So easy to play through

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

This is all fine and good in theory. And perhaps we'll be unbeatable if we had the above. But as a form of comparison, who was shited's pitbull yesterday? Carrick? Shneiderlien? Mata? Lingaard? They really didn't have one. But everyone 'worked' on both sides of the ball. We have a players who don't.

Again I repeat, we played the exact same formation as they did. They have as many softies as we do, yet they defended well when we had it, and we seemed always open when they did. Why is that?

They had it made easy for them by the slow, slow and slower build up. Teams have time to reorganize upto five or six times in every attack when we play with the ponderous and tedious pace so characteristic of our game these days. The chances created often come from individual endeavours, but from a defensive point of view we need players who have the wit or the instruction to tackle and challenge the oppo player with the ball. It's staggering that the players 'up top' might think the back line is invincible and so doesn't need any assistance in stemming the barbarian hordes.

 

[ROCKET80]

Fernando's introduction made us tougher to play through but we truly changed when Fernandinho moved to centre-back. We played a higher line and Fernandinho brought the ball out from the back much more regularly than I've seen anyone do for us before (Fernando dropped to cover the space left behind)....sadly the options in front of him were limited. I've mooted to friends before that I think Fernandinho could be our 'Mascherano'.

I'd also mention that Bony had a positive impact for us and has been the only time I've seen us play to his strengths, in that he didn't stray far from the box meaning when Aguero roamed (as he does) it was more effective as United's defence had something else to think about instead of just letting us pass from side to side infront of them knowing if it ever went out wide there was nobody in the box to attack the ball.

 

[Neville Kneville]

If that's what you believe, OK.

It seems to me that you have been finding ways to excuse the two in the middle system when it's been exposed, by saying it's down to this that & the other, rather than it basically doesn't work with this group, & then on the occasions we have done something different & it's worked, have claimed it's not because of the change of system.

If I am mistaken then I apologise but that's how it has appeared to me.


Edit: and reading now, it seems you are doing it in this thread.

Utd didn't play anything like City at all. Not even close, yet you are claiming they did & it's 'the same system'. No it isn't. That is computer geek talk not real football. That's like saying Brain Horton & Tony Pulis play the same system because on paper it looks the same.

 

[fatbloke]

It's not even a midfield two anymore, it's just Fernandinho. Yaya is just another attacking player these days who drops back in to deeper positions to get on the ball, just like all players who lose that explosiveness tend to do in the latter stages of their career.

 

[Marvin]

After Mancini left It was fine for a while, but with time players aged, and new signings were made and Pellegrini has had to re-build the team something which he has failed to do.

The defence has been decimated by injury but we know there are alternatives to Demichelis eg Sagna

The midfield has also been destroyed as Pellegrini refuses to drop Toure. Hopefully we are at the point where Nasri, De Bruyne and Delph are ready to return but will he play them? I have serious doubts that he will.

 

[shemnel]

It's not even a midfield two anymore, it's just Fernandinho. Yaya is just another attacking player these days who drops back in to deeper positions to get on the ball, just like all players who lose that explosiveness tend to do in the latter stages of their career.

correct, and it's suicidal. Im not sure why some rate Fernando but he's anonymous as well.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Fernando's introduction made us tougher to play through but we truly changed when Fernandinho moved to centre-back. We played a higher line and Fernandinho brought the ball out from the back much more regularly than I've seen anyone do for us before (Fernando dropped to cover the space left behind)....sadly the options in front of him were limited. I've mooted to friends before that I think Fernandinho could be our 'Mascherano'.

I'd also mention that Bony had a positive impact for us and has been the only time I've seen us play to his strengths, in that he didn't stray far from the box meaning when Aguero roamed (as he does) it was more effective as United's defence had something else to think about instead of just letting us pass from side to side infront of them knowing if it ever went out wide there was nobody in the box to attack the ball.

I feel sorry for Bony.

He has had the usual shit on here for failling once to play a 1-2 with Aguero but imo if Aguero had played with even half the intelligence Bony did, we would have won in spite of Pellegrini.

Basically he's being ignored by Aguero & some will say 'so he should be, he's shit' but that's actually totally wrong. Aguero was the one who missed the best chances yesterday, & it's not fair to just assume Bony will miss everything so we don't pass to him. If he's unmarked in tront of goal, you fucking pass to him, not try to score from 45 degrees.

He had enough yesterday & was letting Aguero know it. He's right. He was pointing where Aguero should have put the ball & holding his arms out saying 'what the fuck?' and he was right. He was telling people where the crosses should go & he was right.

People talking of Sterling as ''the elephant in the room'. Imo a great big elephant in the room is that there are very few strikers in the world who will form a partnership with Aguero, because he doesn't work with them. He wouldn't work with Dzeko, Balotelli, Jovetic & now Bony. They pass to him but how many 1-2s ? Compare Sterling/Suarez to Sterling Aguero when Rahim moves centrally.

Aguero is too good to not receive special treatment, so we need to build the front 3 around him. But imo it's no conicidence that Bony's best games are when Aguero is missing & same with most of the other strikers. Even Messi doesn't really link with him that well for Argentina. Not compared to the way he links up with the players at Barca.

We need to find the right people to play with Aguero, ones that he will actually pass back to when i key areas & also understand/agree with their movement. Iheanacho seems to get Aguero's aproval & he passes to him every now & then, so that's a good sign.

We have never had a striking partnership like Liverpool had or even Watford have. We have talented individuals can produce magic but have never had a pair or a 3 who naturally, instictively link up.

And please don't some thick headed twat come on & say I'm blaming Aguero. Read the fucking post thicky (got it in advance).

 

[Marvin]

I feel sorry for Bony.

He has had the usual shit on here for failling once to play a 1-2 with Aguero but imo if Aguero had played with even half the intelligence Bony did, we would have won in spite of Pellegrini.

Basically he's being ignored by Aguero & some will say 'so he should be, he's shit' but that's actually totally wrong. Aguero was the one who missed the best chances yesterday, & it's not fair to just assume Bony will miss everything so we don't pass to him. If he's unmarked in tront of goal, you fucking pass to him, not try to score from 45 degrees.

He had enough yesterday & was letting Aguero know it. He's right. He was pointing where Aguero should have put the ball & holding his arms out saying 'what the fuck?' and he was right. He was telling people where the crosses should go & he was right.

People talking of Sterling as ''the elephant in the room'. Imo a great big elephant in the room is that there are very few strikers in the world who will form a partnership with Aguero, because he doesn't work with them. He wouldn't work with Dzeko, Balotelli, Jovetic & now Bony. They pass to him but how many 1-2s ? Compare Sterling/Suarez to Sterling Aguero when Rahim moves centrally.

Aguero is too good to not receive special treatment, so we need to build the front 3 around him. But imo it's no conicidence that Bony's best games are when Aguero is missing & same with most of the other strikers. Even Messi doesn't really link with him that well for Argentina. Not compared to the way he links up with the players at Barca.

We need to find the right people to play with Aguero, ones that he will actually pass back to when i key areas & also understand/agree with their movement. Iheanacho seems to get Aguero's aproval & he passes to him every now & then, so that's a good sign.

We have never had a striking partnership like Liverpool had or even Watford have. We have talented individuals can produce magic but have never had a pair or a 3 who naturally, instictively link up.

And please don't some thick headed twat come on & say I'm blaming Aguero. Read the fucking post thicky (got it in advance).

Aguero had a bad game against Utd. He put a huge amount of effort in coming deep and going wide but he got it wrong in front of goal. I agree he should have passed to Bony on a couple of occasions.

However I am not sure I agree that he is a difficult player to play with. He formed a great partnership with Negredo until Negredo's game fell apart.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Aguero had a bad game against Utd. He put a huge amount of effort in coming deep and going wide but he got it wrong in front of goal. I agree he should have passed to Bony on a couple of occasions.

However I am not sure I agree that he is a difficult player to play with. He formed a great partnership with Negredo until Negredo's game fell apart.

I can't remember how many games they played together but if that is the case, then the question should be; why ? What is it about Negredo's game which suits Aguero ?

 

[Marvin]

This is all fine and good in theory. And perhaps we'll be unbeatable if we had the above. But as a form of comparison, who was shited's pitbull yesterday? Carrick? Shneiderlien? Mata? Lingaard? They really didn't have one. But everyone 'worked' on both sides of the ball. We have a players who don't.

Again I repeat, we played the exact same formation as they did. They have as many softies as we do, yet they defended well when we had it, and we seemed always open when they did. Why is that?

It's not just lack of effort. The midfield is now dysfunctional. We have players in there who should have been dropped ages ago. They can't defend properly and they can't support players like Silva or forwards like Aguero with the result that the quick incisive attacks that used to be our hallmark, have become slow laboured moves that inevitably founder on a defence that has been in position for 1/2 an hour.