I agree with points one and 2 but not with point 3.
Bony could have been used to allow us to try something different. It was clear that our slow passing build up play was having zero positive effect and Bony could have given us the option to become a bit more direct and try something different. It's not that I think he deserved to play but it may have given their defence a different problem to deal with if we had thrown the ball into the box for Bony and Iheanacho in the last 10-15 mins. Having said that, when we play Bony we don't tend to change our style of play anyway (partly the reason he has been so ineffective for us) so it probably wouldn't have made any difference. I just hate to see us continuing to try something that clearly isn't working.
1. Sterling doesn't deserve to start, but we needed width. Toure could have been a great impact sub in the second half. Him starting was especially questionable since he was fresh off of an injury. Personally I would have tried Iheanacho on the wing but its not like we have options at the moment.
2. Fernando too is out of his depth, but Delph is much more creative and they are on a similar level.
3. Bony is the only only target man we have. It was him or no one. None of the changes Pelle made impacted the game. Bony could have been a hit or a miss, but it would have been something different. Neither Aguero nor Iheanacho can do what he can. We need to play to strengths, not focus on weaknesses. With Bony in the box at least there would have been someone to shoot long balls at.
Basically with Bony up top, Navas and Sterling on the wings and Iheanacho or Aguero roaming the area, it would be great to swing in crosses, deliver long balls and at least try to cause some chaos. Instead we side passed the last 10 minutes.
I suspect Sagna, Clichy and Navas will be in Guardiola's squad too. Possibly Mangala and Fernando. I can't see us making 10+ changes to the squad in window.
Suddenly expecting us to start using Bony effectively, in a Champs Lg semi final, is stretching the imagination imo.
It's something we should have been working on all season, but haven't. We play exactly the same with him as if he was Silva or DeBruyne.
Yeah, along with Barca, Munich, PSG, Chelsea and Arsenal.Perhaps the Europa league is more our level.
Bony, as he was when he came to City, could have played for Bayern v Atlectico on Tues & might easily have won them the game. The Bayern strikers finishing was abysmal. They must have played 30 balls in, exactly the kind Bony dreams of. That's tiki taki Pep's team, pummelling crosses in & it causing havoc.
But we are above that kind of football & wouldn't dream of playing balls into a centre forward, especially in the air. We just aim for the 6 yard box, along the ground, with our striker stood on the far side behind 3 defenders & the keeper or outside the penalty area.
And we repeat this over & over, week in week out, because sooner or later it will surely work.
Bony wouldn't have got a single ball if he'd come on & would end up hiding in midfield with Aguero.