How far will the fall be before evasive action is taken?

[kaz7]

Why aren't they playing to their best knowing pep is watching is my question

 

[Lancet Fluke]

Why aren't they playing to their best knowing pep is watching is my question

They look incredibly low on confidence at times to me and we know that players can't perform anywhere near their best when they are low on confidence. The question for me is why are they so low on confidence? Before Saturday's match we were a win away from going top, had just got to a Wembley final, just won away from home and going well enough in the Cup and in Europe, Pep had just been confirmed and there was an incredible buzz around the supporters and presumably the club in general. They should have been fucking buzzing and right up for it but just looked like a team with no self belief. Why? I have my theories but they rather predictably suit my narrative of Pellegrini being a shambles so no point airing them.

 

[kaz7]

They look incredibly low on confidence at times to me and we know that players can't perform anywhere near their best when they are low on confidence. The question for me is why are they so low on confidence? Before Saturday's match we were a win away from going top, had just got to a Wembley final, just won away from home and going well enough in the Cup and in Europe, Pep had just been confirmed and there was an incredible buzz around the supporters and presumably the club in general. They should have been fucking buzzing and right up for it but just looked like a team with no self belief. Why? I have my theories but they rather predictably suit my narrative of Pellegrini being a shambles so no point airing them.

I agree his nonsense tactics are a lot to blame,i'm sure pep can see how he can improve performances with some tweaks

 

[Lancet Fluke]

I agree his nonsense tactics are a lot to blame,i'm sure pep can see how he can improve performances with some tweaks

We have got to this stage of the season this year, last year and in Mancini's final year and each time plenty of people have come to the conclusion that our squad isn't that good after all and say various other clubs have better squads. I just don't buy it at all, it comes down to management of the squad or rather mismanagement. We have a fantastic squad and when we have a manager who can treat them with respect and send them out with a coherent plan that they believe in then I reckon we will piss this league.

 

[Shaelumstash]

Why aren't they playing to their best knowing pep is watching is my question

I think they are playing to their best. I don't buy for one minute that the players have "downed tools" in some kind of protest about Pellegrini leaving as other posters have said. In fact, I think the reverse is true, it's probably acted as a motivator.

The problem is, Delph is not a left winger, never has been. He's been awful in the 4 games he's been forced to play there, but the manager doesn't seem to have noticed. Nothing to do with effort, it's just he's not experienced enough in that role, or suited to it whatsoever.

Yaya may be accused of a lack of effort, but personally I just think his body can't do it any more. 60 plus games a season, a World Cup, 3 Aftican Nations, getting box to box and carrying teams at times. He's a heavyweight boxer, and I just don't think his legs can do it for 90 minutes twice a week anymore.

That back 4 on Saturday, they all tried. Trying isn't the problem, they were just far too slow as individuals to live with Leicester and they shouldn't have been picked together. As bad as they were individually, they were even worse as a unit. No preparation, no cohesion between them, it's like they were encouraged not to act as a defensive unit, but to all go out and win "individual battles." Well it's not Sunday League, that style of defending doesn't work unfortunately, there needs to be preperation on team shape.

Silva is clearly playing injured, he's trying, but physically he's not at his peak and his performances show that. Fernandinho is covering so much ground, no one could accuse him of not trying. Aguero is on fire, again, can't be accused of lack of effort.

So this idea that player's aren't trying, have "downed tools" who specifically do people think isn't trying? Yaya is the only one I could possibly see an argument for, but people have been saying that all season, so nothing to do with Pellegrini leaving.

The problem isn't a lack of effort, it's a lack of belief. I'm sure the player's are as baffled as us by the team selections, lack of tactical knowledge of the manager and are de-motivated by his wet fish persona. But they are all professionals with pride, they all want to win every game, they all "try". Unfortunately the problems run a bit deeper than that.

 

[kaz7]

We have got to this stage of the season this year, last year and in Mancini's final year and each time plenty of people have come to the conclusion that our squad isn't that good after all and say various other clubs have better squads. I just don't buy it at all, it comes down to management of the squad or rather mismanagement. We have a fantastic squad and when we have a manager who can treat them with respect and send them out with a coherent plan that they believe in then I reckon we will piss this league.

It pains me that he is wasting the precious time the spine of the team have left together,this was the year to win in style whilst they are still a team

 

[pavelsrnicek]

There are a number of big games coming which will either justify the doubters or faithful.

These are:

Spurs and Liverpool in the league. Any chance we have of winning the league rests on us getting at least 4 points from our next two games. We've a good record against Spurs recently and a dire record against Liverpool at Anfield. Unfortunately the current Spurs side is among the best organised in the league and we're pretty chaotic. Counter pressing is something we really struggle with and both Spurs and Liverpool are good exponents of it.

The League cup final- a win (together with a top 4 finish and a result against Kiev) the season is a moderate success. Obviously this will be a tough match against team and style we have had problems with in the past.

Dynamo Kiev, we probably don't think it but much of Pellegrini's legacy will be determined by an improvement in the Champions League. A loss to Kiev would be pretty disastrous.

The FA cup with the scheduling the Chelsea match is a shot to nothing, a loss is a mild disappointment and a win would be incredible.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

It pains me that he is wasting the precious time the spine of the team have left together,this was the year to win in style whilst they are still a team

And looking at the way everyone else is performing it was definitely possible to win the title handsomely. We might still limp over the line and win it (personally I doubt it) but we certainly won't win it comfortably. Just the way it is, he does what he does and refuses to learn, he's going nowhere so as I have seen you say, we just have to suck it up and look forward to Pep. It is very frustrating though, no doubt.

 

[BillyShears]

We have got to this stage of the season this year, last year and in Mancini's final year and each time plenty of people have come to the conclusion that our squad isn't that good after all and say various other clubs have better squads. I just don't buy it at all, it comes down to management of the squad or rather mismanagement. We have a fantastic squad and when we have a manager who can treat them with respect and send them out with a coherent plan that they believe in then I reckon we will piss this league.

I don't agree that there aren't issues amongst the playing squad too. Between Mancini and Txiki the recruitment of defenders has been poor. This has made life difficult for both managers.

I also think that the overall quality of the squad is short of the top sides in Europe in certain areas and even in the PL there are clubs with better defensive and central midfield options.

None of that absolves Pellegrini of his responsibilities and it's hard to argue against the overall level of performances being not good enough. But between injuries and certain obviously weak links in the side there is enough blame to go round. Manager carries the can but to suggest the problem is only one person is in this instance unfair IMO.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

I don't agree that there aren't issues amongst the playing squad too. Between Mancini and Txiki the recruitment of defenders has been poor. This has made life difficult for both managers.

I also think that the overall quality of the squad is short of the top sides in Europe in certain areas and even in the PL there are clubs with better defensive and central midfield options.

None of that absolves Pellegrini of his responsibilities and it's hard to argue against the overall level of performances being not good enough. But between injuries and certain obviously weak links in the side there is enough blame to go round. Manager carries the can but to suggest the problem is only one person is in this instance unfair IMO.

I'm not saying the squad is anywhere near as good as Europe's elite, just the best in this country and comfortably so IMO. I also know injuries haven't helped Pellegrini at all this season but his complete refusal to adapt to the fact that we have so many players out just compounds things for me rather than make me sympathise with him. For most of the matches he has had more than enough available to do much better anyway. Sunday will be interesting because we are proper fucked now in terms of injuries, worse than ever, funnily enough I'm hopeful it might help him make some better decisions. I'm not as downbeat as I would usually be for Sunday following a shambles like the Leicester match.

Edit: Just to add regarding the obvious weak links/issues amongst the playing squad/recruitment of defenders. I'm not saying the squad is perfect, we do have some fairly obvious weaknesses but again Pellegrini just manages to compound things rather than make proper attempts to cope. Left back is a weakness but sympathy goes when he picks his slow left back to deal with the speedier threats on that side. Something that he has been doing since he came by the way. Pretty sure it was in his first season that we had Liverpool and Palace at home in a few days. He had to rotate full backs, fair enough, but he picked Kolarov against Liverpool who were at that time deploying Sterling as a right winger (Kolarov got torn a new one at times in that match) and Clichy against Palace who had nobody of note down that side. Nobody seemed to give a shit because we scraped through both games but I thought it was a ridiculous decision and one that he is still making. In terms of defenders, we have got rid of a few centre halves because they supposedly weren't suitable to play Pellegrini's defensive system. If he was allowed to dispose of defenders on the basis that they didn't suit him then I assume he has at least been consulted about who has come in and agreed that they more suit his style. The defence has just got worse and worse. I have little sympathy.