Manuel Pellegrini (cont)

[MeatHunterrr]

We are not evolving or learning from our mistakes.

This is the biggest issue. Every game, virtually the same problems you can see time after time. (e.g huge gaps between midfield and defence, especially in CL) I just can't understand that, only explanation is that they (coaches) brush all the problems under the carpet and hope problems will fix itself.

 

[waspish]

Look at how Spurs broke down Arsenal park bus from 0-1 that was quality pace skilful play and never got disheartened they kept it up playing the same way, Spurs are looking a very good team..

 

[baildon blue]

Yesterdays team selection was all wrong .
The midfield was the massive problem yesterday .
I still don't understand why he didn't play the same team he had at Chelsea .
As for Dzeko he spent more time on the wing than the box .

 

[Robinho's Subbuteo]

If we don't win the league, he's gone because we aren't winning the Champs League that's for sure.

 

[mcfcphil]

He keeps saying we need to "return to our normal performance".
Against Chelsea we get back to our normal level of performance then the next game he drops two outstanding performers (navas and milner) and changes formation.
Absolutely staggering.
yesterday should have been the same team that played at Chelsea no questions asked.

 

[Petetheblu]

Watching us over the few months I can't help but think we need to do two things,

1, strengthen our defence so...

2, we can play in our own half and invite teams on to us more so to create gaps. Watching teams like Pep's Barca (thats the team we seem to want to emulate?) they often played just out of there half around the 45 to 70 yard area, this leaves gaps between the defenders and the keeper to exploit. I think the likes of navas and kun would have a field day. Also the slow build wouldn't matter as any through ball would be lethal.

 

[Damanino]

Last thing we should do when facing parkthe bus teams that we waste complete first half with basically zero shot on target.

Did this against Hull and Arsenal too. Probably Stoke game was similar. 45 minutes gone and we are probably already behind thanks to the mess of a defending we have. But yet no shot on target, no testing their keeper, passing out ourselves from shooting chances. Its a pattern and comes from manager for sure.

Then when he doesnt like it, how can we raise tempo and our game and be dangerous after 60th minute only of course when the house is burning already? Does the manager corrects his mistakes tactically with subs and mentally wakes them up only and hour late?

Wold teams be able to keep a clean sheet if we would start extremely high tempo from the kickoff? think we would be able to score early goals that way and bring opponent out, dont let them sit back unless they like our 1-0 lead with a 5th minute goal...

But apart from passing it around in first 10 minutes between Kompany-Navas-Nasri, back to Fernando and out for throw in we dont test their defence/keeper at all.

Its a pattern.

Btw we simply dont raise our game much vs lesser sides, we really raised when we play United, Chelsea, but then comes Hull, Burnley, Stoke and we just go trough the motion most of the game expecting a win will come. Well no, a win doesnt come and our home record is now probably gonna be worse than in 2012-2013under Mancini where we finished on 14-3-2 record.
Now we are on 7-3-2 so must win 7 remaining at home to match that. And that was hardly a great performance to match...

Also the fact hurts that Soton, Chelsea, Arsenal, MU all scored more goals at home than us this season. How is that?

I am 00% sure we gonna face 4-5 park the bus teams still in the last 7 home league games. Maybe all 7 gonna be doing that tactics. We hardly will score 3-4 goals in them. Also we hardly gonna make clean sheets so at least 2-3 goals needs to be scored to win anywa. We put that pressure on ourselves by the awful defending.

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

Can see a lot more people noticing what a few of us have been saying for a few months

And yet we were hounded out for having those opinions, only on Bluemoon

I think a few people have invested so much praise in Pellegrini that they can no longer see the wood from the trees

Gotta love Bluemoon. Barring the rags and Taggart, and the Arse and Wenger, virtually every manager falters and gets the sack eventually, and sure as eggs is eggs, out come the trumpeting experts - gainfully employed as bank tellers, hairdressers and scaffolders - to tell us they knew it all along, but were mercilessly hounded out of Bluemoon for their beliefs, like Jews from the Pale of Settlement.

You made a statement wishing that other posters would put forward an alternative to the 'we nee to show more passion' brigade, to which I replied. I'm not desperate for you to answer my post, desperate to be proved right and I'm definitely not a 'trumpeting expert', but that team selection was wrong in my eyes and I've explained why. I could be ripped apart for my lack of football knowledge from those that are in a far greater position to dissect such footballing conundrums, and that's fine. However, your descent into the ''trumpeting experts' routine, especially when considering this is a forum for discussion, is bemusing to say the least.

The bemusement is mine, because I was referring neither to you, nor about you! I have no issue with your post whatsoever.

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

To be honest mate, unless Pep suddenly quits as Bayern coach, Pellegrini's going absolutely nowhere this summer. Far too many people aren't really taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. Yes yesterday was a bad bad day, and yes we've had too many of those this season, but Pellegrini has the respect of the people who back him or sack him. I don't for one moment envisage a scenario where they go "hey lets sack him for finishing 2nd/3rd - it's not good enough". He may well have a "not good enough" season, but he'll get another chance to fix it. Especially as I suspect there'll be an influx of players who can actually change the pace and tempo of a game come the summer.

I would agree with that mate but if this malaise continues and top 4 does become a worry he will get the boot but then it falls on Txiki because as Exeter says, rightly so, we have coaches not managers and they are being given tools to work with rather than being allowed to pick their own and more to the point, they are being told how to do the job.

This is like ground hog day all over again and Bobs final season.

He still got it so wrong yesterday its untrue, the first 45 was horrific given the talent out on that pitch, horrific.

I think fears about the top 4 are utterly unfounded. The players won't have woken up this morning to given up on the title. I won't repeat the same 'we won it from behind before' mantra, but I will say that there's only two teams capable of going on a 13/14 match unbeaten run in this league. Us and Chelsea.

Maybe we won't win the title, but we won't be slipping further down the league table. That's just a irrational reaction to yesterday's poor performance.

I'd be more worried if that type of performance was put in against Chelsea last weekend or against Barca in the upcoming CL fixture. We've always know that this collection of players have that kind of 2nd gear performance in them, especially at home against inferior opposition. The manager has to take a huge share of the responsibility for not eradicating that complacency and lack of urgency but it's not something which makes me think "oh no we're going to finish 3rd/4th".

I'm happy we've got another match coming round quickly. We need a win, then we need Yaya back and Bony in the side so we can stop playing the Balkans.

It's not just yesterday's performance though is it? It's every game since Christmas. Burnley, Sunderland, Wednesday, Everton, Arsenal, Boro, Chelsea and Hull. That's 8 games, and we've played well and exhibited any kind of control in just one (Chelsea), plus the first 45 in another (Everton). The rest have followed a pattern of shoddy defending and inability to break down parked buses. There's been nothing in those games that makes me think Leicester, West Brom, Palace etc, will be any different, Ya Ya returning or not.

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

Can see a lot more people noticing what a few of us have been saying for a few months

And yet we were hounded out for having those opinions, only on Bluemoon

I think a few people have invested so much praise in Pellegrini that they can no longer see the wood from the trees

Gotta love Bluemoon. Barring the rags and Taggart, and the Arse and Wenger, virtually every manager falters and gets the sack eventually, and sure as eggs is eggs, out come the trumpeting experts - gainfully employed as bank tellers, hairdressers and scaffolders - to tell us they knew it all along, but were mercilessly hounded out of Bluemoon for their beliefs, like Jews from the Pale of Settlement.

Surely you can see the irony in that line

Not me playing the "Look at me, I've been saying it for months" card, is it?