Discussion: Manuel Pellegrini 2015/16

[r.soleofsalford]

I hear what you're saying and its all the more galling because many times on here I've seen intelligent, knowledgable and experienced fans like yourself rounded upon and called footballing know nowts and Pellegrini outers for just pointing out what's clearly in front of them.

At the end of our double season we resorted to a 3 man midfield to get us over the line. Last season injuries enforced a 3 man midfield on us leading to an extended unbeaten period. When it looked like we were in danger of missing out on CL qualification again we turned to a 3 man midfield and secured 2nd place. This season we start with a 3 man midfield and win 5 in the bounce, but after just one half of trying to break down a stubborn Watford, we turn back to 442, Sterling scores 2 minutes after the restart and my fears had returned....... Namely that in Manuel's mind 442 was now back on the menu as a starting option.

In match flexibility is one thing, but now it seems the 442 with Yaya and Fernando as the 2 is now a viable option again after it failed us so miserably last season.

Exactly, none of us want Pelligrini to fail, we all want success for him and his team. but you cant ignore who he picks and his tactic.

 

[paulchapo]

He said after the rag game something along the lines of it being better not to lose if we can't win. So on Saturday he should have put a blanket of protection in front of that piss weak back four and had one up front,or Aguero and Navas/Sterling. Our so called midfield was non existent and as a result the defence had runners coming at them from everywhere ensuing total chaos and carnage. Piss poor management and team selection and not for the first time!

 

[Shaelumstash]

I hear what you're saying and its all the more galling because many times on here I've seen intelligent, knowledgable and experienced fans like yourself rounded upon and called footballing know nowts and Pellegrini outers for just pointing out what's clearly in front of them.

At the end of our double season we resorted to a 3 man midfield to get us over the line. Last season injuries enforced a 3 man midfield on us leading to an extended unbeaten period. When it looked like we were in danger of missing out on CL qualification again we turned to a 3 man midfield and secured 2nd place. This season we start with a 3 man midfield and win 5 in the bounce, but after just one half of trying to break down a stubborn Watford, we turn back to 442, Sterling scores 2 minutes after the restart and my fears had returned....... Namely that in Manuel's mind 442 was now back on the menu as a starting option.

In match flexibility is one thing, but now it seems the 442 with Yaya and Fernando as the 2 is now a viable option again after it failed us so miserably last season.

Great post, and your last paragraph is the most poignant for me. If last season taught is anything, it's that Yaya and Fernando can not play in a midfield 2 together. Neither has the legs.

Yaya doesn't have the drive or energy to do the defensive work, Fernando doesn't have the legs to do the defensive work, or the ability to play the forward passes required.

But the most alarming thing is that the game he chooses to pick them is against a Klopp team. All of Klopp's teams play the 'counter-press' (new word on me, but explained better in the article below). Simply, he has high energy players who are well organised and hunt in numbers to win the ball back high up the pitch and attack quickly and in numbers when they win the ball back. No coincidence that's how they scored all 3 first half goals.

If you were to pick the worst possible team to play Yaya and Fernando as a two against, it would be any team managed by Klopp. But as we have learned with Pellegrini, he does not take a blind bit of notice what the opposing team are going to do. That's why he's not a top manager and gets less than the sum of the parts out of our squad.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...wow-home-fans-love-win-game-like-Anfield.html

 

[Dribble]

Exactly, none of us want Pelligrini to fail, we all want success for him and his team. but you cant ignore who he picks and his tactic.

Maybe some do want him to fail just as some wanted Mancini to fail, but like the majority I'm a fan of the club not of any manager in particular and I just want the best for my team.

It is what it is though, so here's hoping that an old dog can learn new tricks! :-)

 

[blue ranger]

Even 2 days on I'm still fuming with Pellers after his suicidal team selection on Saturday. But the fact he didn't change it after 15-20 minutes is unforgivable.

This is a poor premier league this season - the fact we aren't at least 5-6 points clear is a disgrace. It seems the only person in the ground on Saturday not expecting Liverpool to press our defence and lumbersome midfield was Pellers.

After the draw at United and performance away at Seville I thought he had turned a corner. The fact he says he would pick the same formation again worries me greatly.

Hoping we are more pragmatic again on Weds night - playing on the break at pace with Delph and Fernandinho in centre midfield.

 

[pavelsrnicek]

Before every match we all have our worries whether the opposition have a quick winger against Kolarov or we're facing a forward who has done well against us in the past. on Saturday almost every City fan was a little anxious over Liverpool flooding the midfield and our ability to play against a hard pressing team, that was before the teams were announced.

When I saw the team I was immediately worried. Didn't think we were going to lose but was worried as the fault lines in the team would be obvious. How can an experienced manager like Pellegrini not see it?

In the premier league you always have to earn the right to play, match the opposition's work rate and if so our better players will win us matches. I find it amazing that Pellegrini seems to forget every now and again and pick teams that lack tempo, work rate and energy.

Our best runs last year were based around 3 in midfield (November to January and post the derby last season). Pellegrini seems to forget this regularly and plays Yaya in a two man midfield. We won't lose every game we play with Yaya in a two man midfield but we will lose to most decent sides as we will be far to easier to play through.

I could understand him resting Fernandinho and Otamendi (but I don't agree with it) but I can't fathom why Delph didn't start ahead of Navas or Sterling.

It's not hindsight that has everyone moaning at full time on Saturday but our manager's seemingly continuing failure to learn from experience. There are times his team selection smacks of General Melchett's tactics in Blackadder goes Forth.

 

[OB1]

Not many more i would say, especially if they are as bad as Liverpool.

One of the things that did for Mancini, in my view, was that he kept getting done over in the same situations and never found a solution. Manuel has shown to some degree that he has the solution but he keeps failing to use it. He has to change things now and he can, if he chooses to. Time to stop playing the percentages in the way he is doing. I actually think it is time for Txiki, Ferran and / or KAM to have a word with him.

 

[GazM]

Hoping for a Sevilla-like performance on Weds - let's see if Sunday's team meeting will have produced anything.

 

[sir baconface]

As bad as people on this thread say Pellegrini is. Who of them would put money on us not winning a trophy this season under his management?

Who would honestly accept any less given Chelsea's collapse and Arsenal's injuries? It would be a huge failure.

 

[Dribble]

Great post, and your last paragraph is the most poignant for me. If last season taught is anything, it's that Yaya and Fernando can not play in a midfield 2 together. Neither has the legs.

Yaya doesn't have the drive or energy to do the defensive work, Fernando doesn't have the legs to do the defensive work, or the ability to play the forward passes required.

But the most alarming thing is that the game he chooses to pick them is against a Klopp team. All of Klopp's teams play the 'counter-press' (new word on me, but explained better in the article below). Simply, he has high energy players who are well organised and hunt in numbers to win the ball back high up the pitch and attack quickly and in numbers when they win the ball back. No coincidence that's how they scored all 3 first half goals.

If you were to pick the worst possible team to play Yaya and Fernando as a two against, it would be any team managed by Klopp. But as we have learned with Pellegrini, he does not take a blind bit of notice what the opposing team are going to do. That's why he's not a top manager and gets less than the sum of the parts out of our squad.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...wow-home-fans-love-win-game-like-Anfield.html

And that's what's so sad about this defeat, we all knew what to expect and what we would have to do to combat it so surely Manuel and his staff must have seen what was coming just as the rest of the world did.

The team selection, formation and tactics employed just beggared belief. The weird thing is that Manuel seems to be a far more effective manager when his back's against the wall and he's under pressure, when he has a bit of headroom and space to breathe, that's when his 424 philosophy rears its ugly head and we seem to make life unnecessarily difficult for ourselves.