Discuss Pellegrini (Pt 2)

[Anonymous]

I got sick of us giving away too many soft free kicks a long time ago. This is something that Pellegrini needs to address with the team. I'm hoping one upside of Gaz Baz going is less fouls being conceded. I did think the ref a bit generous last night but we don't want to be giving Webb any easy excuses to let RvP whip in dead balls.

I didn't think we were overrun last night although the commentary team wanted to make it sound like that, again. We had more possession throughout last night's game and decent pass completion stats; that does not happen to teams that are truly overrun. That is not to say there is not a whole load of room for improvement and, as I was - wrongly it turns out - tempted last night to start with J-Rod, Yaya and Fern, I'd be even more tempted to do so against the Rags. I think United will try to press us and Moyes will have them biting at us like a pack of rabid dogs. I think we have to win the battle for the ball first and then start to dismantle them.

Agree about Nasri, who was my MotM last night. I also thought he worked really hard against Stoke but was not as effective on the ball as he was last night, when he had more time and space. I did enjoy seeing him run up the middle and almost go past about six opponents. Pellegrini needs to get him to try that sort of thing more often i.e. drive at the heart of the opponents' defence and not turn back and make a safe pass.

I think there's very little chance of us changing our set up on Sunday. I'm going to be honest and say I really don't mind. The last thing I want to see is a conservative team selection at home this early in the season no matter who the opponent. As importantly I think the players need to be feel confidence in the system the manager plays and as much of a risk as it might seem, playing that way against the rags and beating them will do wonders for belief. Not just for the players but for the supporters too and for everyone associated with the club. For me, it would be criminal to start thinking about loading the midfield with Rodwell, Fernandinho, and Yaya, no matter how advanced Yaya can then play. We saw last night that when Vinny steps into midfield Yaya naturally has license to move forward.

On a general note - I think Pellegrini is going to be much less fluid with the way his team plays than Mancini was. What I mean is that whereas Mancini was happy to change his formation repeatedly during matches, Manuel IMO won't do that. I get the feeling he's more cut from the same cloth as someone like Wenger, who's teams have always played one way, and rarely does that change mid game.

I think you are right about Pellegrini and I agree that we have to play his system to perfect it. However I am torn on whether we should just go for it or be a bit more conservative at this stage in the transition and season: there's no prizes for losing in a blaze of glory against such a major rival; in fact, there would be no glory in defeat.

Risk/Reward. Of course losing in a blaze of glory wins you nothing ... but the kind of stalemate that the rags and Chelsea played out will feel like an opportunity missed. Bottom line is they have players who can hurt us and we have players who can hurt them. If anything there'll be more pressure on them simply because they're coming to us.

I just don't see any options other than going for their throat. With the quality we have, if we take a lead and they have to come looking for a goal, we can punish them on the break just as much as they can punish us.

 

[BobKowalski]

You don't really need that explaining, do you?

For the record, it's not a problem for me. I was a confirmed outer for the last two months of his tenure but a big fan and staunch defender for much of it. Be nice if we could all stop arguing about him but that seems a fanciful idea.

But it doesn't have to be a fanciful idea. The Mancini tenure needs to be packed in a box with a nice blue ribbon and a 'thanks for all the memories' sticker on it. Maybe we can bring it out on special anniversaries for a rummage through but by and large it is over. So really what is with the constant sniping? Even that Ducado fella was at it barely a minute after the final whistle blew. Lets enjoy a good result and, in the 2nd half certainly, a good performance and the sort of performance we know that the players are capable of because we have seen it countless times before. That we saw it in the CL made it that much sweeter. Well for me it did anyway.

Bit rich coming from the guy who's spent the better part of two months telling us how Pellegrini is nothing more than a continental Roy Hodgson ... what was it you said "promoted two levels above his station". His achievements no better than Hughes' at Blackburn.

My views on Pellegrini though are separate from the Mancini issue. If we had employed Benitez as coach or Ancellotti then the "promoted two levels above his station". and "His achievements no better than Hughes' at Blackburn" would not exist. That Pellegrini is not as good a coach as the two I mentioned or, to keep it factual, any where near as successful is in my view fairly self evident. One good second half performance is hardly going to alter my opinion.

 

[OB1]

Does anyone think Moyes is going to come to the Etihad playing very conservatively looking for a draw like Ferguson was doing on a couple trips? I expect City to have 60% of the possession with United trying to score off counters and set pieces. Pellegrini seems aware that teams are going to try and score off counters.

I'm not expecting them to recklessly throw lots of bodies forward but I do think they will try and press us.

The thing is, we don't know for sure how Moyes will approach Derby games and that makes it more difficult to decide what we should do. Although, it may not be seen as difficult by Pellers as most of his focus may be on our game and letting the opponents worry about us rather than vice-versa.

 

[Metodscaeft DeadBlue]

I hate to sound like a Tory blaming the Labour governments of past on the current recession but given what people close to the club have said about Mancini's man management, I think we'll need more time to repair the broken players. Pellegrini's man management has proven to be a success in the past and this is evident from the previous matches. But it does take time. The more something is broken, the longer it will take to repair. Much like a broken arm in that respect.

Pellegrini is experienced enough. Yes, we're struggling a little in the prem but I don't believe the panic buttons should be pressed. Remember Mancini's first few games in charge? He already knew the prem from his days in England but we still weren't that convincing at that point.

I give it another month. That is when we know how Pellegrini will be matching up against others. We're already a damn site more attacking and there is more fluidity particularly in wide areas of the pitch. Players are more confident and eventually this will come to fruition during the foreseeable.

 

[OB1]

But it doesn't have to be a fanciful idea. The Mancini tenure needs to be packed in a box with a nice blue ribbon and a 'thanks for all the memories' sticker on it. Maybe we can bring it out on special anniversaries for a rummage through but by and large it is over. So really what is with the constant sniping? Even that Ducado fella was at it barely a minute after the final whistle blew. Lets enjoy a good result and, in the 2nd half certainly, a good performance and the sort of performance we know that the players are capable of because we have seen it countless times before. That we saw it in the CL made it that much sweeter. Well for me it did anyway.

Bit rich coming from the guy who's spent the better part of two months telling us how Pellegrini is nothing more than a continental Roy Hodgson ... what was it you said "promoted two levels above his station". His achievements no better than Hughes' at Blackburn.

My views on Pellegrini though are separate from the Mancini issue. If we had employed Benitez as coach or Ancellotti then the "promoted two levels above his station". and "His achievements no better than Hughes' at Blackburn" would not exist. That Pellegrini is not as good a coach as the two I mentioned or, to keep it factual, any where near as successful is in my view fairly self evident. One good second half performance is hardly going to alter my opinion.

Still seems fanciful to me;-)

 

[wayne71]

But it doesn't have to be a fanciful idea. The Mancini tenure needs to be packed in a box with a nice blue ribbon and a 'thanks for all the memories' sticker on it. Maybe we can bring it out on special anniversaries for a rummage through but by and large it is over. So really what is with the constant sniping? Even that Ducado fella was at it barely a minute after the final whistle blew. Lets enjoy a good result and, in the 2nd half certainly, a good performance and the sort of performance we know that the players are capable of because we have seen it countless times before. That we saw it in the CL made it that much sweeter. Well for me it did anyway.

Bit rich coming from the guy who's spent the better part of two months telling us how Pellegrini is nothing more than a continental Roy Hodgson ... what was it you said "promoted two levels above his station". His achievements no better than Hughes' at Blackburn.

My views on Pellegrini though are separate from the Mancini issue. If we had employed Benitez as coach or Ancellotti then the "promoted two levels above his station". and "His achievements no better than Hughes' at Blackburn" would not exist. That Pellegrini is not as good a coach as the two I mentioned or, to keep it factual, any where near as successful is in my view fairly self evident. One good second half performance is hardly going to alter my opinion.

You speak a lot of sense.

 

[BobKowalski]

Bit rich coming from the guy who's spent the better part of two months telling us how Pellegrini is nothing more than a continental Roy Hodgson ... what was it you said "promoted two levels above his station". His achievements no better than Hughes' at Blackburn.

My views on Pellegrini though are separate from the Mancini issue. If we had employed Benitez as coach or Ancellotti then the "promoted two levels above his station". and "His achievements no better than Hughes' at Blackburn" would not exist. That Pellegrini is not as good a coach as the two I mentioned or, to keep it factual, any where near as successful is in my view fairly self evident. One good second half performance is hardly going to alter my opinion.

Still seems fanciful to me;-)

You are really not helping you know :)

I am now officially signing up for the 'Go Pellers' Team #GoP

Get this trending and I anticipate a upswell in support from the USA and especially our key demographic. Middle aged white guys.

 

[Anonymous]

My views on Pellegrini though are separate from the Mancini issue. If we had employed Benitez as coach or Ancellotti then the "promoted two levels above his station". and "His achievements no better than Hughes' at Blackburn" would not exist. That Pellegrini is not as good a coach as the two I mentioned or, to keep it factual, any where near as successful is in my view fairly self evident. One good second half performance is hardly going to alter my opinion.

It's also fairly self evident that Pellegrini is head and shoulders a better coach than Hodgson or Hughes. It's also fairly self evident that Hughes has never taken a team anywhere near a CL semi final whereas Pellegrini's taken two teams there in recent history. Benitez has trophies but has managed much bigger clubs for much longer than Pellegrini has. Both Valencia and Liverpool dwarf clubs like Villareal and Malaga.

As for the "promoted two levels above his station" - it's funny that you'd say that with all the clubs who wanted Pellegrini this summer. I'd love to know having overachieved so dramatically at Malaga and Villareal what you think the right level up would've been.

 

[OB1]

My views on Pellegrini though are separate from the Mancini issue. If we had employed Benitez as coach or Ancellotti then the "promoted two levels above his station". and "His achievements no better than Hughes' at Blackburn" would not exist. That Pellegrini is not as good a coach as the two I mentioned or, to keep it factual, any where near as successful is in my view fairly self evident. One good second half performance is hardly going to alter my opinion.

Still seems fanciful to me;-)

You are really not helping you know :)

I am now officially signing up for the 'Go Pellers' Team #GoP

Get this trending and I anticipate a upswell in support from the USA and especially our key demographic. Middle aged white guys.

I'll shut up then.

 

[adrianr]

I hate to sound like a Tory blaming the Labour governments of past on the current recession but given what people close to the club have said about Mancini's man management, I think we'll need more time to repair the broken players. Pellegrini's man management has proven to be a success in the past and this is evident from the previous matches. But it does take time. The more something is broken, the longer it will take to repair. Much like a broken arm in that respect.

Pellegrini is experienced enough. Yes, we're struggling a little in the prem but I don't believe the panic buttons should be pressed. Remember Mancini's first few games in charge? He already knew the prem from his days in England but we still weren't that convincing at that point.

I give it another month. That is when we know how Pellegrini will be matching up against others. We're already a damn site more attacking and there is more fluidity particularly in wide areas of the pitch. Players are more confident and eventually this will come to fruition during the foreseeable.

This is why despite the derby result, should god forbid we lose, once the dust has settled and I've retrieved my foot from the wall, we should all remember that there is (hopefully) much much more to come from this team. The time of the derby is still incredibly early days in Pellegrini's tenure, and I firmly believe that providing there isn't a more serious problem with the players themselves, if left up to Manuel we will improve, and more importantly improve respective to our opponents. I don't see the Rags getting notably better under Moyes, Mourinho will give Chelsea a boost without a doubt, but we're arguably sitting on the largest amount of untapped potential after last season. Even in our title season there was huge room for improvement once the initial purple patch ended.

If Pellegrini can get everyone happy and confident, find the system that suits the players, and has everyone working for each other game after game, we can steam roll this league the way Arsenals invincibles did, or Mourinho's first Chelsea side.