Pellegrini Thread

[SWP's back]

Poor logic. Our squad is the strongest in the league. If we drop points so will our rivals.

Crazy that it takes only a draw for the flapping to become chronic again. Lord only knows how you'll react to a defeat.

Look understanding the criticism of my post but this is my worry and opinion come the business end of the season.. Hard to explain but when a team mind set is to attack not defend when it gets to the crunch time and we need a 1-0 hard fought scrappy win will we be capable of doing this?

A bit ironic, the team is being questioned as to whether it can grind out results or not, and now that the team has done exactly that in the past few weeks (Pool, Palace games), it is being criticized. Am I right?

That's how I read it yes.

 

[OB1]

I think it's just a case that the fringe players are so far behind and can't hold a candle to the first teamers.

We've been so spoilt at times with some breathtaking attacking football that we're expecting it all the time, when the fringe players come in they're nowhere near the same standard to deliver, I honestly think it's as simple as that.

With the amount of changes made, we go from a top Prem/Champ league side, to a mid table side.

Nail on head apart from the last little bit

Probably a tad harsh but when I see Pants, Boyata, Lescott, Garcia and even Clichy of late, I'm watching mid table players.

Lescott and Clichy won the league; hardly mid table players.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Lescott and Clichy won the league; hardly mid table players.

So have Fletcher,Brown,Anderson,Evans and Cleverly

 

[Balti]

Lescott and Clichy won the league; hardly mid table players.

So have Fletcher,Brown,Anderson,Evans and Cleverly

worldbeaters all

perhaps the manager was responsible for this achievement ...... ;-)

 

[Marvin]

Lescott and Clichy won the league; hardly mid table players.

So have Fletcher,Brown,Anderson,Evans and Cleverly

Fletcher, Brown (when fit) and Evans are good players.

Clichy was outstanding in the closing weeks of our title-winning season. Not so good now, but I'm sure there's a reason and he will come good again

 

[FantasyIreland]

Lescott and Clichy won the league; hardly mid table players.

So have Fletcher,Brown,Anderson,Evans and Cleverly

Fletcher, Brown (when fit) and Evans are good players.

Clichy was outstanding in the closing weeks of our title-winning season. Not so good now, but I'm sure there's a reason and he will come good again

I agree,they are 'good' players.

Put them in a team with another 3 or 4 'good' players and you have a midtable side,however,put them in a team with another 7 or 8 'excellent' players and you have a team challenging for honours.

 

[Burtonblue]

Thought Pellegrini showed some astuteness today when half way through the first half he realised the 442 was not working for him and told Dzeko to drop deeper.
Dzeko effectively played as a midfielder for the rest of the half enabling us to run the game.
Incidentally, thought Dzeko looked pretty decent playing that role.

 

[OB1]

Lescott and Clichy won the league; hardly mid table players.

So have Fletcher,Brown,Anderson,Evans and Cleverly

Were any of them truly first choice players in a title winning season? Not that it matters. Lescott and Clichy were the first choice left side of te best defence n te league when City won the title. They are not ideal for the game Pellegrini wants to play but that does not make them midtable players.

 

[cleavers]

My main concern is that we are failing to overlap and get behind defences. Zab's injury hasn't helped (and Boyata is useless at attacking). But Clichy looks jaded as well. Lets hope Jovetic, Rodwell & Micah can actually get fit to give the team a boost.

When Zab and Kolorov play we overlap fine, today both were missing, and the reason Clichy isn't first choice anymore is because his attacking, and particularly his crossing, is woeful, as today showed.

The philosophy that MP has, hasn't gone away, its just some of our fringe players are not up to it.

I think he managed Yaya and Fernandhino well today, whilst some are moaning about the subs, this one was obvious from seeing the team sheet, and they basically played half a game each. Sure it would have been great had Blackburn rolled over for us, and we'd been 3-0 at half time, in which case I suspect Fernandhino would have been off, and Yaya not used at all, but football (thankfully for me) isn't so easy, and they made it a tough game.

I don't think there is anything wrong right now, just the squad is being well managed, it didn't quite come off today, but it wasn't wrong, the more important match is on Wednesday, so we needed to manage the resources we have, we could have done without a replay obviously, but I think the risk management was about right.

 

[wayne71]

I don't think he did much wrong yesterday. Its easy to say with hindsight that 1 or 2 things could have been done differently but we'll beat them at home so no worries.