Our attack - what's off?

Paul1970 said:
When this question was raised on here before about 90 percent said foden was ready made to fill silvas shoes . No one will ever fill the those shoes and now we’re seeing this . Very concerned about Bernardo as he doesn’t seem to be kicking on .,
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Bernardo has been poor last season and first couple of months of this season. This cannot be down to form. All I can think is Pep needs to give him a consistent run of games in 1 position.
 
Paul1970 said:
When this question was raised on here before about 90 percent said foden was ready made to fill silvas shoes . No one will ever fill the those shoes and now we’re seeing this . Very concerned about Bernardo as he doesn’t seem to be kicking on .,
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Whilst Foden isn't currently fully ready to fill Silva's shoes, he might do eventually. Maybe not, but never seems too extreme with a player of Foden's potential talent.
 
bugsyblue said:
My post might have been too narrowly focussed. It's not solely the attacking players that are the problem. Let me give you a specific example of what we are missing:



This is an attacking move from the back. One touch football, possessions based, quick distribution, fluid movement. If you mark this as 10/10 we're running at 5/10 or 6/10 at best!

We haven't seen us play like this against a top side in awhile. That has nothing to do with Aguero being injured or KDB not 100%. Sadly, it's something bigger than that.

A contrasting example was how Walker ran from his own half deep into Liverpool's backline before being tackled. I remember a lot of blues in the match day forum championed that - they saw someone driving at Liverpool's defence - yet what it showed me was the lack of movement and passing options he had.

Maybe this is down to fitness and I'm worrying unnecessarily but there's fundamentally something gone from our attacking play. I don't quite know what or why but we aren't at the level we were at two seasons ago. Maybe we set the bar so high it's unrealistic to expect us to hit that every season?
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That's a good post. I agree that we have not seen the quick one touch play we are familiar with for all but the odd 45 minutes but I think we're capable of it providing we can get our best players fit and we can field Jesus / Aguero. If we don't have a striker then there is no focus and the play just goes round the houses.

I'm quite happy with our squad and their potential. I think it's a combination of injuries, and fatigue/fitness.
 
What is strange is that after the lockdown return in June we were battering teams (and David wasn’t playing them all).
This season there are many problems.
1. Left hand side with 2 right foots
2. Sterling’s complete loss of form.
3. Sterling’s awful indecision on his left foot
4, Mahrez (enough said)
5, Not having a striker for the majority of games
6, Snail like Midfield with Rodders and Gundog not recycling the play quick enough
7, The ‘press’ has gone
8, Peps reluctance to play Foden and Bernardo who are both energetic and forward thinking
9, KDB stop/start season
It’s also strange how in 4 cup games we have scored 3 each time.
 
the biggest thing is injury to key players jesus and aguero even KDB not having that target to hit with his magic feet
it has made him change is game to suit the team without a striker and he is looking well off the mark

also losing david silva is a big blow because he knitted the whole of the forward line with the midfield
he understood the role better than anybody else. its shown this season that without david silva and add injuries to aguero jesus that is a big loss to manchester city going forward and the goals are just not there

many had included me phil foden as a straight forward replacement for silva but boy how wrong was i ?
yes phil foden is a special player but its for the future and he his not the finished article in what we need right now

but am going to add a plus and say its coming we are not that far off and its just a lucky break or goal and will can all start to believe again so hang in there
 
blue ranger said:
Bernardo has been poor last season and first couple of months of this season. This cannot be down to form. All I can think is Pep needs to give him a consistent run of games in 1 position.
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Hope so because I still think he is one of our top guys
 
wolfie1988 said:
When you can't pick up a second ball from your defence, it's hard to attack quickly. The two holding midfielders aren't quick enough to turn the other team around, especially in games like yesterday. The space was behind their 4 but we didn't pick up enough second balls when our defence cleared it to set us off the other way. A complete lack of acceleration or sharpness in Gundogan and Rodri is killing us. It means we have to attack the way we do in games against teams who sit with 10 behind the ball.

Sterling needs to get off that left hand side. We need to put Foden out there and tell Sterling to get chalk on his boots on the right. Make the pitch bigger like we used to. Narrowing our wingers and making them cut inside is making the game easier for our opponents.
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Foden's shit on the left, needs to be in the middle or on the right so he can cut in on his left!
 
Why are we scoring much less often?
1) We're setting up more defensively now; 2 holding mids are common.
2) Jesus and Aguero have both been injured;
3) The loss of David Silva is having a big impact on us;
4) Luck - or should I say bad luck. We're creating a bunch of chances that just don't end in goals

Too, we didn't improve as much as we might have in the last window due to unique circumstances:
1) COVID-19 created a strange transfer window - we probably would have spent much, much more to improve our side save for lack of quality in potential signings brought about in large part to the strange window;
2) Pep may (or may not) leave us next year - this further complicates our ability to attract top signings.
 
Over reliance on de bruyne. Particularly late on in games we seem to struggle to sustain possession in final third as he tires.

lack of width. Sterling playing left and mahrez right. No overlapping left back (cancelo has been better last few games at providing some creativity) and Walker doesn’t seem to overlap on right either and tucking into midfield instead (those long runs apart - although how often does he do that to have to turn back).

on the full backs, the idea behind coming inside was to become an additional DM to support. That still seems to happen in games but there still seems to be an issue in midfield.

in many ways the midfield is the major issue and solve that issue and the attack probably solves itself.

most of all would like to see Bernardo feature more. Seems to play less than half minutes at moment rather than more than half.

sterling not hit form so far
 
simon23 said:
our midfield when it contains both Rodri and Gundogan together - completely nullifies our attack and slows it down

neither gundogan or Rodri (esp) are creative -lots of ball retention with sideways and backwards passes - Gundogan occasionally tries something but not often..

These two are now our biggest issue and they affect the team both creatively and defensively

Inverted wingers are an issue with no pace outside to stretch the pitch and make it wider....players always coming inside into heavy traffic and packed defences.

Liverpool played a front 4 against us - direct quick players all of them supported by Henderson and GW who are both extremely mobile and box to box players - compare that to the two we have.

This should be our starting 11/shape

Ederson

Back 4

Rodri or Gundogan (BUT NOT BOTH)

KDB plus one of B. Silva or Foden

front 3 (not B.sliva wide on the right and preferably not Mahrez). A front 3 containing any of the following :G. Jesus, Kun, Torres, Sterling

For me our best 11 (in a one off game) definitely contains the following

------------------Ederson----------------

Walker-------Dias---- ----Laporte--------- Ake/Cancello

--------------------Rodri/Ferna-------------------------------

------------KDB------------ B.Sliva/Foden----

Sterling/Torres -----Aguero/Jesus------- Jesus/Torres

Mahrez and Gundogan dont get anywhere near a best starting 11 imho especialy against eh likes of Liverpool, Spurs, Chelski, Utd, Leicester
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I like you
 
Marvin said:
That's a good post. I agree that we have not seen the quick one touch play we are familiar with for all but the odd 45 minutes but I think we're capable of it providing we can get our best players fit and we can field Jesus / Aguero. If we don't have a striker then there is no focus and the play just goes round the houses.

I'm quite happy with our squad and their potential. I think it's a combination of injuries, and fatigue/fitness.
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So will we get fitter or more fatigued as the season goes on?
 
The fixture schedule has been relentless for teams involved in europe , our forward pressing has not been at the same level as previous seasons and that has got to be down to fitness/energy levels. The first 60 minutes of games we appear to be OK and then we drop off , although we are showing signs of recovering our levels we were by far the better side than the Dippers for the last half hour, but created zilch
Our creativity really shouldnt be in question we have KDB,Foden,Bernardo,Gundo all capable of playing clever through balls , but apart from KDB they are all under performing this season , if we can get the other three back to form and fitness i think we will see a different team and the goals will start flowing
 
jimmygrimblesboots said:
The fixture schedule has been relentless for teams involved in europe , our forward pressing has not been at the same level as previous seasons and that has got to be down to fitness/energy levels. The first 60 minutes of games we appear to be OK and then we drop off , although we are showing signs of recovering our levels we were by far the better side than the Dippers for the last half hour, but created zilch
Our creativity really shouldnt be in question we have KDB,Foden,Bernardo,Gundo all capable of playing clever through balls , but apart from KDB they are all under performing this season , if we can get the other three back to form and fitness i think we will see a different team and the goals will start flowing
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That's spot on. We're lacking the intensity in our game this season. You watch a Leeds, Southampton or Leicester or Villa this season and they are on it whereas we are off the pace. The demands over 2-3 seasons have taken their toll and add the absence of Jesus and Aguero and we've got some rather aimless football.

I think we will get better providing we don't have an endless succession of injuries. I thought Jesus was very good against Liverpool. A goal threat and super sharp. That goal he scored against Liverpool was the type of thing that mane does for Liverpool. Little touches out of nothing.

It's completely weird how in the Summer we fretted about how our defence would cope and yet City's defensive game has been excellent so far and the 100 goal team looks toothless. I think it's fitness and injuries. Whether it will resolve itself I don't know. The demands on our players aren't going to go away.

I am beginning to suspect that the title will go to a young fresh side. Liverpool have a mountain to climb to retain their title. One injury to their forwards and that will kill them. ANyone's title this season.
 
The midfield is full of slow plodders , kdb is run into the ground , both our forwards are/ were injured , are wingers don’t play as wingers no more .
 
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Blue Til Death said:
We need to sign another out and put striker in January, hope we do, Sergio and Jesus isn’t enough for all the completions we will play in...
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And maybe we could sign, as the late, great Jimmy Armfield once said of Tony Morley (Aston Villa), ‘a down-and-out winger’ too..!
 
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