers OB1. The notion that we should start our strongest XI every game, in particular, is so daft I can't believe it's even been suggested. Dzeko, Milner, Navas, Clichy, Jovetic et al, would leave the club within weeks were that the case, and Aguero, Silva, Kompers and Ya Ya would be burnt out by Christmas each year!
Still hoping we'll swoop for a top drawer centre half in this window. Yesterday just re-emphasised how badly an injury to Vinnie might knacker our chances on all fronts.

I would like us to ad a CB too but it's not looking hopeful. I still crave another creative player but if Jovetic can stay fit, our cover will be much better in that respect. I also think Lopes will develop into a useful member of the squad but he needs time. So a centre back is definitely the priority.

Nearly impossible to get the quality of CB we'd be after in this window. That quality of player will almost definitely be at a club that will be challenging for honours, therefore the chances of said club selling him would be, at best, remote. Yes; I know Chelsea sold Mata to the vermin. But that was different in that it was obvious that he was surplus to requirements under ''the special ego''. We'll just have to muddle on through until the summer with what we currently have.

 

[Shaelumstash]

Did he really say that?

That's one of the reasons that the introduction of vinny was a master stroke. Obviously he is better equipped to deal with the pace at the back, and also it put demichelis in the holding role and allowed yaya to play forward. But you just knew, from the minute they warmed up together, that he and zab would get the whole team playing.

Masterstroke?! Is that a wind up?! It was an Idiotstroke not realising before the game that two centre halves who can't run can't play together in a high line. He was simply correcting his own fuck up at half time.

 

[Shaelumstash]

Keep hoping Pellegrini is going to start learning from his mistakes, and keep being disappointed.

League Cup final, Check!

FA cup 5th round, Check!

2nd in Premier league, Check!

Last 16 CL, Check!

Last 19 games, won 17, drawn 2, lost 0, Check!

Only mistake was you logging on to post that shit!

Love it when people who've not seen the game quote stats about previous games as if it's relevant.

 

[Bill]

you rotate when you have the players to rotate, we clearly haven't, hence pelli not only admitting it but getting as many established players as possible on.

yes change a couple, 3 even but any more than that and you will go out of any tournament you are in sooner rather than later.


"waits for nodding dogs, bits of kids and plastics to respond"

 

[blueinsa]

Keep hoping Pellegrini is going to start learning from his mistakes, and keep being disappointed.

League Cup final, Check!

FA cup 5th round, Check!

2nd in Premier league, Check!

Last 16 CL, Check!

Last 19 games, won 17, drawn 2, lost 0, Check!

Only mistake was you logging on to post that shit!

Love it when people who've not seen the game quote stats about previous games as if it's relevant.

Go on then, tell me why I didn't see the game?

I love when someone like you desperately tries to find something to moan about.

Previous games results are more than relevant given you claim every week what a fuck up he has made despite us continually winning games of football.

Again, only mistakes being made are you logging on and failing to engage your brain before fingers!

 

[Bill]

Keep hoping Pellegrini is going to start learning from his mistakes, and keep being disappointed.

League Cup final, Check!

FA cup 5th round, Check!

2nd in Premier league, Check!

Last 16 CL, Check!

Last 19 games, won 17, drawn 2, lost 0, Check!

Only mistake was you logging on to post that shit!

Love it when people who've not seen the game quote stats about previous games as if it's relevant.

agreed.
I ignore all posts that starts "I didn't see the game but...."