Lack of pace on the wings

[bluemystery]

Not sure this is correct and right of me to say, but i think we've got too many inside forwards at the club. Need players to run at RB/LB/RWB/LWB and put the ball in the box. I guess it's not pep's style though

 

[Damanino]

I dont think we gain that kind of safety with the fullbacks being inverted lot of the times that we concede lot less due to it. And we certainly lose a lot in attacking sense, especially when Ake is LB as he has no proper attacking fullback skills.

Also this takes away from the wingers actually create panic, as they have to play a very timid role in this system, as they give the width, in return Bernardo/KDB often takes up positions on the side of box trying to make a cross to Haaland, it is certainly predictable.

Slowing down our play is very important for Pep for the control, but we still keep conceding way too many goals from very few shots against us. conversion rate against us is incredible.

 

[richards30]

Is the non pacy winger a decision between pep and txiki? Obviously teams sit deeper now so is the change to more technical players an agreed decision I wonder or would it fall on pep as the coach?

 

[117 M34]

It seems everyone apart from pep can see that mahrez and grealish together just doesn't work.
Maybe one of the stattos can work out win percentages for starting with them two and I may be proven wrong but it seems we struggle when the two start together.

 

[Craig]

As soon as we drop a point, this is raised. Pace is almost completely ineffective against ten man defences so the belief that it is the answer is, IMO, completely flawed. Occasionally we will drop points and it does not mean there is anything wrong with the team, the manager or the tactics - it is the game.

To a point i agree it’s difficult to use pace against packed defences. However, it’s really important to stretch the pitch and move the ball quickly that’s what us and Pep’s Barca were great at. We stretch the pitch now to wingers who slow the play down and come inside narrowing the pitch. Even more bizarre without fullbacks who overlap.

 

[WestGorton]

I think we miss Sterling in these types of games.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

It seems everyone apart from pep can see that mahrez and grealish together just doesn't work.
Maybe one of the stattos can work out win percentages for starting with them two and I may be proven wrong but it seems we struggle when the two start together.

Even win percentages don’t tell us who the opposition is nor does it tell us whether we played poorly in a win and won despite certain aspects.

 

[Tangled up in blue.]

I think we miss Sterling in these types of games.

Agreed

 

[Craig]

I found it pretty bizarre against a low block yday that pep decided to play two inverted wingers and continue with the system of the fullback coming into midfield when we have possession and the other fullback creating a back 3.

It made our play extremely predictable and narrow and unfortunately I believe mahrez (anymore) and grealish are not capable of beating a player on the outside due to lack of pace/ability. The lack of an overlapping fullback also means it’s too easy for the opponents to double up on the wingers. The support usually comes from Kev and Bernardo but neither had a big impact yesterday.

I’m hoping for Alvarez and foden to come in but in all honesty I’m not entirely sure how that would work as alvarez is not a winger and pep has already said this and more importantly whether pep would want this as it sacrifices the ball retention qualities of grealish and mahrez especially in the games against teams who will counter us and have pace. I believe it was Newcastle away this year that pep afterwards said that with Grealish on instead of phil we would have conceded less as the game became too end to end due to us trying to play at a tempo too high for our midfield to cope.

For me there is too much reliance on de Bruyne worldies and cutting edge deliveries this season. We’ve struggled in a lot of games now to break teams down and usually it’s been when Kev has had a bad day.

Even that was complete bollocks from Pep though because Foden did fuck all but pass inside that day( playing to instruction no doubt). They just kept exploiting the space left by his pointless experiment of using his quickest defender but one of our poorest players in terms of sharp intricate passing in midfield when we had the ball.

 

[deano ou812]

I’m fed up playing CB‘s at left back or right back,it definitely takes something away from the fluidity of the team and pep seems more and more insistent on doing it,yes I understand injuries dictate this at times during the season,but play a RB or LB in that position and play the fucking CB’s at CB ..