burning blue soul
Well-Known Member
Looking at the comical state of utd at the moment got me thinking.
We play a lot of games where the opposition raise their game because they are playing the champions. It's a tough old slog sometimes, Sheffield United the other night is a classic example. Although to be fair to them they seem to play every game as if it's their last! But I digress.
I am losing my shit with players doing this when they play us, and then going back to normal mediocrity from then on. That utd team that beat us in our own back yard are nowhere near our level, but that day personal and professional pride took over (they did the same a couple of years back to stop us winning the league against them).
The same can be said for Norwich, they played exceptionally well, passing out from the back and movement (have they won a game since beating us?). Last night a struggling Burnley team did the same thing that utd did to us.
It goes to show that in most cases the ability is there, but not the desire.
I've watched a fair bit of Liverpool this season and they don't seem to get the same improvements in performance from the teams they are playing (maybe that will change next year when they are the ones to be shot at, metaphorically).
Anyway, your thoughts on this strange phenomena, and maybe you can remember some great upscaled performances in the past from city (or our opponents) that have surprised you.
We play a lot of games where the opposition raise their game because they are playing the champions. It's a tough old slog sometimes, Sheffield United the other night is a classic example. Although to be fair to them they seem to play every game as if it's their last! But I digress.
I am losing my shit with players doing this when they play us, and then going back to normal mediocrity from then on. That utd team that beat us in our own back yard are nowhere near our level, but that day personal and professional pride took over (they did the same a couple of years back to stop us winning the league against them).
The same can be said for Norwich, they played exceptionally well, passing out from the back and movement (have they won a game since beating us?). Last night a struggling Burnley team did the same thing that utd did to us.
It goes to show that in most cases the ability is there, but not the desire.
I've watched a fair bit of Liverpool this season and they don't seem to get the same improvements in performance from the teams they are playing (maybe that will change next year when they are the ones to be shot at, metaphorically).
Anyway, your thoughts on this strange phenomena, and maybe you can remember some great upscaled performances in the past from city (or our opponents) that have surprised you.