More flat track bullying

[franksinatra]

Got to agree with this, but the question is why we haven't kicked on? Can't be the infrastructure, so is it the manager? Player motivation? Injuries? The weather?

Personally Yaya I think there are two elements.

The recruitment policy of players and the lack of innovation. tactically and with our training.

Teams are becoming fitter, pressing more and our players are failing to match this.

It was a real eye opener sat in the top tier of the south stand watching spurs press us and seeing the options for us available to pass the ball. In complete contrast we hunted in ones or twos allowing teams to play triangles around us.

With the management structure we feel a bit like yesterday's team in terms of tactics, fitness and the conditioning of the players.

 

[DenisLawBackHeel74]

These days, we are a big scalp and EVERY TEAM will play their socks off against us.
Some might think all our players are shit, but those who play against us know what we are capable of.
We simply do not work hard enough (off the ball) and against lesser sides, get away with it.
It doesn't help that Manuel has the odd brain fart against the top sides and sets the team up for crucifixion.

I think your first couple of sentences sum us up entirely. At anfield it was like their cup final because they know anything less than their 'A' game and we are more than capable of putting 5 or 6 past them....they only need look at that result at the decaying stadium in Trafford couple year ago for proof.

 

[Gaylord du Bois]

are we supposed to take it easier on the weaker teams ? stupid fucking thread

Only the ones that wear glasses.

 

[Gorton_Tubster]

Did you not see Willy's performance in the cup final?
Let me tell you something. He only performed like that because of Pellegrini's man management. You are talking utter, utter, shit.

We have the best team in the prem, yet they fold under pressure. It is a fact. The manager should be stopping that.

 

[KenTheLandlord]

And when we don't win the league we will look back at the games against Spurs and Leicester as the ones which cost us the title.

that will you. i wont.

 

[KenTheLandlord]

We have the best team in the prem, yet they fold under pressure. It is a fact. The manager should be stopping that.

I noticed how badly we folded when Liverpool equalised near the end and after the first round of penalties we were a penalty behind.

 

[TFC]

I think he meant Leicester at home which to be fair we deserved to lose. That one was down to Pellegrini for me. Just rolled up expecting us to win. We have been more solid since then with the exception of the capitulation at Anfield. Decisions, injuries, individual errors and poor tactics have cost us this season.

This is interesting and I agree that these are probably the 4 main contributing factors to our current league position. I wonder what order other blues would have them in from most to least affecting? Mine would be -

Poor tactics
Injuries
Individual errors
Decisions

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

Predictably we swatted Villa aside. After all they are crap. Not a one nil but a convincing scoreline.It's what we do against the clubs lining up at the bottom.

What is less impressive is that you have to go down to Southampton to find a side we have actually beaten this season.

We have played sides from Leicester down to United 9 times. 0 wins. 6 defeats. Not impressive.

The only positive is that the 3 games left against these sides are all at home. United, Stoke and Arsenal.

No way will we win the league but we should be able to get top four. Hopefully Pep will sort this out next year.

Really not the time for this, at all. Let's wait to see if and when we blow it, by all means stick the knife in then

 

[franksinatra]

This is interesting and I agree that these are probably the 4 main contributing factors to our current league position. I wonder what order other blues would have them in from most to least affecting? Mine would be -

Poor tactics
Injuries
Individual errors
Decisions

I would chuck in the fitness/conditioning of the players, players attitude and transfers but I appreciate the last is not really quantifiable


Tactics
Players attitude
Fitness/Conditioning
Injuries

 

[Gorton_Tubster]

I noticed how badly we folded when Liverpool equalised near the end and after the first round of penalties we were a penalty behind.

In general though we struggle in the tougher games despite us having the better team. The tougher games are always the against the top teams and away from home, we have not been winning enough of those games.

Someone needs to give the team the belief and confidence they can win those games, because surely you know and have seen there are games like Liverpool midweek where we just dont turn up, despite being better...

 

[Gorton_Tubster]

fucking bollox

elaborate?

 

[Keepingthefaithsince1976]

In general though we struggle in the tougher games despite us having the better team. The tougher games are always the against the top teams and away from home, we have not been winning enough of those games.

Someone needs to give the team the belief and confidence they can win those games, because surely you know and have seen there are games like Liverpool midweek where we just dont turn up, despite being better...

The wages the players get gives them the belief and confidence to win games. Its just that they often don't earn what they have been paid. I wonder who of them get embarrassed when they pick up their wage packet.

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

I think I'll choose to enjoy today's win instead of fucking moaning.

Absofuckinglutely, well said.

We have 7 out of the remaining 10 games which we are capable of scoring 4 or more in.

Beat the Gooners at home and the rags, and then somehow pull a rabbit out of the hat at Stamford Bridge and see where that would take us.

 

[thyer64]

For,those who slate us winning the "easy games", we have seen many teams falter ....so what kind of team deserves to be champions if they can't beat the dross ? ;) as long as the points get on the board it doesn't matter against who they are. 3 pts are 3 pts.

 

[YaYa's Left Peg]

Personally Yaya I think there are two elements.

The recruitment policy of players and the lack of innovation. tactically and with our training.

Teams are becoming fitter, pressing more and our players are failing to match this.

It was a real eye opener sat in the top tier of the south stand watching spurs press us and seeing the options for us available to pass the ball. In complete contrast we hunted in ones or twos allowing teams to play triangles around us.

With the management structure we feel a bit like yesterday's team in terms of tactics, fitness and the conditioning of the players.

I think I understand what you mean - we haven't bought the right players with the right mentality and skills to complement the players that we already had with those attributes. That makes sense, and is probably right given what has happened in terms of transfers over last couple of years.

On your second point about teams becoming fitter, and us not matching, well that is true in a way, but I think it's not because we can't (because we can cf. Kiev, Sevilla, Scousers at Wembley, and even Villa this weekend),but rather we don't because ...... we'll I don't know why because! I just know we can...if we can be bothered to.

 

[Yaya_Tony]

This saying "flat track bullies " does my head in, it's meaningless. 11 highly trained professionals vs another 11 can go either way on any given day. We batter some of the "lesser" teams, what does it say about the teams near the top that the other clubs did get results from? All that matters is the points, and as we know, the goals. I can't be arsed checking results but let's say, hypothetically, Leicester lost against us and won against us in a season. both 2 nil. Even matches, could have gone either way. They then scraped a win at villa and drew one , whilst we got a result in like yesterday and drew one vs villa. We'd win that mini league. Some of the performance this season has been shite but some has been class. Points gained and high scores might be a good thing you never know!

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

It's a cricketing term, and the first time I heard it was about Graham Hick.

He was an amazing player against lesser teams/players.

However very very ordinary against top quality teams/players.

A bit like us this season.

 

[Yaya_Tony]

It's a cricketing term, and the first time I heard it was about Graham Hick.

He was an amazing player against lesser teams/players.

However very very ordinary against top quality teams/players.

A bit like us this season.

At a guess (and I know nothing nor care a jot about cricket) I would have thought it was about a runner who can't go up hills but is fast otherwise. Aren't all cricket greens flat? Daft relating it to footy either way.

 

[hutton who blue]

I'd say we are the best and most impressive at putting the shit teams to the sword at home because of our quality players but when it's more difficult and intricate away from home against better sides, and let's face it some of the shit teams as well, we have struggled and that's down to imo lacklustre management. With due respect to the shit teams no offence intended:)

 

[RonIpstone]

I'm not sure if anyone above has said what City's record this season against the top teams is, apologies for the repetition if they have, but in a mini-league of the top eight teams in the division, City's record is Played 11 Won 0 Drawn 3 Lost 8, which gives a Points Per Game of 0.27 and a Goal Difference of minus 16. That City are still in with a chance of the title shows first how much flat track bullying has gone on, and second how no other team has run away with the title race.