Dribble said:
Prestwich_Blue said:
I have a theory that it often takes a team a season to 'unlearn' what the previous manager drilled into them. If the new manager can add something then the team can be very successful. It happened with Martinez at Everton, where they retained a lot of the organisation and grit they had under Moyes but added some flair. Moyes tried to undo too much too quickly at the rags and failed but Koeman has carried on the work of Pochettino at Southampton and added something to that so it will be interesting to see how they do next season.
Perhaps Pellegrini has done the same thing, by building on Mancini's work last season but, once all that was 'unlearned', simply can't hack it with his own methods.
TBF, this was pointed out by some early last season when many were in a swoon as we abandoned our disciplined tactical approach in favour of MP's 442 Keegan-esque all out attacking philosophy.
Once our defensive solidity had been eroded all it took was for one or two average managers to figure out a way to combat our new 'throwing the kitchen sink' tactic and we were in trouble because MP was too inflexible to effect tactical change when it was obviously necessary.
Now teams have worked out how to nullify us offensively and we don't seem to have the ability to reorganise ourselves into the solid defensive unit we once were, we're now tactically caught between the rock and the hard place. As you say in your post, MP would have been wiser to add to what he inherited as our team only needed evolving. The complete abandonment of the solidity that MP inherited was utter madness and is the reason many warned of what could possibly lay ahead.
The problems we face today started 18 months ago. The disappointing thing is we've done nothing to evolve our tactics as others have evolved theirs to combat us and I repeat what I said weeks ago, I seriously fear for our CL qualification and the ramifications for us in respect to FFP if we don't qualify.
The worrying thing is, even if Pellegrini wanted to be more solid, drop the line deeper and get us back to basics of being hard to beat, the Directors above him won't allow it!
It's all part of our ingenious holistic philosophy that every team in the "City family" play high line, possession based, attacking football. Forget that our captain and former player of the season Zabaleta's form has dived off a cliff, we can't protect them and become more solid, because it's not good for brand synergy, you see.
If the loyal fans in Melbourne, New York and Yokohama see Manchester City playing a solid defensive line as they did under the previous manager, they might start thinking the whole City Group concept is crazy, they play a high line, so we aaaaaall play a high line. Football principles, concepts, philosophies, brand synergies, that's more important than winning games and trophies now.
English football has found it hard to adjust to a model where directors identify and buy players. Just when we're turning the corner on that, City go nuclear and actually allow the suits in the office to dictate the style of play and tactics!! Only at City could this happen.
I bet Fergurson, Louis Long Ball and Mourinho are secretly pissing themselves at the concept! Imagine Bruce Buck telling Mourinho "Look Jose, you're going to have to play a high line from now on, I don't care if it doesn't suit John Terry's game, we've got a marketing strategy in the far east that relies on us telling our opponents what tactics we're playing before the game."
Imagine Woodwood telling Van Gaal "Yeh sorry Louis, but our womens team play balls to feet so you're going to have to stop playing that diagonal ball to Fellaini because the fans of the women's team might not recognise both United's as being part of the same brand."
As I've said before, the concept itself is completely flawed. If you're Barcelona with a budget 10 times as big as 3rd biggest team in your league, play the same way every week, fuck all those shit teams. If you're playing in the PL that concept is flawed in itself.
I don't want to skate over the issue that Pellegrini is appalling, but the point I'm making is, our footballing strategy as a club is actually making it even more difficult for him.
