This is a side that won 100 points last season.
It underperformed yesterday because we started without the entire 1st choice midfield (KDB, David Silva and Fernandinho) and Aguero is short of match fitness.
Yes we need a left back - but we coped last season without one.
Pep was looking ahead yesterday and he might have been right to do so. Palace had one those days when they clicked and everything they did worked out and we weren't strong enough to turn events around.
We're a better side than Liverpool but they are playing to their max at the moment whilst we have injury problems and are playing below our maximum. Next few games are critical. We can get blown out of the title race, or we can regroup and stay in there.
If I were Pep I would promote Foden in place of Gundogan, and retain Sterling ahead of Mahrez. We're not getting enough out of Mahrez. Every time the ball goes wide to him, it comes back inside every single time. Fine when you're winning, you can probe away until you find weakness, but when chasing a game you need players to take responsibility. If he's not able to take his man on one on one when he's playing wide right then there's no point him playing there. Give me Sterling every single time.
Sterling in now my favourite player. I love his heart. He's doing for City what KDB does. He takes responsibility and drives at the opposition.
We just need to dig in now, stay with Liverpool for the next few weeks and then we'll start to erode their lead. The four point deficit has put us under pressure at a moment when we are not at our maximum and now we face some difficult games. Come through this period, and we'll probably win the title as we have the best squad, but a couple of bad results and we could be out of it.
It underperformed yesterday because we started without the entire 1st choice midfield (KDB, David Silva and Fernandinho) and Aguero is short of match fitness.
Yes we need a left back - but we coped last season without one.
Pep was looking ahead yesterday and he might have been right to do so. Palace had one those days when they clicked and everything they did worked out and we weren't strong enough to turn events around.
We're a better side than Liverpool but they are playing to their max at the moment whilst we have injury problems and are playing below our maximum. Next few games are critical. We can get blown out of the title race, or we can regroup and stay in there.
If I were Pep I would promote Foden in place of Gundogan, and retain Sterling ahead of Mahrez. We're not getting enough out of Mahrez. Every time the ball goes wide to him, it comes back inside every single time. Fine when you're winning, you can probe away until you find weakness, but when chasing a game you need players to take responsibility. If he's not able to take his man on one on one when he's playing wide right then there's no point him playing there. Give me Sterling every single time.
Sterling in now my favourite player. I love his heart. He's doing for City what KDB does. He takes responsibility and drives at the opposition.
We just need to dig in now, stay with Liverpool for the next few weeks and then we'll start to erode their lead. The four point deficit has put us under pressure at a moment when we are not at our maximum and now we face some difficult games. Come through this period, and we'll probably win the title as we have the best squad, but a couple of bad results and we could be out of it.