I said the same to my lad after the draw was made, I cant see us winning the CL.At the point we equalised we were the better team IMO.The Foden mistake and the deflection obviosuly killed us.It was the first shot they had for 30 mins and we were relatively comfortable. And then the horror show but hey ho...
I'd love us to beat Real Madrid but assuming we don't Pep will have the luxury of 6 blank midweeks from not playing the Champions League. As a team, it is great from a recovery perspective and we'll be going into the last block of games fresh and energised.
Getting the 3 players in so far and hopefully someone tomorrow is perfect. Pep will get to to do what he loves and does best - time to coach, coach, coach (particulary for the newbies) and with an eye on the Club World Cup and 25/26.
For these reasons I'm totally optimistic we'll get Champions League qualification even if we get 2 or 3 more batterings in the next month. Also optimistic for 25/26 with a crop of youngish players:
Reiss 19
O'Reilly 19
Rico 20
Sav 20 (superstar in the making)
Khusanov (20
Doku 22
Josko 23
Erling 24
Phil 24
Ruben 27
Rodri 28
Add to that the churn of the older players (though some will stay) to be replaced with new signings we'll be very stong hopefully.
I don't think not playing games will help at all.I said the same to my lad after the draw was made, I cant see us winning the CL.
Priority has to be the league and with the Club World Cup the less games until then the better imo.
Never want to see us lose but I wont be devastated if we do.
I don't think it has been worse than imagined, I think we expect too much sometimes. The team have been like a machine but they're not a machine, they're a collection of people and with everything that's happened, 2 key players out for the season before we even got going (because I consider Bobb to be as important based on his outstanding pre-season performances), and the resulting fall out from that, having to play players not fully fit, players out of position, players that need resting themselves and so on, I think we've done pretty well so far. I'm amazed we're as high in the table as we are, and for now still in Europe.We were due a shit season.
This has been worse than imagined, but we are still realistically going to be at least a Europa League team, there are new signings in at the window, plus likely more to come and a big overhaul for the squad.
We'll be ok.
Pretty much agree with this and overall I don't think we're as bad as the media and, well, just about everybody else including the post-match crazies, suggest. For most of the games in the bad run we've been the better team for if not all 90 minutes, most of the time.At the point we equalised we were the better team IMO.The Foden mistake and the deflection obviosuly killed us.It was the first shot they had for 30 mins and we were relatively comfortable. And then the horror show but hey ho...
I'd love us to beat Real Madrid but assuming we don't Pep will have the luxury of 6 blank midweeks from not playing the Champions League. As a team, it is great from a recovery perspective and we'll be going into the last block of games fresh and energised.
Getting the 3 players in so far and hopefully someone tomorrow is perfect. Pep will get to to do what he loves and does best - time to coach, coach, coach (particulary for the newbies) and with an eye on the Club World Cup and 25/26.
For these reasons I'm totally optimistic we'll get Champions League qualification even if we get 2 or 3 more batterings in the next month. Also optimistic for 25/26 with a crop of youngish players:
Reiss 19
O'Reilly 19
Rico 20
Sav 20 (superstar in the making)
Khusanov (20
Doku 22
Josko 23
Erling 24
Phil 24
Ruben 27
Rodri 28
Add to that the churn of the older players (though some will stay) to be replaced with new signings we'll be very stong hopefully.
Bobb a key player because he played well in a few friendlies? So did O'reilly but that hasnt helped himI don't think it has been worse than imagined, I think we expect too much sometimes. The team have been like a machine but they're not a machine, they're a collection of people and with everything that's happened, 2 key players out for the season before we even got going (because I consider Bobb to be as important based on his outstanding pre-season performances), and the resulting fall out from that, having to play players not fully fit, players out of position, players that need resting themselves and so on, I think we've done pretty well so far. I'm amazed we're as high in the table as we are, and for now still in Europe.
Liverpool also had an aged midfield that hit the wall… they took the hard decisions and refreshed wellThis season reminds me so much of that season Liverpool had after winning the title.
Key player ruled out for the season in one of the opening games and a midfield whose best days are a distant memory. They got overrun for fun in midfield that year and once they’ve passed strengthened that area they began to rebuild.
We need to get some fresh lungs and hunger back into that midfield, prey for a speedy Rodri recovery and we should be back on top.
The attackers are starved of any chance and the defence deprived of any cover with this current midfield.
Bobb was the best player on City's tour. Not impressed that Pep has not played O'Reilly and has kept faith with Gundogan and KDB. We need to re-build and bring in young players like Macatee so we know whether they are good enough for next season.Bobb a key player because he played well in a few friendlies? So did O'reilly but that hasnt helped him
Bobb is a talented young player but FFS he was not going to be a deal breaker in our season.I don't think it has been worse than imagined, I think we expect too much sometimes. The team have been like a machine but they're not a machine, they're a collection of people and with everything that's happened, 2 key players out for the season before we even got going (because I consider Bobb to be as important based on his outstanding pre-season performances), and the resulting fall out from that, having to play players not fully fit, players out of position, players that need resting themselves and so on, I think we've done pretty well so far. I'm amazed we're as high in the table as we are, and for now still in Europe.
Yep, shit teams have won the CL before, but it's usually through scabbing their way to the finals with good defending and lucky goals. Literally the opposite of our current profile of dominating games then fucking it up by conceding an easy goal. Real Madrid often beat us when we play miles better than them, never mind on our current form.I said the same to my lad after the draw was made, I cant see us winning the CL.
Priority has to be the league and with the Club World Cup the less games until then the better imo.
Never want to see us lose but I wont be devastated if we do.
You should know by now, if they first team are playing shit, anyone in the youth team or injured is suddenly propelled to superstar status and would change our fortunes if only Pep gave them a chance.Bobb is a talented young player but FFS he was not going to be a deal breaker in our season.
We look out on our feetI don't think not playing games will help at all.
Kovacic is cover. 2 players for one position plus youth cover is adequate. But Pep won't play O'Reilly. The right back position is much more serious than DM. Against Arsenal, Kovacic and our midfeld were better than Arsenal. We lost because players made individual mistakes and because more than half our attacks were halted by Nunes who isn't able to play at right back/right sided forward at this level. That's on player recruitment.I am not inclined to criticise Pep or the players really after what they have achieved. As many on here have said, they are not machines. But, the club in terms of recruitment is a different thing. Having zero cover for Rodri was complacent in the extreme. Getting to the last day of this window without having brought in a midfielder is inexplicable in my view. It feels like the club has just written this season off already, and started signing younger players for the future.
The final 2 subs by Pep at 3-1? Macatee and KDB were damaging. And by then, Savinho our best player on the day was tired. KDB did absolutely nothing when he came on. He does these long runs closing down the keeper when he knows he isn't going to get the ball. His defensive game is awful and costs us every game.We look out on our feet
There is though if we are honest a trend in Pep not to use academy players. O'Reilly and Macatee should have had more games at the expense of KDB and Gundogan. City and Pep are not perfect. No one is. Pep is the best coach we could wish for, and I also believe City will be back. I was very encouraged and proud of the team at 1-1. We are not far off.yThe club made mistakes in the summer. They believed we could continue with the same group of players and reach the heights of the previous season. They didn’t cater for the sheer scale of football our players had played. They didn’t accept that there would be a natural decline and they didn’t plan appropriately.
But they certainly couldn’t have anticipated the scale of the impact that would have. It’s only Haaland and Gvardiol who have been fit all season. Our game was so reliant on Rodri and they should have finally moved to cover him but didn’t. Without him we’re a shell of the side we once were. His impact is clear to see. The connection between defence and attack is lost and out of possession we’re woeful. The midfield looks dead on their feet and so many legends of our club look completely past it.
But he’ll be back and the club will learn. They’ve moved to bring in three new talents. It’s not enough, but it’s a start. And they’ll continue the rebuild and will do it quickly and aggressively and I expect us to be challenging again next season. Our decline looks dramatic. But the dippers missed out on CL football during theirs and they hadn’t dominated the way we have. Take it on the chin. Roll our sleeves up and fight for what’s still left this season, and trust the club to never make the same mistakes again.