It's Quiet thread 14 - 'do one' edition

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tolmie's hairdoo said:
I agree. Sadly, we can't prey on our direct Premier League rivals as they also have similar problems sourcing quality central defender.

I do think the Ake transfer was very smart business as a result and we could get very lucky with him.

Everyone else outside of the Premier League is an overpriced gamble IMO.

United have had similar problems ever since Ferdinand and Vidic were in their pomp.

People go on about our failings and outlays, but it's the same for them in the same slot.

Smalling £10m, Jones £17m, Bailly £30m, Lindelof £27m, Rojo £14m, Maguire £85m.

I'd like to see more pragmatism from Pep with regards adapting his defensive system and, for me, that still starts with buying world-class defensive midfield legs.
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Ake is a better defender than our others imo, apart from he's not dominant aerially.

He's quick though & that's a big help for when, not if, our disfuctional offside system goes to shit, or we find ourselves with only 1 player defending v pace.

Much rarher Ake than Ota or Garcia.
 
glyntowen said:
this is totally bang on, the high line causes pretty much all of our issues at the back
We dominate teams but if we don't score early we push further and further up and then we are 0-1 down as they have just hoofed one over the top or straight down the middle.
This also adds risk as Ederson has to come out to cut things off leading us to being down to 10

the only thing I dont agree with is the comparison of Stones and Otamendi, I'd say if we played 15 yards back (old school)
they would look like reasonably competent defenders
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Yes, it was just a cheeky comparison for those two. Teams have already admitted they are now actively looking for Ederson being far from his line when City are in possession and we are trying to force the issue.

United, Southampton - even the Lyon second-half goals are limiting him to a one-on-one spread because our defenders are racing 20 yards to chase back in.

Very few teams are now trying to close Eddie down inside the box, our triangles and overloads have become a thing of the past in the main, certainly when it comes to playing out from the back.

We have two static midfield anchors who aren't brave enough to drop into the hole and that allows teams to just sit back and let us become compressed and pass sideways.

Opponents are deliberately flighting passes between our centre-backs and the left-back, knowing Walker will probably have the pace to get back and recover most of the time on the opposite flank.

If we defended deeper, we could rely a lot more on teams coming on to us and if the ball does break down in transition, we have it covered.

We either have to buy proper legs for the midfield or defend a little deeper (the latter would be my preference) as we are devastating on the counter and it gives Sterling and Torres their own opportunities to stretch their legs in behind.

Pep ain't gonna do either :(
 
Neville Kneville said:
Ake is a better defender than our others imo, apart from he's not dominant aerially.

He's quick though & that's a big help for when, not if, our disfuctional offside system goes to shit, or we find ourselves with only 1 player defending v pace.

Much rarher Ake than Ota or Garcia.
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Never makes stupid cock ups either....cursed that then.
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
No idea, that whole transfer bores me rigid. He's got better as the weeks have dragged by.

I also don't see any need for his agent to supposedly arrive in Manchester to broker it - it's in Italy where the issue has
been.

For the days of Baresi, Maldini, Nesta, a Costacurta?
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This is all about ADL taking the piss now due to Napoli loosing out on the lad Arsenal have signed

I think City did it purposely so they accepted below 60m allowing
simon23 said:
Said this yesterday - why would hi agent fly allt he way to Manchester (esp at the moment) when all of this cna be done by calling/video conferancing - makes no sense whatsoever
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Its nothing more than ADL hates City & City hate the cnut back
 
simon23 said:
Why - we would get two good years out of him...Messi doesnt rely on pace as much as others and with the exception of Ronaldo (who is a physical freak of nature coupled with an outstandin work ethic to keep himself in shape), this is what does for most attackers as they age

David Silva just adapted his game slightly as he got older - Sergio has done the same - no suggestion that the best player in the world couldnt do that.
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No point,2 years is a waste of time AND money,Foden and Torres will be 12 months wiser,Kev will still be as great,Bernardo and Raheem if both still with us will be great,it was now or never for me,they go to China or Qatar for one last big pay day,not England.

Like I say,no ta lad,thanks but no thanks
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
Yes, it was just a cheeky comparison for those two. Teams have already admitted they are now actively looking for Ederson being far from his line when City are in possession and we are trying to force the issue.

United, Southampton - even the Lyon second-half goals are limiting him to a one-on-one spread because our defenders are racing 20 yards to chase back in.

Very few teams are now trying to close Eddie down inside the box, our triangles and overloads have become a thing of the past in the main, certainly when it comes to playing out from the back.

We have two static midfield anchors who aren't brave enough to drop into the hole and that allows teams to just sit back and let us become compressed and pass sideways.

Opponents are deliberately flighting passes between our centre-backs and the left-back, knowing Walker will probably have the pace to get back and recover most of the time on the opposite flank.

If we defended deeper, we could rely a lot more on teams coming on to us and if the ball does break down in transition, we have it covered.

We either have to buy proper legs for the midfield or defend a little deeper (the latter would be my preference) as we are devastating on the counter and it gives Sterling and Torres their own opportunities to stretch their legs in behind.

Pep ain't gonna do either :(
Click to expand...

Agree with your analysis but Pep is capable of a tweak or two. We will see.
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
Yes, it was just a cheeky comparison for those two. Teams have already admitted they are now actively looking for Ederson being far from his line when City are in possession and we are trying to force the issue.

United, Southampton - even the Lyon second-half goals are limiting him to a one-on-one spread because our defenders are racing 20 yards to chase back in.

Very few teams are now trying to close Eddie down inside the box, our triangles and overloads have become a thing of the past in the main, certainly when it comes to playing out from the back.

We have two static midfield anchors who aren't brave enough to drop into the hole and that allows teams to just sit back and let us become compressed and pass sideways.

Opponents are deliberately flighting passes between our centre-backs and the left-back, knowing Walker will probably have the pace to get back and recover most of the time on the opposite flank.

If we defended deeper, we could rely a lot more on teams coming on to us and if the ball does break down in transition, we have it covered.

We either have to buy proper legs for the midfield or defend a little deeper (the latter would be my preference) as we are devastating on the counter and it gives Sterling and Torres their own opportunities to stretch their legs in behind.

Pep ain't gonna do either :(
Click to expand...

I think if we got Aouar in and played him with either Rodri and Gundogan then we’d certainly have more kegs. We also were linked with Zakaria who could do the same.

If we have a high defensive line we need a bit of pace in midfield unfortunately neither Gundogan or Rodri have any. Personally those two have to be mutually exclusive but Pep likes to play them together in big games.
 
pavelsrnicek said:
I think if we got Aouar in and played him with either Rodri and Gundogan then we’d certainly have more kegs. We also were linked with Zakaria who could do the same.

If we have a high defensive line we need a bit of pace in midfield unfortunately neither Gundogan or Rodri have any. Personally those two have to be mutually exclusive but Pep likes to play them together in big games.
Click to expand...
I think the need for Aouar has just increased because of the knobhead actions of Foden
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
I agree. Sadly, we can't prey on our direct Premier League rivals as they also have similar problems sourcing quality central defender.

I do think the Ake transfer was very smart business as a result and we could get very lucky with him.

Everyone else outside of the Premier League is an overpriced gamble IMO.

United have had similar problems ever since Ferdinand and Vidic were in their pomp.

People go on about our failings and outlays, but it's the same for them in the same slot.

Smalling £10m, Jones £17m, Bailly £30m, Lindelof £27m, Rojo £14m, Maguire £85m.

I'd like to see more pragmatism from Pep with regards adapting his defensive system and, for me, that still starts with buying world-class defensive midfield legs.
Click to expand...

We can blame the defence but calamity defending comes down to the way we play, any defender would love to be sat 20 yards deeper but that can't happen. The team plays on the last man because if we win the ball back fast then we are quickly able to start attacks.

This was the big problem under Pellegrini and Mancini, we defended somewhat better but the chances dried up because we were so pedestrian when attacking.

If you look at the stats, our defence didn't lose the league but rather the attack did. Our shot conversion rate was 4th best and we had at least 100 shots more than any other team so we are indeed very wasteful.

We scored 27 more than Liverpool and conceded just 5 less yet we finished 18 points behind. I can't believe that better defending would change that because look at Spurs away, the derby at home. In the Spurs game we had 6x as many shots and didn't score yet they scored 2...
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
Yes, it was just a cheeky comparison for those two. Teams have already admitted they are now actively looking for Ederson being far from his line when City are in possession and we are trying to force the issue.

United, Southampton - even the Lyon second-half goals are limiting him to a one-on-one spread because our defenders are racing 20 yards to chase back in.

Very few teams are now trying to close Eddie down inside the box, our triangles and overloads have become a thing of the past in the main, certainly when it comes to playing out from the back.

We have two static midfield anchors who aren't brave enough to drop into the hole and that allows teams to just sit back and let us become compressed and pass sideways.

Opponents are deliberately flighting passes between our centre-backs and the left-back, knowing Walker will probably have the pace to get back and recover most of the time on the opposite flank.

If we defended deeper, we could rely a lot more on teams coming on to us and if the ball does break down in transition, we have it covered.

We either have to buy proper legs for the midfield or defend a little deeper (the latter would be my preference) as we are devastating on the counter and it gives Sterling and Torres their own opportunities to stretch their legs in behind.

Pep ain't gonna do either :(
Click to expand...
Some great points in here.

I personally think we need to get back to having two number 8s pressing like mad high up the pitch.

Playing a high line with no pressure on the ball is an open invitation to the opposition to pick a pass over the top and get in behind us.

It’s a viscous cycle - Pep doesn’t trust our centre backs so plays Gundogan and Rodri in front of them. Gundogan and Rodri can’t press, so we get done over the top.

Pep needs to get his balls back, play one of Gundogan or Rodri as the 6 and then KDB and either Foden or Bernado in front, pressing like mad high up the pitch.

The less time opposing midfielders have to pick a long pass, the less vulnerable we look to counters.
 
mosssideblue said:
Another sleeper awakens
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Thanks, you completed my bluemoon bingo card :-)

Seriously, I'd love Messi at City, best player of the generation and it would be amazing to watch for a few years

But..

I can't shake the feeling that we are being played. He is Barca and regardless of how unhappy he says he is, he is still there and won't push it through
Can you really say how confident you are that he will sign for us? For all we know Pilogret's coiffure is posting exactly the same on the PSG forums

Definitely no slight on Tolmie, appreciate the updates.

As for my post count, I tend to lurk on here, only reset my password a few weeks back. I avoid the site when we lose for a few days to prevent any rants (mine or other peoples) good job I didn't post anything after lyon
 
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