De Jong

[glen quagmire]

is starting to remind me of Garry Flitcroft. He only ever passes sideways or backwards, and it really slows us down.

You're starting to remind me of paulpowre.

 

[johnmc]

I guess the game's about opinions, but I really dispair at some. In my own humble opinion, Nige is THE best around at his role. I wouldn't swap him for anyone.

His role? There arent many players who play his role though? So being the best at something not many people do isnt that good a thing is it?

 

[Dax777]

It's not like he's been injured for weeks or owt. He should have taken Kiev on his own. Anyway,. I'm off to take my man crush on NDJ global.

Lol! I missed this! Go ahead, do it big :P

 

[SWP's back]

NDJ is class, he doesn't slow us down at all, who else in the world does his job better than him? No one.

Mascherano

I'd take De Jong over him all day.

 

[Dax777]

Mascherano

I'd take De Jong over him all day.

If Masherano were here and De Jong at Hamburg. Your opinion will be different. Why can't folks see that :?

Not to mention, this has little relevance t whether he was abig part of the slow play against Kiev!!!

 

[Joycee Banercheck]

We have knocked it about slowly for weeks.. when DJ was injured, so he isn't the unknown variable in your equation, pal.
If we knew the answer to question 2, then we'd have won the league by now.

And I don't blame De Jong for that either. But in the last 2 games, he seems to have been a prominent reason. The player(s) bogging down quick ball movement may change from week to week. The fallacy i here is that it always has to be someone in particular, A person who's demotion will change things. Sometimes it is just a guy you like too. In the last 2 games it was De Jong. There was a tine at the height of Tevez goalscoring orgy, when he, Tevez, was mostly at fault for the bogdown. Doesn't mean we should get rid of Tevez. Just simply means, he played a significant role.

The unfortunate reaction from most fans is to find a way to blame it on players they don't like. I.e. if say they like Dzeko and he is not scoring, they argue SWP and AJ don't give him enough balls. If Tevez is going into midfield and holding up play, they claim it is because the midfielders are not doing there jobs, so he is frustrated and force to come to the middle. Similarly you must have seen arguments claiming it is because Yaya and Milner are not doing there jobs, that is why De Jong slows play down. :(

These are the reactions I fight against. Everyone should take their own part in the problem, regardless of affection.

I agree with your last sentence. Ultimately it is a team game and if the whole team doesn't perform then you'll never see the full potential of it bear fruit.

As far as I'm concerned, our defence is sorted. But, and here's where it annoys me, other teams seem to be able to use more than one outlet when they attack. We don't just yet. We do knock it sideways and backwards as if were playing in Serie A. I can't tell you if that is what the players are told to do, or if they do that off their own backs. It's so obvious that it doesn't really get us anywhere when we do it. In fact, the biggest gripe on here (other than Mario at the minute) would possibly be the way we attack teams - some say it is too slow and others say it is patient possession football. I'm of the former opinion, but hope that RM gets another season at least to make this team his own. I do like controlling games, but there is a time and a place for playing square and going for a goal. If we ever find the answer to your second question in the previous post then we'll have cracked it! Fingers crossed we get it nailed asap.

 

[peepo]

Nigel De JOng is the least of City's worries.....Get the spine of the team right and usually the rest will fall into place. Joe hart....Kompany....De Jong and Teves....Not a bad start but we just need to learn how to play differently when teams set their stall out to defend. This is when having lots of money becomes a curse because people always want something better...... appreciate what we've got and build on it.

 

[liscal]

I guess the game's about opinions, but I really dispair at some. In my own humble opinion, Nige is THE best around at his role. I wouldn't swap him for anyone.

His role? There arent many players who play his role though? So being the best at something not many people do isnt that good a thing is it?

Are you telling me you don't see defensive midfielders at other clubs? Really?? Someone who protects the back four, breaks up the opposition play in midfield, regains possession so we can play? He performs that role better than anyone around in my view. What we do with the ball once we've won it back might not be his forte, but he shouldn't be held accountable if things break down in that area. With players like Silva and Johnson in the team, we need the steel that De Jong gives us. He's also got fantastic energy and is a born leader, with or without the armband.

 

[Dax777]

And I don't blame De Jong for that either. But in the last 2 games, he seems to have been a prominent reason. The player(s) bogging down quick ball movement may change from week to week. The fallacy i here is that it always has to be someone in particular, A person who's demotion will change things. Sometimes it is just a guy you like too. In the last 2 games it was De Jong. There was a tine at the height of Tevez goalscoring orgy, when he, Tevez, was mostly at fault for the bogdown. Doesn't mean we should get rid of Tevez. Just simply means, he played a significant role.

The unfortunate reaction from most fans is to find a way to blame it on players they don't like. I.e. if say they like Dzeko and he is not scoring, they argue SWP and AJ don't give him enough balls. If Tevez is going into midfield and holding up play, they claim it is because the midfielders are not doing there jobs, so he is frustrated and force to come to the middle. Similarly you must have seen arguments claiming it is because Yaya and Milner are not doing there jobs, that is why De Jong slows play down. :(

These are the reactions I fight against. Everyone should take their own part in the problem, regardless of affection.

I agree with your last sentence. Ultimately it is a team game and if the whole team doesn't perform then you'll never see the full potential of it bear fruit.

As far as I'm concerned, our defence is sorted. But, and here's where it annoys me, other teams seem to be able to use more than one outlet when they attack. We don't just yet. We do knock it sideways and backwards as if were playing in Serie A. I can't tell you if that is what the players are told to do, or if they do that off their own backs. It's so obvious that it doesn't really get us anywhere when we do it. In fact, the biggest gripe on here (other than Mario at the minute) would possibly be the way we attack teams - some say it is too slow and others say it is patient possession football. I'm of the former opinion, but hope that RM gets another season at least to make this team his own. I do like controlling games, but there is a time and a place for playing square and going for a goal. If we ever find the answer to your second question in the previous post then we'll have cracked it! Fingers crossed we get it nailed asap.

I tend to think Ball possession in the middle and final 3rd of the field is a good thing. It is mentally debilitating for the opposition. However, Ball possession in the initial 3rd of the field isn't. As it tells the opposition, you are bereft of ideas.

Unfortunately we often discuss all 3 together, which muddles the issue. The lack of distinction between the 3 phases is a big part of the disconnect between those who argue that it's good possession, and those who argue it is no bite.

Yesterday, we possessed the ball some in the 2nd and final 3rd of the field. And thus possession was good in that sense. And chances increased due to it. But we also had periods of bereft play (where we were unable to get it out of the first 3rd) it is in that respect, that I faulted De Jong for not being a bit more assertive or decisive in his decision making.

I have made an argument in the past, that their is a difference in how folks in England view football, and how those on the continent and farther off view it. But that is a long and different topic.

It is my opinion that we are constantly disjointed, a problem not necessarily specific to any individual player, but more so one of different players having a different conception of how to play the game. Tevez likes individually dispossessing defenders of the ball from the top by hassling players. Silva likes double teaming. Yaya likes crowding areas and leaving little space. Micah likes squeezing into the middle and leaving space on the outside. Kompany, Zab and De Jong likes closing down early. Lescott likes forcing players to the side line. Our players all have uniquely different tendencies, that continues to cause frictions and gaps in our play both defensively and offensively. So often our discussions barely scratch the surface.

But even within those discussion parameters, it does us no good playing favorites!

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Barry gets the MOM in the MEN today.

He was appalling.