LAWRO / CITY fragile and easy to beat

[DontLookBackInAnger]

I think any team in the top flight watching us last night would feel pretty good about playing us over the weekend. I think we are due a real killing somewhere with the way we are playing and it wouldn't shock me if everyone doesn't have one eye on Thursday.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

City have no physical presence up front which puts them on the back foot away from home, and makes them fragile and easy to beat.

It's that obvious even lawro can spot it.

 

[blueonblue]

We may just get a draw because Liverpuddle miss so many, we might even score because of the pace in the team, but I have seen nothing to give me any hope of a team preformance so its down to fortune.

The only hope is that the owners will finally see Hughes as the numpty he is and fire his sorry ar*e.

 

[Anonymous]

Having no physical presence up front is a poor excuse in my opinion ...... how much height or physical presence up front did the all conquering Brazilian side of 1970 have ?

Yet they had little trouble did they ?

Or in maintaining a 'presence' up front ...... because their mobile , skilful players were both diminutive and elusive ..... they were comfortable on the ball , in any area of the pitch , and they merely played to their strengths ...... they were , in short , a complete nightmare to mark!

And what good did leaving three men up at our opponents corner kicks do us last night ?

They scored from a corner because we really didn't have a clue how to mark up their remaining outfield players who were in our area!


It's all about moving the ball at speed on the floor , running positively OFF the ball , accurate first-time passing , knowing when to release the ball , and playing to your strengths ....... you don't need height to do that , but you do need skill and good judgement ...... and it's that what City lack , we don't have enough of it ...... that's why far too many of our passes go astray , and far too many of our forward moves break down !

Liverpool may well get the better of us .... even if we match them for effort , their superior passing movements and running off the ball might well wear us down ....... but City really need to wake up or we'll never win an away game anywhere , ever again!

A lack of focus , and a lack of concentration cost us bigtime both at Fratton Park , and in Copenhagen last night ....... Hughes says he was 'happy' with the draw , but he sure as hell didn't look to be on the telly ....... it's an excuse , like all the others , and he's got to sort this lot out!

 

[Ajay]

I know you are going to laugh but I have a funny feeling that we are going to win 2-1 :)

 

[Rammyblues]

Unfortunately Lawro is spot on although I think we may concede more goals than he is predicting. Doom and gloom.

 

[Bigga]

Having no physical presenece up front is a poor excuse in my opinion ...... how much height or physical presence up front did the all conquering Brazilian side of 1970 have ?

Yet they had little trouble did they ?

Or in maintaining a 'presence' up front ...... because their skilful players were both diminutive and elusive ..... and they merely played to their strengths!


It's all about moving the ball at speed on the floor , running positively OFF the ball , accurate first-time passing , knowing when to release the ball , and playing to your strengths ....... you don't need height to do that , but you do need skill and good judgement ...... and it's that what City lack , we don't have enough of it ...... that's why far too many of our passes go astray , and far too many of our forward moves break down !

Liverpool may well get the better of us .... even if we match them for effort , their superior passing movements might well wear us down ....... but City really need to wake up or we'll never win an away game anywhere , ever again!

A lack of focus , and a lack of concentration cost us bigtime both at Fratton Park , and in Copenhagen last night ....... Hughes says he was 'happy' with the draw , but he sure as hell didn't look to be on the telly ....... it's an excuse , like all the others , and he's got to sort this lot out!

To be honest you beat me to a similar thought I had, just reading the OP. Our main problem isn't defence OR attack, it's the middle. Believe it or not(and believe me I can't believe I'm saying this, but...) we could do with a *choke!* Joey Barton type player willing to drive through midfields and take the battle to teams, rather than keep playing possession sideways to right backs or left backs that tend to pass it inside to CBs who then either pass it to the keeper or pump it forward themselves!! What's the fooking point of that happening all the time??

Kompany, De Jong and, to some degree Zabaleta, are all SIMILAR type players in the middle of the park. It's frustrating to watch. It's only Zabs, of late, that has made the effort to cross in the opposition's last third. That's not good enough.

If Hughes WANTS his two def mids, then he'll have go 3 at the back and allow a creative mid in front of the def mids, cos he HAS to get more creative up front, in my eyes. Ireland or Elano for that position.

 

[Anonymous]

To be honest you beat me to a similar thought I had, just reading the OP. Our main problem isn't defence OR attack, it's the middle. Believe it or not(and believe me I can't believe I'm saying this, but...) we could do with a *choke!* Joey Barton type player willing to drive through midfields and take the battle to teams, rather than keep playing possession sideways to right backs or left backs that tend to pass it inside to CBs who then either pass it to the keeper or pump it forward themselves!! What's the fooking point of that happening all the time??

Kompany, De Jong and, to some degree Zabaleta, are all SIMILAR type players in the middle of the park. It's frustrating to watch. It's only Zabs, of late, that has made the effort to cross in the opposition's last third. That's not good enough.

If Hughes WANTS his two def mids, then he'll have go 3 at the back and allow a creative mid in front of the def mids, cos he HAS to get more creative up front, in my eyes. Ireland or Elano for that position.

Agreed ..... i do like Kompany , he was argueably our best player last night , and is excellent at breaking up play , and he plays a mean pass too on occasion .

Zabaletas move to midfield has been a revelation ..... he gave Copenhagen problems all night with his moves into their territory , and he's given us an extra dimension when we go forward ........ although , as with kompany , some of his passing can be wayward at times.

It's all about creating the right combination in midfied , and we really need to be going to places like Anfield with a midfield trio that both compliment each other , and are totally comfortable with each other ...... and most of all that they have the confidence to actually DO what they are good at ...... because that's all that Brazilian midfield did in that great 1970 side , and it's all that the rags do now ....... players like Carrick and Scholes just do the simple things well , but most of all they rarely waste a ball!

Too many sideways or backwards passes at a place like Anfield will eventually land up with you getting caught out ....... City need to move the ball forward with precision and pace before Liverpool manage to break up our play , or snap into the tackle ........ and with the players that liverpool have , and the way they play , we're gonna really need our midfield on song ....... they'll most likely be needed to both provide the odd chances that may fall our way , and also to protect what's likely to be a very busy City back line!

 

[mrjds777]

I don't know why everyone has written us off. I know the table doesn't lie but i honestly think if you take out Gerrard, Torres (and to some extent Carragher and Reina) you've got a team about as good as West Ham, or Fulham. With Gerrard and Alonso missing I really think we can get something.

As Hughes rightly pointed out, they aren't going to sit back at home, and with space behind the defence to exploit I really think we will make a fair few chances. Not having the presence upfront shouldn't matter too much, Carragher is pretty slow for a centre back, so one through ball played through their high line to Bellamy, Robinho or SWP will lead to a clear cut chance for sure.

I think this is going to be our best chance to get points away against any of the bigger teams in the premiership, I'm going for a city victory. If we do get annihilated then I'll stop voicing my opinion.

But I think we're going to do well away from home on Sunday (I know that claim sounds pretty riduclous).

 

[Rorz88]

good to see loads of positivity going into this weekends game, FFS!!! come on lads, lets hammer them!! this is a very average team, without gerrard, torres and alonso!!