Manuel Pellegrini

[supercity88]

Sorry folks, just how I feel at the moment. We don't look anywhere near our best at present. Previous Derby results mean nothing. Last season's results mean nothing. It's all about where we are now and right now we look apathetic, naive and even aimless for spells of games.

The manager seems content to sit on his hands and stroke his chin for too long before seeing we are getting exploited on the left or overrun in midfield.

I think if we turn up for the derby with this same mentality, attitude or approach we will cop a shoeing.

More than delighted to have a litre of custard with my humble pie if proved wrong but I just cannot see it being the case as things currently stand.

I understand that some people will simply be pessimistic because it's in the nature of many city fans. However read what has just been posted by Pablo zzz and look at those results. Now think again about your comments dismissing Pellegrini's tactics. Let's be honest, he doesn't sit there stroking his chin and doing nothing. He recognises when things need to change but he has faith in the team he picks and a lot of our play results in the opposition eventually tiring and the goals coming. The way we play does lead to chances being conceded. But it also leads to a lot more being created and when we take those chances we win. At 1-0 down we were playing well and hit the cross bar a couple of times. The goal wasn't far away and we showed that when we responded to going 2-0 down straight away. I think people need to give him credit for his tactics in actual fact because you can count on one hand the number of times he has got it wrong when options were available to him.

 

[Anonymous]

Again, last season no longer matters a jot. It's like when Talksport were banging on about Liverpool having never lost to Real Madrid - it's 'iztree and irrelevant to today's situation.

This season we are averaging 1.8 points per game. That's not title winning form currently and that tells me going into the Derby that all is not well compared to how high the bar is set at City these days.

0.6 points per game in the Champions League tells the same story.

Could you argue that he has been sussed out now?

There is something not right at the club at the moment. We've not clicked/gelled yet - normally the manager shoulders that one. The tactics this season seem to have been sussed out - even by no less a luminary as BFS; normally the manager shoulders that one.

We've strengthened in areas that we all acknowledged needed it but we aren't getting the return we need; normally the manager shoulders that one.

Maybe we've been spoiled but at the moment it is not good enough and not the way I'd like us to be going into a game against the shite.

 

[aguero93:20]

Again, last season no longer matters a jot. It's like when Talksport were banging on about Liverpool having never lost to Real Madrid - it's 'iztree and irrelevant to today's situation.

This season we are averaging 1.8 points per game. That's not title winning form currently and that tells me going into the Derby that all is not well compared to how high the bar is set at City these days.

0.6 points per game in the Champions League tells the same story.

Could you argue that he has been sussed out now?

There is something not right at the club at the moment. We've not clicked/gelled yet - normally the manager shoulders that one. The tactics this season seem to have been sussed out - even by no less a luminary as BFS; normally the manager shoulders that one.

We've strengthened in areas that we all acknowledged needed it but we aren't getting the return we need; normally the manager shoulders that one.

Maybe we've been spoiled but at the moment it is not good enough and not the way I'd like us to be going into a game against the shite.

Yep, Yaya's played like a crippled kitten apart from the last 15 minutes of the West Ham game and it's hurt us badly, look how well we played against Spurs when he was on the bench. Hopefully he's turned a fucking corner now.

 

[GaudinoMotors]

Again, last season no longer matters a jot. It's like when Talksport were banging on about Liverpool having never lost to Real Madrid - it's 'iztree and irrelevant to today's situation.

This season we are averaging 1.8 points per game. That's not title winning form currently and that tells me going into the Derby that all is not well compared to how high the bar is set at City these days.

0.6 points per game in the Champions League tells the same story.

Could you argue that he has been sussed out now?

There is something not right at the club at the moment. We've not clicked/gelled yet - normally the manager shoulders that one. The tactics this season seem to have been sussed out - even by no less a luminary as BFS; normally the manager shoulders that one.

We've strengthened in areas that we all acknowledged needed it but we aren't getting the return we need; normally the manager shoulders that one.

Maybe we've been spoiled but at the moment it is not good enough and not the way I'd like us to be going into a game against the shite.

We have provided back-up but as yet I don't think we strenghened - yet to be proved wrong hopefully.

 

[hgblue]

Sorry folks, just how I feel at the moment. We don't look anywhere near our best at present. Previous Derby results mean nothing. Last season's results mean nothing. It's all about where we are now and right now we look apathetic, naive and even aimless for spells of games.

The manager seems content to sit on his hands and stroke his chin for too long before seeing we are getting exploited on the left or overrun in midfield.

I think if we turn up for the derby with this same mentality, attitude or approach we will cop a shoeing.

More than delighted to have a litre of custard with my humble pie if proved wrong but I just cannot see it being the case as things currently stand.

He'll drop Dzeko for Jovetic, Navas for Milner and Clichy for Kolarov, and we'll beat them comfortably.

 

[GStar]

I've undoubtedly not got much to add. But here goes:

Manuel's insistence in setting our squad up to play 442, without any regard for how our opponents play is costing us points.

Roma was a prime example, they have quick wide players and a 5 man midfield, why would we play a four man midfield with Silva/Milner on the wings and then drop Mangala for Demichelis. Even Allerdyce has crowed up and shown how naive we are tactically and if we continue we'll struggle in both the PL and CL.

Our squad is made for Silva to play behind a lone striker, for two deep lying play makers and movement from many around the box. The Villa game was a prime example, we looked vulnerable until we changed to 4231 at which point our movement, awareness of space, possession and control made us look dangerous and nullified the oppositions ability to build momentum.

Really disheartening to see us exposed so easily and i hope we make changes soon.

 

[SilverFox2]

Perhaps any manager would struggle if any of his key players decides whether sustainable effort is to be allied to undoubted talent.

To be fair, when our friend Mr Tevez was having his strop or two his effort on the field of play was still of value.

Hopefully personalities can be massaged and the highly paid individuals can be convinced to perform in the interests of the team rather than what appears to be their mental state on the day.

If not then the decisions of team selection are likely to be made by yet another psychiatrist /manager.

 

[shemnel]

Again, last season no longer matters a jot. It's like when Talksport were banging on about Liverpool having never lost to Real Madrid - it's 'iztree and irrelevant to today's situation.

This season we are averaging 1.8 points per game. That's not title winning form currently and that tells me going into the Derby that all is not well compared to how high the bar is set at City these days.

0.6 points per game in the Champions League tells the same story.

Could you argue that he has been sussed out now?

There is something not right at the club at the moment. We've not clicked/gelled yet - normally the manager shoulders that one. The tactics this season seem to have been sussed out - even by no less a luminary as BFS; normally the manager shoulders that one.

We've strengthened in areas that we all acknowledged needed it but we aren't getting the return we need; normally the manager shoulders that one.

Maybe we've been spoiled but at the moment it is not good enough and not the way I'd like us to be going into a game against the shite.

by your logic if each season is independent of the previous one then you can't possibly know if he has been sussed out yet, even with a slowish start. Last season, as an independent group of games, we started slow and won the league and LC, but then i dont want to draw comparisons over seasons ;)

 

[supercity88]

Again, last season no longer matters a jot. It's like when Talksport were banging on about Liverpool having never lost to Real Madrid - it's 'iztree and irrelevant to today's situation.

This season we are averaging 1.8 points per game. That's not title winning form currently and that tells me going into the Derby that all is not well compared to how high the bar is set at City these days.

0.6 points per game in the Champions League tells the same story.

Could you argue that he has been sussed out now?

There is something not right at the club at the moment. We've not clicked/gelled yet - normally the manager shoulders that one. The tactics this season seem to have been sussed out - even by no less a luminary as BFS; normally the manager shoulders that one.

We've strengthened in areas that we all acknowledged needed it but we aren't getting the return we need; normally the manager shoulders that one.

Maybe we've been spoiled but at the moment it is not good enough and not the way I'd like us to be going into a game against the shite.

Last season does matter. It is evidence of an improvement in our play after a shaky start. You cannot say that the same points as last season will win the league but you know full well this City side has the fight, determination and spirit to win the league even when several points behind the league leader. We've done it twice in 3 seasons. It's the same scenario as last season - the team are taking time to gel and implement the tactics as required. Pellegrini changed very little last season yet we won the league and following a disappointing start we went on a superb run of results. All we need this season is for the players to do the same. The tactics haven't been sussed out at all because we are able to attack in various different ways and have options available to alter things. We can alter tactics during a game to cause problems and Pellegrini has shown that - previously we had one plan of attack and looked clueless when the opposition "parked the bus" but under Pellegrini we have managed to break most teams down.

Yaya hasn't been on form. Clichy and Zabaleta were poor and Fernando and Mangala are adjusting to the league. Similarly, last season we had injuries defensively and took time to settle. When it clicked, around about this time, we showed how good we can be. Yes that was last season, but it's a marker and a basis on which we go again this season. Mourinho is targetting improvements on last season with his side. History is not something to ignore. We've lost at Sunderland how many times now? Why is that? Tactics wrong every time? History has a habit of repeating itself... winning the title on the last day of the season already has for us a few times now!

 

[chris85mcfc]

Again, last season no longer matters a jot. It's like when Talksport were banging on about Liverpool having never lost to Real Madrid - it's 'iztree and irrelevant to today's situation.

This season we are averaging 1.8 points per game. That's not title winning form currently and that tells me going into the Derby that all is not well compared to how high the bar is set at City these days.

0.6 points per game in the Champions League tells the same story.

Could you argue that he has been sussed out now?

There is something not right at the club at the moment. We've not clicked/gelled yet - normally the manager shoulders that one. The tactics this season seem to have been sussed out - even by no less a luminary as BFS; normally the manager shoulders that one.

We've strengthened in areas that we all acknowledged needed it but we aren't getting the return we need; normally the manager shoulders that one.

Maybe we've been spoiled but at the moment it is not good enough and not the way I'd like us to be going into a game against the shite.

Last season does matter. It is evidence of an improvement in our play after a shaky start. You cannot say that the same points as last season will win the league but you know full well this City side has the fight, determination and spirit to win the league even when several points behind the league leader. We've done it twice in 3 seasons. It's the same scenario as last season - the team are taking time to gel and implement the tactics as required. Pellegrini changed very little last season yet we won the league and following a disappointing start we went on a superb run of results. All we need this season is for the players to do the same. The tactics haven't been sussed out at all because we are able to attack in various different ways and have options available to alter things. We can alter tactics during a game to cause problems and Pellegrini has shown that - previously we had one plan of attack and looked clueless when the opposition "parked the bus" but under Pellegrini we have managed to break most teams down.

Yaya hasn't been on form. Clichy and Zabaleta were poor and Fernando and Mangala are adjusting to the league. Similarly, last season we had injuries defensively and took time to settle. When it clicked, around about this time, we showed how good we can be. Yes that was last season, but it's a marker and a basis on which we go again this season. Mourinho is targetting improvements on last season with his side. History is not something to ignore. We've lost at Sunderland how many times now? Why is that? Tactics wrong every time? History has a habit of repeating itself... winning the title on the last day of the season already has for us a few times now!

Good post, but you had to ruin it :)