Discussion: Manuel Pellegrini 2015/16

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It is encouraging that he has played 4-3-3 in both friendlies. I wanted him gone during our bad run last year because of his team selections and tactics and his seeming inability to motivate. In hindsight, it looks to have been at least as much down to players lack of form and self motivation. Hopefully he is showing more flexibility re tactics and with the right transfer window (we still need one at least of KDB/Pogba) we will have a stronger more motivated squad next year. He will have an added dimension to worry about next year of 3 or 4 youngsters who are seriously pressing for places in the first 11. How he manages that will be so important for us and their ongoing development.

So 100% support for him. I believe this will be a great season and we will reclaim the PL and go further than ever before in CL. We can then say thanks and goodbye and best wishes for his future career.
 
Irrespective of what system is deployed, I want to see us move the ball much faster this season. Not sure how much influence Pellegrini has on this, but we still take far too many touches and don't move the ball fast enough around the pitch. We should have the strength to win the League, especially as it's hard to imagine Chelsea not suffering key injuries this year.
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
It has to be 4-2-3-1 for me if Yaya is in the team.

We can't afford any passengers who aren't prepared to work for the right to have the ball.

4-3-3 is still far too much responsibility for our defence to handle.
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Where're you positioning Yaya in that 4-2-3-1 Tolm? As one of the two holders, or in the #10?

Not sure I want Yaya shouldering the defensive responsibility of one of those 2 pivots next season.
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
It has to be 4-2-3-1 for me if Yaya is in the team.

We can't afford any passengers who aren't prepared to work for the right to have the ball.

4-3-3 is still far too much responsibility for our defence to handle.
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I think it depends who we are playing but I expect Yaya will play a lot and it often will not be with two holding midfielders.

Let's see how the squad looks after all dealings but I want us to play 4-3-3 as our primary formation; with the participants adjusted to suit the opposition.
 
With our current team

Hart
Zabaleta Mangala Kompany Clichy
Delph Fernandinho
Sterling Toure Silva
Aguero

With our possible signings

Hart

Zabaleta Mangala Kompany Clichy
Toure Pogba
Sterling Silva De Bruyne
Aguero
 
A lot of people touting Toure to return to his 2010-11 position behind the striker this season, but I'd be surprised. I don't think Pellegrini fancies him there. He's played him there maybe 2-3 times in the last couple of years, and moved him there later in games more often. But he hasn't had many good games from the start in that role at all.

I don't think Yaya will start as often as people think this year.
 
OB1 said:
I think it depends who we are playing but I expect Yaya will play a lot and it often will not be with two holding midfielders.

Let's see how the squad looks after all dealings but I want us to play 4-3-3 as our primary formation; with the participants adjusted to suit the opposition.
Click to expand...

I'd favour Tolmie's 4-2-3-1 with Ya Ya in the middle of the 3 if he plays. He's looked pretty sharp pre-season, and he finished last season in a far more industrious mode than he started it, which is good news. However, we cannot afford to have our pants pulled down again like we did at yard-dog scuffle holes such as the Swamp and Klanfield last season. Ya Ya's lack of defensive effort in those games was a key factor in what were abject defeats. I want him doing what he does best, ie running the show like no other footballer in the Premier League is capable of, and that means a proper support network behind him
 
Didsbury Dave said:
A lot of people touting Toure to return to his 2010-11 position behind the striker this season, but I'd be surprised. I don't think Pellegrini fancies him there. He's played him there maybe 2-3 times in the last couple of years, and moved him there later in games more often. But he hasn't had many good games from the start in that role at all.

I don't think Yaya will start as often as people think this year.
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Villareal away is about the only one I can remember. He's always been a second half player in that position.
 
cibaman said:
Villareal away is about the only one I can remember. He's always been a second half player in that position.
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the view from that top tier was so bad I didn't even know he played there that day. That was the 10-11 season I think. He did well many times that season in that role, including the cup semi against United. It's since then he's hardly played there.
 
My instinct with the players we currently have would be something along the lines of either:

------------------Hart------------------
Zaba--Kompany--Mangala--Clichy
-------------Fernandinho------------
--------Yaya-------------Delph/Nasri (depending on opposition)
----Silva-----Aguero--------Sterling-

Or:

------------------Hart------------------
Zaba--Kompany--Mangala--Clichy
-----Fernandinho----Yaya-----------
--Nasri--------Silva-----------Sterling
--------------Aguero------------------

I'm still not entirely sure which system I'd prefer. Playing Silva as a 'No. 10' in a 4-2-3-1 may help to get the very best out of him. But then an orthodox three in midfield would give us far more - and better - options there.

I also agree with Didsbury Dave that the chances of seeing Yaya going back to play behind the striker are slim. I've never been entirely convinced of him there (I think he's a much better player when he's behind the ball and can move forward from deep); far more importantly, Pellegrini has shown little inclination to use him in that role (as far as I can recall, the Nastasic/Hart Chelsea game was the last time he started there?). I reckon it's more likely that he may even be drawn further back to play a deeper, Pirlo/Alonso-type role alongside two other midfielders (possibly Fernandinho and Delph). Which I actually think could be a fairly astute move, as it would possibly allow him more time on the ball than he currently gets. Might even help prolong his career at the top level, too.
 
Didsbury Dave said:
A lot of people touting Toure to return to his 2010-11 position behind the striker this season, but I'd be surprised. I don't think Pellegrini fancies him there. He's played him there maybe 2-3 times in the last couple of years, and moved him there later in games more often. But he hasn't had many good games from the start in that role at all.

I don't think Yaya will start as often as people think this year.
Click to expand...

Depends on some degree to who we buy and I think City need to start managing Yaya's game time with a view to prolonging his career. However, if his form is good he will still play a lot of games because none of the player we have bought or are linked with will be better at running games (as EB points out). I said throughout last season, we needed to keep Yaya and buy someone who can eventually takeover from him but that should be a steady transition with the apprentice(s) learning from the master. And if Yaya is serious about playing until he is 40, he may have an awful lot more game time for City ahead of him.
 
OB1 said:
Depends on some degree to who we buy and I think City need to start managing Yaya's game time with a view to prolonging his career. However, if his form is good he will still play a lot of games because none of the player we have bought or are linked with will be better at running games (as EB points out). I said throughout last season, we needed to keep Yaya and buy someone who can eventually takeover from him but that should be a steady transition with the apprentice(s) learning from the master. And if Yaya is serious about playing until he is 40, he may have an awful lot more game time for City ahead of him.
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Yes, it's a sensible point. He's so big, and plays with such stamina and bursts of power that i think he needs to be rationed. He's looked great in the pre-seasons, in fact he often looks great after an absence. I get the feeling that he doesn't like being on the bench, to be honest, though.

If he is playing from deep, and it's been 4 seasons now that he has, he needs an absolute bundle of energy alongside him and around him, to mop up and cover when he pushes on. I think Delph and (hopefully) DE Bruyne offer this in spades.
 
Exeter Blue I am here said:
I'd favour Tolmie's 4-2-3-1 with Ya Ya in the middle of the 3 if he plays. He's looked pretty sharp pre-season, and he finished last season in a far more industrious mode than he started it, which is good news. However, we cannot afford to have our pants pulled down again like we did at yard-dog scuffle holes such as the Swamp and Klanfield last season. Ya Ya's lack of defensive effort in those games was a key factor in what were abject defeats. I want him doing what he does best, ie running the show like no other footballer in the Premier League is capable of, and that means a proper support network behind him
Click to expand...

Hopefully Yaya will finally start to get some some pressure from other players for his spot in the team and be spurred on to keep his place as first choice. Even if that eventuates, I would hope that for certain games, we will pick more solid line-ups than is the norm.
 
Didsbury Dave said:
Yes, it's a sensible point. He's so big, and plays with such stamina and bursts of power that i think he needs to be rationed. He's looked great in the pre-seasons, in fact he often looks great after an absence. I get the feeling that he doesn't like being on the bench, to be honest, though.

If he is playing from deep, and it's been 4 seasons now that he has, he needs an absolute bundle of energy alongside him and around him, to mop up and cover when he pushes on. I think Delph and (hopefully) DE Bruyne offer this in spades.
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I suspect Delph is the guy who will feature rather more than some expect, for that very reason.
 
Didsbury Dave said:
the view from that top tier was so bad I didn't even know he played there that day. That was the 10-11 season I think. He did well many times that season in that role, including the cup semi against United. It's since then he's hardly played there.
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It was the 2011-12 season pal.

And don't get me started on that stand at Villarreal, it was a death-trap! I fell down that thing before kick off, it was really steep and the seats were smaller than the steps meaning anyone who fell took about five rows beneath them with along with them. Result made up for it, in the end mind!
 
Didsbury Dave said:
A lot of people touting Toure to return to his 2010-11 position behind the striker this season, but I'd be surprised. I don't think Pellegrini fancies him there. He's played him there maybe 2-3 times in the last couple of years, and moved him there later in games more often. But he hasn't had many good games from the start in that role at all.

I don't think Yaya will start as often as people think this year.
Click to expand...

If we get Pogba, no. If not I wouldn't be surprised to see us try and eek one last full season out of him rather than be stuck with a second choice. Not wild on the idea of going into next season with Yaya, Fernandinho, Delph and Fernando as our midfield options.
 
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