Barcon said:
carlosthejackal said:
Got turned over at Sunderland, Cardiff and Villa, somehow i cant see us going away in europe and turning over any decent team.
You should watch a few more games mate, we've been absolutely brilliant at times and could leather any team out there on our day.
Barcon, I think many of the posters on here would simply like to know why we're not "on our day" very often in the PL, away from the Etihad these days. This is not a continuation of any trend begun last season or any other. Last season we lost 4 away games in the whole season, the season before we lost 5, in 2010-11 7 and in 2009-10 4 : this season we have lost 4 out of the first 6. The only points we have picked up have come from the teams in 16th place in the PL (West Ham) and 17th (Stoke). We lost at Stamford Bridge, but also at the teams in 19th, 14th and 11th - in brief, we have played one team in the top half of the table and have taken 4 points from 18. These are often repeated statistics and they give real cause for concern because our away form is abysmal. It would seem obvious that it must improve with the squad we have,
but we have seen game after game the same problems: we can't defend a high ball down the middle and we tend to stand like statues appealing for offside when any ball is played over our "high line". We can't press the ball because too many of our midfield are committed to attack. Karen7 has pointed out our excellent defensive record over the previous 3 seasons and Palerider has pointed out that the "explanations" put forward are, in fact, unacceptable excuses. Now those who see any criticism of our formation as a veiled attack on Pellegrini by unreformed Manciniites are thrown back on increasingly desperate and increasingly ridiculous excuses. Pellegrini has said consistently that he has the best squad in the PL, it is unlikely that we will buy anyone in January and so he
never tries to explain poor performances by questioning the quality of his defenders. Nor do I think that considering 4 points from 18 justifies Ray78's comment that "11 games and people expect a
miracle in the League." But most ridiculous of all, Ray78, is your startlingly irrelevant and moronically stupid answer to NQCitizen that questions must not be asked about results, formation etc until City are "In the relegation zone similar to what Rijkaard did with Barcelona but their board still didn't panic then." Does a place in the drop zone by November automatically ensure titles come May? Did the Bayern tell Guardioal this? Is it something the Real board insist on? And there is no point harping on about Europe. We're all glad that we've qualified, but let's not try and claim that our group this season is, in any way, of comparable quality to those of our two other seasons in the CL. When the draw was made there was widespread relief that, despite Bayern being in our group, Plzen and CSKA should be no real problem. Nor must we forget that our home game to Bayern was the worst result we have had in the three CL campaigns, and we've yet to play them away... Now, Pellegrini has said that he will not change the way he plays, especially away, and some of us are concerned that, rather than being an admirable faith in his principles, it may be a costly stubbornness.
