Manuel Pellegrini (cont)

[Larry Stranger]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJSEsC0vens[/video]

just by looking at a few goals you can tell the difference in the speed that we passed, moved and broke on teams. A million miles away now.

And a lot of this was because of Negredo who was on fire in the beginning of the season. If he insists on playing a 4-4-2 we must find a replacement who can control the ball well and can also score goals at the same time. Problem is I can't think of any striker at the moment who can play like that.

 

[Shaelumstash]

The intensity has gone. The intensity of pressing, or breaking, of passing. It's like the entire team (Kompany excepted) don't have the petrol in the tank to lift ourselves for 90 minutes. It's been there all season - we have played well in spells, not for 90 minutes. Part of it might be an age thing - some of them around the 30 mark don't seem to have that extra 10%. Ya Ya is the perfect example. He's driving/bossing things a little bit, but not like he was. And it applies to others too. Without Silva this problem is ratcheted up because he's the diamond, the match winner, the one who can carry us.

With regards to the European performacnes, Ithink an element of it is the English game now. It's so diferent from the rest of Europe that all the English teams are looking poor. Moscow, a team who haven't got one player we would buy, looked more comfortable on the ball than us and more intense.

With regards to the manager, he's got a massive test of his character because his back is up against the wall. There's a collective confidence problem with no easy solutions. Of course, buying players is a long term solution but II'm more concerned about this season. Players like Fernando and Fernadinho don't look fit. They don't know whether to stick or twist.Reliable players like Clichy and Zab are giving the ball away. I had no problem with the team he picked last night, or particularly with the changes, although I wouldn't have brought Nasri on for Jovetic. This is not about tactics or formation: there's a wider malaise, and if he doesn't put it right the season is going to be over pretty quickly. Everything that we do well: passing, temp, incisiveness, has gone.

The pressure is on everyone now. By hook or by crook, we have to beat QPR, get to the break and recharge our flat batteries somehow. Mentally and physically.

Do you not think our world class, tactically astute manager will turn it around mate?

 

[Chi-town blues]

The intensity has gone. The intensity of pressing, or breaking, of passing. It's like the entire team (Kompany excepted) don't have the petrol in the tank to lift ourselves for 90 minutes. It's been there all season - we have played well in spells, not for 90 minutes. Part of it might be an age thing - some of them around the 30 mark don't seem to have that extra 10%. Ya Ya is the perfect example. He's driving/bossing things a little bit, but not like he was. And it applies to others too. Without Silva this problem is ratcheted up because he's the diamond, the match winner, the one who can carry us.

With regards to the European performacnes, Ithink an element of it is the English game now. It's so diferent from the rest of Europe that all the English teams are looking poor. Moscow, a team who haven't got one player we would buy, looked more comfortable on the ball than us and more intense.

With regards to the manager, he's got a massive test of his character because his back is up against the wall. There's a collective confidence problem with no easy solutions. Of course, buying players is a long term solution but II'm more concerned about this season. Players like Fernando and Fernadinho don't look fit. They don't know whether to stick or twist.Reliable players like Clichy and Zab are giving the ball away. I had no problem with the team he picked last night, or particularly with the changes, although I wouldn't have brought Nasri on for Jovetic. This is not about tactics or formation: there's a wider malaise, and if he doesn't put it right the season is going to be over pretty quickly. Everything that we do well: passing, temp, incisiveness, has gone.

The pressure is on everyone now. By hook or by crook, we have to beat QPR, get to the break and recharge our flat batteries somehow. Mentally and physically.

Do you not think our world class, tactically astute manager will turn it around mate?

Yup ..we were promised that his experience would take us to promise land in Europe .

That Charming Cueless Arrogant Man

 

[Bill]

anyone think he's a clown yet?

 

[FantasyIreland]

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/talking-tactics-persisting-with-wrong-formation-is-killing-manchester-city-9845216.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foot ... 45216.html</a>
By Danny Higginbottom

City are the only team I’ve seen who are trying to play 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1 at the same time. It’s killing them.

City are set up as a 4-4-2 and the way that system works is well established. In a 4-4-2, one full-back should stay back to ensure there will always be three at the back. But City’s full-backs are attacking like a 4-2-3-1 – both going at the same time and the defensive midfielders join in, too.


If any CSKA scout, before Wednesday’s match, had watched City play West Ham, Newcastle and Manchester United they would have seen exactly the same vulnerability. They are not defending like a 4-4-2. They should be looking to have an attacking six and a defensive four. Instead, they had an attacking eight and a defending two. That means there is simply no protection for the centre-backs and City are most vulnerable when they attack.

It’s obvious they need to be set up as a 4-2-3-1.

I don’t know why Manuel Pellegrini – and presumably also the director of football, Txiki Begiristain – doesn’t see that City’s squad suits 4-2-3-1 incredibly well. All their full-backs are incredibly attack-minded. They have the creative players for a 4-2-3-1, with David Silva on one side, Samir Nasri, Jesus Navas or James Milner on the other and – to my mind – Yaya Youré behind the striker.

They also have the intelligence of Sergio Aguero, who will drop deep to create room in behind for runners or stretch the game himself. They have also spent heavily on defensive midfielders to provide the counterbalance. Why do they persist with the 4-4-2? It’s a mystery to me.

Yaya Touré must be as frustrated as hell.

He is one of the best attacking midfielders in the world, yet he’s being hugely under-utilised. He is taking a lot of the criticism for the way City’s game has dropped off this season but he is being asked to play a role which doesn’t conform to his strengths.

He isn’t a defensive-minded player, yet Pellegrini keeps playing him in the pair in front of defence, where he is expected to demonstrate the defensive side of his game. And then he gets stick when he doesn’t deliver.

It’s not as if City lack defensive midfielders. They’ve bought Fernando and Fernandinho. At one point on Wednesday night, City seemed to see the light. With Fernando and Fernandinho both on the field after half-time, Touré was sent up. But within 20 minutes Fernando was off and Touré was back where he started.

It’s healthy for players to have a little fear of their manager. I don’t see it with these players and Pellegrini.

I expected to see some public criticism from Pellegrini for the players who were sent off. I would certainly have expected that myself. Players know. Every manager I’ve played for would have come out and said that was unacceptable if I’d been sent off at a critical moment like that. Louis van Gaal did it after Chris Smalling’s moments of madness against City last weekend. Pellegrini gave Touré a get-out. He said it might have been “nervousness” in the player. Well, I’m sorry but there should have no get-out.

I felt a healthy fear factor for any manager I respected. Not a physical fear, but a sense that I’d be accountable. Maybe we are not seeing the full picture because Pellegrini doesn’t say much publicly, but I would go so far as to say that there seem to be a few untouchables in this City team.

I keep coming back to City’s lack of Plan B.

We talked about it on these pages last week. City’s Plan A is 4-4-2, their Plan B is frustration. They’ve been behind at half-time under Pellegrini 13 times now and still managed to win only three times, losing the remaining 10.

Teams know what they will get against City. They are sitting deep against them, drawing them in then just hitting them on the counter-attack. As one of the CSKA players said: “We knew that they were going to come against us with big numbers and we knew [as a result] that they are vulnerable in the counter-attacks.” Just as at Newcastle last week, there were no alternative ideas. City looked less likely to score as the game went on

 

[Anonymous]

FFS - can't believe I'm agreeing with Danny Higginbottom but that article is bang on imho.

Please Pellers, wake up and smell the Arabica before it's too fucking late.

 

[Kazzydeyna]

That's a great article and raises some very salient points.

There appears to be no "fear" of the manager from the players. No fear of consequences. That is a recipe for disaster. And it is not the managers fault per se. It is the fault of the Spanish duo. They made it clear two years ago that THEY fear the players and will always take their side against the manager. Any manager.

And it is clear there are some untouchables in our squad. I don't believe that is the managers fault either. I believe it comes from these two.

Love him or hate him, the problems in the club today were borne two years ago when these two idiots sacked Mancini because Dzeko, Hart , et al didn't like being asked to train hard. That set a precedent with the squad and any subsequent manager(s) as the players knew they wagged the dog. Get rid of MP, it doesn't matter. The next fella will have the same set of problems eventually.

They even allowed the guy who assisted the guy who assisted the guy that washes the teams socks to have an influence on wether the manager stays or goes the minute they took any notice of the fact that they were upset that they didn't always get an "hello" every day.

These two are a major threat to our club.

You can sack as many managers as you want, but if these two stay then you're not solving any problems. Pellers is a decent guy, and clearly a decent manager as last season showed. But if he is being told to play 442 at all costs it's not his fault if it goes wrong.

Save our season? Simple. Sack the Spanish two. Now.

 

[waspish]

Overreaction bullshit ^^^^^

 

[mosssideblue]

anyone think he's a clown yet?

NO!. He has put teams out that should have mullered the opposition, not his fault if they cannot be arsed.

He is due some stick for some games, but on the whole, the players should look in the mirror.

 

[grim up north]

That's a great article and raises some very salient points.

There appears to be no "fear" of the manager from the players. No fear of consequences. That is a recipe for disaster. And it is not the managers fault per se. It is the fault of the Spanish duo. They made it clear two years ago that THEY fear the players and will always take their side against the manager. Any manager.

And it is clear there are some untouchables in our squad. I don't believe that is the managers fault either. I believe it comes from these two.

Love him or hate him, the problems in the club today were borne two years ago when these two idiots sacked Mancini because Dzeko, Hart , et al didn't like being asked to train hard. That set a precedent with the squad and any subsequent manager(s) as the players knew they wagged the dog. Get rid of MP, it doesn't matter. The next fella will have the same set of problems eventually.

They even allowed the guy who assisted the guy who assisted the guy that washes the teams socks to have an influence on wether the manager stays or goes the minute they took any notice of the fact that they were upset that they didn't always get an "hello" every day.

These two are a major threat to our club.

You can sack as many managers as you want, but if these two stay then you're not solving any problems. Pellers is a decent guy, and clearly a decent manager as last season showed. But if he is being told to play 442 at all costs it's not his fault if it goes wrong.

Save our season? Simple. Sack the Spanish two. Now.

Seriously