This was so frustrating, Everton compacted the pitch to about 15 yards, yet not once did we try a ball over the top. I am sure Haaland can out sprint Godfrey and Tarkovski, at the very least it gets them turning and dropping a few yards deeper. I can’t remember the last time Ederson played a long ball over the top.In the first half yesterday, Everton were defending on the half way line at times. Haaland was making runs and our players were just passing the ball backwards.
I agree about Grealish, i didn’t think we needed him at the time as it looked like him and Foden would be in competition for a place and that’s what’s happened. To compound the problem, Grealish just hasn’t produced and it doesn’t matter what Foden does he just can’t seem to get a decent run.We are completely devoid of any pace and directness when both Mahrez and Grealish play.
Opponents know neither will go down the outside because they need to chop the ball back or inside, to afford themselves that yard of space to then work in.
Ironically, our goal came yesterday because Mahrez changed the habit of a lifetime by fooling his marker and going on outside.
Sadly, like with all signings we make, we are desperate for things to work out, but I fear Jack is already proving a costly mistake.
He doesn't have the ball skills of Mahrez to beat his man and so he does look clumsy and invariably draws the foul because the first touch out of his feet isn't quick enough.
His reaction to Haaland's first goal at Leeds showed how much it meant to him, even though it was an act of unselfishness which hardly pushed the footballing boundaries, with Pep even suggesting when his head is more confident, he might take those opportunities on himself?
Jack seems a good lad and the manager and players are clearly pulling for him to come good, yet unlike other players we have, he doesn't have the versatility to thrive in other positions.
The £100m fee isn't his fault, but it is the first time I felt we have made a United-type statement signing since Bony, where the public hype train was greater than the talent on display.
Similarly, how the cult of personality created a national group think that Sterling was still operating at an elite level in his final 18 months with City.
Jack wasn't a kid when he joined us, he's had more than a year to show there is more to come, and it still isn't.
Phil is a better fit for the team on the left and even Cancelo and Palmer have shown more threat in those areas of the pitch.
We need Jack to be chipping in with eight or ten goals a season and his record doesn't suggest he has ever been that?
My ideal three would be Foden, Haaland and Alvarez, from an intensity/goal threat perspective and hopefully we get to see more of that in the coming months and in Europe.
Jack isn't going anywhere soon and earns more than most. There comes a point, however, where in the next few weeks he needs to make the ultimate step, or we need to accept City and Pep got this one wrong.
Just as Chelsea did with Lukaku. A good player, yes, but in the wrong team and environment.
I'd have loved City to have been scouting someone like Luis Diaz at £37m :(
It's why, as much as I have loved Bellingham and his energy, I even question if I'm right, in terms of his City fit?
Not if we play him in the middle. He’d be fantastic for us playing alongside Kev. He has everything. Sell Grealish (love him as a person,just not quite fitting in at City), use the money to buy a winger and of course a proper left back. Like someone said earlier Spains tippy tappy style is no longer the way to go in the modern game. Todays game is about speed, playing through channels and overlapping fullbacks. I feel we are stuck somewhere in the middle of the two especially when we play mahrez and grealish in the same team. Playing Alvarez and Foden regularly would see us playing on the front foot more often rather than checking back inside and passing sideways.Good post.
I don’t think Grealish fits our team and I’ve never thought Bellingham looks like a City player neither.
David Silva, Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, even Phil Foden who has rarely played there and Samir Nasri who Pep didn’t even fancy are all City type players in attacking midfield… but then look at Bellingham’s skill set and I reckon he’d be as out of place in our team as Grealish is.
Great postWe are completely devoid of any pace and directness when both Mahrez and Grealish play.
Opponents know neither will go down the outside because they need to chop the ball back or inside, to afford themselves that yard of space to then work in.
Ironically, our goal came yesterday because Mahrez changed the habit of a lifetime by fooling his marker and going on outside.
Sadly, like with all signings we make, we are desperate for things to work out, but I fear Jack is already proving a costly mistake.
He doesn't have the ball skills of Mahrez to beat his man and so he does look clumsy and invariably draws the foul because the first touch out of his feet isn't quick enough.
His reaction to Haaland's first goal at Leeds showed how much it meant to him, even though it was an act of unselfishness which hardly pushed the footballing boundaries, with Pep even suggesting when his head is more confident, he might take those opportunities on himself?
Jack seems a good lad and the manager and players are clearly pulling for him to come good, yet unlike other players we have, he doesn't have the versatility to thrive in other positions.
The £100m fee isn't his fault, but it is the first time I felt we have made a United-type statement signing since Bony, where the public hype train was greater than the talent on display.
Similarly, how the cult of personality created a national group think that Sterling was still operating at an elite level in his final 18 months with City.
Jack wasn't a kid when he joined us, he's had more than a year to show there is more to come, and it still isn't.
Phil is a better fit for the team on the left and even Cancelo and Palmer have shown more threat in those areas of the pitch.
We need Jack to be chipping in with eight or ten goals a season and his record doesn't suggest he has ever been that?
My ideal three would be Foden, Haaland and Alvarez, from an intensity/goal threat perspective and hopefully we get to see more of that in the coming months and in Europe.
Jack isn't going anywhere soon and earns more than most. There comes a point, however, where in the next few weeks he needs to make the ultimate step, or we need to accept City and Pep got this one wrong.
Just as Chelsea did with Lukaku. A good player, yes, but in the wrong team and environment.
I'd have loved City to have been scouting someone like Luis Diaz at £37m :(
It's why, as much as I have loved Bellingham and his energy, I even question if I'm right, in terms of his City fit?
If you're playing Grealish in the middle , who are you dropping?I think it’s more a matter of movement than pace that’s our big issue. I also think our issues go way beyond the inclusion of Mahrez and Grealish and they are just convenient scapegoats.
Everyone of our players who started against Everton, bar Haaland, want to receive the ball to feet. None of them make runs to free up space for others to work in. That’s why it’s piss easy to mark our wide players out of the game.
If you look at our goal, it was Grealish’s driving run which drew players towards him which created the initial space for Mahrez. That’s what is lacking in this side, the player who creates space for others. David Silva was the master of it.
I actually think playing Jack centrally could be the solution to this. He shown at Villa that he can keep possession under pressure from multiple defenders and his dribbling ability will naturally create space for others. His best moments in a City shirt have been dribbling through the middle and creating chances.
If you're playing Grealish in the middle , who are you dropping?
If you want to play Grealish in the middle, you are either dropping Kev or shifting him to the right wing. Either way that would weaken the team.Could try a combo of KDB, Grealish and Rodri or Bernardo, Grealish and Rodri.
It’s all a bit pointless. Pep doesn’t want pace on the wings. He wants control and the ability to slow the game. This has been coming for a long time. Remember our away win at Brentford when Phil scored the only goal, pep said then, go at them fast and they will come back at you faster. Our tempo has gradually been getting slower and slower by design. If folk want pace on the wings then either Pep needs to totally change direction or go.
Strangest buy ever Jack Grealish, I like his character but just seemed an odd fit, a player who carried the ball until he gets fouled - max 8 goals in a season...said from day one why him? He was about 26 when we bought him as well! Seemed a PR move to meNail on head.
No plasticy overreaction like Pep/ Txiki/ Laporte/ Ederson out.. just astute observations sir!
You're not the only one with Bellingham reservations.. I've questioned it since he berated his own teammates in Dortmund mid game. We have built our team on harmony.. but he seems like too strong a personality and could create factions.
And everyone loves Cancelo but he's had so many mental errors this season.. and is deservingly benched.
But mental errors seems to be a theme this season.. we've given up goals way too easily and opposition teams know they can just park the bus and hit us on the counter for 1-2 goals.
How long has it been since we managed 3 clean sheets in a row ffs?
Seems we need to fix our defensive and midfield before thinking about 100 mil pound players!
As for pace we found Rico in our academy. We have Borges and Mebude and Ndala. I know Pep doesn't think Borges is right but how about the other 2? They have be at the very least better than Sterling!
Problem is, the most effective players now are those that have electric pace and power...you can be really pragmatic now, have 8 competent hard working intelligent players who are brave as f**k and challenging aggressively when opposition is within 25 yards from goal THEN have 1 - 2 of these 'electric type players'. France have been successful playing this way for years and its translating to club football. Control keeps you in leagues and you don't lose many - Pep's way. Big games, Cup Finals etc..pace and power all the wayThink he's been bothered about losing the CL to Mbappe in 17, Salah in 18, Moussa Dembele in 20, and fucking Kai Havertz in 21 to pace.
He knows our defense isn't pacey so he prefers control vs basketball.
He was bought as cover for Bernardo since Bernardo wanted to leave.Strangest buy ever Jack Grealish, I like his character but just seemed an odd fit, a player who carried the ball until he gets fouled - max 8 goals in a season...said from day one why him? He was about 26 when we bought him as well! Seemed a PR move to me
Bernardo has so much more to his game though - hardly like for like...to me Bernado would be great as no 10..right behind Haaland and Foden...he would probably adapt and play like Erickson when he was at his best for Spuds,,or Hazard at Chelsk...JG couldn't lace these two or Bernado's bootsHe was bought as cover for Bernardo since Bernardo wanted to leave.
What does Bernardo do really well? carry the ball!
Has he ever had 10 goal/ 10 assist season? Nope but he didn't cost 100 mil either.
The last few years liverpool had pace and power, we haven’t. Last few years we’ve won 4 leagues liverpool 1. So pace and power all the way? Not really.Problem is, the most effective players now are those that have electric pace and power...you can be really pragmatic now, have 8 competent hard working intelligent players who are brave as f**k and challenging aggressively when opposition is within 25 yards from goal THEN have 1 - 2 of these 'electric type players'. France have been successful playing this way for years and its translating to club football. Control keeps you in leagues and you don't lose many - Pep's way. Big games, Cup Finals etc..pace and power all the way
It is for one off big games like i said..the league is long marathon of controlso that's why Pep is a genius. It might change to France's way in the league in future..The last few years liverpool had pace and power, we haven’t. Last few years we’ve won 4 leagues liverpool 1. So pace and power all the way? Not really.
Well we want a team built for winning leagues not cups so that’s good. If we win a few cups as well along the way even better.It is for one off big games like i said..the league is long marathon of controlso that's why Pep is a genius. It might change to France's way in the league in future..
It worked with KDB and D Silva as first choice 8s in 2017/18. Bernardo too.If you want to play Grealish in the middle, you are either dropping Kev or shifting him to the right wing. Either way that would weaken the team.
Playing both in the centre would take control of the game away and leave us very vulnerable to counter attacks
agreed but i think like all styles, controlled football may become less effective as pragmatic football is easier to coach and implement. Players become fitter so its easier to get back and close teams down who may be more skillful etc..I thought Deschamps used this system well simply because he doesn't have much time to coach a system to players he rarely gets together..but i think club sides will start using this template in leaguesWell we want a team built for winning leagues not cups so that’s good. If we win a few cups as well along the way even better.