Crystal Palace (H) - Sat 30 Oct 15:00 | Pre-Match Thread

[Protein Junkie]

Vast majority so far pick the same ten with KDB v Gundog for the last place.

 

[JGL07]

Sterlings best form for City was when we played a front three of Sane LW, Aguero CF, Sterling RW. I'd like to see him have another shot on the right-hand side where he might find shooting slightly more natural? I think he's been figured out playing the left, he tries to come inside every time, he doesn't stretch the defenders wide enough. Even his best England performances were when he's played down the middle.

I really feel like he just needs a couple of goals to get back to his best, but I have to admit (even as an avid Sterling supporter) that he just isn't doing it in a blue shirt right now.

There has been little wrong with Sterling’s form for England. That suggests to me that he does not really fit into the system that City play. A transfer is probably best for all parties.

 

[asahartford1]

Hard to tell mate but i think they bringing a decent following to be fair - certainly more than Burnley.

Usually a section and a half.
I think they must get lost on the way up.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

David Silva, arguably our greatest ever player, and the master of the assist to the assist, got us countless goals

Yep, I was thinking of the Silva inside-pass to the overlapping Richards/Zabaleta as I was posting. Cue cross for Dzeko at the near post.

 

[Ray bloody Purchase]

Usually a section and a half.
I think they must get lost on the way up.

Wonder if the extra tickets sold are for somewhere to lay a banner, like v Newcastle, it could just have a huge image of Simon Jordan gurning like Les Chapman with the words…..I’ll say no more!

 

[Paul79mcfc118]

Ederson
Walker dias laporte cancelo

Bernardo rodri foden

Jesus gundo grelish

 

[youngbob]

David Silva, arguably our greatest ever player, and the master of the assist to the assist, got us countless goals

Hm, don't be revisionist now.

I remember a period between 2011 - 2013 when some City fans said they'd prefer Juan Mata over Silva simply because he scored more goals - this was when Mata was at Chelsea. Of course those people were idiots and didn't understand Silva properly, but you can't just pretend it wasn't an opinion amongst quite a lot of City fans that Silva didn't contribute to enough goals. One of the biggest criticisms levelled at Silva was that he was shot-shy and often shirked scoring responsibilities in the penalty area.

And if Grealish were to continue his rate of goal contributions this season over 50 games (the same number of appearances Foden made last season) he'd finish up with 8 goals and 12 assists in May. In terms of raw numbers David Silva finished each season at City with:

10/11 - 6 goals, 15 assists
11/12 - 8 goals, 21 assists
12/13 - 5 goals, 13 assists
13/14 - 8 goals, 16 assists
14/15 - 12 goals, 14 assists
15/16 - 4 goals, 12 assists
16/17 - 8 goals, 11 assists
17/18 - 10 goals, 14 assists
18/19 - 10 goals, 14 assists
19/20 - 6 goals, 11 assists

So in his first season, Grealish is likely to end up with roughly the same number of overall goal contributions as David Silva tended to achieve. Of course David had seasons like 11/12, 17/18 and 18/19 where he really shone out from the rest and contributed to an insane number of goals for someone playing in his position, but as you said he's one of our greatest ever players. If Grealish's legacy at City ends up being "Not quite as good as David Silva" then I'd say we'd have done pretty well out of him.

 

[its a Barm]

David Silva, arguably our greatest ever player, and the master of the assist to the assist, got us countless goals

I would never argue against naming Silva as our best ever player, a truly wonderfully gifted player and I'm grateful to be able to say I saw him player for my team.

 

[Gray]

There has been little wrong with Sterling’s form for England. That suggests to me that he does not really fit into the system that City play. A transfer is probably best for all parties.

Most of the games played by England were against “cannon fodder”, when they played anybody decent he was no better than when he plays for us. His decision making is absolutely dreadful, all the talent in the world and not fully used. I want him to succeed but there is little sign of it happening any time soon.

 

[pardoeofftomexico]

Hm, don't be revisionist now.

I remember a period between 2011 - 2013 when some City fans said they'd prefer Juan Mata over Silva simply because he scored more goals - this was when Mata was at Chelsea. Of course those people were idiots and didn't understand Silva properly, but you can't just pretend it wasn't an opinion amongst quite a lot of City fans that Silva didn't contribute to enough goals. One of the biggest criticisms levelled at Silva was that he was shot-shy and often shirked scoring responsibilities in the penalty area.

And if Grealish were to continue his rate of goal contributions this season over 50 games (the same number of appearances Foden made last season) he'd finish up with 8 goals and 12 assists in May. In terms of raw numbers David Silva finished each season at City with:

10/11 - 6 goals, 15 assists
11/12 - 8 goals, 21 assists
12/13 - 5 goals, 13 assists
13/14 - 8 goals, 16 assists
14/15 - 12 goals, 14 assists
15/16 - 4 goals, 12 assists
16/17 - 8 goals, 11 assists
17/18 - 10 goals, 14 assists
18/19 - 10 goals, 14 assists
19/20 - 6 goals, 11 assists

So in his first season, Grealish is likely to end up with roughly the same number of overall goal contributions as David Silva tended to achieve. Of course David had seasons like 11/12, 17/18 and 18/19 where he really shone out from the rest and contributed to an insane number of goals for someone playing in his position, but as you said he's one of our greatest ever players. If Grealish's legacy at City ends up being "Not quite as good as David Silva" then I'd say we'd have done pretty well out of him.

I think assists can be a fairly meaningless statistics. You play a great ball splitting the defence and the player who receives it plays a simple two yard pass to the one who scores and gets the assist. When Silva arrived at City and played with an injury for ten minutes in a friendly for his former club I saw his control and said to my son "we have signed a footballer here". Sometimes you can only use your eyes to see what a player contributes.