Discussion: Manuel Pellegrini 2015/16

[BerkshireBlue]

Tbf I think the Sevilla match showed that 3 midfielders isn't defensive at all, because the most accomplished attacking team in football imo used one defensive midfielder with two creative attacking midfielders in front and that team was Barcelona under Guardiola and one of those defensive lynchpins was our very own Yaya.

4123 has always been my preferred formation and with Fernando at the defensive base with the creative Yaya and the box to box Fernandinho alongside him, we had more than enough steel, creativity and running power to deal with Villa. What we didn't have was a flippin specialist striker to put the ball in the onion bag once Bony had gone off. That was today's major issue as I see it.

The only thing I would have changed from the beginning was Navas for KDB, and that's not to say that KDB played badly, I just think if Navas had cost £60m there would have been no doubt he would have started today.

I agree with this 100%. What is for sure now is that Yaya cannot play 2 games within a week any more so we shouldn't have lined up like this in my opinion

 

[Robinho's Subbuteo]

MP “We will see in the way Sergio improves this week but I think there is a chance he can be ready after the break. It would be easier for us to have some strikers available.”

Talk about a kick in the teeth for Nacho.

 

[kunaguero10]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Pellegrini has an incredible knack of getting his substitutions completely wrong and them having no impact on the game.

I'm also counting the first as a mistake too; it showed Navas should have started.

 

[BigOscar]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Pellegrini has an incredible knack of getting his substitutions completely wrong and them having no impact on the game.

I'm also counting the first as a mistake too; it showed Navas should have started.

Only if you ignore all the times he gets his substitutes spot on and them having a huge impact on the game, which seems to have happened a fair bit this season iirc

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Pellegrini has an incredible knack of getting his substitutions completely wrong and them having no impact on the game.

I'm also counting the first as a mistake too; it showed Navas should have started.

Pelligrini is useless. He was brought in to put the fires out supposedly caused by Mancini. The decision to go with just two senior strikers this season was a bad call as most of us said at the time.

We will acheive whatever we acheive this season in spite of him, and not because of him.

He isn't a top drawer manager and we need an upgrade.

 

[Mr HJ]

Pelligrini is useless. He was brought in to put the fires out supposedly caused by Mancini. The decision to go with just two senior strikers this season was a bad call as most of us said at the time.

We will acheive whatever we acheive this season in spite of him, and not because of him.

He isn't a top drawer manager and we need an upgrade.

We're not doing so bad surely? Good position in the league, great start to qualify for the last 16 in the CL, still in the Carling Cup - the manager must be doing something right, especially given that he's been without our two best players for more than a month. What I like about the squad is that when one player dips in form or gets injured another steps up. I also think the game on Tuesday was a masterclass in preparation and tactics.

 

[hutton who blue]

I thought City played alright yesterday, we didn't get the breaks and weren't scintillating, hey ho, that's football, sometimes you meet a stubborn team that's rejuvenated and a couple of City's players who would normally score haven't and guess what Villa were restricted to hardly any chances of note. If you don't score away then don't concede, hardly disastrous. We soldier on.

 

[Dribble]

I agree with this 100%. What is for sure now is that Yaya cannot play 2 games within a week any more so we shouldn't have lined up like this in my opinion

Its debatable whether Yaya can handle 2 matches but in truth it was 3 games in little over 8 days which would stretch any top athlete. Irrespective of whether Yaya should have played yesterday, I would have still lined up the same and if anything swapped Yaya for KDB if his fitness was a concern. 4123 has always been the best way forward for us imo.

 

[nellyonthewing]

Problem is Yaya is a bigger personality than the Manager and arguably the Captain. He is our John Terry.
Toure views some of these minnows (like Villa) with contempt ,they are not deserving of his skill/ effort ,so he just doesn't show up and that permeates through the team.
At the same time he is such a great player that we struggle when he's in the side but not performing. The brave call on Saturday would have been to bench him from the start...

 

[natam]

probably Klopp was a better option

oh wait...