Complacency again

[Marvin]

100% correct

It's a natural reaction to ease off after winning trophies and has happened to so many teams including this one

I know we are stronger than we have ever been.

I am expecting City to fight for the title again.

There are a few issues which affect our chances in the coming season

a) Aguero's fitness. We need him at or approaching his best, and he wasn't at the end of last season or at the World Cup

b) The players as a group need to show the same commitment as they did when they won their trophies. That's not an insult to the players. It's happened before that we've eased off, and it happens to sportsmen in every field. Very few retain the focus to do it back to back.

The players have already proved that technically they are good enough to win, but I think it is unknown as to how they will respond after winning two trophies last season.

c) An obvious one: how have we improved relative to our rivals

It's down to the manager to keep them motivated for every game. He has done a pretty damn good job at this throughout his entire career, getting teams to play out of their skin, so I don't see why that should change. Also, having two good players for every position is a pretty strong motivator too. If anyone doesn't play with the right attitude they'll get dropped.

With regards to your aguero point, I agree it's important, although because of the quality we have in the other strikers, silva would be a bigger loss. And that of course is why aguero and the others were rested.

True. The competition for places must be unreal. I genuinely don't know what the best option is in many positions. There's no way any player can take their place for granted, and that's a great situation to have

This is the best squad City have ever had. I think we are maybe still short of the bayerns, Real Madrids, and Barcelonas because they have individual players who are at the Galactico level who can win a game singlehanded. We have Aguero and Yaya. They are capable of going to that level, and maybe Yaya did that repeatedly in the Premiership but he has to do that in the Champions League now to get wider acclaim. Still much to achieve for all the City players

 

[Citizen in Pakistan]

First 10 minutes at Wembley reminded me of 2012/13

Started the game like we didn't care whilst Arsenal were well up for it

I thought we were a little unlucky as everything Arsenal tried came off, whilst we threatened them more than they did, but nothing fell for us, but that opening spell really annoyed me. You can't start games like that, and it just reminded me of City under Mancini after we won the title.

Newcastle will fancy their chances now, and so they should.

Lol that was funny

 

[cibaman]

Yeah your probably right... Come on Marvin WUM some more.

Think the op had a fair point:

I.e. Pissed off that we didn't really take the game seriously (weakened team was understandable) but the players who started didn't really look up for it. If I had forked out for travel and tickets I'd probably be slightly miffed with them as well!

Pellegrini said much the same citing a lack of intensity to our first half game

I think it's fair to ask the question how much do our players want it after winning two trophies last season. Others think that's a leap too far and is also an insult to the players after all they have done

Maybe it is a leap too far to make, but I think it's an unanswered question which the players will have to prove Every season. How much do they want it?

This time every season the MEN used to run an article with Ferguson publically questioning how much his players wanted to win the title

If you spent your lifetime aiming and dreaming of winning the biggest trophy in your sport, no one including the sportsman themselves knows how they are going to react. The best in their sport like Nadal, Federer, Djokovic win trophy after trophy year after year, but there are also many examples of tennis players and other athletes who win one Olympic medal, or the equivalent, and that's that. That's their goal satisfied

I don't think its complacency, but I think the manner in which we won the titles both times,with the late run ins where every game had to be won, can lead to a hangover. There's no way that the adrenalin will have been flowing yesterday in the same way as at Palace or Everton. We could do with Sunday's game being similar to last season's, a hard fought bruiser to get the juices flowing again.

 

[The-Dogs-Pollocks]

Yeah your probably right... Come on Marvin WUM some more.

Think the op had a fair point:

I.e. Pissed off that we didn't really take the game seriously (weakened team was understandable) but the players who started didn't really look up for it. If I had forked out for travel and tickets I'd probably be slightly miffed with them as well!

Pellegrini said much the same citing a lack of intensity to our first half game

I think it's fair to ask the question how much do our players want it after winning two trophies last season. Others think that's a leap too far and is also an insult to the players after all they have done

Maybe it is a leap too far to make, but I think it's an unanswered question which the players will have to prove Every season. How much do they want it?

This time every season the MEN used to run an article with Ferguson publically questioning how much his players wanted to win the title

If you spent your lifetime aiming and dreaming of winning the biggest trophy in your sport, no one including the sportsman themselves knows how they are going to react. The best in their sport like Nadal, Federer, Djokovic win trophy after trophy year after year, but there are also many examples of tennis players and other athletes who win one Olympic medal, or the equivalent, and that's that. That's their goal satisfied

Your original point about players being complacent about the shield I can kind of agree with, although as everyone knows it is really just a glorified friendly ( and a complete rip off if your travelling from up north)

But I don't really think we should be questioning the players desire and motivation to retain the title as they have already won it twice. Earning a little bit of respect and breathing space from over the top criticism (based on pre season friendly results) in the process.

Regarding the manager:
Most blues would agree that Pellegrini has done a great job, he is not the sort of manager to use the media to question his players like ferguson or mourinho or even Mancini did. In my opinion that is a good thing and one of the reasons he was hired in the first place.

As for our squad:
We have a club captain that every team in world football must be envious of. Supremely motivated and respected by other professionals. Players like zabs, joe hart and Milner who pride themselves on being great competitors. In addition the increased competition for places as others have mentioned will provide additional motivation.

Anyway point is its fine to be annoyed at the lack lustre performance on Sunday, but turning that one (friendly) game into questioning the squads desire to compete for the league seems a bit over the top to say the least.

Winning the league this season is going to be difficult because other teams have strengthened quite a lot and on their day anyone from Everton, Liverpool, Tottenham, utd, Chelsea and arsenal are capable of taking points off each other. If we don't win it, it won't be for the lack of trying.

 

[Le Havre Oswald]

Cliche, marvin, and one that was trotted out when we lost the title the year before last. That wasn't complacency or hunger, it was poor morale, weak signings and tactical errors. The likes of kompany, hart, zab, yaya, silva, Sergio are born winners. Fierce competitors. They've proved it time and time again. And all of the recent signings look to have the same attitude to me.

How you can doubt them after all they've done for this club is beyond me.

The truth is we have superb management, a brilliant and rounded squad and a happy, competetive culture. We are stronger than we have ever been.

100% correct

It's a natural reaction to ease off after winning trophies and has happened to so many teams including this one

I know we are stronger than we have ever been.

I am expecting City to fight for the title again.

There are a few issues which affect our chances in the coming season

a) Aguero's fitness. We need him at or approaching his best, and he wasn't at the end of last season or at the World Cup

b) The players as a group need to show the same commitment as they did when they won their trophies. That's not an insult to the players. It's happened before that we've eased off, and it happens to sportsmen in every field. Very few retain the focus to do it back to back.

The players have already proved that technically they are good enough to win, but I think it is unknown as to how they will respond after winning two trophies last season.

c) An obvious one: how have we improved relative to our rivals

those points are ok to bring up in the middle of September if things aren't going too well but to bring them up because we lost a glorified friendly with half the b team playing is ridiculous and I'm convinced you're on the wind up.

 

[Marvin]

100% correct

It's a natural reaction to ease off after winning trophies and has happened to so many teams including this one

I know we are stronger than we have ever been.

I am expecting City to fight for the title again.

There are a few issues which affect our chances in the coming season

a) Aguero's fitness. We need him at or approaching his best, and he wasn't at the end of last season or at the World Cup

b) The players as a group need to show the same commitment as they did when they won their trophies. That's not an insult to the players. It's happened before that we've eased off, and it happens to sportsmen in every field. Very few retain the focus to do it back to back.

The players have already proved that technically they are good enough to win, but I think it is unknown as to how they will respond after winning two trophies last season.

c) An obvious one: how have we improved relative to our rivals

those points are ok to bring up in the middle of September if things aren't going too well but to bring them up because we lost a glorified friendly with half the b team playing is ridiculous and I'm convinced you're on the wind up.

Having seen 2012/13 season, and countless other title-winners in football and other sports fall back after winning, I think it's worth looking out for the player's attitude. It wasn't right in the opening half at Wembley regardless of who was missing. In fact I'd expect a team to work even harder to make up for the absence of key players.

I know in 2012/13 Mancini carried the can for de-motivating the players. That's opinion. Some hold it to be fact. But it's just a hypothesis. As I remember that season started with a fortunate home win against Southampton, and we never convinced from the first League game.

The best response in this topic was that season opened with City playing well to beat Chelsea in the Community Shield at Villa Park

I can't argue with that, but I still believe that we can't take for granted that the mentality of the players will remain as strong this season. That's been taken as a criticism of the players, but I think it's just a recognition of human nature.

There's a challenge there to win the title back to back. Let's see if we can be one of the few teams to do this, then we really will go down as having one of the best teams in the history of English football.

 

[BillyShears]

Having seen 2012/13 season, and countless other title-winners in football and other sports fall back after winning, I think it's worth looking out for the player's attitude. It wasn't right in the opening half at Wembley regardless of who was missing. In fact I'd expect a team to work even harder to make up for the absence of key players.

I know in 2012/13 Mancini carried the can for de-motivating the players. That's opinion. Some hold it to be fact. But it's just a hypothesis. As I remember that season started with a fortunate home win against Southampton, and we never convinced from the first League game.

The best response in this topic was that season opened with City playing well to beat Chelsea in the Community Shield at Villa Park

I can't argue with that, but I still believe that we can't take for granted that the mentality of the players will remain as strong this season. That's been taken as a criticism of the players, but I think it's just a recognition of human nature.

There's a challenge there to win the title back to back. Let's see if we can be one of the few teams to do this, then we really will go down as having one of the best teams in the history of English football.

 

[Marvin]

Is that a good likeness?

 

[chris85mcfc]

I was a bit lost when I first this thread yesterday, now someone had better send a search party out for me

Can't get my head around how you can say a squad is complacement after losing in a friendly where fitness is they key

If we hadn't have won the league last year we wouldn't have even played on Sunday, and if we had it would have been another meaningless friendly held in either Asia or America where the score would have been irrelevant like all the other friendlies

My guess is Marv is pissed off that he spent his hard earned on watching a half arsed team at Wembley, which like i said previously is understandable, but many of us saw that coming which is why i stayed away and just watched it on tele with very little interest

Season starts Sunday guys :)

 

[Marvin]

I was a bit lost when I first this thread yesterday, now someone had better send a search party out for me

Can't get my head around how you can say a squad is complacement after losing in a friendly where fitness is they key

If we hadn't have won the league last year we wouldn't have even played on Sunday, and if we had it would have been another meaningless friendly held in either Asia or America where the score would have been irrelevant like all the other friendlies

My guess is Marv is pissed off that he spent his hard earned on watching a half arsed team at Wembley, which like i said previously is understandable, but many of us saw that coming which is why i stayed away and just watched it on tele with very little interest

Season starts Sunday guys :)

I don't mean to keep this topic going, but seeing as you have replied, I will respond.....

I don't think the squad is necessarily complacent towards the season as a whole, but the first 20 minutes of that game, until Arsenal scored was marked by a lack of intensity.

And the biggest danger to City not fulfilling their potential this season is our mentality. I don't think that just because we disappointed at Wembley we will automatically disappoint in the rest of the League campaign, but that this something we need to look for in the opening weeks of the season. I hope it's also something that the manager as his coaching staff are looking for as well. It's the No. 1 issue as far as I am concerned and it will determine how successful we are.

We already know that we have the best team, or at the very least one of the best teams. How successful we are will depend on luck, our rivals, many things, but a big component will be our mentality and determination to win every game, and make every minute count. In 2012/13we started the season coasting. We went into games just kind of expecting our quality to count in the end instead of making it happen.