Discussion: Manuel Pellegrini 2015/16

[Sunny Coast Blue]

Very good to see MP looking so happy and relaxed. Whatever the motivation, the one year extension seems to have helped.

All I ask is that he keeps the team playing positive. Shit happens and goals get conceded. If the players aim for the 100-odd goals in the league again, then success will follow. I accept that Europe will be a little more cagey but hopefully not as much as in the past.

As good as last night was, you can see why MP wants KDB. Then that will be in the best midfield in England.

Not to dwell on the past but we once got relegated scoring 100 goals as we conceded 100 as well, pftt typical City ;-)

 

[jollylescott]

Very promising signs from Manuel on the weekend. He looked sharp in his suit, and actively involved in the action on the pitch.

I think the next step in his renaissance is to take control of his press conference. And the single central issue that he needs to put out there is the treatment of David Silva. Part of Manuel's responsibility is to protect the prize assets of the club. It's like taking out an insurance policy on the Crown Jewels. By escalating the issue its put out in the media, and gets the attention of the referees.

If he only talks about that one issue, and then spends the rest of the presser discussing the merits of fox hunting, or whether Pluto is indeed a planet, I couldn't care less.

I for one want to watch an artist at work. Judging by the weekend Merlin is going to be even more targeted than ever by those of far inferior ability.

The onus is on Pellers to speak up. If not these savage attacks will continue. So come on Manuel. Defend our little champ!

 

[coleridge]

Not to dwell on the past but we once got relegated scoring 100 goals as we conceded 100 as well, pftt typical City ;-)

Wasn't that in the thirties? Not really the same game now, is it?

 

[shemnel]

it'll be interesting how Pellegrini balances an expansive attack while keeping it tight against counter attacks, an age old balancing trick in football. With Sterling his intent is clearly to wrench opposition midfield/defences across the width of the whole pitch but in doing so leaves a lovely big hole to counter into. Fernandinho will need his best season i think, but it should pay off. Goals = trophies.

 

[Danamy]

Whether the penny has dropped, or Pellegrini was given Hobson's choice by those above, what was needed was delivered last night. I truly hope we've seen the last of 442 because last night reinforced the notion that we're a stronger, happier unit with a 3 man midfield and with one striker. The final 6 games of last season and last years festive season offer further proof if any was needed.

It just makes me wonder why its taken so long to make such an obvious shift in formation and philosophy. Whatever the reason, its onwards and upwards from here on in.

I agree, a few of us have been banging that drum for a while now and it's refreshing to see it change and pay off

The mystery for me is why did it take him so long, afterall he used that system many times at Malaga and the players we have in the squad (Dzeko aside) it's always cried out for it.

 

[twosips]

I agree, a few of us have been banging that drum for a while now and it's refreshing to see it change and pay off

The mystery for me is why did it take him so long, afterall he used that system many times at Malaga and the players we have in the squad (Dzeko aside) it's always cried out for it.

Well, it might have taken him so long seeing as we played it in his first season and broke goalscoring records.... understandably, he liked it.

 

[domalino]

it'll be interesting how Pellegrini balances an expansive attack while keeping it tight against counter attacks, an age old balancing trick in football. With Sterling his intent is clearly to wrench opposition midfield/defences across the width of the whole pitch but in doing so leaves a lovely big hole to counter into. Fernandinho will need his best season i think, but it should pay off. Goals = trophies.

The answer is simple, when you are getting width from players like Sterling, you don't need to get it from your full backs. You could see on Monday that Kolarov was much more restrained than he normally would be because Sterling, a natural wide player, was probably 10 yards wider than Nasri would have been. He didn't have acres of space to overlap into, so he stayed back quite often.

That's going to make a massive difference. As is Sterling's willingness to get back and defend. Not a fan of brenda, but you've go to recognise that he's really drilled Sterling to get back ASAP and defend when we lose the ball.

 

[petrusha]

Not to dwell on the past but we once got relegated scoring 100 goals as we conceded 100 as well, pftt typical City ;-)

Hate to be a picky bastard (who am I kidding? - I don't hate it at all!), but the season we both scored and conceded 100 goals, we finished 5th. It was 1957/8, and Eric Todd of The Manchester Guardian wrote that, without Bert Trautmann in goal, we'd have conceded 300!

You're thinking of 1937/8, when we were top scorers in Division One but went down anyway (as reigning champions, no less). We also had the rare distinction of going down having scored more than we conceded.

OK, boring twat interlude over.

 

[Shaelumstash]

The answer is simple, when you are getting width from players like Sterling, you don't need to get it from your full backs. You could see on Monday that Kolarov was much more restrained than he normally would be because Sterling, a natural wide player, was probably 10 yards wider than Nasri would have been. He didn't have acres of space to overlap into, so he stayed back quite often.

That's going to make a massive difference. As is Sterling's willingness to get back and defend. Not a fan of brenda, but you've go to recognise that he's really drilled Sterling to get back ASAP and defend when we lose the ball.

Fantastic post, and I totally agree. Playing with two genuine wingers with pace, drags the oppositions back 4 wider, which creates more gaps for Aguero to run in to. If only we had a number 10 who could pick out a through ball ;-)

I also noticed the full backs didn't overlap as much. That will be a big change for us, and a positive one. It makes us less vulnerable to the counter, and it gives our central midfielders less ground to cover. I think that was one of the reasons we looked so bad in central midfield last season, they were expected to cover too much ground and were overstretched.

 

[Dribble]

I agree, a few of us have been banging that drum for a while now and it's refreshing to see it change and pay off

The mystery for me is why did it take him so long, afterall he used that system many times at Malaga and the players we have in the squad (Dzeko aside) it's always cried out for it.

I dunno mate. Maybe it's the difference between the winners and the romantics of this world. Mourinho's face when Eva Carneiro ran on to treat Hazard and his subsequent comments and actions showed which camp he's in. Mourinho = By any means necessary and every point counts.

How many other managers would have even thought about the consequences in that situation, most would have been more concerned about the health of their star player. I mean how many other managers can anyone else ever remember reacting like that in a similar situation? Mourinho reminded me Oliver Reeds character in Gladiator Proximo, where his Gladiators were just several dispensable kilos of meat on legs. A Gladiator gets seriously maimed or dies, just drag them off by their heels and throw in the next piece of Gladiatorial meat for the baying crowds amusement!!! That's Mourinho a Y2K version of Proximo!

I always felt that if Mr Nice Guy Manuel was a ruthless winner by nature, he would have used the most effective means available to him to win every point he could, instead he stuck to his principles which ultimately cost Manchester City a closer shot at the title and almost cost him his job. Hopefully lessons have been well and truly learned and there will be no more square pegs in round holes and we'll no longer just pick the best players we have available and try to make them fit into an unsuitable formation in the hope that our superior players will just be too good for any other team to beat irrespective of what position our players play or how the team is set up.