I don't know about the whole hours thing but I'd really question what actually gets done in training because we just do not change. This to me is our biggest problem, we setup the same every week and offer nothing new. We even make the exact same substitutions, I wish to god I could bet on the exact minute Silva and Aguero would be hauled off, I'd be a millionaire every week!
I wanted Pellegrini to change something tonight when it wasn't working like to take a risk and put Zabba down the left and move Kolarov into midfield, just something different that might offer a new kind of danger to the opposition. Instead he took off Silva who is ALWAYS going to be dangerous and he put in Navas down the side we were getting no joy down. It is almost robotic behaviour rather than reading the game for what it is. Also Kolarov was the biggest threat in the first half but butchering our central midfield for more width in Navas and an extra striker meant he had to stick back.
Is it any wonder after the substitutions we failed to create a single chance?
I agreed with taking off Aguero who was completely ineffective but taking off Silva and Sterling was total madness, I'd understand if it was to bring Messi on but he was just adding strikers into the box in a game where you have zero control from midfield, it's just total naivety at best. I'm afraid Pellegrini just has no ideas on how to reinvent the way we play and until we start playing well again, we have to accept it is going to be extremely difficult to play against the better teams and managers.
No i can't really agree, well not for the most of it
-on substitutions being predictable in regards of time an players: Well yes the 60-70 mark is typicly a good moment to do these substitutions, it's when players start to loose a bit of their edge because of fatigue and when players of lesser quality can be better simply becuase they are fresh. Football 101 that. Reoccuring starting lineup and benchsitters are not surprise in the world of football neither, bar some rotation. Sure there might be a few suggestions like giving Ichenacho a few more games but that aint too shocking.
Silva looked tired to me. Sterling worked his ass off and did really well at that but at the end he was getting fatigued, was sad that it didn't pay of for him but deservingly motm. Navas is a logical susbtitute, a pacy winger is not a bad choice to keep at hand on the bench it can sure surprise a more tired back, worked before to some extend too and Navas didn't do too bad.
Kolarov in the middle, you sure? Our biggest threat? I thought he was more a threat to the wellbeing of the crowd. Didn't knew Kolarov played multiple positions, what are his other spots? Zabba is recovered and matchfit again? You sure? Would you have digged taking more risk if we swallowed one because of it?
Substitutions didn't create a chance? Wait i thought i saw Navas slide atleast once down that right flank and make an good cross to a player in the box.
Bony was a good sub too from my perspective reading the game. What i saw was that Leicester defended like dirty cunts, not withought merrit and right, apart afcourse when we were robbed with Aguero there, but the obvious conclusion one could have taken there was that with all that hard defense in the box we were in need for some more brute forcing and thats far more to the profile of Bony than Ageuro. So not an unlogical sub and no need for pellers to risk it with Ageuro when they are shoving him down and the ref is all chums about it. And yeah putting in bony makes a significant change in style in comparison to having Ageuro there. Ageuro is a very different type of striker to Bony alltoghether, Ageuro has his speed and maneuverabillety to his advantage so he's more the type of a finisher or deep striker, what he is not is a targetman or hanging striker type who use their strenght to hold of players there and/or passing abbilety or aerial power to add more threat. With Ageuro you might play more on the counter or trough the middle, with Bony you'd better serve him with crosses from the flanks i gather besides that otherwise Bony might bring the ball down for a fast player comming in support. The combination then of a Navas and Bony brought in indicate's Pellers wish to try it more with crosses from that right flank delivered by a fresh player to someone who can hold his own in a cluttered box more easily and doesn't need to exploit pace.
