Norwich (a) post-match thread

[Roachy]

No pal. Everyone is allowed to criticise. The ones who get the backlash are those who: (a) gratuitously insult City players/staff, (b) write off the season after one shite performance or (c) show an excessive sense of entitlement. I hope you understand the difference.[/QUOTE
Too subjective in your response.
If they were the only reasons then fair enough, but they aren't. Have a look and then maybe you'll notice the difference before understanding it.

 

[Grassland Blue]

Sterling was probably feeling the effects of dragging the England team around.
Bernardo should have played where Gundogan was with de Bruyne starting.
The much criticised Otamendi/Stones pairing is ring rusty but will improve, so get off their backs.
Walker had a bad game.
Fern should have been introduced at half time, David substituted and the pack re-shuffled slightly.

 

[Citygolf]

I just watched the brief highlights on the OS again and I once again asked myself "Why didn't someone shout 'Man On'" to Nico" and why didn't he attempt a pass back to Eddy.
Total brain fades by the defenders.

Watching Monday Night Football last showed that Ota looked over his shoulder twice before he received the ball, so unless his eye sight isn't great there was no excuse for him not knowing there was a man coming towards him. Also, its clear to see that Stones is pointing for Ota to pass the ball back to Ederson. Passing him the ball and wanting him to give it straight to Ederson is maybe a fault of Stones, why pass it when you know he will be under pressure straight away?

Bad day at the office is what I'm hoping its down to but we need a couple of clean sheets to put the doubts to bed.

 

[Blue Feather]

One of those days and apart from the obvious poor defending and lack of quality with the final ball, finishing etc., I think we needed more energy and dynamism in midfield. If we're not going to start KDB we needed Foden in or Berny switched inside

 

[leo_city]

I remember Stones clearing the ball off the line at home against the red dippers last season. I don't remember any one calling him shite then. So in 7 months Stones has become useless and not good enough for city ffs.

I've never called him elite, not 7 months ago, not anytime. And just so we're clear on that 'clearance' he made up for his own mistake, as much as that meme is quite great. I've actually never once thought he's shown his worth playing in a City shirt since he's signed. Yes he has quality on the ball but a centre half's first duty is seeing out danger, which he clearly has issues with, in terms of concentration and reading of the game. This game isn't the first time he's had brain fades either.

When he partnered with Laporte beginning of last season for a few games it was looking good, and every now and then you feel he could really grow into a leader of our backline, the next Kompany, etc etc, but nothing has changed, he's arguably the only player who hasn't improved under Pep, at all.

 

[mosssideblue]

It's not hindsight is it, in my opinion where possible you should start with your strongest 11, we didn't start with ours and we got found out

Yes, it is hindsight on your part.

Have you ever thought there are many factors that make "your strongest 11" for any game, not just names?

 

[mosssideblue]

I am not saying concede it, all I am saying is I heard the same stuff about Liverpool and injuries last season, heard it all the season Leicester won the league, we can't sit back and expect other teams to get major injuries, my whole point in all of this is that we were shit at weekend, and where possible should always look to start our strongest 11 and for that I have been called out

Because we dont have a "strongest 11" anymore.
I know that is difficult for you to grasp but Pep has a squad and on any given game he will chose what he believes is the strongest 11.

Because it doesn't mirror your perception, does not make it wrong.

 

[SilverFox2]

I just wonder if this game needed a more vocal, intense and passionate captain to demand the best from most who seemed to have an off day?

 

[Florida Blue]

Pep didn't even pick his strongest 11 for the very last game of last season in an FA cup final, and not any old final either, with a win it completed the never been done before domestic treble. Yet he went with Jesus over Aguero. And he didn't risk starting a coming back from injury KDB either till the 2nd half.

People saying "he should pick his best 11" week in week out couldn't have been watching us since he took over, as he simply doesn't do that, and he never will.

 

[Father Paul]

Ok. So Foden & one or two other players are to be told at the beginning of the season that they will NEVER start a PL game because we’re always going to play our best 11

End of conversation

We don't get much luck, and when we do it all comes at once. Liverpool got lucky game after game, from Pickford and the Palace keeper throwing the ball in the net, to offside goals and Salah throwing his head back for pens. Gomez is a good player, but Liverpool are well stocked at CB - made no difference. If Liverpool fairly win nearly all their games, then fair enough the Prem is theirs, but like you say things change. Take Salah, Firmino or VVD out and Liverpool are a significantly weaker team. Take our equivalents out and the rest of ours are more capable than theirs. Against Norwich we gift wrapped two and should have done more to make what was an exceptional header more difficult to execute. We don't do much deep defending - we rarely need to. Does that lead to rustiness in that aspect ? Even so, whatever we do, the opposition don't get many attempts against us. Personally, I enjoy our games more when the opposition attack us, we win the ball and attack before they can reorganise.

We overplay the Liverpool luck angle a bit much to be fair. Yes they got some breaks last season but so did we. They have been lucky with injuries but that didn't seem to effect them against Barcelona when they overturned a 3 goal deficit without 3 or 4 regulars. With respect to Norwich it is in the past now, improvements in the way we defend are needed and lets see if we can implement them. I'm afraid very few teams are going to go all out against us expect more of the same as of late with teams adopting a mixture of selective pressing,defending deep but looking for ways to break quickly and trying to expose us a set pieces. This is in a nutshell how Norwich played at the weekend and others may follow suit. Remember after two hugely successful seasons rival coaches will have spent a lot of time working us out the potential hole starting to emerge in our central defence will have encouraged them greatly.