Palace v City post match thread.

[Chippy_boy]

Because we've seen it all too often this season - particular since New Year, when every other match day has seemed like groundhog day - I think most posters are looking at last night's performance too negatively.
On the groundhog days, we've had no luck at all except bad; on the rough end of the decisions that count; 'worldies' scored against us with regularity; usually dominating posession, record number of shots and hitting of the woodwork - looks like the cycle has come full circle and we're paying for any good luck we had when we won both Premier League titles.
Putting aside our individual arguments about team selection which might have changed things, it's hard to argue with anything else that Pellegrini had to say after the match namely, that we dominated but couldn't score, and they won thanks to an offside goal and a world class free kick.
It just ain't our season! At least we go into the derby as underdogs, and that hasn't happened for a very long time - I think we were underdogs when we won 6 -1 weren't we?

Yes we were unlucky. But that's about the 12th game where we've been "unlucky" in exactly the same way.

Our attacking play is broken. We are too slow in the build up, allowing decent defences to get organised and defend. We hardly every play crosses in first time, preferring to check back and come inside, retaining possession. Time and time and time again, Clichy or Navas or Sanga had the opportunity to put a cross in, but didn't. Presumably because no striker had made a run into the box. When Milner fired that excellent cross in between keeper and defenders, there was no-one there. (Interestingly when we are 1 or 2 down with 10 minutes left and therefore desperate, our play becomes much more direct and better as a result, but it's often too late by then.)

So we have all the possession in the world, and fail to break teams down. So we press more and more and push higher and higher up the pitch. Then we get hit on the break, a bit of comedy defending, and concede. Repeat ad nauseum.

It's been like this all season and the manager has been too stubborn to do anything about it. Like his stubbornness about 4-4-2 even when getting overrun in midfield.

I like Pellegrini and I think he's a good manager and a decent guy. But his failure to adapt our style of play will cost him his job imho, and with it our season. I do think we'll finish top 4 though, 4th would be my guess.

 

[shemnel]

Deary me. I'll save myself a bit of time and get out a well worn record to put on for a second;

[crackle crackle].....We dominated possession, we created loads of (good) chances, we had a strong penalty claim waved away, offside goal against us, we were flimsy against the counter, we conceded twice AGAIN, bad at the back, poor against set pieces, we tapped it around too much and we allowed them to play through us......

there we go. So, it looks like the season has pretty much petered out and we just need to keep on trucking. Frustrating doesnt begin to describe watching your team create more chances than is reasonable to win a game and lose, to the same faults, yet again. I'm a fairly patient sort when it comes to managers, i see football in long timespans, but i have to admit what i'm seeing stinks of player dissent or manager stubbornness. Neither are welcome.

 

[Hamann Pineapple]

How about 11/11/12, City 2 (Aguero 65, Dzeko 88), Spurs 1 (Caulker 21).

Or 16/03/2008, City 2 (Ireland 59, Onuoha 61), Spurs 1 (Keane 32).

You sir are a gentleman and a scholar.
I'd have spent hours checking that stat. Perhaps they meant away from home.

You're right, sorry, it is meant to be away from home stats, apparently we've had 86 attempts

 

[rnblade]

Another dire performance. We can moan all we like about officials, but the players we had on the pitch should have been more than a match for Palace.
I said in pre-match thread, it would be another 70%+ possession game and us losing and MP comin out with shit again. Surprise surprise there it is!
Now begins our battle for 4th place.
Looks like our lot have given up already. Mercenaries, only interested in money and themselves, no desire or pride. We should have destroyed Palace, yet we dilly dally about and wait for them to re-group. EVERY team in the league now knows we won't attack until they have at least 9 men behind the ball. If he doesn't win against the rags, he will be gone!! The owners cannot let this comedy continue.

 

[Oystercatcher28]

Based on that showing, we're both FC Barcelona and Blackpool FC in one team. How is that possible? Typical City. World class and spineless in one sitting.

 

[lazza]

Couldn't bare to come on here last night, I was so pissed off with our performance.... and in the cold light of day....I'm still pissed off!

We were so predictable last night, it came as no surprise in the end, and I think we got what we deserved. Palace worked themselves to the bone in defence (OK, yes, all 10 defenders), and whenever we had the ball anywhere near the penalty area, they closed our players down with 3 or 4 players. As an ex-goalie, I'd have been telling my players to just drop back unless anyone came within 20 yards, as we clearly were not going to have a crack from distance, so there was no threat at all, and Palace could have absorbed our pressure for another 90 minutes without conceding a tippy-tappy goal from 10 yards. Depsite all our possession, how many touches did Sergio and Edin get between them last night, I wonder?

I still think we'll beat the Rags next week, as they play a more open game and will be out to win it, and won't put 11 men behind the ball, which will hopefully give us the space to play the only style of football we seem capable of.

 

[Blue Mooner]

Deary me. I'll save myself a bit of time and get out a well worn record to put on for a second;

[crackle crackle].....We dominated possession, we created loads of (good) chances, we had a strong penalty claim waved away, offside goal against us, we were flimsy against the counter, we conceded twice AGAIN, bad at the back, poor against set pieces, we tapped it around too much and we allowed them to play through us......

there we go. So, it looks like the season has pretty much petered out and we just need to keep on trucking. Frustrating doesnt begin to describe watching your team create more chances than is reasonable to win a game and lose, to the same faults, yet again. I'm a fairly patient sort when it comes to managers, i see football in long timespans, but i have to admit what i'm seeing stinks of player dissent or manager stubbornness. Neither are welcome.

And why is the above (1st Para) not in some way of mitigation ? Pellegrini can't physically put the ball in the net. Anyone who can't see that last night was an injustice is purely judging things based on results (which no one can argue have been brilliant since 2015) however, I see a team that is playing good football, creating chances but not finishing them, and is being undone by very poor (if not biased) refereeing and shots that normaly end up in row Z ending up in the back of the net.

I have never seen a ball get up and over a wall and go in at ground level as happened last night. From that I can only deduce that the wall was back 15 yards instead of the obligatory ten.

Secondly, as a defender if you do your job and play a team offside, you expect the decision to be given, You can't play the game constantly worrying whether the linesman will give an offside, otherwise you end up virtually on your goal line. its' just rank bad officiating - for which you can't blame the manager or the players.

It's a very old adage, but true, that goals change games, that first gave their players and the crowd a lift at a time when we were absolutely battering them.

Don't tell me either that the players don't want to play for Pellegrini. Straight after half time Joe Hart was visibly pumped and gesturing to the City fans, if anything, I think he was perhaps too pumped and that affected his judgement on the second as for my money Joe was too far over one side of the goal. After all this was Jason Puncheon, not Gareth Bale we are talking about, its inescapable but that was poor goalkeeping.

All in all I felt last night was an injustice and I hope the players use it positively and as a motivation going into the last 7 games.

 

[Danielmanc]

that's why we might just win at united :-) because they're not going to park the bus and they are not going to go all out in attack
Just my opinion
Bring it on because our lads will be up for it especially after tonight

Sorry pal but that's utter garbage. Why would they be up for it especially after tonight? Tonight proved some of our players just don't care anymore.

Well lets just see what happens later on today . If MP lasts until tomorrow then he will be there for the derby game but it's touch and go IMO . I think generally everyone has been patient even though the the run of form is pathetic . He may well be given one more game to see if there's anything left . Lets try not to get too frustrated which is very difficult right now .

What will the Derby really show us though ? I think we know all we need to know about Manuel and he's simply not good enough. He's been called 'classy' but maybe he's boring, uninspiring, passionless. He's certainly too stubborn to adapt to differing circumstances at matches.

 

[Ancient Citizen]

Another dire performance. We can moan all we like about officials, but the players we had on the pitch should have been more than a match for Palace.
I said in pre-match thread, it would be another 70%+ possession game and us losing and MP comin out with shit again. Surprise surprise there it is!
Now begins our battle for 4th place.
Looks like our lot have given up already. Mercenaries, only interested in money and themselves, no desire or pride. We should have destroyed Palace, yet we dilly dally about and wait for them to re-group. EVERY team in the league now knows we won't attack until they have at least 9 men behind the ball. If he doesn't win against the rags, he will be gone!! The owners cannot let this comedy continue.

What the fuck is all this 'Mercenary' shit? That bollocks was thrown up seven years ago by Rag wankers desperate to have some sort of handle on a group of professionals who were fast becoming better than them. It is a fucking ridiculous tag that can easily be placed upon anyone who plays for us who wasn't born within 200 yards of St Mark's and who's ancestors were not all City supporters.
Falcao on £280,000 a week, far more than any City players, must be one, Sterling for the Dippers, Costa for the Chavs, it is a stupid and tired cliche.

 

[Bluep*ss]

Because we've seen it all too often this season - particular since New Year, when every other match day has seemed like groundhog day - I think most posters are looking at last night's performance too negatively.
On the groundhog days, we've had no luck at all except bad; on the rough end of the decisions that count; 'worldies' scored against us with regularity; usually dominating posession, record number of shots and hitting of the woodwork - looks like the cycle has come full circle and we're paying for any good luck we had when we won both Premier League titles.
Putting aside our individual arguments about team selection which might have changed things, it's hard to argue with anything else that Pellegrini had to say after the match namely, that we dominated but couldn't score, and they won thanks to an offside goal and a world class free kick.
It just ain't our season! At least we go into the derby as underdogs, and that hasn't happened for a very long time - I think we were underdogs when we won 6 -1 weren't we?

OK we all have our opinions - but never in a million years was it a World Class free kick. Hart was at fault - too near his right hand post - gave himself too much ground to cover. Puncheon starting position meant that the ball could have only gone where it did. - left foot over the wall into the left of Hart.
Has it been proved that the first goal was offside.?? - I do not have Sky. .