Rammy Blue
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 23 May 2008
- Messages
- 30,300
Mister Appointment said:Exeter Blue I am here said:OB1 said:Be boring if we agreed on everything but we don't because you have mostly crap taste in music ;-)
What we do agree on is that you flap too much. However, I will not pretend that I am not concerned by our form this season and the similarities to our last title defence season, which will, in part, bring me back to questioning the mentality of some of our players.
As to today, I was not concerned or surprised by his team selection and until they scored, City were comfortable, despite being pressed: the Hammers barely touched the ball up to that point. The goal, which was a combination of poor defending and officiating, rocked City and boosted West Ham.
The question mark against Pellegrini today, for me, was did he respond quickly enough to the way that the game went away from us? He did make tactical adjustments and we did get back on top but then failed to take our chances.
I agree that the game evolves and City and Pellegrini have to evolve with it. I also sympathise with your view on club style to a degree but I do not think what City are looking for in that regard is so rigid as to be a problem and has far more pluses to it than minuses.
I repeat that Pellegrini and Co have to find answers to our current under-performance but we should afford them some time to do so. Tactics will need to be adapted and I am damn sure that, to get to where we want to go, the playing staff will need to be continually upgraded but some things cannot be done overnight.
Our next game will presumably see a very different line-up so let's see how they get on.
Hope you're right about that last sentence, cos we can't go on picking Fernando and Ya Ya together and expecting anything other than a ghastly, lumbering mess. Quite apart from anything else, we're surely slowly shattering Mangala's confidence, having that a human sieve in front of him every week. All the opposition has to do at the moment is stick an extra man in the engine room and work hard to beat us. Stoke and West Ham represent 6 points pissed away, largely by Pellegrini. Fernandinho, relatively poor though he has been this season, has to come back in, and in all honesty I'd stick Milner alongside him. We need to get back to basics, protect the back 4 properly, and take it from there.
What I live in terminal dread of at the moment is an injury to Silva, and I think in January we've got to add some pace to that midfield. Given that we are up to the limit on overseas players (and I again lament the decision to bring in Caballero) they're either gonna have to be English, or we're gonna have to sell someone - Navas currently gets my vote
I agree about Mangala looking panic stricken at times but that's as much to do with the fact that whoever the full back is on that side they're prone to an aberration defensively.
I don't really think this Toure situation is about finding ways to shoe horn him in the side. Whether we play 4231 or 4222 Toure plays in the two in midfield not further forward because if you're sacrificing a striker then Silva plays the number 10 role. I can't argue we looked much more balanced when Jovetic came on and at the moment that gets my vote for the Derby. No Toure, Fernandinho and Fernando, Silva, Milner, Jovetic, Aguero. If for no other reason than Toure needs a wake up call.
No chance he'll leave Yaya out of the derby, not a fucking prayer.
If we play a 4-2-3-1 then I don't think it matters where Yaya plays, he's either deep so pulling the strings with his passing range or he's behind the striker where he doesn't have to track back. Win, win, imo.