Discuss Pellegrini (Pt 4)

[OB1]

post your opinions but don't take the piss.

Pellegrini IS a top draw manager. I'm not convinced I'd go as far as to say we're lucky to have him however. City are a legitimate top club these days, with a chance of winning major honours, we've some of the World's best players in our squad so we're always going to eb able to attract a top draw manager, in fact we probably had 3 or 4 of them to chose from in the Summer.

he's an ok ish manager. i think of him as a moyes with bells on. a bit more open.

Try a bit of your own advice :)

 

[St Helens Blue (Exiled)]

He has us playing the best football I have seen us play for many a long year

We are that's for sure but would you not agree that the soft underbelly is still there and can be exposed quite easily. It's not good in my opinion to say that we switched off for the last 15 mins because against better opposition we could have potentially thrown that away last night and turned 3 pts into 1pt.
What I don't get is this totally blinkered view that everything is rosy. Of course we are playing some sublime stuff but keeping those clean sheets is critical.
Pellegrini is a good coach clearly and gets the best out of his players and keeps everything in house which is fantastic however I am not buying into he has grasped the league now.
Whatever anyone says the game changed when he took our outlet off up top.
To end on a positive note for the likes of Fantasy,Billy and Dave...VK was a rock last night and am delighted he is back.
Now onto Saturday which will be a lot tougher and if we switch off at any time then Southampton are certainly capable of capitalising.
Is a draw good enough,not sure but I will stick to my guns as I did last week and say we are going to go on a huge unbeaten winning run

 

[Ducado]

He has us playing the best football I have seen us play for many a long year

We are that's for sure but would you not agree that the soft underbelly is still there and can be exposed quite easily. It's not good in my opinion to say that we switched off for the last 15 mins because against better opposition we could have potentially thrown that away last night and turned 3 pts into 1pt.
What I don't get is this totally blinkered view that everything is rosy. Of course we are playing some sublime stuff but keeping those clean sheets is critical.
Pellegrini is a good coach clearly and gets the best out of his players and keeps everything in house which is fantastic however I am not buying into he has grasped the league now.
Whatever anyone says the game changed when he took our outlet off up top.
To end on a positive note for the likes of Fantasy,Billy and Dave...VK was a rock last night and am delighted he is back.
Now onto Saturday which will be a lot tougher and if we switch off at any time then Southampton are certainly capable of capitalising.
Is a draw good enough,not sure but I will stick to my guns as I did last week and say we are going to go on a huge unbeaten winning run

Have faith

 

[Matty]

post your opinions but don't take the piss.

Pellegrini IS a top draw manager. I'm not convinced I'd go as far as to say we're lucky to have him however. City are a legitimate top club these days, with a chance of winning major honours, we've some of the World's best players in our squad so we're always going to eb able to attract a top draw manager, in fact we probably had 3 or 4 of them to chose from in the Summer.

he's an ok ish manager. i think of him as a moyes with bells on. a bit more open.

I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one. Pellegrini is substantially superior to Moyes in terms of his managerial abilities, and tactical awareness. Is he perfect? No, but he's certainly good enough to be the manager of a top side, something you can't say about Moyes.

 

[OB1]

I'll say it, 4-4-2 works. But only when the everyone plays well and the vast majority play at their best.

This isn't a formation really that you can play poorly and really get a result, as proven by our either "we win or we lose" results this season. Thus issues such as switching off just aren't affordable because they cost us results, there is very little margin for error but the plus points are enormous when we play well.

It's high risk for high reward, but big falls if it doesn't work. Pelle got away with it in the end last night, it wasn't his fault as you could tell he was deeply unimpressed by the players switching off, but it's an issue that needs to be resolved, because it's become noticeable that against all but the top teams away and possession teams home and away that the tactics work, but only when everyone is absolutely on it.

No margin for error, and he HAS to drill it into every single member of the squad.

Agreed. But as I said in the post game thread it comes back to mentality and this inability to concentrate for the full 90+ minutes is our 'mentality'. A team that switches off is the managers responsibility. A team that switches off on a consistent basis is a reflection of the manager. This will be our season. At times sublime and at times jaw dropping ineptitude not because the players aren't good enough but because they have all gone walkabout in their heads.

It is what it is.

This manager will not be happy with his players switching off and I am sure who will work to change that but, ultimately, that may require him to change some players and he will not have much opportunity to do that until the summer.

Last night, we made far too many errors, throughout the game.

 

[Danamy]

The football is the best it has ever been.

This team can cut you to ribbons, pass you to death or simply bide its time.

It's been a few years in coming but the arrogance and desire required to dominate is coming on stream.

Most importantly of all, we are cultivating an identity.

Ball retention on Saturday is crucial, if we give it away like we did at times last night we'll get punished.

Southampton play possession football but if we break them down in our own half they're open to the counter, Villa showed that last night.

Interesting game with both teams wanting the ball for their style to make an impact on the game.

 

[BlueAnorak]

The football is the best it has ever been.

This team can cut you to ribbons, pass you to death or simply bide its time.

It's been a few years in coming but the arrogance and desire required to dominate is coming on stream.

Most importantly of all, we are cultivating an identity.

Attacking football - YES. Great to watch - especially at home.
Defensive football - NO. We really have too improve a lot here to win the league. A team with an excellent defence and an OK attack is more lightly to win silverware than a team with an OK defence and an excellent attack.

Even allowing for the comedy of the last 15 mins we were much improved last night. The team as a whole has to concentrate for 90 mins though.

 

[TCIB]

I think some will see this thread in a year and cringe.

He is developing a brilliant squad ethos and mentality imo.
It is showing and improving with every game.

This time next year we will be as good as Bayern if we carry on like this.

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

I'll say it, 4-4-2 works. But only when the everyone plays well and the vast majority play at their best.

This isn't a formation really that you can play poorly and really get a result, as proven by our either "we win or we lose" results this season. Thus issues such as switching off just aren't affordable because they cost us results, there is very little margin for error but the plus points are enormous when we play well.

It's high risk for high reward, but big falls if it doesn't work. Pelle got away with it in the end last night, it wasn't his fault as you could tell he was deeply unimpressed by the players switching off, but it's an issue that needs to be resolved, because it's become noticeable that against all but the top teams away and possession teams home and away that the tactics work, but only when everyone is absolutely on it.

No margin for error, and he HAS to drill it into every single member of the squad.

Agreed. But as I said in the post game thread it comes back to mentality and this inability to concentrate for the full 90+ minutes is our 'mentality'. A team that switches off is the managers responsibility. A team that switches off on a consistent basis is a reflection of the manager. This will be our season. At times sublime and at times jaw dropping ineptitude not because the players aren't good enough but because they have all gone walkabout in their heads.

It is what it is.

This manager will not be happy with his players switching off and I am sure who will work to change that but, ultimately, that may require him to change some players and he will not have much opportunity to do that until the summer.

Last night, we made far too many errors, throughout the game.

Some great stuff for the first 35 minutes last night, but as the game wore on we got sloppier and sloppier. Dzeko probably encapsulated this best. A couple of lovely early lay offs, a great reverse pass for the opening goal, and unlucky not to get on the end of a couple of fizzing crosses himself. However, by the time the hour was up he'd reverted to type, stumbling forward with the touch of a horse, before gradually coming to a standstill and then getting mugged, time after time. Navas also faded noticeably, Fernandinho wasn't as impressive as usual, and some of Di Michelis's defending and Zabaleta's passing out of defence was downright poor.
I'd certainly want to restore Lescott to the mix on Saturday with the Beast up top, and possibly Milner as a starter. Southampton's relentless high press will cause us far more problems than West Brom did last night that's for sure

 

[Didsbury Dave]

The football is the best it has ever been.

This team can cut you to ribbons, pass you to death or simply bide its time.

It's been a few years in coming but the arrogance and desire required to dominate is coming on stream.

Most importantly of all, we are cultivating an identity.

Ball retention on Saturday is crucial, if we give it away like we did at times last night we'll get punished.

Southampton play possession football but if we break them down in our own half they're open to the counter, Villa showed that last night.

Interesting game with both teams wanting the ball for their style to make an impact on the game.

The resting of Negredo and substitution of Aguero tells me that it will be 4222 again, Dan.

Shootout at the OK Corrall. I wish Silva was available.