Blue_Lightsaber
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 3 Feb 2022
- Messages
- 4,441
- Team supported
- Man City
Well whenever we go to Spurs away we can leave him there.
Pep Guardiola - 2025/26
- Thread starter Blue_Lightsaber
- Start date
Well whenever we go to Spurs away we can leave him there.
In that specific situation I would have rather seen Rico come in...have him harass Arsenal in their own end.
ChicagoBlue
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 10 Jan 2009
- Messages
- 21,692
Funnily enough, I said the same thing at the time! I thought Rico could have come on for Bernardo, who looked shattered, but he’s such a wily, experienced head with strong character.
BlueMoonAcrossThePond
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 27 Oct 2020
- Messages
- 7,509
- Team supported
- Manchester City
I'm very confused about what our strategy is this year - in particular because of our signings and our tactics versus Manchester United and Arsenal.
On the one hand, we seem to have given up on ball control as a primary means of offense and defense - illustrated by our possession stats versus Manchester United and Arsenal - where we had less than 50% of possession.
www.statmuse.com
On the other hand, Pep has always valued possession of the ball as a means of both defense and offense.
At present we're OK at parking the bus and OK at attempting to control the ball - but we're not great at either.
I think we'll try ball control at times and parking the bus at times this season depending on whom we face and the state of the match - and I think we'll be OK but not great at either tactic. As a direct consequence, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see us finish 5th-8th this season.
On the one hand, we seem to have given up on ball control as a primary means of offense and defense - illustrated by our possession stats versus Manchester United and Arsenal - where we had less than 50% of possession.
Manchester City Possession By Game | StatMuse
Manchester City had a possession percentage of 71.2 in a Premier League game against Everton on Saturday.
On the other hand, Pep has always valued possession of the ball as a means of both defense and offense.
At present we're OK at parking the bus and OK at attempting to control the ball - but we're not great at either.
I think we'll try ball control at times and parking the bus at times this season depending on whom we face and the state of the match - and I think we'll be OK but not great at either tactic. As a direct consequence, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see us finish 5th-8th this season.
Last edited:
I'm very confused about what our strategy is this year - in particular because of our signings and our tactics versus Manchester United and Arsenal.
On the one hand, we seem to have given up on ball control as a primary means of offense and defense - illustrated by our possession stats versus Manchester United and Arsenal - where we had less than 50% of possession.
Manchester City Possession By Game | StatMuse
Manchester City had a possession percentage of 71.2 in a Premier League game against Everton on Saturday.
On the other hand, Pep has always valued possession of the ball as a means of both defense and offense.
At present we're OK at parking the bus and OK at attempting to control the ball - but we're not great at either.
I think we'll try ball control at times and parking the bus at times this season depending on whom we face and the state of the match - and I think we'll be OK but not great at either tactic. As a direct consequence, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see us finish 5th-8th this season.
We parked the bus only vs Arsenal, because they were the fresher team and in better form since the start of the season. I doubt we are going to park the bus at any other ground this season, unless we have injuries and can't press due to being tired.
Drawing big conclusions from the game vs Arsenal is pointless. Gradually, we'll move in the direction of dominating games and possession-based football, but also countering fast against teams that attack us in numbers.
decmancity
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 7 Nov 2010
- Messages
- 14,528
Win football games. Hope that helps Ai
heslops barnet
Well-Known Member
Best form of defence is attack……
Could not disagree more.I'm very confused about what our strategy is this year - in particular because of our signings and our tactics versus Manchester United and Arsenal.
On the one hand, we seem to have given up on ball control as a primary means of offense and defense - illustrated by our possession stats versus Manchester United and Arsenal - where we had less than 50% of possession.
Manchester City Possession By Game | StatMuse
Manchester City had a possession percentage of 71.2 in a Premier League game against Everton on Saturday.
On the other hand, Pep has always valued possession of the ball as a means of both defense and offense.
At present we're OK at parking the bus and OK at attempting to control the ball - but we're not great at either.
I think we'll try ball control at times and parking the bus at times this season depending on whom we face and the state of the match - and I think we'll be OK but not great at either tactic. As a direct consequence, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see us finish 5th-8th this season.
Recruitment has been poor the last 2 years, don´t have single top winger in the team anymore ,Doku has shown some improvement lately and hopefully improves more ,but Savinho is a big worry and Bobb is not going to be a world class winger, he is too small and weak and not fast enough.Also only team in the world with 1 full back...Pressing isnt working as it used to and keeping possesion or beating opponets high press has been one of the worst i´ve seen under Pep.I'm very confused about what our strategy is this year - in particular because of our signings and our tactics versus Manchester United and Arsenal.
On the one hand, we seem to have given up on ball control as a primary means of offense and defense - illustrated by our possession stats versus Manchester United and Arsenal - where we had less than 50% of possession.
Manchester City Possession By Game | StatMuse
Manchester City had a possession percentage of 71.2 in a Premier League game against Everton on Saturday.
On the other hand, Pep has always valued possession of the ball as a means of both defense and offense.
At present we're OK at parking the bus and OK at attempting to control the ball - but we're not great at either.
I think we'll try ball control at times and parking the bus at times this season depending on whom we face and the state of the match - and I think we'll be OK but not great at either tactic. As a direct consequence, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see us finish 5th-8th this season.
Where do you think we'll finish in the league Ken92?
super_city_si
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 29 Dec 2007
- Messages
- 53,366
And that’s Peps mantra. We’ll get back to that when we hit stride. He realizes we’re still getting up to speed and has to take that in to account
ChicagoBlue
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 10 Jan 2009
- Messages
- 21,692
Arsenal was a “needs must” proposition that Pep2 seems to have brought to the club, with the idea that a strong defence is the foundation of an all out attack.
City’s kryptonite has been, and has been widely known to be, the fast break against our 2 man defence when we are using our smothering attack with 10 men within the opposition’s 35 yard line. We seem to have tightened that up a bit so far.
Against Arsenal, we had the third big game in a week, with the same players playing, which was a mighty challenge against a far better rested Arsenal team that could leave Saka, Martinelli, and Eze on the bench. ANY of those would probably have started for us!
On our bench, we had no recognized striker, a young winger we almost let go and not much else to bother Arsenal.
It was, I believe, a brilliant team performance from a deeply understrength and out gunned (pardon the pun) City team, and it worked well for 93 minutes. With a bit of luck, it could have been the best result of the season given the teams on paper!
Alas, it “only” ended up being a result most of us would have taken before the game after a very difficult and emotional week of top class football.
I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for the next 95% rearguard action set up.
City’s kryptonite has been, and has been widely known to be, the fast break against our 2 man defence when we are using our smothering attack with 10 men within the opposition’s 35 yard line. We seem to have tightened that up a bit so far.
Against Arsenal, we had the third big game in a week, with the same players playing, which was a mighty challenge against a far better rested Arsenal team that could leave Saka, Martinelli, and Eze on the bench. ANY of those would probably have started for us!
On our bench, we had no recognized striker, a young winger we almost let go and not much else to bother Arsenal.
It was, I believe, a brilliant team performance from a deeply understrength and out gunned (pardon the pun) City team, and it worked well for 93 minutes. With a bit of luck, it could have been the best result of the season given the teams on paper!
Alas, it “only” ended up being a result most of us would have taken before the game after a very difficult and emotional week of top class football.
I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for the next 95% rearguard action set up.
Id want city to win the title ,but minimum shpuld be top 4, anything below that is a total failure.
B\connellblue
Well-Known Member
Explain please.? The deeply understrength part.
We lacked attacking depth (Marmoush and Cherki) on the bench unlike Arsenal. I think that had a big impact on our performance especially in the 2nd half.
handsofstone
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 3 Aug 2018
- Messages
- 2,263
Seems a weak argument
Arsenal had Jesus, Havertz, Odegaard out, Madueke got injured during and Saka was only just coming back from an injury
More highlights a lack of quality throughout the team atm, either they're young and aren't the finished product (Savinho, Bobb, Lewis,Mukasa) or they're just not THAT good (Nico, Nunes, Ake etc.)
ChicagoBlue
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 10 Jan 2009
- Messages
- 21,692
The under strength part related to a depleted squad and a fatigued first XI, which meant there wasn’t much, if any, real firepower on the bench, with the quality drop off during substitutions, in some cases, dramatic.
B\connellblue
Well-Known Member
There's never much firepower on the bench anymore. Too few goal scorers in the team and that has been the case for a while. Haaland was never going to play last night so should have seen out the 90. Saviniho never the right sub in a high octane game, (far too passive and soft).
BlueMoonAcrossThePond
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 27 Oct 2020
- Messages
- 7,509
- Team supported
- Manchester City
I'd start a separate thread about this... but here goes... in this thread nonetheless.
Why - under Pep - have we given up ball control as a primary means of both offense and defense?
This style of play is still viable for PSG, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and numerous top sides. Moreover, this style of play has always been Pep's style as far as I can tell - until recently.
IMO - ball control is best for offensive and defense - and the top sides in football still play this way.
Pep has gone away from this style in this season - when up against Man United and at all times against Arsenal and in our signing of Donnarumma.
==
Why have we changed our style?
Because we're no longer capable of playing this way.
That we're no longer playing this way is, IMO, a concession - that we're incapable of imposing our will against most sides - Manchester United as horrible as they are included - and that our best chance for a win is, against competent opposition, to either score first and retreat to a park the bus defense - or against superior sides - park the bus from the offset.
Why - under Pep - have we given up ball control as a primary means of both offense and defense?
This style of play is still viable for PSG, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and numerous top sides. Moreover, this style of play has always been Pep's style as far as I can tell - until recently.
IMO - ball control is best for offensive and defense - and the top sides in football still play this way.
Pep has gone away from this style in this season - when up against Man United and at all times against Arsenal and in our signing of Donnarumma.
==
Why have we changed our style?
Because we're no longer capable of playing this way.
That we're no longer playing this way is, IMO, a concession - that we're incapable of imposing our will against most sides - Manchester United as horrible as they are included - and that our best chance for a win is, against competent opposition, to either score first and retreat to a park the bus defense - or against superior sides - park the bus from the offset.
B\connellblue
Well-Known Member
In case you haven't noticed we are nowhere near the side we were particularly when it comes to composure on the ball and being press resistant.