Dullest Football Since Pearce?

bluealf said:
A simple apology for you getting it wrong from the off would have been quite sufficient but yet you are still dribbling on and on, tirades lol you accuse somebody wrongly you get all you deserve, especially when you double and then treble down on your accusation.

But it is blatantly obvious that you didn't read or understand the complex difference between comparing players from being world class to only very good players by your first reply and then further replies talking of league placings and disappointment, barking up the wrong tree but you wouldn't be told and quite possibly still won't be for a 4th or is it the 5th time now?

So I can only assume you are deliberately just being a cretin for the evening, but then again you maybe do do this on a more often a basis and I just haven't had the pleasure of your stupidity before, which is incredibly lucky on my part in 13 years I have to say, sorry, 11 years really the length of time you have posted here.

Such a shame.

ps if somebody calls you a twat, weirdo or a cretin, it doesn't make them sat in front of their device frothing with anger as they type, sometimes these things can be said while they are laughing at said weirdo, twat or cretin, in my case it was utter incredulity that somebody could be so dense as to not understand by the second reply of the conversation, I call it that very loosely.

pps I hope this post wasn't too long for you again?
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It was really too long.

your aggression gets in the way of your reasoning


Unlike you, I don’t think I continually threw insults - called you dense, a moron or a wierdo- or told you to “trot” on “jog” on etc etc.

You obviously feel very strongly about your views and rightly so. I disagree with much of what you say -& I am entitled to do so.
 
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jayfx said:
Who is our leader?

Personally, I think we've tried to be cunning with transfers, and it hasn't worked out for us. No doubt, when we come to finally replacing Aguero, we won't go out and buy Haaland for £120m (ish), we'll go for a potentially great striker, that most of us have never heard of, for £75m.

But, aside from recruitment issues, who is leading us? If Kompany is still at City, are we playing like this? Not a chance. We do 't even have a definitive captain. Who even wants the armband? No drive, no emotion, no leadership, and, at times, no desire.
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To be fair Dias looks like the new leader, but we need more, more real characters are needed in that dressing room.
 
mexico1970 said:
Some posters have forgotten just how poor we were under Pierce, we're a long long way off that ;)
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In all fairness to the post headline, it does say since Pearce not worse than Pearce's turgid brand of anti-football.

Of course, in reality, it isn't anywhere near as bad as that dull affair but also, in reality, we as a club are a long way off that MCFC as well.
 
trumpton said:
I sort of get what you are saying but we are miles off the pace. Everyone is worse but we had 18 points to make up from last season. I said the following over 3 weeks ago:

'Let's be honest, we're a one dimensional team who aren't doing the one thing we do well, very well. This place will be in meltdown mid January when we are at least 12 points off the leaders and Pep is still picking at least two of Mendy, Gundog, Rhodri and Mahrez.'


So some of the other sides in Europe are in the process of dropping about 10 to 15 points compared to the previous season. We are in the process of doing the same!

Liverpool now top of the table, Spain is irrelevant (look how shit Barca and Madrid have been in the CL), Bayern are 1 point off the top, PSG 1 point off the top, Juve 4 points, we are 8!
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Mendy due to lack of alternatives, gundogan because he’s actually a very good player, Rodney out of position because he cost a lot and Mahrez because he cost a lot.
 
There were some real stinkers in Mancini's last season. I remember taking my new girlfriend who didn't like football to West Ham away and she didn't come to another game for another five years it was that bad.
 
this season is a strange season, no fans, lockdowns, no pre season. I think Peps trying to change our style, find the right balance between attack and defence. Personally I think were a centre forward short, Giroud from Chelsea at the start of the season may of been a good shout.
 
Keegan decided to shut up shop around 2004 signing Mills and Thatcher and changing the nature of how the team played which seemed like it was against his principles and he was possibly losing interest as the big money signing had dried up and star players would be sold off in the near future.

JG looks to be doing the same thing, and if he is doing that it is a wonder why he signed a deal for 2 extra years, unless it is more by accident than design.
 


There are plenty of reasons for frustration with our attack rat the moment, but something tells me this can be sorted as we even saw signs of its return today against Southampton with players like Bernardo coming back to life, Gundo given more creative freedom and our chance creation much better than I can recall most of this season because Pep chose to push forward more.

If/when we get Sergio back and/or sign a lethal finisher this summer by next season, or maybe sooner, the dedication to solidifying the defence may pay off because of how it has hurt us so badly even under Pellegrini.

Pair Pep’s attack and a few different faces with the way our defence is playing and although we might score a few less, we will also concede far fewer.

We not only have 3-4 top class centre halves who are barely, or not even in their prime years yet, but Walker who has been consistently fantastic, and Cancelo’s settling in as a decent LB option. I know he can be poor at times, but he also has moments of good defending (had one today) and is such a threat going forward. We will need another LB as Cancelo also will be there to replace Walker as he ages out, but this will be addressed.

I was thinking we are done in CL and PL after the West Brom match, but I have begun to think more that we underestimated Pep.

He has been learning, adapting and realising he needs to make us more sold in defence, even if there are some sacrifices in the short term to our performance, because this is what has hurt us time and time again (other than finishing, which all City fans are aware of).

Going with the double pivot so frequently is a way of practising more solidity, so the side is more used to it when needed in a big fixture away, for example.

Today Pep didn’t go with the double pivot, but we still didn’t concede against a high powered attacking side in good form who was at home. I wonder if this isn’t as much a coincidence as part of being trained in taking more care.

I know some are angry about us trying to walk it in instead of shoot.

I even saw Sam Lee go off on some rant on our walking it in, and I’m not saying this is not frustrating. It is, but I was wondering aloud if this is also an instruction to prevent counter attacks from long, low percentage shots that leave us vulnerable on the break when we don’t have a Fernandinho to help. You work with what you have. Get a different midfielder to protect, or a better finisher and this isn’t as much of a problem, and you are also not leaving yourself open to counters as easily. Perhaps I’m wrong here, but it was a thought.

Maybe some of us pushed the panic button too quickly, me included. There’s A LOT more to do, and there are concerns but the times we won the league it was with a strong defence.

Fans love Mancini for the resolute defence we had with Zaba/Micah, Komps, Lescott and the more attack minded left backs Clichy/Kolarov.

Pep trying to bring that back and the transition from brazen attacking to this might involve some growing pains, but perhaps it may pay off for us the next few seasons he remains.
 
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Imagine how good we would be with an in form KDB, Sterling Bernardo ,Jesus a fully fit Dinho and Aguero we would be a totally different team , good players do not become bad players over night , i think we will surprise a few people in 2021 so let the pundits write us off a their peril. We excel when we are the underdogs.
 
PrezIke said:


There are plenty of reasons for frustration with our attack rat the moment, but something tells me this can be sorted as we even saw signs of its return today against Southampton with players like Bernardo coming back to life, Gundo given more creative freedom and our chance creation much better than I can recall most of this season because Pep chose to push forward more.

If/when we get Sergio back and/or sign a lethal finisher this summer by next season, or maybe sooner, the dedication to solidifying the defence may pay off because of how it has hurt us so badly even under Pellegrini.

Pair Pep’s attack and a few different faces with the way our defence is playing and although we might score a few less, we will also concede far fewer.

We not only have 3-4 top class centre halves who are barely, or not even in their prime years yet, but Walker who has been consistently fantastic, and Cancelo’s settling in as a decent LB option. I know he can be poor at times, but he also has moments of good defending (had one today) and is such a threat going forward. We will need another LB as Cancelo also will be there to replace Walker as he ages out, but this will be addressed.

I was thinking we are done in CL and PL after the West Brom match, but I have begun to think more that we underestimated Pep.

He has been learning, adapting and realising he needs to make us more sold in defence, even if there are some sacrifices in the short term to our performance, because this is what has hurt us time and time again (other than finishing, which all City fans are aware of).

Going with the double pivot so frequently is a way of practising more solidity, so the side is more used to it when needed in a big fixture away, for example.

Today Pep didn’t go with the double pivot, but we still didn’t concede against a high powered attacking side in good form who was at home. I wonder if this isn’t as much a coincidence as part of being trained in taking more care.

I know some are angry about us trying to walk it in instead of shoot.

I even saw Sam Lee go off on some rant on our walking it in, and I’m not saying this is not frustrating. It is, but I was wondering aloud if this is also an instruction to prevent counter attacks from long, low percentage shots that leave us vulnerable on the break when we don’t have a Fernandinho to help. You work with what you have. Get a different midfielder to protect, or a better finisher and this isn’t as much of a problem, and you are also not leaving yourself open to counters as easily. Perhaps I’m wrong here, but it was a thought.

Maybe some of us pushed the panic button too quickly, me included. There’s A LOT more to do, and there are concerns but the times we won the league it was with a strong defence.

Fans love Mancini for the resolute defence we had with Zaba/Micah, Komps, Lescott and the more attack minded left backs Clichy/Kolarov.

Pep trying to bring that back and the transition from brazen attacking to this might involve some growing pains, but perhaps it may pay off for us the next few seasons he remains.
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It’s good to read a post like this, having had to wade through so much bile over our results this season.

I do feel that Pep is trying to be more pragmatic in his approach. Trying to develop a team that is capable of both attacking AND defending. As you rightly say this will probably result in fewer overall goals, but should result in improved results over all from last season.
We’ve been spoilt with some of the sublime football, especially the Centurions and Fourmidables seasons, but last season we were too inconsistent. It’s no good tonking a team 6-0 one week, then losing to a single counter attacking goal the next game.
i also think the style of play that Pep is trying to develop, is less physically demanding than the high energy pressing game, trying to reduce player fatigue and injuries.
If you look beyond the score lines this season, you can see what he’s trying to implement. We’re creating the chances to win but not taking them at the moment. Start converting these chances combined with a robust defence and I think we’ll be finishing the season in a strong position.There’s still all to play for, despite what the doom mongers and WUM’s continue to post. Let’s just hold our nerve and get behind Pep and the lads.
 
Nowhere near the dullest.Mancini had one derby game where he played for any kind of result.
Got a nil nil draw.
Still the worst derby game I have been to.
Looking back it was the correct thing to do at the time
Pellegrini was poor in his last season as well.
 
Fame Monster said:
Ever since we moved to the double pivot, I have to say this has got to be the dullest City side since the Pearce days.

We were obviously worse under Sven and Hughes but there was a far more positive approach to the way we played.

This double pivot just sucks the life out of our game, our strengths, and reduces the chances that we create by having one less player in the box. It also makes us a far worse team imo.
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Comparing how we play now with the Pearce disaster is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen posted on here ... !
 
Some of the latest posts on here are making good points. Our defensive record this season started good, then got blown off course by Leicester (-5) and is now very good with many clean sheets and the best goals against in the division (-12 and with Leicester taken off its -7). Dias, Laporte and now Stones give us 3 of the best centre backs in the league, Walker is Walker - brilliant most of the time and (very) occasional lapses. Cancelo is massively improved and flexible. Ake is a good addition. Mendy can do a job (some of the time!). That's the best defence since the Mancini days. I think the double pivot has been there to stabilise things while the defence settled in. That's now been done. At Soton, both Rodri and Gundo played but not as a double pivot. Gundo was much further up the pitch and seemed to me to be playing a 'free 8' role, as was Bernardo (excellent!) with KDB in front of them behind Torres and Sterling. The line up at times looked like 2-3-2-3 with full backs inverted as in 2017-18. Here's my take on it: Pep knows we can't win the CL without a decent defence who can hold a lead. That's been our problem for years in that competition and had to be worked on. The lack of goals is, for me, down to us only having available front players who only score regularly when their confidence is up. (Sterling and Jesus). Serge is one of the very few strikers who can score regularly regardless of how they or their team are playing. Torres seems to be able to score more easily in CL than Prem. A new natural striker would certainly help. But having a solid defence is a serious plus long term. We coped previously with a less solid defence by the efforts of Fernandinho, KDB and D.Silva in front of them. Those days were great but they are gone. However the rebuilding has started from the back and for me its looking good. We just need to score more goals and move the ball more quickly as evidenced by Bernardo on Saturday, Or would we prefer to score 6 against Leeds and be out of the CL?
 
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