So what is wrong at the moment?

bellsouth said:
A few things;

- style of play - too predictable, too easy to defend against, too slow
- No cohesion in midfield - midfield has gone missing for a while now, doesn't seem to help defensively or do enough attacking wise - Silva, Milner and Lampard apart
- Giving away early goals - causing huge issues as it lets opposition sit back, get numbers behind the ball and hit us on counter - MUST cut out silly mistakes early on - get ourselves concentrating from the 1st second!
- Lack of pace and energy - I know we have to trust our senior players, but surely the energy and exuberance of a younger player, EDS or someone in and around the team, getting some game time as a sub at least would give us a boost? The players at the moment do not look like they fear for their positions - they should
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This is a key point and why so many people look at our transfer dealings. To many players look like they are cruising.

last night we lost the ball attacking at one point and the opposition broke down the left . We had won the ball back in our own box when Nasri had just about got into our half. He was our left sided midfielder, how do you expect to keep clean sheets with that sort of cover.

Pellers needs to get hold of Navas and ask why he never uses his pace to run at and past players. Even when he looks like he has the beating of the fullback like he did against he rags he still bottles it. But his attitude is still the same as its always been.

Only Komps, Milner and Aguero are really showing the fight required at the mo. Even Zaba is having a poor season by his recent standards.

The folowing all key players have all been shocking by previous standards - MDM, Clichy, Dinho, Yaya, Kolorov, Nasri, Jovetic, Dzeko - This is the main problem.
 
We kept playing two up front last season, including the away games and in Europe against tougher opposition, eventually Pellegrini change tact, I think it may have been enforced through injury and then results improved, the team looked more balanced and the confidence returned to the players. We ended the season looking unbeatable even though players from early in the season such as Negredo had gone backwards.

Now the squad has aged and some players have had a busy summer, and for some a very disappointing summer and we are trying to keep up the front foot tactics. I would prefer Pellegrini to set the team up to stop conceding goals first by playing either a three man midfield or a variation of this. Either 4-2-3-1, 4-3-2-1.

The two Brazilians holding would allow Toure to play to his strengths, if either or both are unavailable then Milner, Zaba or even Vinny could step into this role temporarily when required. We could even deploy DeMichelis as a sweeper if we wanted too to give some stability to the back line and build confidence in the team. Clean sheets are the answer and let the forwards get on with scoring the goals. I once asked a City supporting mate if he would take a season of us winning 1-0 every week, and forego the 3-2's and such like. At this moment I would take this right now. Stop the rot, otherwise it will be a long season. The squad should be looking at tweaking not ripping up and starting again. Hart, Vinny, Zaba, Mangala, Silva, Fernando, Ageuro, and Milner are the great basis for our team. Yaya is still good enough, our own Pirlo or Gerrard, but younger than both.

We have a very good first team and able back ups to fit in when players are missing through injury or suspensions. At the moment the coaches aren't getting the best out of them and this needs addressing. If it is a confidence thing then stop conceding goals. It would be better to draw 0-0 and play well than keep conceding and chasing games.
 
Jimfv1 said:
We kept playing two up front last season, including the away games and in Europe against tougher opposition, eventually Pellegrini change tact, I think it may have been enforced through injury and then results improved, the team looked more balanced and the confidence returned to the players. We ended the season looking unbeatable even though players from early in the season such as Negredo had gone backwards.

Now the squad has aged and some players have had a busy summer, and for some a very disappointing summer and we are trying to keep up the front foot tactics. I would prefer Pellegrini to set the team up to stop conceding goals first by playing either a three man midfield or a variation of this. Either 4-2-3-1, 4-3-2-1.

The two Brazilians holding would allow Toure to play to his strengths, if either or both are unavailable then Milner, Zaba or even Vinny could step into this role temporarily when required. We could even deploy DeMichelis as a sweeper if we wanted too to give some stability to the back line and build confidence in the team. Clean sheets are the answer and let the forwards get on with scoring the goals. I once asked a City supporting mate if he would take a season of us winning 1-0 every week, and forego the 3-2's and such like. At this moment I would take this right now. Stop the rot, otherwise it will be a long season. The squad should be looking at tweaking not ripping up and starting again. Hart, Vinny, Zaba, Mangala, Silva, Fernando, Ageuro, and Milner are the great basis for our team. Yaya is still good enough, our own Pirlo or Gerrard, but younger than both.

We have a very good first team and able back ups to fit in when players are missing through injury or suspensions. At the moment the coaches aren't getting the best out of them and this needs addressing. If it is a confidence thing then stop conceding goals. It would be better to draw 0-0 and play well than keep conceding and chasing games.
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But the kind of goal we concede. Teams are having a couple o' shots per game and coming away with a couple o' goals! Soft as shit goals, training ground goals - the NUFC goals in the CrapitalOneCup, and last night. Shitty goals that you would expect any team to defend!
 
rushts said:
Lack of respect for the manager? Pelli lost the dressing room?
Tired/ Burnt out /Training too hard?
Too many players on long term contracts/ Lack of professionalism?

What the hell is going on? It's a complete meltdown in Europe and we are going to cock the whole season up if something is not done very quickly.

So where is it going wrong at the moment in your opinion?
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1 most players had no pre season
2 players came back staggered over a month
3 some players are absolutely creamed as they have played top level football for 18 months - I see in is what I saw in Spain at the World Cup.
4 we signed players well planned to address our needs (most fans agreed but are now changing tune) but one in a crucial position where understanding is needed was not playing till weeks into the season and the other as he found form got injured
5 for whatever reason the atmosphere at the Etihad is going down the loo if we are not 3-0 up on 20 minutes the fans are quiet, anxious and nervous - in adversity rather than get behind the team things get quiet - this becoming a huge issue in Europe
6 our best player from last year felt harshly treated by lack of recognition when clearly player of the year, he then lost a brother, fell out with the club, had a disappointing World Cup as he carried an injury from the end of the season and the fans turned against him.
7 with a few poor performances confidence is hit and with that chances are being missed,flicks aren't coming off and the team is second guessing itself
8 we got fucked on by uefa and this took some eyes off the ball at the club
9 I have never seen a run of such and refereeing decisions effect is
Etc etc I honestly believe a couple of good games and results and a few lucky calls and things can turn around quickly
But we as a club need to get a siege mentality the fans need to get with the team, the team needs to play for the fans as it is we from terrace to team need a kick up the arse and to get on with it.

But let's not exaggerate the problem - the problem is Europe for all the complaints we have had a very hard start played the 5 best teams in the prem and not lost one. In Europe though it's different no atmosphere, no effort, no heart, no fight and that is the team and fans - both need to sort it out!
 
Lack of pace

One dimensional tactics

Ageing squad (don't shoot me)

Players who don't give a fuck (yaya in particular)

Spending over 30 million a CB when we've lost an important forward player. Laughable that we could have had Sanchez for the same money.

Loss of character in the team/ dressing room. Lescott, micah both gone, chappy too.

Too many foreigners? Not enough english grit, ie milner esc.

No back up for silva, nasri doesn't cut it and neither does yaya in that role.

Nobody In the team with the ability to take a player on, use a piece of skill and get into the box.

But bottom line, FFP has fucked us up.
 
callumcity said:
Lack of pace

One dimensional tactics

Ageing squad (don't shoot me)

Players who don't give a fuck (yaya in particular)

Spending over 30 million a CB when we've lost an important forward player. Laughable that we could have had Sanchez for the same money.

Loss of character in the team/ dressing room. Lescott, micah both gone, chappy too.

Too many foreigners? Not enough english grit, ie milner esc.

No back up for silva, nasri doesn't cut it and neither does yaya in that role.

Nobody In the team with the ability to take a player on, use a piece of skill and get into the box.

But bottom line, FFP has fucked us up.
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Don't talk shite. £200m spent in couple of seasons. To me that is not FFP has fucked us.
 
callumcity said:
Lack of pace

One dimensional tactics

Ageing squad (don't shoot me)

Players who don't give a fuck (yaya in particular)

Spending over 30 million a CB when we've lost an important forward player. Laughable that we could have had Sanchez for the same money.

Loss of character in the team/ dressing room. Lescott, micah both gone, chappy too.

Too many foreigners? Not enough english grit, ie milner esc.

No back up for silva, nasri doesn't cut it and neither does yaya in that role.

Nobody In the team with the ability to take a player on, use a piece of skill and get into the box.

But bottom line, FFP has fucked us up.
Click to expand...
Can't blame FFP there is barely a cska or Roma player on paper who would improve us and the same applies to stoke or west ham - it is the 2012 story of just not applying ourselves against lesser teams we need to play against them with the intensity we ended the games at arsenal and Chelsea with
 
We don't have the footballing defenders to play the Spanish style and we lack the drive and energy to play a high tempo game.
Our biggest strength was always continual possession, but it's since been turned into a weakness by intelligent opponents.. It's creeping into our Premier League games, but it's always been there in Europe.

Just look at the similarities between Napoli's and Dortmund's goals at the ETIHAD. Throw in Sunderland's second goal last season, and Stoke's the other week.

How similar was Tottenham's goal to Arsenal's first last season?

Some of these games were still won, but the problem isn't going away.
 
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