It's not often I wake up still fuming about a football performance these days but last night has really irked me. I know some won't like this because we're seen as babies spitting dummies out etc, feel free to scroll past.
But there was something very different about last night. No energy, no spirit, no desire. I absolutely hate this word and the context it gets used in but we showed no real passion to go and get the win. I remember when Mancini was in charge and if we were drawing in the second half at some point we would throw the kitchen sink at the opposition. He would make subs, move players around and even have 3/4 strikers on the pitch. The desire, effort and quality would always get us over the line. In these past 18 months under Pep we don't have that. If we're drawing after an hour, or god forbid losing, no one has any confidence that we'll do enough to go force a win.
Now don't get me wrong we have lost a lot of quality from the squad. We are bare in positions we were once loaded.
But that doesn't excuse the lack of passion, will to win and all the other intangibles you inevetibly need to progress to get from our current level to the next.
So what's the reason? Well we've had all the excuses. If only we bench Mahrez. If only we had a competent centre back. Wait until our full backs are fit. It's the inverted wingers. It's Jesus. Bla bla bla we could go on forever but the reality is this has been a slow regression for 18 months culminating in performances that are so soulless we have to start looking beyond team selections. There are only so many variations of players and formations you can try.
So my conclusion is that we are crippled by control. The players look like they are worn down playing like they're robots where they are expected to keep possession and position 100% of the time. What happened to our fluidity? I was watching Foden play last night and after a shit first half he began to play well in the second. He was buzzing around, moving laterally and looking to play through balls in tight spaces. What happened? He was hooked off. Can't do that I'm afraid, Mr Foden. We must keep possession at all times. We have become a no risk low reward team. What happened to our intuition? What happened to our players fizzing around and creating chances through their genius? They look hamstrung to me. Devoid of ideas and playing without any fun. In fact they look pained. Pained by control and pained by what happens if they go against what they're told and god forbid give the ball away on the opposition's 18 yard line. They are playing without any expression.
The other side of crippled by control is covid. If we know one thing about Pep it's that he gasses players out after a few years. Covid must multiply this tenfold. Not only are the players controlled by government guidelines as to what they can and cannot do I can only imagine what the club are relaying to them about their responsibilities. Don't go out, don't go to a restaurant, don't take your kids to a park, don't go on holiday etc. I'm sure being a player for Pep there are times when you need a break, to get away and don't think about football. They obviously can't do that.
I know that we're all in the same position with the last part. Life is shit right now and we can't blame Pep or the club for that.
But Pep can help with the control on the field by allowing the players to express themselves. Trust them, they're half decent. Play De Bruyne deeper, lose the double pivot, get an extra attacker on the pitch and start showing the desire to go and win a game. Don't sit around after the game and say only one team wanted to win, we had 20 chances, we controlled the game etc. Trust your defence, this is the best one we've had for a long time with more options than ever. Allow your players to make mistakes in the search to unlocking doors.
Take the shackles off, we have nothing to lose.
The Leicester game was the one example where he went for it by taking out Fern for Delap. But that wasn’t the game to do it.. Vardy up front and Garcia and Ake at the back. We’re a different animal now.I respect your analysis but I politely disagree about opening up. I just think we will get sucker punched in our current guise.
The 5-2 against Leicester was Pep's heaviest ever defeat as a manager, I think it's really spooked him and we won't open up until we have pace in the centre again. Rodri has been a disastrous signing (no fault of his own, he's just out of his depth) and I never expected us to miss David Silva this much.
It wasn't heaviest.I respect your analysis but I politely disagree about opening up. I just think we will get sucker punched in our current guise.
The 5-2 against Leicester was Pep's heaviest ever defeat as a manager, I think it's really spooked him and we won't open up until we have pace in the centre again. Rodri has been a disastrous signing (no fault of his own, he's just out of his depth) and I never expected us to miss David Silva this much.
It wasn't heaviest.
4-0 loss vs Everton was the heaviest. Or 4-0 loss vs Real
Very good post. Teams like the red scouse and the filth seem to overwhelm sides with sheer force of personality and willingness to take risks- we lack in both of these attributes imoIt's not often I wake up still fuming about a football performance these days but last night has really irked me. I know some won't like this because we're seen as babies spitting dummies out etc, feel free to scroll past.
But there was something very different about last night. No energy, no spirit, no desire. I absolutely hate this word and the context it gets used in but we showed no real passion to go and get the win. I remember when Mancini was in charge and if we were drawing in the second half at some point we would throw the kitchen sink at the opposition. He would make subs, move players around and even have 3/4 strikers on the pitch. The desire, effort and quality would always get us over the line. In these past 18 months under Pep we don't have that. If we're drawing after an hour, or god forbid losing, no one has any confidence that we'll do enough to go force a win.
Now don't get me wrong we have lost a lot of quality from the squad. We are bare in positions we were once loaded.
But that doesn't excuse the lack of passion, will to win and all the other intangibles you inevetibly need to progress to get from our current level to the next.
So what's the reason? Well we've had all the excuses. If only we bench Mahrez. If only we had a competent centre back. Wait until our full backs are fit. It's the inverted wingers. It's Jesus. Bla bla bla we could go on forever but the reality is this has been a slow regression for 18 months culminating in performances that are so soulless we have to start looking beyond team selections. There are only so many variations of players and formations you can try.
So my conclusion is that we are crippled by control. The players look like they are worn down playing like they're robots where they are expected to keep possession and position 100% of the time. What happened to our fluidity? I was watching Foden play last night and after a shit first half he began to play well in the second. He was buzzing around, moving laterally and looking to play through balls in tight spaces. What happened? He was hooked off. Can't do that I'm afraid, Mr Foden. We must keep possession at all times. We have become a no risk low reward team. What happened to our intuition? What happened to our players fizzing around and creating chances through their genius? They look hamstrung to me. Devoid of ideas and playing without any fun. In fact they look pained. Pained by control and pained by what happens if they go against what they're told and god forbid give the ball away on the opposition's 18 yard line. They are playing without any expression.
The other side of crippled by control is covid. If we know one thing about Pep it's that he gasses players out after a few years. Covid must multiply this tenfold. Not only are the players controlled by government guidelines as to what they can and cannot do I can only imagine what the club are relaying to them about their responsibilities. Don't go out, don't go to a restaurant, don't take your kids to a park, don't go on holiday etc. I'm sure being a player for Pep there are times when you need a break, to get away and don't think about football. They obviously can't do that.
I know that we're all in the same position with the last part. Life is shit right now and we can't blame Pep or the club for that.
But Pep can help with the control on the field by allowing the players to express themselves. Trust them, they're half decent. Play De Bruyne deeper, lose the double pivot, get an extra attacker on the pitch and start showing the desire to go and win a game. Don't sit around after the game and say only one team wanted to win, we had 20 chances, we controlled the game etc. Trust your defence, this is the best one we've had for a long time with more options than ever. Allow your players to make mistakes in the search to unlocking doors.
Take the shackles off, we have nothing to lose.
Good post. Never seen a post get 60 likes before. Well done.It's not often I wake up still fuming about a football performance these days but last night has really irked me. I know some won't like this because we're seen as babies spitting dummies out etc, feel free to scroll past.
But there was something very different about last night. No energy, no spirit, no desire. I absolutely hate this word and the context it gets used in but we showed no real passion to go and get the win. I remember when Mancini was in charge and if we were drawing in the second half at some point we would throw the kitchen sink at the opposition. He would make subs, move players around and even have 3/4 strikers on the pitch. The desire, effort and quality would always get us over the line. In these past 18 months under Pep we don't have that. If we're drawing after an hour, or god forbid losing, no one has any confidence that we'll do enough to go force a win.
Now don't get me wrong we have lost a lot of quality from the squad. We are bare in positions we were once loaded.
But that doesn't excuse the lack of passion, will to win and all the other intangibles you inevetibly need to progress to get from our current level to the next.
So what's the reason? Well we've had all the excuses. If only we bench Mahrez. If only we had a competent centre back. Wait until our full backs are fit. It's the inverted wingers. It's Jesus. Bla bla bla we could go on forever but the reality is this has been a slow regression for 18 months culminating in performances that are so soulless we have to start looking beyond team selections. There are only so many variations of players and formations you can try.
So my conclusion is that we are crippled by control. The players look like they are worn down playing like they're robots where they are expected to keep possession and position 100% of the time. What happened to our fluidity? I was watching Foden play last night and after a shit first half he began to play well in the second. He was buzzing around, moving laterally and looking to play through balls in tight spaces. What happened? He was hooked off. Can't do that I'm afraid, Mr Foden. We must keep possession at all times. We have become a no risk low reward team. What happened to our intuition? What happened to our players fizzing around and creating chances through their genius? They look hamstrung to me. Devoid of ideas and playing without any fun. In fact they look pained. Pained by control and pained by what happens if they go against what they're told and god forbid give the ball away on the opposition's 18 yard line. They are playing without any expression.
The other side of crippled by control is covid. If we know one thing about Pep it's that he gasses players out after a few years. Covid must multiply this tenfold. Not only are the players controlled by government guidelines as to what they can and cannot do I can only imagine what the club are relaying to them about their responsibilities. Don't go out, don't go to a restaurant, don't take your kids to a park, don't go on holiday etc. I'm sure being a player for Pep there are times when you need a break, to get away and don't think about football. They obviously can't do that.
I know that we're all in the same position with the last part. Life is shit right now and we can't blame Pep or the club for that.
But Pep can help with the control on the field by allowing the players to express themselves. Trust them, they're half decent. Play De Bruyne deeper, lose the double pivot, get an extra attacker on the pitch and start showing the desire to go and win a game. Don't sit around after the game and say only one team wanted to win, we had 20 chances, we controlled the game etc. Trust your defence, this is the best one we've had for a long time with more options than ever. Allow your players to make mistakes in the search to unlocking doors.
Take the shackles off, we have nothing to lose.
Excellent post jay & you may just be right but I fear we’ll need to change the manager for this to happen .
"You rang"?Is the use of the word "crippled" allowed nowadays?
;)
Great post. The fear and caution in our play is palpable. As is the lack of courage and willingness to take a risk. We look over-engineered to the point that we show very little creative spontaneity. I don't blame the manager for that, .
You’re correct apart from Leeds took us on and matched us. That’s how far we’ve fallen off over the last 2 years ago. Hope I’m proven wrong but if Leeds try that against the rags tomorrow I think the rags will run 4 or 5 in.We do not have a plan B , every team that parks the bus knows exactly what to do , even a £500m Rag team wouldnt take us on , only the Dippers have the temerity to attack us but on their last visit they were quite happy to shut up shop and take the draw.
The players we have in form are as follows Ederson , Walker , Cancelo , Dias , Stones , Laporte , KDB , Mahrez , Foden, Gundogan , Torres , some may disagree with this selection but we should mould the tactics around the form players and not play the same formation/tactics.
Ederson
Stones Dias Laporte
Walker Gundogan Cancelo
Mahrez Foden KDB Torres
we havent got a fit or inform stiker , so we play a false nine , Gundogan as the deep holding midfielder , Walker and Cancelo given permission to attack and play like wingers , KDB & Foden to create and Torres & Mahrez to alternate as the false nine
continually selecting under performing players like Sterling , Rodri , Mendy , Jesus to suit Pep's predictable tactics are costing us points , ive excluded Aguero because he is never fit and Dinho cannot be expected to play three games a week at nearly 36 years old.
Just my thoughts on what i think would improve our current form , because or current , dreary style of play isnt working.
Wow!
When I wrote this I wasn’t completely convinced that it was definitely the case. I was thinking about various things that had happened over 12-18 months and things started to come together.
I’ve just listened to the Bluemoon podcast and there’s a 2 minute clip in there from Guardiola’s post WBA press conference. He was asked about the attack and why we weren’t scoring more goals. His response was staggering. He just started talking about the control the defense has. Then he talked about how we controlled the game. Then he talked about controlling the possession and their counter attack. And then finally, just when you think he couldn’t talk about control any more he actually said we couldn’t control the left side with Foden and Mendy!
Lads, it’s right there in front of us. It has been for a long time as his actions and words have been telling us. All the things that fans are not happy about are HIS game plan. They are 18 months in the making, they’re not happening by accident, but by design. He is only interested in control. We are not gonna drop the double pivot, our full backs aren’t gonna start rampaging up the wing, Foden is not gonna play in 8, KDB is not gonna play deeper, we’re not gonna play quicker or with a high, intense press. We are methodical, robotic, position and possession based team. Rodri plays because he’s doing EXACTLY what Pep wants him to.
Pep hasn’t just let bad form fester for 18 months without realizing. He’s created what we are. The sooner fans accept this everything else becomes clearer and all the talk of dropping Rodri, moving players, playing quicker etc is completely fruitless.
Have to respectfully disagree when you describe KDB as in form. Agree with most of your post though, particularly the blind loyalty to Sterling and Rodri.We do not have a plan B , every team that parks the bus knows exactly what to do , even a £500m Rag team wouldnt take us on , only the Dippers have the temerity to attack us but on their last visit they were quite happy to shut up shop and take the draw.
The players we have in form are as follows Ederson , Walker , Cancelo , Dias , Stones , Laporte , KDB , Mahrez , Foden, Gundogan , Torres , some may disagree with this selection but we should mould the tactics around the form players and not play the same formation/tactics.
Ederson
Stones Dias Laporte
Walker Gundogan Cancelo
Mahrez Foden KDB Torres
we havent got a fit or inform stiker , so we play a false nine , Gundogan as the deep holding midfielder , Walker and Cancelo given permission to attack and play like wingers , KDB & Foden to create and Torres & Mahrez to alternate as the false nine
continually selecting under performing players like Sterling , Rodri , Mendy , Jesus to suit Pep's predictable tactics are costing us points , ive excluded Aguero because he is never fit and Dinho cannot be expected to play three games a week at nearly 36 years old.
Just my thoughts on what i think would improve our current form , because or current , dreary style of play isnt working.