Discuss Pellegrini (Pt 4)

[Anonymous]

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.

Nasri's said a few times that there are similarities between Wenger and Pellegrini and it's clear he's always held Wenger in very high regard, even after he left Arsenal. I do think most of the credit has got to go to the lad himself for getting himself in the right shape not just mentally but physically as well. Looks a player reborn this season. The question is just how good can he get.

 

[GaudinoMotors]

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.

Nasri's said a few times that there are similarities between Wenger and Pellegrini and it's clear he's always held Wenger in very high regard, even after he left Arsenal. I do think most of the credit has got to go to the lad himself for getting himself in the right shape not just mentally but physically as well. Looks a player reborn this season. The question is just how good can he get.

At the danger of joining your love in - Yes Pellegrini is to be commended for his part in Nasri's amazing improvement. Astonishing transformation.

 

[dancity19]

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.

-- Mon Dec 02, 2013 10:44 am --

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.

The manager has to take a huge amount of credit for getting so much more out of a forward players. When SIlva has been fit this season he has also been right near the top of his game. This is what we meant when talking about the sum of the parts and getting the most out of players etc.

If he can now get the defenders performing to a similar level then we could be on the level of the very very top teams in Europe.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

The manager has to take a huge amount of credit for getting so much more out of a forward players. When SIlva has been fit this season he has also been right near the top of his game. This is what we meant when talking about the sum of the parts and getting the most out of players etc.

If he can now get the defenders performing to a similar level then we could be on the level of the very very top teams in Europe.

Exactly, Dan. You, me and plenty of others have said for a long time that this club will soar when we finally have a team which is greater than the sum of it's parts. And attacking, now, it is. It's the best attacking football I have ever seen from a City side. The defensive side is coming, too. We've been depleted for weeks now at the back but the errors have gone and we look pretty organised, That will only get better.

With Ya Ya and Fernandino there in a 4222 teams will always find space. What's intriguing over the next two games is how Pellegrini counteracts that problem away: firepower or solidity.

 

[SiMCFC]

I think we've got Pellegrini at the right time, he probably won't want to manage for much longer than 5-6 years? Got a lot to prove himself I reckon so think he is super motivated

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

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.

Nasri's said a few times that there are similarities between Wenger and Pellegrini and it's clear he's always held Wenger in very high regard, even after he left Arsenal. I do think most of the credit has got to go to the lad himself for getting himself in the right shape not just mentally but physically as well. Looks a player reborn this season. The question is just how good can he get.

This all depends on how much he plays and where, when Silva returns. I hop MP has a cunning plan, because at the moment,
Nasri is on fire.

 

[BluessinceHydeRoad]

As yet nothing has changed. City are in excellent form at home where we look in a league of our own. We have dominated possession at the Etihad in some games, notably Norwich, Newcastle and Hull, but our best home wins, against United and Spurs, have come in games where the opposition has had much more of the ball. Again on Sunday, Swansea had more of the ball than we did. What has typified our play at home are the sweeping moves, often the full length of the pitch, played at real tempo and pace and culminating in an attempt on goal from within the area. At home, fewer than 25% of our attempts have come from outside the box, and many of these have been free kicks which Ya Ya or the beast have planted in the net.

Away from home the picture is very different. We have "dominated possession" in every one of our PL games, with 55% against Chelsea being our lowest figure: at Cardiff we had more of the possession than we did at home to Norwich! But at home we have scored 29 goals in 7 matches: away we have notched just 8 in 6. The attempts on goal show clearly that we're actually missing more chances at home, as well. There are two relevant statistics here. We create a lot more chances at home, but only in two games - United and Swansea - has the number of attempts off-target been greater that the on-target figure: only at West ham has the "on-target figure been grater than the off-target. At the Etihad under 25% of our attempts are from outside the area: away the figure is well over 40%.

This backs up what we have seen clearly on the field - gone are the sweeping moves when we play away, gone is the high tempo: the thrilling football is replaced by pedestrian play forward, lots of square passing and far fewer attempts to penetrate our opponent's area. Often this culminates, away from home, in giving the ball away outside a crowded box or resort to a frustrated long shot which doesn't trouble the 'keeper.

We are playing very well at home: we have not played well away. We give the ball away at home to attempt penetrating passes: we NEVER try that away. And though we concede few chances away, they have often been of the unmissable variety. What we have to show on Wednesday, and for the rest of the season, is that we have got to grips with these problems.

 

[Oystercatcher28]

Pellegrini will be hot on the lips of fans and media after Baggies and Saints away. Let us hope it is all positive. I hope he proves the doubters wrong.

 

[mcfcphil]

The manager has to take a huge amount of credit for getting so much more out of a forward players. When SIlva has been fit this season he has also been right near the top of his game. This is what we meant when talking about the sum of the parts and getting the most out of players etc.

If he can now get the defenders performing to a similar level then we could be on the level of the very very top teams in Europe.

Exactly, Dan. You, me and plenty of others have said for a long time that this club will soar when we finally have a team which is greater than the sum of it's parts. And attacking, now, it is. It's the best attacking football I have ever seen from a City side. The defensive side is coming, too. We've been depleted for weeks now at the back but the errors have gone and we look pretty organised, That will only get better.

With Ya Ya and Fernandino there in a 4222 teams will always find space. What's intriguing over the next two games is how Pellegrini counteracts that problem away: firepower or solidity.

That space is the biggest concern i have. Shelvey kept finding himself in acres of space between our defence and midfield. Shelvey is shit so we got away with it. But when we're playing teams like bayern etc if you give that kind of space away they will kill you.

At the moment i'm not too sure what the answer is because to solve it means either dropping yaya or changing formation and neither of those things will happen.

Kompany being back will help matters because he has the pace to step out of the line and still get back. It will be pellegrini's defining move for me though. If he gets it right then we will beat anyone who comes in our path. And i mean anyone.

 

[Anonymous]

Pellegrini will be hot on the lips of fans and media after Baggies and Saints away. Let us hope it is all positive. I hope he proves the doubters wrong.

It's clear to nearly everyone that we are moving in the right direction under the manager. Those who doubt his ability to win the big trophies are entitled to that opinion as he hasn't so far won any in Europe, but any doubt about whether or not he was the right appointment is wildly misplaced. We got the best manager on the market this summer with the exception of Jose, and for that we should be very grateful.