Discussion: Manuel Pellegrini 2014/15 (continued)

[Marvin]

We now play with 1 forward but I think that's because Pellegrini realised his midfield was too weak. I am sure that we'll try to strengthen that area in the transfer market. I really would like to see Bony and Aguero play together. Bony has been very impressive in the brief occasions he has played. He's like a magnet for the ball.

 

[schfc6]

People do seem to bury their head in the sand a little with regards to 442/433/451. Arguably our worst two performances this season in my opinion was when we fielded a one striker system. QPR away and Arsenal at home.

I see Pellegrini's faults, he does seem to rotate for rotations sake. But having said that, our players have looked the freshest in the league for the last month. Last season we won the league because we won every game in the last month.

While I can see faults in Pellegrini, all managers have faults. Where I think we've lost the league, we've dropped 8 points against the relegated teams. I personally would blame the manager there, our players should be able to win those fixtures pissed. Give us those eight points we win the league.

In my humble opinion we are far too reliant on YaYa, he's had a poor season by his standards and was away for 6 weeks. Whoever is manager next season, needs to address this, The hierarchie need to address this.

 

[andersmcfcdk]

Every system can work, it's just a matter of having the right players for each system. I think that Pellegrini will move back to 4-4-2 next season, it's his preferred system, I saw a video where he directly said that, and he's been talking a lot about Bony will be an important player next season, and I don't think he'll say that if he'll continue playing 4-2-3-1. I think he'll try to get a CM next to Fernandinho who can defend well, as well as attacking, Pogba would fit that role perfectly, and he doesn't have a very frustrating attitude to watch like Yaya.

We all agree that the season has been quite poor, but I'm 90% sure we'll stick with Pellegrini, and I guess it's ok. We've done well in the last games, and we did perform very well last season. It's also a message to send, so we don't turn out like Real Madrid, sacking their manager with no considerations if he fail to win a title in a single season.

 

[Dribble]

I'm surprised that you both haven't seen the change in the last six games as a positive. After nearly two years of talking about using a pure 433 system with a lone striker, seems clear that Pellegrini has made the shift. The fact that Dzeko and Jovetic have been iced out of the side and the fact that we're not seemingly in the market for a top line striker this summer suggests to me that this switch from playing two up front is permanent.

We won't know definitively until next season starts but the change in the last six games wasn't to my eyes or to my mind born out of necessity due to injuries - it was a clear change in playing shape which has been worked on in training and which I would suggest will be used regularly moving forward.

Sorry but I disagree. MP has had ample opportunity to see and realise what everyone else could see and that is we don't suit or have the personnel to play 442 at the highest level, but yet he stubbornly and dogmatically ploughed on leaving us with nothing to show for this season.

The pundits, retired players and fans could see what was needed and the only two times it has happened this season was when we had an injury crisis in December and when his job was seemingly on the line 7 matches ago. I don't see it as MP making a 'shift' I see it as necessity during December and desperation 7 matches ago with the fear of losing his job a real possibilty.

All said and done, I'm glad the move was made for whatever reason as 7 matches ago our form suggested that we were in real danger of at best finishing 4th or at worst ending up in the Europa League. But there is still one worrying thing...... Once all the last 6 matches seem to have been all sewn up, we've ended the matches with the formation that I truly believe is in his heart which is 442

This is my worry. I'm not confident at all that once we start next season with a clean slate that he won't revert to type to prove the point his 442 obsession was right all along. Too many times this season he's opted for 442 when a born winner would have set up differently to ensure the best chance of a win.

MP has no one else to blame but himself for the way this season has panned out because exposing Yaya in a midfield 2, playing Silva on the left of a midfield 2 and playing Dzeko at all has done nothing but crush the confidence out of our defence and the team as a whole. Look at the damage done to Zabs & Kompany.

This was completely unnecessary and could have been avoided as our title challenge ebbed away. Will he continue with one striker next season? I for one am not so sure you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Dogmatically blaming all this season's ills on 442 with Toure is just daft. It was a problem at times but not the sole reason for out underperformance.

As for MP being dogmatic. Those of us who watched his Malaga or Villareal sides know that he isn't as dogmatic as it has seemed this season.

Personally I think next season is going to be a great opportunity for the manager to shove this season's criticisms down a few throats.

A two team La Liga is different to the Premier League. I've always watched a lot of La Liga as I prefer skilful possession football to the sometimes blood & snot variety served up in the Prem by LVG & Fat Sam. The only dogmatism being shown here is the defence of MP come what may as all I've done is repeat what I and many others spotted many moons ago which led many to call for change.

MP makes these changes we win. He reverts to type, we struggle as his 442 has been well and truly found out as alluded to by Fat Sam, Pulis and Pardew et al. Yaya doesn't have the lungs or legs at his age to play in a midfield two so why play him there? Silva is best as a No 10 so why play him left wing? Football really isn't as complicated as some make out as even non football professionals could spot our weaknesses and tell where it was leading us.

You don't have to be the brain of Britain to work out with 442 we struggle and with 4231/433 we excel. It's simple really as the impending results showed..........

 

[hilts]

People do seem to bury their head in the sand a little with regards to 442/433/451. Arguably our worst two performances this season in my opinion was when we fielded a one striker system. QPR away and Arsenal at home.

I see Pellegrini's faults, he does seem to rotate for rotations sake. But having said that, our players have looked the freshest in the league for the last month. Last season we won the league because we won every game in the last month.

While I can see faults in Pellegrini, all managers have faults. Where I think we've lost the league, we've dropped 8 points against the relegated teams. I personally would blame the manager there, our players should be able to win those fixtures pissed. Give us those eight points we win the league.

In my humble opinion we are far too reliant on YaYa, he's had a poor season by his standards and was away for 6 weeks. Whoever is manager next season, needs to address this, The hierarchie need to address this.

It's not really about the system per se just how the system weakens the team and doesn't get the best out of our best players, toure silva and Sergio are our jewels and the team should be built to get the best out of them, the more freedom they have in the right areas of the pitch the better
I'm not even going into the defence and respecting other teams strength

This has been discussed to death but the simple truth is I don't rate the guy very highly others will see it differently

 

[BillyShears]

Sorry but I disagree. MP has had ample opportunity to see and realise what everyone else could see and that is we don't suit or have the personnel to play 442 at the highest level, but yet he stubbornly and dogmatically ploughed on leaving us with nothing to show for this season.

The pundits, retired players and fans could see what was needed and the only two times it has happened this season was when we had an injury crisis in December and when his job was seemingly on the line 7 matches ago. I don't see it as MP making a 'shift' I see it as necessity during December and desperation 7 matches ago with the fear of losing his job a real possibilty.

All said and done, I'm glad the move was made for whatever reason as 7 matches ago our form suggested that we were in real danger of at best finishing 4th or at worst ending up in the Europa League. But there is still one worrying thing...... Once all the last 6 matches seem to have been all sewn up, we've ended the matches with the formation that I truly believe is in his heart which is 442

This is my worry. I'm not confident at all that once we start next season with a clean slate that he won't revert to type to prove the point his 442 obsession was right all along. Too many times this season he's opted for 442 when a born winner would have set up differently to ensure the best chance of a win.

MP has no one else to blame but himself for the way this season has panned out because exposing Yaya in a midfield 2, playing Silva on the left of a midfield 2 and playing Dzeko at all has done nothing but crush the confidence out of our defence and the team as a whole. Look at the damage done to Zabs & Kompany.

This was completely unnecessary and could have been avoided as our title challenge ebbed away. Will he continue with one striker next season? I for one am not so sure you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Dogmatically blaming all this season's ills on 442 with Toure is just daft. It was a problem at times but not the sole reason for out underperformance.

As for MP being dogmatic. Those of us who watched his Malaga or Villareal sides know that he isn't as dogmatic as it has seemed this season.

Personally I think next season is going to be a great opportunity for the manager to shove this season's criticisms down a few throats.

A two team La Liga is different to the Premier League. I've always watched a lot of La Liga as I prefer skilful possession football to the sometimes blood & snot variety served up in the Prem by LVG & Fat Sam. The only dogmatism being shown here is the defence of MP come what may as all I've done is repeat what I and many others spotted many moons ago which led many to call for change.

MP makes changes these changes we win. He reverts to type, we struggle as his 442 has been well and truly found out as alluded to by Fat Sam, Pulis and Pardew et al. Yaya doesn't have the lungs or legs at his age to play in a midfield two so why play him there? Silva is best as a No 10 so why play him left wing? Football really isn't as complicated as some make out as even non football professionals could spot our weaknesses and tell where it was leading us.

You don't have to be the brain of Britain to work out with 442 we struggle and with 4231/433 we excel. It's simple really as the impending results showed..........

Again so dogmatic. I could show you that all our best results in the last two years have come playing 442. We won a league playing it. Rewriting history to make out its been out only problem and solely down to MP is disingenuous at best.

 

[Zin 'messiah' Zimmer]

We now play with 1 forward but I think that's because Pellegrini realised his midfield was too weak. I am sure that we'll try to strengthen that area in the transfer market. I really would like to see Bony and Aguero play together. Bony has been very impressive in the brief occasions he has played. He's like a magnet for the ball.

We play with one forward do we Marv?

Cheers for the clarification.... Keep up the good work!!!

 

[sir baconface]

Because he isnt a yes man and the 2 upstairs want a yes man... simple as.

I wonder if this attitude is a generational thing. Strikes me that there's a certain age demographic who are deeply mistrusting of Txiki and Ferran and their management speak. All I can say is there's little point standing in the way of progress. Top football clubs are all run by committee these days and City are no different. Trying though to paint the management team as people who want a "yes man" coaching the first team is deeply unfair on both
Pellegrini, and the club's owners.

It's because they're Spanish.

Yes it really is that stupid.

Que?

 

[halfcenturyup]

My guess is he will be back to a preferred 4-4-2 next year, if he is still here, but with some new midfield players who can actually cope with it. No problems, with that at all. The problem this year was the way he implemented the 4-4-2 with players who couldn't cope. I don't see how anyone can dress it up any other way.

Look, I don't have a problem with Pellegrini. He can stay, he can go. I have no emotional bond with him whatsoever after two years, other than thanks for a job well done last season. Does anyone doubt, though, that if he had played the game all season the way he has in the last six matches we would be in a much better position at the end? So, why on earth persist with the preferred formation, tactics and rotation. Told to play that way, maybe?

As for Soriano and Begiristain, they may be very good at what they are doing for the club, or they may not be. They do not, however, make much effort to build a rapport with the fanbase. There is no "pop". Not with Soriano or Begiristain, or Pellegrini. We have a few players who get the fans going, and Khaldoon is well respected and says the right things, well. The owner? Impeccable. There is nothing exciting in the middle, though. Is it a European thing? Or a Spanish thing, a Barcelona thing, even? Maybe English fans expect more pop, maybe it's just City fans, but I imagine people will tell you, in general, Cook and Mancini "got" City fans, and Soriano, Begiristain and Pellegrini are too distant. Is that important as long as the club is successful? Maybe not. When there are problems, though, throughout a season, say, then that bond could be valuable. They need to make more of an effort to build a relationship with the fanbase, especially the match-going fanbase, if you ask me. Then they may get more credit and more recognition. You may get a better atmosphere at the ground as well. Maybe not.

Speaking of which, Pellegrini seems to have spent more time on the touchline in these last few games, than in the rest of the season put together. Showing more passion? Been told to show more passion?

 

[Dribble]

Dogmatically blaming all this season's ills on 442 with Toure is just daft. It was a problem at times but not the sole reason for out underperformance.

As for MP being dogmatic. Those of us who watched his Malaga or Villareal sides know that he isn't as dogmatic as it has seemed this season.

Personally I think next season is going to be a great opportunity for the manager to shove this season's criticisms down a few throats.

A two team La Liga is different to the Premier League. I've always watched a lot of La Liga as I prefer skilful possession football to the sometimes blood & snot variety served up in the Prem by LVG & Fat Sam. The only dogmatism being shown here is the defence of MP come what may as all I've done is repeat what I and many others spotted many moons ago which led many to call for change.

MP makes changes these changes we win. He reverts to type, we struggle as his 442 has been well and truly found out as alluded to by Fat Sam, Pulis and Pardew et al. Yaya doesn't have the lungs or legs at his age to play in a midfield two so why play him there? Silva is best as a No 10 so why play him left wing? Football really isn't as complicated as some make out as even non football professionals could spot our weaknesses and tell where it was leading us.

You don't have to be the brain of Britain to work out with 442 we struggle and with 4231/433 we excel. It's simple really as the impending results showed..........

Again so dogmatic. I could show you that all our best results in the last two years have come playing 442. We won a league playing it. Rewriting history to make out its been out only problem and solely down to MP is disingenuous at best.

The only dogmatism I've seen is his obsession with 442 & your defence of the obvious in the face of overwhelming evidence. If 442 was the way forward, why did he go with one striker in the title run-in last season? Why has our best football and best results come from the 'shift' from 442 to a one striker system this season?

I believe you should play the hand you're dealt not try & fit square pegs in round holes. Again if 442 was the answer, why the 'shift'?