Excellent post and a realistic assessment of our current predicament.
Not sure of the stats but top of my head we have won 2 games against top 6 united, aresenal, lost 3 Chelsea, Liverpool and spurs, I think most of the other top 6 (us included obviously) have a similar record, so there it is probably against lower teams in table where we and others except Chelsea are slipping up, only half way through season, pep 5 months and champions league, 10 points adrift of 1st, not sure how far Chelsea were after first 10 games behind, but Chelsea winning games boringly as you do when pundits say that's how you win the league, I would rather see us playing (In general)as we are than park the bus to win 1-0, pep will get it right we just have to be patientWell said!
Chelsea winning games boringly as you do when pundits say that's how you win the league, I would rather see us playing (In general)as we are than park the bus to win 1-0, pep will get it right we just have to be patient
Its something that we can rectify and its not going to take as long as some might think.
Given our poor recruitment in recent transfer markets by and large we were always going to bottom out.
Gone are the days of one or two clubs dominating the premier league.
While Chelsea might well win it this season , next season they may well finish outside the top four.
Yes correct, not seen match of the day but correct me please they were apparently very lucky to win, and last 3/4 games won 1-0Just the four goals for Chelsea today, another three points and a joint record ever number of wins on the bounce. We wouldn't want any of that.
You're living up to your usernameLucky, lucky, lucky. He had no right to do that after only one transfer window. You can't judge a manager until he's spent £500m over three windows, plus fcuk knows how much more on palliatives for displaced players for whom others would bite your hand off.
Yes but that buys the apologists another year. So 2018/19 before we mount more than a feeble challenge.
A few months ago everyone was saying Luiz and Cahill were utter turds. Now they are gold dust and Conte walked into a sinecure.
So what makes you think we will be top four next season?
I think 14 wins on the bounce is more than a bit of luck, 1-0 wins would be very welcome to us right now.....Yes correct, not seen match of the day but correct me please they were apparently very lucky to win, and last 3/4 games won 1-0
Awful first half today. We were much better in the second half, but still lacked a cutting edge. Too many players were off it - Aguero, De Bruyne and Fernandinho, amongst others, had bad days. The less said about Kolarov and, to a lesser extent, Otamendi the better.
Guardiola can do many things as a coach, but instilling a bit of heart and fight into some of them seems a step too far. This was essentially still Pellegrini's team, with the addition of Stones and Bravo, and we fell short again. Big changes are required in the summer. Fortunately the contract situations of many players mean it will, or at least should, happen.
Think we'll see as many as eight players replaced next summer - Caballero, Clichy, Sagna, Zabaleta, Toure, Delph, Navas and possibly Kompany.
This was always going to be a transitional season.
Possibly two more Silva and AgueroAwful first half today. We were much better in the second half, but still lacked a cutting edge. Too many players were off it - Aguero, De Bruyne and Fernandinho, amongst others, had bad days. The less said about Kolarov and, to a lesser extent, Otamendi the better.
Guardiola can do many things as a coach, but instilling a bit of heart and fight into some of them seems a step too far. This was essentially still Pellegrini's team, with the addition of Stones and Bravo, and we fell short again. Big changes are required in the summer. Fortunately the contract situations of many players mean it will, or at least should, happen.
Think we'll see as many as eight players replaced next summer - Caballero, Clichy, Sagna, Zabaleta, Toure, Delph, Navas and possibly Kompany.
This was always going to be a transitional season.
Yes correct, not seen match of the day but correct me please they were apparently very lucky to win, and last 3/4 games won 1-0
Spot onAwful first half today. We were much better in the second half, but still lacked a cutting edge. Too many players were off it - Aguero, De Bruyne and Fernandinho, amongst others, had bad days. The less said about Kolarov and, to a lesser extent, Otamendi the better.
Guardiola can do many things as a coach, but instilling a bit of heart and fight into some of them seems a step too far. This was essentially still Pellegrini's team, with the addition of Stones and Bravo, and we fell short again. Big changes are required in the summer. Fortunately the contract situations of many players mean it will, or at least should, happen.
Think we'll see as many as eight players replaced next summer - Caballero, Clichy, Sagna, Zabaleta, Toure, Delph, Navas and possibly Kompany.
This was always going to be a transitional season.
Not being funny, but we have all seen how Chelsea have won them 13 games, most not deserved, that is what happens in football, records get broken, without playing your best, hence my first post, most pundits say that is how you win leagues, again I will say Pep 5 months, champions league football and transition, be patient , if can't be patient after some of the dross we have witnessed over 30 years we have no hope at all
Oh deary me! The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!
Two TOP teams, with two WORLD CLASS coaches, who knew how to nullify each other's strengths created a game that was short on chances. SHOCKER!
It is clear there was a difference between the two teams...desire to get stuck in and attack the ball...but that still didn't negate the fact that City had 50% more possession, and almost complete control of the second half, but the problem of us breaking down a 10/11 man defence persists. What to do?
10 things:
Firstly, you start by lowering the age of the squad, which Pep is doing, because the game is passing older players by...and we know who they are, but so do other teams!
Secondly, you cultivate the talents of the wide players and you create a system that helps them play to their strengths.
Third, when you pull the opposing defence wide to cover the wingers, you create more space in the holes for the likes of Silva, KDB, Ferni, Yaya, Gundogan, and Aguero/Kelechi.
Fourth, anyone who thought this team, at this time, was going to roll over a Liverpool team in fine form, at Anfield, is naïve at best, deluded at worst.
Fifth, there was ALWAYS going to be six teams vying for four CL positions, and at least two or three of them were going to be fighting for the Champions position.
Sixth, it has taken BOTH Chelsea and Liverpool having their best starts to the Premier League EVER to create some daylight by year's end.
Seventh, City lost today to a team that had ZERO SHOTS ON GOAL....ZERO! They had ONE header on target and scored from it.
Eighth, City had TWO shots on goal, both weak, but created FAR MORE offensive threat over a longer period, even though it amounted to very little cutting edge goal mouth action.
Ninth, EVERY SINGLE FOOTBALL PERSON knows what City's weaknesses are, but today they were exposed for ONE chance that won the game.
Tenth, Pep/Txiki/Ferran will fix it. This is a process, notnthe finished article. We ALL knew this when Pep was hired, and he needs time to adjust, teach, and recruit the quality needed to play the way he wants. That is going to include speed, size (I hope!) and ball playing ability.
It never feels good to lose to a close rival, especially one that you hate and rarely beat, but reading some of the comments on here, anyone would think we were going down and United were going to win the League! FFS, have some context and moderation, otherwise when you do go off, at least it will be considered reasonable and warranted.
Seriously...hard to even bother reading most of the comments, because they are so unnecessarily hysterical.
Oh deary me! The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!
Two TOP teams, with two WORLD CLASS coaches, who knew how to nullify each other's strengths created a game that was short on chances. SHOCKER!
It is clear there was a difference between the two teams...desire to get stuck in and attack the ball...but that still didn't negate the fact that City had 50% more possession, and almost complete control of the second half, but the problem of us breaking down a 10/11 man defence persists. What to do?
10 things:
Firstly, you start by lowering the age of the squad, which Pep is doing, because the game is passing older players by...and we know who they are, but so do other teams!
Secondly, you cultivate the talents of the wide players and you create a system that helps them play to their strengths.
Third, when you pull the opposing defence wide to cover the wingers, you create more space in the holes for the likes of Silva, KDB, Ferni, Yaya, Gundogan, and Aguero/Kelechi.
Fourth, anyone who thought this team, at this time, was going to roll over a Liverpool team in fine form, at Anfield, is naïve at best, deluded at worst.
Fifth, there was ALWAYS going to be six teams vying for four CL positions, and at least two or three of them were going to be fighting for the Champions position.
Sixth, it has taken BOTH Chelsea and Liverpool having their best starts to the Premier League EVER to create some daylight by year's end.
Seventh, City lost today to a team that had ZERO SHOTS ON GOAL....ZERO! They had ONE header on target and scored from it.
Eighth, City had TWO shots on goal, both weak, but created FAR MORE offensive threat over a longer period, even though it amounted to very little cutting edge goal mouth action.
Ninth, EVERY SINGLE FOOTBALL PERSON knows what City's weaknesses are, but today they were exposed for ONE chance that won the game.
Tenth, Pep/Txiki/Ferran will fix it. This is a process, notnthe finished article. We ALL knew this when Pep was hired, and he needs time to adjust, teach, and recruit the quality needed to play the way he wants. That is going to include speed, size (I hope!) and ball playing ability.
It never feels good to lose to a close rival, especially one that you hate and rarely beat, but reading some of the comments on here, anyone would think we were going down and United were going to win the League! FFS, have some context and moderation, otherwise when you do go off, at least it will be considered reasonable and warranted.
Seriously...hard to even bother reading most of the comments, because they are so unnecessarily hysterical.[/QUOTE
Bit of pragmatism there pal, not sure if it will be appreciated but I do understand your argument, hard to see now but calls for Pep's dismissal no matter how it's disguised is ludicrous. We need to give Pep time, he's no fool