Do we play good football?

[himalayan_blues]

It's a worry for all our forwards how hard Pep has come down on our lack of cutting edge in the opposition box recently. He was particularly cutting after the weekend's game and I can't help but feel that we're gonna see more than just one 'forward' player brought in. He said it himself, finishing is like pace, you don't train it, you buy it.

If u want goals than play strikers. Why not play 2 strikers or more. Playing a striker and other midfielders like sterling silva( i know he os world class) who cannot score adequate goals and the midfielder who can score like debruyne further deep. If he had wanted more goals than simple logic is play strikers.

 

[crystal_mais]

70 Goals from 580 attempts = 12.07% (best Chelsea with 14.91%)

From the 580 attempts 193 on target = 33.28% (best from Big 6 is Spurs with 36.72%

70 goals from 193 on target = 36.27% ( best Chelsea 41.14%)

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More significant is xG which is a better measure of the quality of chances. This was what Pep was alluding to in his pressers at the weekend.

Our xG for the season is the best in the league. Simply we have created more than any other team in the league meaning we have created the best chances. For example, before the weekend, statistically we should have scored 15 more goals than Chelsea yet they have actually scored 2 more than us.

Excellent Cheers - Think this is the crux of the frustration - especially if our xG is high in the games we have lost. The crucial games - ie Chelsea, Everton, Leicester & Spurs

But then again even the ones we have drawn

 

[bboy]

It's a subjective question, I think.

I feel we play better football. In previous years, a four or five nil where the opponents fuck up in the first few minutes tended in actuality to be a pretty pedestrian watch. But I really enjoyed Saturday, and many other games. So much flair and invention.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

If u want goals than play strikers. Why not play 2 strikers or more. Playing a striker and other midfielders like sterling silva( i know he os world class) who cannot score adequate goals and the midfielder who can score like debruyne further deep. If he had wanted more goals than simple logic is play strikers.

Then we'd more than likely create less chances for the striker(s) to finish.

 

[franksinatra]

Then we'd more than likely create less chances for the striker(s) to finish.

Not necessarily as strikers by virtue of being in and around the box 'create' chances by being in the right position.
This season is a perfect example where lots of crosses have been put in but as no one is in or around the box it's not a chance. Stick a additional striker and it's more likely to create a chance.

Personally for me though it's looking out wide for more goals or finding an alternative 'number 8s' who can weigh in with goals also.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

Not necessarily as strikers by virtue of being in and around the box 'create' chances by being in the right position

Aguero has one assist (I think) this season and Kelechi's link up play is average at best. Play both of them at the expense of one of David or Kev - two of the most consistently creative players in the league - and I guarantee the number of chances we create will drop dramatically. Jesus is a different story but he's been available for only a tiny number of games so it's hard to say.

As well as this, an extra man up front means one less man on defence/ attack, decreasing the probability of us retaining possession to create our chances.

If I remember correctly, Kevin has hit the post as many times as anyone in Europe's top leagues this season and that kind of encapsulates how we've let things slip in terms of the fine margins not going our way.

Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with our buildup play or number of strikers. We've just simply not been clinical enough with what we've created.

 

[franksinatra]

Aguero has one assist (I think) this season and Kelechi's link up play is average at best. Play both of them at the expense of one of David or Kev - two of the most consistently creative players in the league - and I guarantee the number of chances we create will drop dramatically. Jesus is a different story but he's been available for only a tiny number of games so it's hard to say.

As well as this, an extra man up front means one less man on defence/ attack, decreasing the probability of us retaining possession to create our chances.

If I remember correctly, Kevin has hit the post as many times as anyone in Europe's top leagues this season and that kind of encapsulates how we've let things slip in terms of the fine margins not going our way.

Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with our buildup play or number of strikers. We've just simply not been clinical enough with what we've created.

To be honest I agree we should maintain one upfront as this gives us more control but we have seen on previous seasons 2012, 93 lge goals and 2014, over 100 that we still score and create numerous chances and that incorporated 2 creative players such as Nasri and Silva. It's not really about the strikers 'creating assists' but chances being created by virtue of their presence in the box etc.

I completely agree there is nothing wrong with our build up but the issue is finishing them and that is what Pep has alluded to that we need to buy goals like you would buy pace. We may create as many chances next year but it will not mean Silva or Sterlings finishing will improve.

 

[eversince 76]

An artikel in the Fail from Martin Samuel, one of a few journo's I actually rate.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-4491156/Man-City-want-prizes-competitions-not-exist.html

Unfortunately this article is more about Samuels' personal vision on football rather than an article where the parties concerned have been asked about their vision on the matter. Parties as in Guardiola being the manager and Khaloon being the director.

Furthermore I disagree we have a poor defence. It's about the way we play i.e. defending with a high line that is the most difficult way to defend. Yet it is the perfect way to support the attacking football as in Peps ' vision (and also Pellegrini's for that matter). It's the ball in the final third that let us down as taking goal scoring chances. I've noticed an improvement in that area of play with Jesus in the team and defence wise with Kompany at the back.

Pep has adjust in a way his team will still be able to play by his principals. There's no guarantee to win silverware with whatever style of football you play. And from that point of view the Premier League is hardly any different from others leagues no matter how much Samuel and loads of other journo's and footiefans (even on here) like to believe so.

We can improve a lot with two wing backs, and that to me looks the most important two areas to look at. Obviously we can and should improve in other areas but with wing backs that suit Peps' vision on the game we will make big strides to the way Pep wants to see his team play in the PL.

Finally though I don't think we have played as well as Samuel wants to point out in relation to his article. Often I think we were not that good and we hardly played exciting football on a consistent basis. Again it has not a lot to do with what Samuels tries to explain in this article.

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

if anything we are trying to play the perfect play too much.

Just crack it outside the box FFS