If the rot continues what happens ?

[Damanino]

the big breakdown would be the early CL exit in 2nd half of January. failures against PSG and Brugge can make us exit this new format. Pep never not reached KO stages of CL before in about 15 seasons. 24 teams stay alive of 36, if we cannot even get into 24 when so many lesser clubs can, that will be a big mental hit.

our schedule bit easier on paper until that but it will start to pick up and February will be brutal, especially if we do reach top24 in CL and get a shit draw for the playoff.

 

[city2]

Simple, we start again.

 

[.db.]

I didn't think we were that great against Forest, sorry. I mean we done ok, better than any of or other last 12 games, but still not great.

We don’t have to be great to win games.

But we were positive and attacking against Forest. We had 42 touches in their box with 17 shots with an xG of 3.20.

Against United we had just 18 touches in their box and just 10 shots with an xG of 0.07.

There was a huge difference in performance levels.

 

[Keeper!]

Simple, we start again.

Easier said than done, and who is in charge of this rebuild which is going to be enormous.

I am not bashing Pep but is he the man to do this?

Has he lost the players?

Has the shocking run shown a flaw in the genius?

We seem to be making the same errors and have the same weakness every game.

Watching Gundo, Silva and Walker clearly unable to physically cope is sad to see, are we not better putting some kids and legs into the team?

 

[give it to gordon]

Perhaps it's time for City to become a park the bus team. It's very popular with other teams and the press/media when teams play us.

Our games can be boring playing anti football teams but just imagine the excitement of two anti football teams playing each other !.

City just sit back the opponent just sits back and the ball doesn't move more than a yard from the centre spot. Oh the excitement !!

Instead we keep playing into the opponent hands :/

 

[TueartsCossackSpray]

Perhaps it's time for City to become a park the bus team. It's very popular with other teams and the press/media when teams play us.

Our games can be boring playing anti football teams but just imagine the excitement of two anti football teams playing each other !.

City just sit back the opponent just sits back and the ball doesn't move more than a yard from the centre spot. Oh the excitement !!

Instead we keep playing into the opponent hands :/

It would be more suicidal that what we do now. The manager, staff players and the whole CFG is set to play a certain way so changing that now would not work. We need to see this season out and start buying starting now. Will take us a few years to get back fully but we had decades of being shite so no fcuks given.

 

[Coatigan]

Not buying into the ‘we should never have bought back Gundo’ he’d had a fantastic Euros and he was one of the best players in La Liga, creating more chances and covering more ground than any other player. It looked like a steal at the time and perfect as back up to our midfield.

He was signed as a squad player but unfortunately he’s had to be used more than we, or he I’d wager, assumed.

The revisionism of we should have never bought him now we know how it has panned out could be applied to any number of players.

The revisionism IS being applied to a large number of our players. Ederson, Walker, Kdb, Bernardo.. they were irreplaceable not that long ago, now they are 'rot'. Josko, Grealish, Doku, Savinho were 'the bright future' now they are aparently not good for Southampton's b-team. Even Pep's 8 years are slowly being rewritten.

 

[Coatigan]

With hindsight this season was always going to be the one, especially after losing Rodri. The club obviously had their reasons for trying to go one more season with the squad.

Like the fact that players have contracts?

 

[Coatigan]

I don't need to do anything - it's not sustainable and the environment will become so toxic that change is going to be inevitable.

The idea that you can ride out the storm is fanciful - Pep isn't surviving if our next 12 games also have 1 win.

Do you think we will win 1 game in the next 12?

To quote a chinese factory manager, or Donald Trump, fuck the environment! We as a team thrived in the face of toxic environment, and if people think Pep has 'lost the dressing room', I am happy to endure the time till he finds the ****.

We can not go on like this. This will not end with a season out of the top 4. We are in the biggest tail spin I've ever seen from any professional sports team in my life.

We are not mate. Look at Liverpool, Chelsea, Utd, Leicester the seasons after they last won the league. 1 league, not 4! Liverpool barely finished 4th with a freak keeper goal after losing 6 at Anfield in a row, Leicester just about avoided relegation, Chelsea mid tabled it and utd became a total shishow. And that's just in this league. We are 4th points off top 4 even after this disasterous run, and have sat lower in the table (9th) the season we set the record for a winning run of games.

 

[Keeper!]

The revisionism IS being applied to a large number of our players. Ederson, Walker, Kdb, Bernardo.. they were irreplaceable not that long ago, now they are 'rot'. Josko, Grealish, Doku, Savinho were 'the bright future' now they are aparently not good for Southampton's b-team. Even Pep's 8 years are slowly being rewritten.

But looking at the players of the likes of Villa, Forrest, Chelsea, and many others would they get into our side ?

I would say the answer is a big yes and that shows just how far we have fallen, we have allowed our squad to grow old and tired together and we have allowed to the quality of out first 11 to drop off considerably with some poor and very expensive signing mistakes.

 

[hilts]

Everton and West Ham at home. Leicester and then Brentford away.

Can't see us winning anywhere away from home at the moment but you'd like to think the two home games are winnable.

7 points from the 4 games is doable.

That last sentence really sums it up really. Been a while since we are hoping for that from 3 poor teams and one decent one. I would say 4 to 7 points which makes us wel.... you know.

 

[Coatigan]

Easier said than done, and who is in charge of this rebuild which is going to be enormous.

I am not bashing Pep but is he the man to do this?

Has he lost the players?

Has the shocking run shown a flaw in the genius?

We seem to be making the same errors and have the same weakness every game.

Watching Gundo, Silva and Walker clearly unable to physically cope is sad to see, are we not better putting some kids and legs into the team?

If Pep is not the man to do this, then no idea who the fuck is mate.

 

[East Level 2]

It would be more suicidal that what we do now. The manager, staff players and the whole CFG is set to play a certain way so changing that now would not work. We need to see this season out and start buying starting now. Will take us a few years to get back fully but we had decades of being shite so no fcuks given.

But that "certain way" is different to how many players have played earlier in their careers, either before Pep at City or at other clubs. Pep-ball is extremely complicated which is why it takes new players time to get used to it. We might be better trying something simpler for a couple of months until we're out of this slump.

 

[Keeper!]

If Pep is not rhw man to do this, then no idea who the fuck is mate.

100% agree.

But are you 100% sure Pep can do it?

Not sure I am anymore, his stubbornness could be his achilles heel for me.

 

[East Level 2]

But looking at the players of the likes of Villa, Forrest, Chelsea, and many others would they get into our side ?

I would say the answer is a big yes and that shows just how far we have fallen, we have allowed our squad to grow old and tired together and we have allowed to the quality of out first 11 to drop off considerably with some poor and very expensive signing mistakes.

They would get into our side this season, even before this ludicrous slump. However would players of similar ability have been good enough to get into our 2017-2024 squads? The entire problem is due to a failure of succession planning. The older players were always going to get older with or without injuries to others.

 

[give it to gordon]

The players are just bored of playing against a low block every game !

 

[Keeper!]

The players are just bored of playing against a low block every game !

I am bored watching it, it's utter gash, so predictable and so easy to defend against.

And was it not the same last season?

Yes we won the title but for so long last season we were very ordinary and pedestrian, the warning signs were there.

 

[Coatigan]

100% agree.

But are you 100% sure Pep can do it?

Not sure I am anymore, his stubbornness could be his achilles heel for me.

I am not.

But I am 100% sure I want to stick with it (and this group) and see, come what may.

 

[uwe rosler 28]

Players throwing the manager under the bus how long till he walks??? Players not playing for the manager seems something has gone on those players would have crawled over broken glass for him. Now they won't even jog for him.

 

[Coatigan]

But looking at the players of the likes of Villa, Forrest, Chelsea, and many others would they get into our side ?

I would say the answer is a big yes and that shows just how far we have fallen, we have allowed our squad to grow old and tired together and we have allowed to the quality of out first 11 to drop off considerably with some poor and very expensive signing mistakes.

Not sure which villa and forrest players would get in our side and who they would replace. But by that logic their managers are alao better than Pep.