Discussion: Manuel Pellegrini 2015/16

[hilts]

He made some mistakes today no doubt about. Worse than that, he didn't react to what was happening. I understand lining up cautiously with Villa having a new manager to impress, but I disagree strongly with him dropping Navas after his display on Tuesday. He was exceptional and he certainly didn't play like he needed a rest when he actually came on. In fact he created our two best chances which I still can't believe we missed. You could probably argue that the same 11 should have all started today.

After the break it was obvious that Villa were content with a draw. They offered almost zero counter attacking threat. With that in mind, why take off the only attacking player (maybe with the exception of KDB) left who actually has a cutting edge (Yaya) to bring on a more defensive player. Furthermore, the Villa crowd were silent up until that point. Introducing Delph woke them up and they got behind their team for the last 15.

Finally, only bringing Kelechi on with 7 minutes remaining is utterly mind boggling. I'm sorry but it's actually beyond a joke that we lined up chance after chance and promising situation after promising situation but still decided to leave our only natural striker on the bench. In those 7 minutes he still managed to put one on a plate for Fernando. The more obvious choice was Kelechi for Fernando. Anyone can see that surely?

On Tuesday, Pellers took a lot of praise for how we played and he did deserve it, however he only did what every pundit and every City fan has been crying out for him to do in Europe for the past 2 years (play with a midfield 3). It just worries me that it seems to take him a while to catch on. He doesn't react quickly enough to situations and he makes a rod for his own back all too often. Dropping Hart against Spurs for example (If Willy has a blinder, he has to play the week after, if he has a howler, Pellers takes the stick). It cost us 3 points that day, and I think how he set up today cost us another 2.

Too add balance, regardless of how we set up we still created 3 absolute sitters today and should have won easily. I've no idea how Sterling missed from less than 6 yards out, and I've no idea what De Bruyne was attempting. But the 3 points would have only papered over the cracks that have been there all season. We only turn up for segments of the game and that has been the case for as long as I can remember, even under Mancini. Maybe that will never change while we have certain players in our side. Neither will our lack of a cutting edge. I don't think I've come across a team who miss sitters as routinely as we do.

Despite all of that, I still fancy us for the league. Not because of Pellers and not in spite of him either. Overall he's a good manager and he's done very well, but in truth, he isn't top, top class. We all know that, so at times he will struggle to extract the maximum from us - and that's what happened today.

Pretty much bang on that fella

 

[hilts]

"Without Bony and without Sergio Aguero we don't have a player who plays inside the box. We have to try and work without them."

Nice quote from Pelle, great pick-up for Kelechi

He obviously sees kelechi as a number 10 or just forgot about him

 

[Shaelumstash]

If only the chances fell to our two most expensive signings of all time...

So because Sterling was bought for a high transfer fee it means he's a number 9 and great at scoring headers from 6 yards out...???

Maybe we should have thrown Mangala up front, he's our 3rd most expensive player...

 

[Dribble]

"Without Bony and without Sergio Aguero we don't have a player who plays inside the box. We have to try and work without them."

Nice quote from Pelle, great pick-up for Kelechi

Tbf though at Pellers' age, his memory probably isn't what it used to be and he just forgot that Iheanacho was on the bench.

 

[Citizen in Pakistan]

I wouldnt swap pellers for guordiola or any one as a matter of fact, he is a human and can get it wrong at times, but recently he has got it right more often than not, dilema for him though is if players do good they get the praise, if they do badly he gets slackked of, we werent good enough last season especially because of transfer budget limitation, but were still in with the chance of title way till feb, but can we say this about so called special 1? In pellers i trust

 

[pudge]

I wouldnt swap pellers for guordiola or any one as a matter of fact, he is a human and can get it wrong at times, but recently he has got it right more often than not, dilema for him though is if players do good they get the praise, if they do badly he gets slackked of, we werent good enough last season especially because of transfer budget limitation, but were still in with the chance of title way till feb, but can we say this about so called special 1? In pellers i trust

That's nice.

Naive but nice.

 

[come-on-barney]

I wouldnt swap pellers for guordiola or any one as a matter of fact, he is a human and can get it wrong at times, but recently he has got it right more often than not, dilema for him though is if players do good they get the praise, if they do badly he gets slackked of, we werent good enough last season especially because of transfer budget limitation, but were still in with the chance of title way till feb, but can we say this about so called special 1? In pellers i trust

Spot on fella. Not his fault he thought we had used all three subs, just a senior moment that's all.

 

[Champions2012!]

I wouldnt swap pellers for guordiola or any one as a matter of fact, he is a human and can get it wrong at times, but recently he has got it right more often than not, dilema for him though is if players do good they get the praise, if they do badly he gets slackked of, we werent good enough last season especially because of transfer budget limitation, but were still in with the chance of title way till feb, but can we say this about so called special 1? In pellers i trust

My god

 

[Citizen in Pakistan]

That's nice.

Naive but nice.

Might be naive but guordiola managed a side with arguably greatest player of all time, along with players like inesta,xavi and other world class players at barca, and at bayern he inherited champions league winners and failed when bayern came against their real match in madrid... moreover if we expect sincerity from our players we should show the same towards a manager who has already won us the league and taken our overall play to next level

 

[Mancini Manus Domini]

If Iheanacho can only get 7 minutes today then why has Pellegrini allowed him to be one of only 3 strikers in the squad? I suspect Pellegrini has always had Sterling as his is 3rd choice, and Iheanacho as his 4th choice.