Discussion: Manuel Pellegrini 2015/16

[Bentheblue]

An amazing team performance from a team that included the four players that have taken the most stick: Navas, Bony, Kolorov and Fernando.
Perhaps Pellie deserves more credit than he is given.
Even more amazing when you think of the players that did not start tonight: Serge, Dave, Kev, Nasri, Zaba, Mangala, Demi and Clichy, many of whom are/were recognised first teamers.
Tonight the balance of the team seemed exactly right with everyone new their roll.
Well done Pellie, tonight you got it right, we were brilliant.

 

[hilts]

I was delighted to hear him say that. I've been crying out for it to happen on a weekly basis since last January even when we're winning and said numerous times that i wanted him gone, i even said it this season with regards to bringing in Klopp before Liverpool got him. But all that was because he refused to change. I have no idea why he's suddenly decided to do it now after all this time defiantly sticking with the same style and formation regardless of opposition but i'm very happy he has and i pray it continues. I'd love him to make me eat my words.

We saw tonight the benefit of playing players in their natural roles, all 11 were probably in their best positions (Sterlings best position is arguable but it's clear we want it to be as a left winger rather than a number 10 or 9) and there wasn't a bad performance amongst them. Against inferior league opposition it's fairly obvious he's going to revert back to a more attack minded formation with Yaya in a two man midfield and three behind a striker, and that's fine as we expect to have the majority of the ball and not be too troubled defensively by them. The real test comes probably against Juve and then the likes of Arsenal away before Christmas and the next stage of the champions league. if everyone is fit, can he accommodate the likes of SIlva Aguero and KDB into that formation? if not, will he be brave enough to bench a few of them in favour of a team performance or will he cave in and go back to essentially naming his best 11 players and attempting to fit them into a team. Going to be interesting to see

I see sterling as either wide left or even wide right if navas gets injured, we have more accomplished players for the 10 or 9 role, the juve and Arsenal games are going to be interesting

 

[Tricky_Trev]

I'm not denying that De Bruyne is superb but I don't think we'd have got that performance tonight with him out wide as the pace Sterling & Navas gave us stretched Sevilla and had them worried from the off.

Just my opinion but perhaps our best team in the Champions League may mean Silva, De Bruyne or Yaya has to start on the bench

You need to be more specific though, not general. Our best team away from home against a team willing to attack... yes. But in all other scenarios... no. Horses for courses.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I see sterling as either wide left or even wide right if navas gets injured, we have more accomplished players for the 10 or 9 role, the juve and Arsenal games are going to be interesting

Imo. Sterling is a wide attacker, like Robben or Ribery, not a winger. Today, he was played in his correct position, but he could also fill two other positions & be pretty good. As can De Bruyne, Silva & Nasri. But the biggest difference is, that DeBruyne & Sterling are more lkely to score.

Today's team would beat Arsenal away, 8 times out of 10 imo. At our place, they may park the bus again, so it's hard to say.

What we don't want, anymore, is Yaya plus 1 vs decent sides, in cenre mid. Anything else, is game for a try.

 

[hilts]

You need to be more specific though, not general. Our best team away from home against a team willing to attack... yes. But in all other scenarios... no. Horses for courses.

I disagree that team against villa could be very attacking, the good thing about a large squad of quality players is injuries hurt you less, the negative is top drawer players want the big games, the managers main headache is keeping the players happy, you are kind of forced to rotate almost for the sake of it

 

[hilts]

Imo. Sterling is a wide attacker, like Robben or Ribery, not a winger. Today, he was played in his correct position, but he could also fill two other positions & be pretty good. As can De Bruyne, Silva & Nasri. But the biggest difference is, that DeBruyne & Sterling are more lkely to score.

Today's team would beat Arsenal away, 8 times out of 10 imo. At our place, they may park the bus again, so it's hard to say.

What we don't want, anymore, is Yaya plus 1 vs decent sides, in cenre mid. Anything else, is game for a try.

He was a winger tonight, he can play this or wide of a 3 like you said, would always have silva or kdb n the middle over him

 

[Neville Kneville]

He was a winger tonight, he can play this or wide of a 3 like you said, would always have silva or kdb n the middle over him

Not imo he wasn't.

His job wasn't to go past the fullback & put in crosses, which is the job of a winger, it was to be involved around the penalty area, & try to set up chances, score goals.

Imo, his role tonight was exactly the same as a Bayern Munich style wide attacker, not a winger. More of a 433 type role than a 442. I don't think Sterling has ever been a winger. If he was, he'd be on the right side.

 

[hilts]

Not imo he wasn't.

His job wasn't to go past the fullback & put in crosses, which is the job of a winger, it was to be involved around the penalty area, & try to set up chances, score goals.

Imo, his role tonight was exactly the same as a Bayern Munich style wide attacker, not a winger. More of a 433 type role than a 442. I don't think Sterling has ever been a winger. If he was, he'd be on the right side.

I'm not talking peter Barnes or John Robertson winger here, that is almost non existent anymore, but he played wide left tonight and protected the full back, it was very much 4 1 4 1 with dinho/toure having licence to support bony, he certainly wasn't drifting in as much as a standard 4 3 3

 

[ninjamonkey]

Imo. Sterling is a wide attacker, like Robben or Ribery, not a winger. Today, he was played in his correct position, but he could also fill two other positions & be pretty good. As can De Bruyne, Silva & Nasri. But the biggest difference is, that DeBruyne & Sterling are more lkely to score.

Today's team would beat Arsenal away, 8 times out of 10 imo. At our place, they may park the bus again, so it's hard to say.

What we don't want, anymore, is Yaya plus 1 vs decent sides, in cenre mid. Anything else, is game for a try.

That's the key. At home against sides we are expected to dominate it's still fine but most away games and possibly even tougher home games we need to phase out the Yaya +1 midfield. Teams have identified it as a glaring weakness and exploit it. 4-1-4-1, 4-3-3, 4-3-2-1,4-1-2-2-1 whichever we play we've got the players to make any of those formations work so long as we have that midfield base and we use the correct players in their correct positions. Fernando's form and the timely return of Delph may just give Pellegrini the options to keep going with it. Should also allow us to transition from Yaya being pivotal to him being used sparingly and in a less demanding role, like Lampard of last season. That imo has to happen this year. Delph could fit into any of the 3 midfield positions from tonight and do a good job. He's probably most similar to Fernandinho in style but he's probably second in line to play Fernando's role too. Could become very important, very quickly if we stick with 3 in midfield

 

[flb]

Hell of a problem for the gaffer to pick a side when Silva and Sergio are fit , suspect he will revert back to a two in midfield to accommodate Silva & Yaya in the same side. Big games then one of them is going to be disappointed. Jumping forward to next season I can see Silva playing the role that Yaya did last night.

Great problem to have though .