Post Match Thread - United (h)

[ancoats]

What hurt the most yesterday was that United wanted it more, we was slow and tepid and in contrast they swarmed all over us and was full of energy. The only time they showed a little fight was when they come over to the corner telling the City fans to calm down. Seeing Ole, Ferguson and his entourage all with smug grins not to mention Scholes on video pissed singing the United nursery rhymes. It makes me sick!
Its getting slightly worrying now its no longer the odd blip we are looking very sluggish in majority of games and the injuries have definitely caught up with us. I trust Pep and it think he needs to inject some fresh impetus back into us, we need to start making inroads in our recruitment drive for next summer.

united are the old man city up for the bigger games, and then lose or draw to clubs like palace or brighton, (city) was know as winners of big games and not silverware

 

[Marvin]

even if coming up short you could never knock pep or the players this season, they have given every bit of energy possible a body could give over the last 2 seasons with 7 trophies, pep has been missed quote this morning in the press about say city are not good enough to play the big teams and maybe never will ?? the media spin is shocking and what he was really saying is we have given ever thing possible over the last 2 season, injuries have done for us in players not being available to rest and use rotation to keep it fresh

pep will be given a open check in the summer and sign away, bring in whoever you like and build something better if its possible, shake the ****s up give them something to talk about blow the transfer window open, break the british transfer record signings even break the world record transfer and sign mbappe

What Pep says is true. We've been moaning about the defending all season. And we have to improve.

It should not even be controversial. I don't see where your record transfer buys come from. We have spent record amount for City to replace Fernandinho.

City's weakness is down to lack of central defensive cover but that will be sorted by the rehab of Laporte and by the development of the young defenders we have at the club. Rodri has replaced Fernandinho, and Foden will replace Silva.

Improvement is dependent on when Laporte returns and how well Rodri and Foden settle in. In the case of Foden he's barely played at all but Foden is 19. We keep demanding he plays but perhaps Pep feels he still needs to learn and develop. 19 is very young to be playing in the engine room of the Premier League champions.

 

[Marvin]

I follow City and if I see something is wrong I am going to give my opinion, that's a big part of why I have been going for nearly 50 years.
If Pep continues to build this team around David Silva I will be telling him he is wrong.

This is not personal , it's City and I have spent all my life wanting us to win.

It's like Pep's first season when we had 4 aging defenders and Bravo. Now we have a defence wrecked by injury (Laporte and Mendy have had very serious injuries). I think sadly Mendy is not going to recover but there is no reason to believe that Laporte is that far away. Zinchenko is our best left back, and he's back in full training so defensively (assuming Stone is OK), we'll be able to field last season's defence soon enough. Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte and Zinchenko are excellent players. They will do a job again.

Midfield is a problem. Rodri has effectively replaced Fernandinho. Foden is close to replacing Silva, and de Bruyne is yet to capture his form pre-injury.

We struggled when Yaya reached 30 plus. Now KOmpany has retired and SIlva and Fernandinho have reached 33 and 34 respectively. This was always going to be difficult to manage, and we've been hit by injury too.

City saw this coming. We bought Rodri and we have nurtured Foden. Doesn't mean that they are guaranteed to be able to replace two of the best players that City have ever had it is happening this season.

The media and the rest of football seem to be celebrating City's decline, but it need not be inevitable. Players heal from injuries and both Rodri and Foden will adapt and develop.

 

[northwichblue]

i think the most disappointing thing about the whole debacle, was the game playing out tactically pretty much exactly as a lot of people predicted.

Yeah alot of people predicted this is how it would go apart from Pep

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Yeah alot of people predicted this is how it would go apart from Pep

Doubt it. Pep makes mistakes, but he's the cleverest football brain in the game, by miles. That he didn't provide for it is another matter.
What is certain is that Leicester will play it exactly the same way! You know, I know it, everyone knows it. And Pep knows it. Massed defence regrouping very quickly, as soon as we lose it, ball through the middle or over the top, Vardy's pace. What you do about it I don't have the answer to. Fern in deep midfield? Maybe. Maybe... But then that's Rodri in central defence, or the Otamendi/Stones pairing. Either of them in a one-on-one against Vardy? I don't much fancy it. Do you?
As I say, I don't have the answer. That's the gaffer's job. But we know what's coming.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

What Pep says is true. We've been moaning about the defending all season. And we have to improve.

It should not even be controversial. I don't see where your record transfer buys come from. We have spent record amount for City to replace Fernandinho.

City's weakness is down to lack of central defensive cover but that will be sorted by the rehab of Laporte and by the development of the young defenders we have at the club. Rodri has replaced Fernandinho, and Foden will replace Silva.

Improvement is dependent on when Laporte returns and how well Rodri and Foden settle in. In the case of Foden he's barely played at all but Foden is 19. We keep demanding he plays but perhaps Pep feels he still needs to learn and develop. 19 is very young to be playing in the engine room of the Premier League champions.

I agree Marvin, but I think Foden could have had a few more minutes than he has. A few City fans could be forgiven for thinking that Pep hasn't got the same level of trust that he has for David Silver. One of the best creative players to emerge over the last few seasons was Ross Barkley, but he was prone to make a howler, as we saw last season, and I think Pep feels a little of the same. However, the one thing that he would bring is energy where it's needed, particularly when the usual hands, and feet, are beginning to labour. He's City through and through, and I hope he realises, if any promises have been made, that his entire footballing future is with us. You can see how good he is because the RDAHMeedya are forever telling the world that he should move on. They don't want us to have the talent that is Phil Foden!

 

[Goater=Legend]

I mean we scored from a corner, probably the only positive I've taken from the game

 

[Marvin]

I agree Marvin, but I think Foden could have had a few more minutes than he has. A few City fans could be forgiven for thinking that Pep hasn't got the same level of trust that he has for David Silver. One of the best creative players to emerge over the last few seasons was Ross Barkley, but he was prone to make a howler, as we saw last season, and I think Pep feels a little of the same. However, the one thing that he would bring is energy where it's needed, particularly when the usual hands, and feet, are beginning to labour. He's City through and through, and I hope he realises, if any promises have been made, that his entire footballing future is with us. You can see how good he is because the RDAHMeedya are forever telling the world that he should move on. They don't want us to have the talent that is Phil Foden!

Perhaps our league form is going to accelerate Foden's progression. He is our future.

 

[BluessinceHydeRoad]

Saturday's result and performance were depressingly predictable. The "trajectory of results" is alarming. This season we have played 7 of the ten teams currently in the top half of the table and we have won only 2 matches, drawn a further 2 and lost 3 - meaning we have won only 8 points of 21 on offer. At home our record is almost a humiliation: the only top half team we have beaten is Chelsea, currently in 4th, and we have drawn with Spurs (7th), United (5th) and Wolves ( 6th) have gone home with all 3 points - a haul of 4 points from 12. Away the record seems a little better but still very poor - we have lost at Liverpool (1st), drawn at Newcastle (10th) and won at Palace (9th), totalling 4 points from 9. This from a team worth 198 points over the last two seasons! "24 of our points have come from 8 wins against the bottom 9 teams but even here we managed to lose against the side in 19th place.

The real weakness was clear to all on Saturday whether we call it not controlling the counter attack or no longer defending from the front adequately or whatever we are sick of seeing our back four left without cover as the opposition hordes sweep forward. The cause of this weakness remains elusive and Pep has not dealt with it yet. It is complex; injuries obviously contribute and is it also psychological, physical and motivational fatigue after the superlative, unprecedented form of the last two years? Failures in the transfer market? What else is it? If Pep doesn't know what to do no one does.

The message is clear though. At the moment we are flat track bullies surviving by defeating bottom half teams. This won't win us any trophy and may well not get us in the top four! I hope its not a question of how are the mighty fallen.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Perhaps our league form is going to accelerate Foden's progression. He is our future.

I'm hoping he is Colin Bell and Paul Lake rolled into one, with the vision of a 25yr old David Silva - 's not much to ask for, is it, now it's Christmas!