Discuss Pellegrini (Pt 4)

[NQCitizen]

Who is responsible for the return to form of Aguero, Silva and Nasri?

Mancini was sacked as a consequence of the loss of fitness and form of key players like Aguero, Silva and Kompany

In the title-winning season Kompany, Silva and Aguero were almost ever-present and on form throughout.

Now, whilst Silva and Aguero have returned to form, all we wait for is for Kompany to return and we could be on for another title challenge.

Maybe there is more to the return of form of players than good health, but the old saying that a manager is only as good as his players is true, and keeping those best players fit makes the difference when it comes to winning trophies

An awful lot of hot air has been spoken about tactics and management styles - the most important aspect is the players, and keeping them on the pitch and in good nick. And semi-competent manager should be able to win trophies at City with a bit of luck with injuries.

Player's form is always a tricky barometer because you could just as easily cite Clichy, Nastasic or Hart.

Hart has been poor for a long time, fair play to Pelle for finally dropping him, Mancini should have done that last season same with Clichy who dipped in form last season. Wouldn't say Nastasic form has dipped its just that hes been found out a bit without Kompany.

I'm personally loving this season the football we're playing is out of this world, away form is disappointing but the performances have slowly been getting better and tbf we've had terrible luck in terms of injuries. Dread to think what other football fans think of this place, we've just beaten a very good side who spent over 100 million in the summer six bloody nil and still some people are criticising the manager.

It's hard to criticise him for anything that happens at home and I really wouldn't want to as we've been fantastic. Watching in the stands it's been incredible.

Which makes the away form even harder to take. I'm encouraged by Pellegrini though, the formation at Chelsea, the deeper line against Spurs as well as the counter attacking style all show signs that he's developing tactics that could work much better away.

If the next away display is as limp as Cardiff, Villa or Sunderland though it'll be all the stranger but I'm gaining a bit of faith that a 4-0 is around the corner and the players will feel that cloud over them lift.

 

[TGR]

Which is a positive sign that he can be pragmatic when required and not 'gung ho' when away from home. Even though my comments don't carry much intellectual weight compared to Bluemoon's very own lexicographers what I am trying to say that Manuel Pellgrini can now fully concentrate in solving our away form from now until the start of the Champions League knock out stages.

Yesterday certainly raised some interesting issues about how City played. It was billed as the clash of the best attack and the best defence, but there was no mention of Spurs also being the bluntest attack (after Crystal Palace). City played 4-4-2: Spurs 4-2-3-1.

The impact of the first goal, so early, is hard to assess. They certainly didn't panic and they were not short on confidence at all. I think they still believed they could get a result, and they had an extra man in midfield. They were praised for their positive response and this is deserved up to a point. They kept the ball and their extra midfielder meant they could work it into our defensive third. Their 65% possession did frustrate us and when we got the ball we tended to be over hasty and give it away cheaply through misplaced passes. On the other hand, we showed that we could slice through them: Sergio should have scored (Zaba certainly would have) and it took a last ditch “intervention” to stop Nasri. It was also clear that Spurs build up was so laboured and slow that we had no trouble getting men back, and this may well account for our more “pragmatic” approach. Spurs lacked penetration completely, and this meant the match was never likely to represent a test for our defence. Their extra man in midfield was never a real problem: this was Spurs not Bayern! City were able to launch attacks from much deeper than is normally the case, and this was helped by Walker's and Vertonghen's obsession with getting forward. When their attacks broke down Sergio, Nasri and Navas ran riot down the wings, Ya Ya and Ferna had little trouble in finding space against a retreating Spurs shawn of their fullbacks and Negredo found space intelligently without ever straying far from his partner in crime. Taking Holtby off simply meant we found it easier to carve through their midfield and AVB had to bring on Dembele for Soldado to try and stem the tide.

Ultimately City won because man for man, all over the pitch, and collectively we were simply miles too good for Spurs. The difference between this and our away performances seems to be that at home we go out to commit opponents, give them no hiding place and show that we are better than they are: away we're much more cautious, play more sideways and backward passes and this means we invariably play at a more relaxed tempo to keep possession. We need a much higher tempo and to take a few more risks in attack away from home.

Agreed and also a better work ethic and the gaffer has a couple of months to solve it until we have to start balancing our season again.

And we need to start taking some of the (multiple) chances we create away from home. On at least 2 occasions already this season with half decent finishing we would have won the games comfortably by half time. We didn't take those chances and went on to lose the games.

 

[Ray78]

As a general note, when I stated that scoring 6 wasn't shocking to me, that's a compliment to the squad and manager and those that put it together, not an expectation.

It is a compliment to the people involved for sure. The only potential issue being is the expectation to put 5 or 6 past every team that turns up at the Etihad is growing with each game we play. I noticed it at the ground yesterday when one pass, yes one single solitary pass went astray the moaning & groaning immediately started. God knows what it will be like if we actually loose a match at the Etihad sometime soon?

True TGR and the Hull performance was a indication that we cannot afford to be complacent at home even though we won. The other side of the argument is that it is a sign of a title winning side the ability to play badly and still get the 3 points. There is more game that are going to be like that.

 

[bernabias home shirt]

Bob didn't want Pellers at City.

Did you?
Was he on the big list everyone did on here in feb/march on who they wanted here

I don't think one person mentioned him

I've said several times that he wasn't in my top few picks but he would have been in my top ten options. I was / am happy with his appointment; Bob wasn't and still isn't, as far as I can tell.

Fair do's
I don't know if bob k still wants him gone tbh.

 

[Ducado]

As a general note, when I stated that scoring 6 wasn't shocking to me, that's a compliment to the squad and manager and those that put it together, not an expectation.

It is a compliment to the people involved for sure. The only potential issue being is the expectation to put 5 or 6 past every team that turns up at the Etihad is growing with each game we play. I noticed it at the ground yesterday when one pass, yes one single solitary pass went astray the moaning & groaning immediately started. God knows what it will be like if we actually loose a match at the Etihad sometime soon?

True TGR and the Hull performance was a indication that we cannot afford too be complacent at home even though we won. The other side of the argument is that it is a sign of a title winning side the ability to play badly and still get the 3 points. There is more game that are going to be like that.

I was actually thinking that last night on the drive home, it's highly unlikely that we will be putting 6 or 7 past many other teams this season, there may be the odd one but I do hope that people realise that they really are fluke results the combination of us playing excellent and the opposition not up for the fight, we also have to realise that as the season progresses teams will study our game and work out tactics to nullify us

 

[St Helens Blue (Exiled)]

Have enjoyed everyones posts today on this thread..been to busy at work to even look so just caught up.
Really really hope we can produce performances away from home such as yesterday to get us some vital pts on the road.
I said today for the first time if we could click away from home we'd win this league again no problem.Even the rags at work agreed.

 

[cleavers]

I was actually thinking that last night on the drive home, it's highly unlikely that we will be putting 6 or 7 past many other teams this season, there may be the odd one but I do hope that people realise that they really are fluke results the combination of us playing excellent and the opposition not up for the fight, we also have to realise that as the season progresses teams will study our game and work out tactics to nullify us

Whilst I do worry about having too high expectations, for every match, and there will be a few that we fail to perform, I think that not only will we do it again at home, but we'll do it away as well. We've scored 37 goals at home in just 9 matches, and we're improving, there is good reason to think we can continue to be free scoring, home and away.

 

[TGR]

It is a compliment to the people involved for sure. The only potential issue being is the expectation to put 5 or 6 past every team that turns up at the Etihad is growing with each game we play. I noticed it at the ground yesterday when one pass, yes one single solitary pass went astray the moaning & groaning immediately started. God knows what it will be like if we actually loose a match at the Etihad sometime soon?

True TGR and the Hull performance was a indication that we cannot afford too be complacent at home even though we won. The other side of the argument is that it is a sign of a title winning side the ability to play badly and still get the 3 points. There is more game that are going to be like that.

I was actually thinking that last night on the drive home, it's highly unlikely that we will be putting 6 or 7 past many other teams this season, there may be the odd one but I do hope that people realise that they really are fluke results the combination of us playing excellent and the opposition not up for the fight, we also have to realise that as the season progresses teams will study our game and work out tactics to nullify us[/quote]

This will happen, however I'm not so sure what any team can do to nulify us at home except park the bus and even some of the top teams may decide this is the best option at the Etihad in an effort to frustrate us. However the media will then start on us... . We will have 'gone off the boil' or 'been found out' etc. it's going to be interesting in the coming weeks at the Etihad thats for sure.

 

[St Helens Blue (Exiled)]

I was actually thinking that last night on the drive home, it's highly unlikely that we will be putting 6 or 7 past many other teams this season, there may be the odd one but I do hope that people realise that they really are fluke results the combination of us playing excellent and the opposition not up for the fight, we also have to realise that as the season progresses teams will study our game and work out tactics to nullify us

Whilst I do worry about having too high expectations, for every match, and there will be a few that we fail to perform, I think that not only will we do it again at home, but we'll do it away as well. We've scored 37 goals at home in just 9 matches, and we're improving, there is good reason to think we can continue to be free scoring, home and away.

My prediction is palace on the 28th of december...five clear goals

 

[Ducado]

I was actually thinking that last night on the drive home, it's highly unlikely that we will be putting 6 or 7 past many other teams this season, there may be the odd one but I do hope that people realise that they really are fluke results the combination of us playing excellent and the opposition not up for the fight, we also have to realise that as the season progresses teams will study our game and work out tactics to nullify us

Whilst I do worry about having too high expectations, for every match, and there will be a few that we fail to perform, I think that not only will we do it again at home, but we'll do it away as well. We've scored 37 goals at home in just 9 matches, and we're improving, there is good reason to think we can continue to be free scoring, home and away.

My prediction is palace on the 28th of december...five clear goals

Not now they have Track Suit Tony in charge!