aguerooooo
Well-Known Member
Great post we are the champions and teams are upping there game to beat us
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chesterbells
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 15 Apr 2010
- Messages
- 23,228
Right. Deep breath…
First off, nobody bother calling me a happy clapper, because I’m not fucking happy, and I’m not fucking clapping. Definitely not.
Three defeats in about three weeks. That’s abysmal for a team that has any kind of title pretensions, and there’s no two ways about it. But the thing that’s really doing my head in, I’m having real difficulty putting my hand on my heart and saying that we were actually dominated in any of those three matches. Far from it. Of course, the results say we were. But in fact, at Chelsea, we played them off the park right up until the moment they scored. Even in the second half, in fact, I have it even. That’s the match I saw. Against Palace, we’re clearly dominating them, same against Leicester yesterday. That’s why we go a goal up. Our goals didn’t come out of the blue, they were the result of the sort of patient, precise work that we’ve become famous for. But literally as soon as the other side attacks, it’s a stupid fucking goal (o.k, one world-class goal by Palace, one very, very fine strike by Leicester in the mix). Walker was lousy the other day, Delph made a howling, pub side mistake in his positioning yesterday. But you play as a team. More times than people care to recognise, there was at least one player on the pitch having a poor game even last season. But it was not particularly noticed, because we were playing as a team in every sense of the word. You run for your team-mates; you pass for them; and you cover for them when they make a blunder, which they’re going to do. It’s definitional. That’s what a team is. Simply. We’re not cohering properly as a team at present. But in none of the three matches we’ve just thrown away would I allow that we were dominated, in overall play. That is not an excuse, or a justification for what’s just happened.
I’m not convinced by the Fernandinho argument. Yes, he’s a superb player. Yes, he’s very important in the way we play. Last season, we went through a long period in mid-season without David Silva, who is one of the greatest players in the world, and the best player who’s been at this club. We sailed along, winning all the way. Even without him. If anything, winning for him. One player does not make all that difference. Not in a team as good as ours.
One negative advantage of the situation now is that everything is beautifully simple: if we lose the next two matches (and nobody needs telling what the second one represents), then I honestly think it’s gone. Thirteen points? No, really, not possible. Dippers will drop points here and there, sure. But they’d have to fall off a cliff. And we’d have to win virtually every single match till the end of the season. Do we look like a team that’s going to do that, at present?
So we have to win the next two matches, just to tread water.
Oh, and yes, it’s on another thread. But for me, winning a back to back premier league title is definitely more important than winning the CL (not that that’s not important).
Oh, and one other thing. People are playing out of their skins against us. We are a scalp and and a half. It’s flattering, in a pissing-off kind of way. Chelsea play like demons against us, with Luiz running everywhere, then lose at home straight away (to Leicester). Leicester themselves have been up and down. Palace beat us at our place and draw at their own place to Cardiff! You cannot make this stuff up.
Looks like good Therapy - hope you feel better now ;-)
B\connellblue
Well-Known Member
Ah the old teams up their game against us argument. Do they really? Palace didnt nor did leicester. That's not why we lost. How about poor team selection and poor player performances.
Against Palace and Leicester, when they sat down deep and tight I saw a lack of long shots, except KDB attempts.We’ve been breaching massive (and massed) defences ok, the problem seems to be a) we can’t hold on to the lead, and b) we crumble and the other team grow proportionally when we do concede, and don’t have the fortitude to bounce back - although of course we would’ve at least got a point v Palace if it wasn’t for Walkers rashness
The goals Leicester and Palace scored were fantastic goals. And they defended well. However I agree about team selection and City performancesAh the old teams up their game against us argument. Do they really? Palace didnt nor did leicester. That's not why we lost. How about poor team selection and poor player performances.
steviemc
Well-Known Member
I think below par player performance is the more likely reason. Looking at the the team we put out I'd struggle to suggest the defeat against Leicester was down to poor team selection. Claude Puel would probably rip your hand off to be putting those names on his team sheet.Ah the old teams up their game against us argument. Do they really? Palace didnt nor did leicester. That's not why we lost. How about poor team selection and poor player performances.
mosssideblue
Well-Known Member
For sure I am pissed off, but I don't expect to win every game, so we dust ourselves off and see what we can do. We are a great club with fantastic owners and a great squad - we have far more to be happy at than most other PL clubs.Cheers mate. I think you're as completely pissed off as me at the last 2 results. The CP one was diabolical for a team like ours.
I think many are expecting the team pushing on again after a glorious season last year and need to lash out when it doesn't happen. If life were that simple
stonerblue
Well-Known Member
Merry fucking chrissmuss....
Barry Conlons wig
Well-Known Member
Ah right, was at cross purposes!
They are still half chances at best for me. Not glaring misses (Jesus against Palace late on being the exception)
We have absolutely zero penetration in the box and both Leroy and Raheem are being caught more on the ball because they have zero space to run in to behind the lines, all because the build up to the 18-yard box is just so careful and measured.
Perhaps another indication we are fearful of losing the ball in transition judging by the goals we are conceding.
Sane is virtually always caught on the ball because he has his back to goal way too often, his positioning would make all the difference, even lay a little deeper to allow a through ball and just leave defenders in his wake. He's way too predictable, very rarely if ever does Sane position himself for a through ball.
OB1
Well-Known Member
I would like to see that as I do feel we are being purposely bullied by teams without Fern.
Problem is, Lyon won't be selling anyone in January.
The outlay would be worth it for Ndombele and a left-back.
We needed a replacement for Fern in the summer and nothing has changed. I thought Mendy and Delph would be enough at LB but Mendy's injuries and erratic defending allied with a fall off in Delph's form in that role mean that getting another fit for purpose LB in should be a priority. Unfortunately, I think City will sit on their hands again. I'm a huge admirer of what the club has achieved and how, in may ways it is run, but we are just not ruthless enough (on the pitch and in the transfer market).