Manuel Pellegrini (cont)

[tolmie's hairdoo]

A perfect storm has been contrived, and we've simply not been able to wing it.

We've been doing it since the day that ball left Aguero's foot.

Due to the restrictions imposed on the club by UEFA, the owners thought we could get away with treading water, adding family staples to the small supply of fine foods we had previously bought.

Baked beans taste fine and dandy, every now and again. What they don't taste great with is being slopped on the same plate as caviar.

We have put together an ill-conceived menu for the last 24 months and much as I love our owner and chairman for everything they have done so far, I would now urge them to take stock of what they really want out of this association?

If it is to win friends and influence people, they are shit out of luck. They have enabled Manchester City, of previous ridicule, to bring out the very worst of British and European traits - envy and spite of someone else's success.

They have allowed their eye to be taken off the ball, trying to jump through hoops, in the hope of presenting a more acceptable, watered-down threat to the so-called establishment of the game.

Mancini, for all his faults, and he had many, knew that a team that had come from nowhere, still needed to spend on the very best, however vulgar it may be perceived by people who will never find City acceptable, regardless of what we do off the pitch.

Mancini managed his final season with one hand tied behind his back and cut his throat with the other one.

I could not believe the team when it was announced last night, although was relieved to see Pellegrini make the correct decisions at half time in replacing the appalling Jovetic and Navas, in terms of addressing an extra man in the middle and also trying to introduce Nasri's ball retention.

But to then undo that thought process by taking off Fernando pretty much summed up the manager's state of confusion this season. He is wasting substitutions because he is simply not setting the team up with the correct platform from the outset.

I stand by what I observed on Sunday, the removal of Milner against United was tactical naivety in the extreme.

Sadly, results dictate, but this current group of 'over-ripe' players won't allow me to be fooled for a second time, with or without David Silva, they should be good enough to beat the majority of cannon-fodder.

Pellegrini, if he can somehow make it through to January, needs a frank discussion with Khaldoon and Begirsitain. He should not be made the patsy for players such as Clichy, Fernandinho, Dzeko, Nasri and Jovetic.

Perhaps Pellegrini does deserve the absolute backing from Abu Dhabi to address the weaknesses in this squad, regardless of cost?

I'm on the fence if Manuel has it in him, but the solution remains the same, somebody needs to decide if they want City to wither on the vine, or go again, regardless of the consequences.

I think most blues would accept the trade-off being expelled from Champions League football for a year if the result is a couple of hundred million (and that's what it will take) to set a City team up for the next five-year cycle.

You can only be a nice guy for so long, or it starts to stink of weakness.

 

[BlueAnorak]

Bang on Tolmie

 

[Anonymous]

Question is, if we replicate anything like last night in the league, at what point do they pull the trigger?

 

[jollylescott]

Just his picking of the team silva in the league cup how Brain dead decision was that plus the 2 in midfield and not given youth a chance pisses me Of big time

Crazy decision and has cost us.

The fact we didn't even have one young player on the bench for that game says it all.

And following that up, Pozo had played very well in his only appearance for the senior team. It's an aspect of MP's leadership that I don't understand. There are a couple of others players in the EDS squad that could flourish if given a chance. That's what happened with Sterling. He was given a chance and he took it.

 

[BillyShears]

I won't quote it, but Tolmie that's a fucking cracking post and bang on the money.

We need to throw out the over ripe players first and foremost. If Pellegrini goes so we can implant a manager with the force of character to push further i'm all for it, but there's only two men who fit that bill, Klopp and Pep. Anyone, and I mean literally anyone else, including Ancelotti, will be treading water.

As I said to you we don't want the 100 million pound training complex to become a giant white elephant. We need the next manager to truly be someone who reflects the long term vision of the club as well as the short term results.

 

[BlueAnorak]

Question is, if we replicate anything like last night in the league, at what point do they pull the trigger?

I think non qualification for the CL group stages will decide that one. Even if, by some miracle, we qualify I think Pellers has to answer the same questions that Hughes did.

 

[BlueMoonz1977]

The only issue for me is that Pellers will not change or adapt his formation. That statement says we will continue to carry on our way and we will not change.

For anyone who has played any kind of sport, if you are set up in a way to play your opponent and it is fundamentally the same way week in week out, and that it starts to not work and gets found out, you are looking to your manager, coach or whoever is in charge of looking after you to adapt and make changes to counter your opponent.

If no change takes place but you as the player on the pitch, court etc can see something needs to give you become frustrated and your form will dip. Especially if this is happening over the course of weeks, because you will approach those games under the emphasis that you are aware that the current setup has not been working.

James Milner gave an interview that was aired last night before the game, it talked about the approach Pellegrini takes in that we will not change the way we play, if we are winning or losing. That to me shows a plan A, but no plan B.

I think in Pellegrini it would be a mistake to not change the team formation this weekend. If we go out again with 4-4-2 and there is no improvement in the players attitude or desire then for me that would be a massive statement from the players that would be directed in terms of belief in his approach.

This would be very unfortunate because I actually like Pellegrini, just not his stubbornness it seems in terms of his approach towards opponents.

 

[moomba]

I think most blues would accept the trade-off being expelled from Champions League football for a year

Being expelled from the champions league wouldnt bother me one bit. For any period of time.

Presume it would bother the powers that be so I can't see it happen. If they decided to go for it I'd prefer we just say we're ot going to enter rather than UEFA do their best. Wish we'd gone down that path in the summer to be honest.

 

[BillyShears]

Question is, if we replicate anything like last night in the league, at what point do they pull the trigger?

I think non qualification for the CL group stages will decide that one.

I'll say it once more but i find it inconceivable that Pellegrini will lose his job if we finish the season in the top 3. For me the only people who think that are those who haven't really paid attention to the way Abu Dhabi/Khaldoon work.

I also haven't give up hope of winning the title, not by a long stretch. Yes we can lose ourselves in the misery of last night's garbage, but for better or for worse there's enough players in our dressing who do have the skill and the professional pride required to get themselves up for the premier league challenge ahead.

 

[Kazzydeyna]

A perfect storm has been contrived, and we've simply not been able to wing it.

We've been doing it since the day that ball left Aguero's foot.

Due to the restrictions imposed on the club by UEFA, the owners thought we could get away with treading water, adding family staples to the small supply of fine foods we had previously bought.

Baked beans taste fine and dandy, every now and again. What they don't taste great with is being slopped on the same plate as caviar.

We have put together an ill-conceived menu for the last 24 months and much as I love our owner and chairman for everything they have done so far, I would now urge them to take stock of what they really want out of this association?

If it is to win friends and influence people, they are shit out of luck. They have enabled Manchester City, of previous ridicule, to bring out the very worst of British and European traits - envy and spite of someone else's success.

They have allowed their eye to be taken off the ball, trying to jump through hoops, in the hope of presenting a more acceptable, watered-down threat to the so-called establishment of the game.

Mancini, for all his faults, and he had many, knew that a team that had come from nowhere, still needed to spend on the very best, however vulgar it may be perceived by people who will never find City acceptable, regardless of what we do off the pitch.

Mancini managed his final season with one hand tied behind his back and cut his throat with the other one.

I could not believe the team when it was announced last night, although was relieved to see Pellegrini make the correct decisions at half time in replacing the appalling Jovetic and Nasri, in terms of addressing an extra man in the middle and also trying to introduce Nasri's ball retention.

But to then undo that thought process by taking off Fernando pretty much summed up the manager's state of confusion this season. He is wasting substitutions because he is simply not setting the team up with the correct platform from the outset.

I stand by what I observed on Sunday, the removal of Milner against United was tactical naivety in the extreme.

Sadly, results dictate, but this current group of 'over-ripe' players won't allow me to be fooled for a second time, with or without David Silva, they should be good enough to beat the majority of cannon-fodder.

Pellegrini, if he can somehow make it through to January, needs a frank discussion with Khaldoon and Begirsitain. He should not be made the patsy for players such as Clichy, Fernandinho, Dzeko, Nasri and Jovetic.

Perhaps Pellegrini does deserve the absolute backing from Abu Dhabi to address the weaknesses in this squad, regardless of cost?

I'm on the fence if Manuel has it in him, but the solution remains the same, somebody needs to decide if they want City to wither on the vine, or go again, regardless of the consequences.

I think most blues would accept the trade-off being expelled from Champions League football for a year if the result is a couple of hundred million (and that's what it will take) to set a City team up for the next five-year cycle.

You can only be a nice guy for so long, or it starts to stink of weakness.

Best post I seen on here for a long time.