Discuss Pellegrini (Pt 4)

[moomba]

Can't see us winning at Southampton, maybe a point at WBA

Just waiting for something to click away from home. At our best we're more than capable of winning both.

TBH I thought it would have clicked at Sunderland, I was really looking forward to it, came away as dejected as the previous three times!

I definitely had a wobble after Sunderland. Thought West Ham and Chelsea were good performances but that game knocked me for 6.

 

[squirtyflower]

Just waiting for something to click away from home. At our best we're more than capable of winning both.

TBH I thought it would have clicked at Sunderland, I was really looking forward to it, came away as dejected as the previous three times!

I definitely had a wobble after Sunderland. Thought West Ham and Chelsea were good performances but that game knocked me for 6.

Chelsea is the only game I haven't seen, but I believe we played well
We were woeful at Stoke, and it was a similar team at Sunderland

We battered Villa and Cardiff though but the same old story of not taking our chances

 

[Anonymous]

As much as I'm over the moon for Sami, he still isn't a patch on Merlin, imo.

If we were to play "one in the hole" then it would be Dave, all day for me.

Not a bad back-up though!

I think Nasri's strength, stamina, finishing, and ball retention actually make him a better player to play in the hole than Silva. Silva's got the passing and is probably technically a bit a head of Sami, but in the PL it's difficult to play as an out and out number 10 because you'll have a defensive midfield player on you all game. I think it's one of the reasons that Mancini and Pellegrini like playing Silva/Nasri from wider areas, because it makes them very difficult to mark. But in a 4231 like we switched to yesterday, I'd nominally play Nasri from the middle and Silva from wide left. I say nominally because both players are likely to drift into each other's positions, but in the transition from attack to defence and from defence to attack I think Nasri would be better suited to the central role.

The great thing is that once Silva (and Jovetic) get fit, our options will be up exponentially.

 

[adrianr]

We will be top by the new year. You mark my words ;-)

Bold statement with the games we've got Dave, particularly worried about Southampton!

I'm currently sitting in hope that our surrender of possession in our last two home games has been a specific exercise in preparing better for away games within the comfort of our home surroundings. Against both Spurs and Swansea we've lost out where we typically dominate, but this has lead to a speed of counter attack I wasn't sure we had in the team. And we can all agree a brutal counter attack is one of the very best weapons away from home. We still must practice better defending as a team though. We can't always expect Fernandinho to do his and Yaya's defensive duties, and letting the opposition have yards of space to run at our back line.

That's my (perhaps a little naive) theory anyway.

 

[dancity19]

As much as I'm over the moon for Sami, he still isn't a patch on Merlin, imo.

If we were to play "one in the hole" then it would be Dave, all day for me.

Not a bad back-up though!

I think Nasri's strength, stamina, finishing, and ball retention actually make him a better player to play in the hole than Silva. Silva's got the passing and is probably technically a bit a head of Sami, but in the PL it's difficult to play as an out and out number 10 because you'll have a defensive midfield player on you all game. I think it's one of the reasons that Mancini and Pellegrini like playing Silva/Nasri from wider areas, because it makes them very difficult to mark. But in a 4231 like we switched to yesterday, I'd nominally play Nasri from the middle and Silva from wide left. I say nominally because both players are likely to drift into each other's positions, but in the transition from attack to defence and from defence to attack I think Nasri would be better suited to the central role.

The great thing is that once Silva (and Jovetic) get fit, our options will be up exponentially.

Agreed. Plus, I think there are few players in the league who give away the ball as little as Nasri. In terms of being stuck in tight spaces and have a number of men marking him it is unbelievable how little he gives it away.

 

[Anonymous]

Agreed. Plus, I think there are few players in the league who give away the ball as little as Nasri. In terms of being stuck in tight spaces and have a number of men marking him it is unbelievable how little he gives it away.

Something which I think goes wholly unrecognised by pundits and supporters alike. Getting the ball off Nasri, even if there's two of you, is nigh on impossible.

 

[dancity19]

Agreed. Plus, I think there are few players in the league who give away the ball as little as Nasri. In terms of being stuck in tight spaces and have a number of men marking him it is unbelievable how little he gives it away.

Something which I think goes wholly unrecognised by pundits and supporters alike. Getting the ball off Nasri, even if there's two of you, is nigh on impossible.

Yep, people have the impression because he is slight he is easy to push off the ball. There was on occassion yesterday just by the centre circle in their half, where he had 2 players on him and he turned one way then the other and sped away from both. So pleased he is looking the player we all knew he was on a consistent basis.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

We will be top by the new year. You mark my words ;-)

Bold statement with the games we've got Dave, particularly worried about Southampton!

I'm currently sitting in hope that our surrender of possession in our last two home games has been a specific exercise in preparing better for away games within the comfort of our home surroundings. Against both Spurs and Swansea we've lost out where we typically dominate, but this has lead to a speed of counter attack I wasn't sure we had in the team. And we can all agree a brutal counter attack is one of the very best weapons away from home. We still must practice better defending as a team though. We can't always expect Fernandinho to do his and Yaya's defensive duties, and letting the opposition have yards of space to run at our back line.

That's my (perhaps a little naive) theory anyway.

It is a bold statement, mate, but I can't believe how bullish and confident I feel watching this team gel, particularly in the knowledge that we are missing key players. I totally agree that there is an Achilles Heel at the back of the midfield, and it's mainly Yaya's lack of defensive ability, but I'm confident that the manager will balance this with our strengths in the next few games and at times (Southampton?) we will see an extra player in there. When we did put one in there at Chelsea we dominated the midfield for large parts of the game.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: this manager is going to lead us to glory. He's exactly the right man at the right time.<br /><br />-- Mon Dec 02, 2013 10:44 am --<br /><br />

Agreed. Plus, I think there are few players in the league who give away the ball as little as Nasri. In terms of being stuck in tight spaces and have a number of men marking him it is unbelievable how little he gives it away.

Something which I think goes wholly unrecognised by pundits and supporters alike. Getting the ball off Nasri, even if there's two of you, is nigh on impossible.

Yep, people have the impression because he is slight he is easy to push off the ball. There was on occassion yesterday just by the centre circle in their half, where he had 2 players on him and he turned one way then the other and sped away from both. So pleased he is looking the player we all knew he was on a consistent basis.

I didn't know he was. I thought he was fatally flawed as a player, even at Arsenal. I was wrong.

And I've noticed he's got stronger, too. But what's really incredible is that he has stopped looking backwards and started looking forward. Keeping the thread on track, the manager has to take great credit. Not just for putting an arm around his shoulder and making him feel special (which is clearly what has happened), but for changing his game.

 

[OB1]

As much as I'm over the moon for Sami, he still isn't a patch on Merlin, imo.

If we were to play "one in the hole" then it would be Dave, all day for me.

Not a bad back-up though!

I think Nasri's strength, stamina, finishing, and ball retention actually make him a better player to play in the hole than Silva. Silva's got the passing and is probably technically a bit a head of Sami, but in the PL it's difficult to play as an out and out number 10 because you'll have a defensive midfield player on you all game. I think it's one of the reasons that Mancini and Pellegrini like playing Silva/Nasri from wider areas, because it makes them very difficult to mark. But in a 4231 like we switched to yesterday, I'd nominally play Nasri from the middle and Silva from wide left. I say nominally because both players are likely to drift into each other's positions, but in the transition from attack to defence and from defence to attack I think Nasri would be better suited to the central role.

The great thing is that once Silva (and Jovetic) get fit, our options will be up exponentially.

Agreed. Plus, I think there are few players in the league who give away the ball as little as Nasri. In terms of being stuck in tight spaces and have a number of men marking him it is unbelievable how little he gives it away.

I also agree. I would slightly favour Nasri over Silva for the central role. I commented on the Silva thread that I read somewhere that MP wants them to regularly play close together in games to make the most of their interplay, so Billy's "nominally" point is very apposite.

 

[St Helens Blue (Exiled)]

My belief in Pellegrini is growing for sure.
Just hope I'm not feeling as Squirty did when I walk back to my motor on Wednesday wondering again about our away form.<br /><br />-- Mon Dec 02, 2013 11:52 am --<br /><br />Billy makes an excellent point re Samir..Trying to tet the ball off Samir is so so difficult and he is even getting stuck in now.I was a huge critic of him last season and can admit I was wrong.
Maybe it simply was the Mancini factor with Samir.