How would you change things/reignite the squad now?

[porkchopsaplenty]

Three defeats on the spin, injuries coming out of our arses and players that don't seem that bothered, how would you change the squad to reignite our season?

I really have no clue what we can do tbh, maybe start 1-2 more hungry youngsters? They looked very good yesterday, only let down by their senior teammates. Start both aguero and nacho in more games? Ensure Caballero never puts on a city shirt again? Stop that annoying high defensive line thing that costs us all the time? I don't believe Pellers isn't bothered anymore in light of his impending departure, im sure he would want to leave on a high, so how can he now?

I think we as blues would all agree we are too easy to play against & score against as a team- i remember in the Leicester game where Kante got the ball from our corner on the edge of their box & ran unchallenged to our box virtually unchallenged, unforgiveable at any level nevermind for a so called "top team".

For me IF we cannot win a game then do not lose... So at least 2 of Delph, Fernando & Dinho should always shield our defence- Yaya either plays behind Aguero or not at all as he is incapable of protecting our defence.

Also keep our football simple as i think in the attacking philosophy of Pellegrini the basics get lost as we do not do them enough- clear our lines, keep it simple at the back & do not overplay their, stay in posistion rather than defenders trying to do a midfielders job winning the ball on the halfway line, failing & leaving a big gap (otta & Mangala often do this), keep the defensive line intact & compact.

We are far too open so like i say keep it simple & do the basics & the attacking abilty of our class players will show itself once we keep it solid at the back.

Also add a few youth players- namely defenders & midfielders to hopefully keep the likes of Kolarov & Yaya on their toes as well as add some freshness & legs to our team.

 

[hilts]

Because i hate playing wing backs. Out of possession you end up with 5 at the back and out numbered in midfield. Turnover of possession you end up with huge gaps behind your wing backs and down the channel of your centre backs.

More centre backs means worse possession too as they get too many touches and they are typically your poorest footballers.

You haven't seen it played correctly then

 

[Deleted member 58678]

Three defeats on the spin, injuries coming out of our arses and players that don't seem that bothered, how would you change the squad to reignite our season?

I really have no clue what we can do tbh, maybe start 1-2 more hungry youngsters? They looked very good yesterday, only let down by their senior teammates. Start both aguero and nacho in more games? Ensure Caballero never puts on a city shirt again? Stop that annoying high defensive line thing that costs us all the time? I don't believe Pellers isn't bothered anymore in light of his impending departure, im sure he would want to leave on a high, so how can he now?

Our injury situation is nowhere near as bad as is being made out, now. Yes we've been without Kompany for most of the season and we had a really tough November/December losing Kun and Silva. But the other week against Spurs we were only Kevin de Bruyne short of our very strongest XI and we only have about half a dozen on the injury list, right now. That really is not that many players out, especially when they aren't our first choice XI players (bar de Bruyne)

What we need is for the manager to do something like i've heard so many managers in many sports do over the years. He should sit them down and talk about his career and tell them how much it would mean to him, at his age, for them to go out and win some trophies for him. Then maybe go around the room and ask each individual what winning some trophies this season would mean to them. Or get the squad together and ask them how it felt last time they won a trophy (whether it be with us or not), then tell anyone who had never won a trophy "you'll feel that elation if you work hard to help us win trophies this season".

Or, fucking get stuck right into them and make them feel scared to do things wrong. Because i think they are treated too nicely and don't get enough of a bollocking off this manager.

I don't think we should be sticking many, if any, of these EDS players in. I wasn't particularly impressed with any of them for them to be getting games in the Prem, FL Cup final or CL. Yeah Manu Garcia was fairly decent but let's get real, we only loved what he did because he's 19 and hadn't really played much before. If Silva looked as knackered as Garcia did after half an hour there'd be fifteen pages in his thread saying he's finished.

 

[BlueAnorak]

Our injury situation is nowhere near as bad as is being made out, now. Yes we've been without Kompany for most of the season and we had a really tough November/December losing Kun and Silva. But the other week against Spurs we were only Kevin de Bruyne short of our very strongest XI and we only have about half a dozen on the injury list, right now. That really is not that many players out, especially when they aren't our first choice XI players (bar de Bruyne)

Rubbish. As of today 10 players who can play 90 mins without being in the injury red zone, + Sagna who can just about play 60 minutes. And Mangala and he can just about play 20 mins.
Thanks to Sunday the 9 fit players who didn't play are not in the injury red zone again till next Wednesday. Also, due to previous injuries playing Kompany and Aguero as starters in the next 3 games is still an injury risk. I'll still be surprised if we don't pick up another two month+ injuries by the time we play Villa.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

We need another Fernandinho. A sort of Brazilian de Jong, or a mobile GazBaz. Just the finishing touch - once everyone is back from injury.

 

[Father Paul]

We need another Fernandinho. A sort of Brazilian de Jong, or a mobile GazBaz. Just the finishing touch - once everyone is back from injury.

The question is how can we reignite things now? In the summer we will see at least 4/5 ins and a similar number of outs but for now we have to improvise. Lots of good suggestions have been made in the above contributions not sure the manager will bother taking much off it on board though even in the highly unlikely event that he is a regular on here. The best we can hope for is a return to the solid defence we saw back in August and early September. If that can be achieved- not sure it can be- the season just might have a pleasant surprise or two.

 

[Marvin]

I'd seriously think about moving Kompany into the defensive midfield role.

We need a leader in there, and now that Mangala and Otamendi are back, we could do this if we want. Kompany in, Toure out, that would reinvigorate the team and make us a physically competitive team at least, but we could only do it if Kopmany's calf is up to it.

But expecting Pellegrini to anything other than the same old is a forlorn pointless hope. Not saying we should do this, but it does illustrate that we do have options regardless of the injury situation.

 

[Harvster]

I'd seriously think about moving Kompany into the defensive midfield role.

We need a leader in there, and now that Mangala and Otamendi are back, we could do this if we want. Kompany in, Toure out, that would reinvigorate the team and make us a physically competitive team at least, but we could only do it if Kopmany's calf is up to it.

But expecting Pellegrini to anything other than the same old is a forlorn pointless hope. Not saying we should do this, but it does illustrate that we do have options regardless of the injury situation.

I'd seriously think about keeping Kompany at centre half