Discussion: Manuel Pellegrini 2015/16

[hilts]

Those graphs are not silly at all and reference to them will often tell you how wrong some of the "I only need my eyes on the game" Blue Moon experts are at times.

UEFA produce for each UCL game the diagrams for every 15 minute period, each half and the whole game.

All about opinions fella, I think seeing what a player does is a far better way to judge how and where they played than a graph showing an average position, using sterling and navas gives us more natural width and better balance overall, they both played pretty wide last night but a graph of average positions will always show a wide man playing a bit more central than they actually did, that's if they work it out like I presume they do, this midfield triangle and width from sterling and navas was key, if we shunt silva/kdb into those areas or use silva in toures role the formation on paper may look the same but how we play will be completely different

If we want to play like that again that midfield is the way to do it, we have waited a long time for a performance like that in Europe I hope it wasn't a fleeting moment

 

[Danamy]

Brilliant post. Agree with every word. And your final point is the reason I am drooling with excitement. This team is evolving again right before our eyes. Look at the different dimensions we have added this season: the ability to win frustrating games, defensive solidity, the ability to win without Silva. This is strating to look like the complete team, a team who can win, yes win, the Champions League.

That was no flash in the pan.

It was said on takeover, Champions League in 10 years ;-)

 

[Marvin]

How come we went for the jugular against Sevilla but were cautious at Utd?

Similar team.

Was it because we knew Sevilla had to attack and we'd get plenty of chances whereas Utd would be very difficult to break down? Pleased with both results and the results justify the tactics - just interesting that we saw two different approaches and arguably Sevilla are better than Utd.

 

[Marvin]

It was said on takeover, Champions League in 10 years ;-)

Lets see if we beat Villa

We have had very good results away in Europe before, and then flopped.

That was as good as I have seen, but we need to be consistent.

It's encouraging that we have kept going without Silva and Aguero and lets hope they are close to comebacks

 

[BigOscar]

How come we went for the jugular against Sevilla but were cautious at Utd?

Similar team.

Was it because we knew Sevilla had to attack and we'd get plenty of chances whereas Utd would be very difficult to break down? Pleased with both results and the results justify the tactics - just interesting that we saw two different approaches and arguably Sevilla are better than Utd.

Fernandinho tbh. He didn't attack against United in the way he should have and it makes all the difference to the balance of the team. Last night he flew out of the blocks like a man on a mission, willingly going past Yaya and even past Bony. We didn't see any of that against United, instead Bony was left isolated and we didn't have the numbers up the pitch to press high. Whether that was on purpose or just him taking time to shake off the defensive mindset he's had to have for the past 2 years, I don't know, but clearly the Sevilla Fernandinho is the way to go.

 

[schfc6]

How come we went for the jugular against Sevilla but were cautious at Utd?

Similar team.

Was it because we knew Sevilla had to attack and we'd get plenty of chances whereas Utd would be very difficult to break down? Pleased with both results and the results justify the tactics - just interesting that we saw two different approaches and arguably Sevilla are better than Utd.

You can only attack space if there's any too attack. Seville were aggressive, attacking and looked to attack. Not the Turtle's way.

Much like I told the guy sat in front of me against Norwich, he was screaming at City to attack, look he said, look how quick they attack. I pointed out that Norwich had space to attack, as we were the attacking side, we can't run into the space if there is non. It's not rugby I explained.

Our set up last night was perfect against a team who look to attack. It would have been similar to the swamp had Seville sat deep with a flat back four and two holding midfielders with no striker threat. Pellegrini played a perfect game. That selection would be perfect at Arsenal but no doubt fail vs Chelsea or rags at home.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

How come we went for the jugular against Sevilla but were cautious at Utd?

Similar team.

Was it because we knew Sevilla had to attack and we'd get plenty of chances whereas Utd would be very difficult to break down? Pleased with both results and the results justify the tactics - just interesting that we saw two different approaches and arguably Sevilla are better than Utd.

We played a similar gameplan at Old Trafford, but with a slightly different formation. If the attacking players had done better we would have picked them off on the break like we did Sevilla. However using Yaya as a number 10 didn't work there, because it never works, and Pellegrini hinted that he'd finally got that message before last night's game.

 

[coleridge]

We played a similar gameplan at Old Trafford, but with a slightly different formation. If the attacking players had done better we would have picked them off on the break like we did Sevilla. However using Yaya as a number 10 didn't work there, because it never works, and Pellegrini hinted that he'd finally got that message before last night's game.

More importantly, Yaya got the message.

 

[hilts]

We played a similar gameplan at Old Trafford, but with a slightly different formation. If the attacking players had done better we would have picked them off on the break like we did Sevilla. However using Yaya as a number 10 didn't work there, because it never works, and Pellegrini hinted that he'd finally got that message before last night's game.

Very much this the old ya ya conundrum along with not starting navas, second half got very bitty from my drunkem memory with kdb being shunted around somewhat, was a pretty poor game overall, may have helped us long term though from the managers thinking

 

[Neville Kneville]

All about opinions fella, I think seeing what a player does is a far better way to judge how and where they played than a graph showing an average position, using sterling and navas gives us more natural width and better balance overall, they both played pretty wide last night but a graph of average positions will always show a wide man playing a bit more central than they actually did, that's if they work it out like I presume they do, this midfield triangle and width from sterling and navas was key, if we shunt silva/kdb into those areas or use silva in toures role the formation on paper may look the same but how we play will be completely different

If we want to play like that again that midfield is the way to do it, we have waited a long time for a performance like that in Europe I hope it wasn't a fleeting moment

Have a look at the game again & see where Sterling in particular & Navas do most of their work.

On the whole, they are only wide when Seville have the ball, & not always then. Both spent a lot of the game within the width of the Seville penalty area, sometimes even when defending. Their starting position may often be wide (Navas moreso than Sterling) but they are doing most of their work in more central areas, thus helping the midfield & striker.

When Bony scores, Sterling is in front of him at the near post.