Remember - we're in unprecedented territory here

[supercity88]

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.

I definitely think he could, and should have looked to our academy to try and solve the issues. It's not ideal to bring kids in to a negative situation, but you can see across the league so many talented young players performing for their teams. It's madness to keep turning to older heads who clearly aren't doing what they used to be able to and are also physically incapable of pressing the opposition or covering the pitch. If you look back on the disaster run, think how much our younger players could have learned and developed in that time and they might now have nailed down a spot and shown their worth. If they're not good enough when others are struggling, they're never going to get minutes with us.

I didn't share the same positivity yesterday. We were only in the game because they allowed us to be. They retreated into their shell and allowed us to keep the ball. As soon as it went to 1-1 they came at us again and tore us apart time and time again. We'll do fine against sides that sit off us. They might have success on the counter but we'll likely outscore them. But if teams come at us and press us we're fucked.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

Essentially the decline started last season but somebody still has to win the league, so Arsenal weren't brave enough when it really mattered and Liverpool dropped some silly points.
The topsy turvy late victory at Newcastle was a microcosm of the whole season with City completely outplayed for virtually the whole of the First Half, and Walker too slow to react for both goals. Then De Bruyne had a fantastic, (albeit fleeting) period of brilliance and everything looked rosy again.
City needed to be more ruthless in the summer, but instead we let things drift and kidded ourselves that just as long as Rodri stayed fit, then our weaknesses wouldn't be exposed.

 

[Shazza458]

I’m not a happy clapper (far from it) but we are still 4th. We’ve had completely rotten luck with injuries and players being out of form. I think a few summers bad business has also caught up with us. Few players past it - it’s all stuff we knew anyway

Good news is we aren’t Arsenal or Liverpool and the club are showing intent this January to put things right. I think they’ll be aggressive in the summer too. Four players through the door this month is a statement of intent (if González goes through)

Ride it out till the end of the season and we go again. New players, Rodri back, defenders able to maintain some fitness. Next season will be completely different.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Essentially the decline started last season but somebody still has to win the league, so Arsenal weren't brave enough when it really mattered and Liverpool dropped some silly points

I cant put my finger really on when the decline started.
Last season we almost did the treble again.
Lost an fa cup final and knocked out by Madrid on a penalty shoot out in the champions league.
I still have flashbacks of Bernardo and that penalty attempt.
I think Pep has placed too much faith in the "old guard" and their fitness/availability seems to have caught him by surprise.
Integrating these new players into the team is vital

 

[thegoatsthegoat]

I cant put my finger really on when the decline started.
Last season we almost did the treble again.
Lost an fa cup final and knocked out by Madrid on a penalty shoot out in the champions league.
I still have flashbacks of Bernardo and that penalty attempt.
I think Pep has placed too much faith in the "old guard" and their fitness/availability seems to have caught him by surprise.
Integrating these new players into the team is vital

Whilst winning back to back trebles would have been a madness, there is your evidence of the decline. We lost a cup final to United and deservedly so, even typing that is mental. A team in Madrid we wiped the floor with not 12 months before, we stuttered to a penalty shoot out and then lost. We had 120 minutes, at the etihad to win a match and we couldn't. The signs were there that we was slipping. We actually done very well putting together that run to win the league, overachieved if anything. They should have then planned the rebuild from the summer, we recruited badly the last two years especially whilst letting quality squad players leave. Alvarez with no replacement etc. The perfect storm of ageing players, maybe a little hunger going, bad recruitment and injuries has led us to todays position.

 

[Shazza458]

I cant put my finger really on when the decline started.
Last season we almost did the treble again.
Lost an fa cup final and knocked out by Madrid on a penalty shoot out in the champions league.
I still have flashbacks of Bernardo and that penalty attempt.
I think Pep has placed too much faith in the "old guard" and their fitness/availability seems to have caught him by surprise.
Integrating these new players into the team is vital

We were poor for long stretches last season imo. Individuals like Rodri and Foden carried us. Decline started at end of the treble season, it’s been gradual but it was there. Squad been driven into to the ground and exacerbated by poor recruitment

The summer between the treble and four in a row window fucked us imo. Recruitment was shite and we didn’t refresh the squad. We could have ended up with Bellingham or Rice, Kovacic and Olise but we didn’t. Nunes and Doku happened.

 

[Chak19]

Essentially the decline started last season but somebody still has to win the league, so Arsenal weren't brave enough when it really mattered and Liverpool dropped some silly points.
The topsy turvy late victory at Newcastle was a microcosm of the whole season with City completely outplayed for virtually the whole of the First Half, and Walker too slow to react for both goals. Then De Bruyne had a fantastic, (albeit fleeting) period of brilliance and everything looked rosy again.
City needed to be more ruthless in the summer, but instead we let things drift and kidded ourselves that just as long as Rodri stayed fit, then our weaknesses wouldn't be exposed.

Actually we outplayed Newcastle that entire game, the two goals they scored were completely against the run of play and were pretty much their only shots on target, second half was one way traffic, we were still one of the best teams around last season mainly because of Rodri and to a lesser extent Foden's scoring touch.

 

[traditionalleesy]

I agree with all that but I do think we can get into the top 4 and win the FA Cup. If Khushanov develops, and Kovacic stays fit, we may make it to Wembley and by then Rodri might be back.

I also agree, Khusanov and Marmoush will be ok, Rico more experienced, Oscar Bobb will breakthrough, Harland scoring, Foden being Foden, Diaz, Gvardiol, Ake, Akanji, good defenders, Grealish or Nunes at 10 (where they played at villa and wolves), Rodri controlling everything, Doku and Silvinio wide if needed, Claudio Echeverri and the Brazilian kid coming in, possibly Bernardo with experience, Gundogan on the coaching staff, McAtee on stand by as usual, O'Reilly hopefully getting better plus a new keeper and a couple of world class signings, that lot would smash arsenal liverpool and the rags, sorry Kev but i think he has earned a saudi payday, and Johnny might not make it, hope i am wrong with that one...

 

[Rodri’s ACL]

I cant put my finger really on when the decline started.
Last season we almost did the treble again.
Lost an fa cup final and knocked out by Madrid on a penalty shoot out in the champions league.
I still have flashbacks of Bernardo and that penalty attempt.
I think Pep has placed too much faith in the "old guard" and their fitness/availability seems to have caught him by surprise.
Integrating these new players into the team is vital

I personally think we should’ve started rebuilding after the treble. Let Walker go to Munich, and before everybody’s legs eventually went (now) have the squad rebuild.

Have faith in Pep though, look at the difference between his first and second years. He’ll have another idea that’ll work (something like stones going into midfield/the false 9) and it’ll all be great again.

 

[KS55]

At the start of the season, absolutely nobody knew what was going to happen to an English team that had won four titles in a row because not one English team had ever won four titles in a row. Until City did.

These are uncharted waters and we're the only team in a position to be sailing in them. If another team ever, ever wins four Premier Leagues on the trot again, they'll only know what to expect because of City's 24/25 season.

It will be at least 2028 before there's even a remote possibility of that happening. To be honest, it didn't really sink in at the time just what we'd managed to pull off in May, but it absolutely has over the last few weeks.

And, from our perspective as fans, surely these last few weeks should show that City pushing again to create history last year was nothing short of heroic. How did the lads find it within themselves to push one last time when they were (as we now know) this close to giving out?

We all know a rebuild is needed. This summer is going to be an emotional one with so many legends seemingly on the way out. But we know the rebuild will come and we know the lads will be out to prove themselves again for us all come August 2025.

Decades from now, footballing dynasties will have come and gone, but City will stand as the first team from these shores to ever win four in a row. It's likely, by the time we're all long gone, that we'll still be the only team to say we've done it.

Ride this storm out and keep the faith. We'll be back next year.

There is a reason nobody in the whole history of English football has done what we did. And remember the domestic treble was unique too. Sir Baconface said it was “impossible”.

 

[A57 the snake]

I’m not sure if this is the right thread to post but it could one from four or five I watched the cup final , the warning signs were there a proper sit up and take notice we needed to keep moving on and we didn’t.
Honestly said to Mrs snake and @TShed this is the end of this sides dynasty, but we didn’t move on . We’re in for a couple of quiet seasons in my opinion but genuinely think we’ll come back.

 

[Dannyblue52]

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

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.

Don't forget Oscar Bobb Bobb Bobb

 

[SilverFox2]

unprecidented?

we won the league once and got relegated the year after.

we once scored a 104 goals in a season and conceded a 100 too

this is fuck all

Exactly that.

I have just got used to City changing into a well organized predictably winning team from the chaos and uncertainty that pre Pep teams brought when the old city shows slight signs of returning.

Nearly time for our away support to start increasing exponentially.

 

[normskih]

unprecidented?

we won the league once and got relegated the year after.

we once scored a 104 goals in a season and conceded a 100 too

this is fuck all

Correct, it’s not unprecedented. We were in the old Division three once, that was crap times. Playing Grimsby on a cold, wet through Monday night is when it’s bad.