Norwich (a) post-match thread

[citytill1die84]

What we need to remember is that this is not last season were we can from behind to win the title because we had vinny and a proper defence . If that was the case a defeat is a blip but this the first game since Laporte is out and we have struggled against a team we should have hammered. That is why people are panicking so much . This defence pairing will not hold out till jan and that is s fact I’m afraid ..

No choice but to hold out mate absolutely nothing we can do.

 

[OB1]

What we need to remember is that this is not last season were we can from behind to win the title because we had vinny and a proper defence . If that was the case a defeat is a blip but this the first game since Laporte is out and we have struggled against a team we should have hammered. That is why people are panicking so much . This defence pairing will not hold out till jan and that is s fact I’m afraid ..

No: it's an opinion / prediction.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

What we need to remember is that this is not last season were we can from behind to win the title because we had vinny and a proper defence . If that was the case a defeat is a blip but this the first game since Laporte is out and we have struggled against a team we should have hammered. That is why people are panicking so much . This defence pairing will not hold out till jan and that is s fact I’m afraid ..

Let's hope that Pep can come up with a solution to the problem . He certainly wont be sitting there and doing nothing .

 

[Marvin]

Let's hope that Pep can come up with a solution to the problem . He certainly wont be sitting there and doing nothing .

He couldn't wave his magic wand in the first season. It turned out there was no solution until the transfer window opened.

This time we have Rodrigo, Fernandinho, and two young central defenders. The problem is that they will have to slot in alongside Stones who has the ability but has yet to show much authority.

I think Pep might well keep faith with Ota and Stones for a fortnight or so.

 

[East Level 2]

We haven’t lost a game in months now in the prem.
It was a bad day at the office and we can’t be expected to win every game in the league now, especially for nearly 3 years in a row.
IT WAS ONE GAME. People need to stop panicking and actually need to look at how good we have it. I can guarantee we will be up there at the end of the season, just like very other year

How about looking "how good we had it" between kick-off and final whistle yesterday. This is a post-match thread, not a season so far thread, a last season and this season thread, or a bloody last two seasons thread. It's about yesterday's game alone.

 

[Neville Kneville]

We have conceded chances to other teams but we concede the fewest shots of any team in the league.

No one's ignoring weaknesses but I'm quite sure Pep is constantly trying to improve how we defend. He will point though to how many chances we concede as an example of how much success we have defending. I personally think the failure to convert more chances is a bigger failing; despite being top scorers. We just aren't perfect, are we!

It tends to be errors rather a systematic issue that is our problem. We crashed out of the UCL last season largely because our best defender - probably one of the three best CB's in the world - made uncharacteristic errors.

I would agree that in a few games Pep should play Rodri and Fern in midfield but Rodri is our DM for the coming years and Pep loves Gundo so it's a non-starter using Rodri instead of him on a regular basis. Yesterday was not a game where we needed to play Rodri and Fern together: other players needed to do jobs of which they are perfectly capable of.

What I would prefer Pep didn't do is play Merlin and Silva together because of the lack of pace.

If Mendy is not about to return, I'd try Cancelo on the left.

The chances we tend to concede are often easy to score from. Imo, the reason for low shot numbers being that we have the ball most of the time. The other team can't score, when we have the ball.

Even then, we usually still manage to hand them one or more potential goals, on a plate, hence the low number of shots.

Imo, for half of each season players such as Zinchenko, Gundogan & Otamendi, are good players. For the other half they are nowhere near top 6 standard & because of that, should not be regulars in a team of City's standing.

Carrying 3 players is a big gamble.

Gundogan, imo, has once again started the season as an absolute bag of shit.

Previously there was a legitimate reason, that he was coming back from injury. Rodri imo, would be better at Gundogan's job, than Gundogan in his present form. So he could do that, when KDB is absent & Fern could play.

 

[Cessna]

What an overreaction from 80% of the posters. This happens. Yes, we needed a new CB but you can hardly blame Pep for that. Watching the «told you so - Sterling is overrated» posts also made me cringe. This is not RedCafe.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

He couldn't wave his magic wand in the first season. It turned out there was no solution until the transfer window opened.

This time we have Rodrigo, Fernandinho, and two young central defenders. The problem is that they will have to slot in alongside Stones who has the ability but has yet to show much authority.

I think Pep might well keep faith with Ota and Stones for a fortnight or so.

I wasn't suggesting a knee jerk solution, so you could be right.

Stones is the enigma imo and it's not his ability which is the issue. Pep has given mixed messages , praising his ability but then not playing him on occasions. This of course assumes that he has been fit when excluded. It would be a good time for the player to prove his ability however.

 

[OB1]

The chances we tend to concede are often easy to score from. Imo, the reason for low shot numbers being that we have the ball most of the time. The other team can't score, when we have the ball.

Even then, we usually still manage to hand them one or more potential goals, on a plate, hence the low number of shots.

Imo, for half of each season players such as Zinchenko, Gundogan & Otamendi, are good players. For the other half they are nowhere near top 6 standard & because of that, should not be regulars in a team of City's standing.

Carrying 3 players is a big gamble.

Gundogan, imo, has once again started the season as an absolute bag of shit.

Previously there was a legitimate reason, that he was coming back from injury. Rodri imo, would be better at Gundogan's job, than Gundogan in his present form. So he could do that, when KDB is absent & Fern could play.

Fucking hell, you genius, you've cracked Pep's strategy - kudos.

(tongue in cheek - big smiley face)

 

[chesterbells]

Lots of knee jerk reactions and opportunities for fans to scapegoat player whilst others playing/calming down issues

eg "ffs its early in the season...." and " but scapegoated player x or y played x games last year and won cups/title etc and

"We were as poor versus Newcastle away but look what happened after that" and all the above are indeed true statements.

But last years run in was a titanic Herculean task to win by a hairs breadth.

Under Pep we play from the back, from our own goal line. Our play has been mesmerising at times. We have been able to

breakdown defensive setups or maraude thru more attacking minded teams at times. A joy to watch individually talented

players combine their strengths and abilities to either use pace or guile to create seemingly simple tap ins. However, we

play from the back. If we are weaker there, whichever players play in front, will find it harder, then forwards suffer from that

poorer service. If we are stronger at the back, less teams press us there, we face forward, we move it forward more quickly

Without Kompany and missing Laporte we are weaker at the back. We dont have a defensive left back, Laporte is excellent

at covering defensive frailties of whoever is left back, be that Zinchenko, Mendy or an other. His forward attacking passing

quality is way beyond that of Stones or Otamendi. Kompany more direct forward passing was always quicker than that of

Stones, more, I'll keep hold of it & then change my mind then step forward again then pass it square to not lose possession.

Stones & Otamendi are good defenders. However, Otamendi, its thought would have left, if we had bought a CB to replace

Kompany. Pep wouldnt have bought a CB, unless he thought they would have been an improvement over Stones/Otamendi.

I posted in the Forum preseason that I thought a long term injury to Laporte or Edison would be most difficult to cover once

we signed Rodri as cover for Fernandhino. I'm sure Pep will find a format that eases this and yes the seasons just started..,

Our competitors are squealing with delight at the moment, hopefully squealing with anguish at the business end of season[/U]

Ah, so quatrain stanza, with elements of iambic pentameter?