So what is wrong at the moment?

[Marvin]

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?

It's the question. You'll have to ask Vincent Kompany and co

There are no excuses for the shambles home and away to CSKA. Coasting and careless, and unprofessional.

Will they get a chance to put it right. Do they even deserve to?

I'd like to call them mercenaries, but then how can you care and fight as a team in England, but not do it on the bigger stage? Totally beyond me.

 

[Goaters]

As stated the lack of any real team unit is concerning, the players can talk the talk but on the pitch they are severely lacking. I think fundamentally the age and desire of some of the players should be called into question. We have one of the oldest teams in Europe and maybe the lack of any younger players, with legs and the grit to drag this team up by the balls is telling.

We have tried to enhance the squad over the last 2-3 years, the majority of players we purchased are below the top tier required hence we have not pushed on. A Sanchez/ Fabregas/ Di Maria would have done the World of good and been an instant first team boost. We instead went for an unproven Fernando, who while was a good player for Porto needs a specific formation where he can purely be defensive to flourish. Mangala is one of the younger players I believed we should have bought but as was known before he signed he is hugely raw and will be prone to the odd mistake. Therefore him playing in a team so devoid of defensive solidarity is making his deficiencies seem worse.

I believe the directors of the club do have a strict philosophy where managers have a cycle of use before they are deemed to be stale. Manuels I imagine was going to run until the end of this season, I envisage this will still be the case and he will plod on until then. A worry of this is, he has been less inclined to try out youth as this will be of no benefit to him. When he first came in the way we attacked was mesmerising at times, but as the teams age enhances certain players can not perform the same roles and therefore results and performances suffer.

Thinking positively, the quality of players means we will overcome this slump, also having been an avid watcher of the Youth Champions League and our loan signings we have some real talent waiting in the wings. Within 2 years Denayer, Lopes, Angelino, Pozo and possibly Barker will be on the fringes of the squad so will have drive and passion and a real affinity with the club. Mix them in with Aguero, Kompany and Zaba who have Man City now in their blood and we may see some really progressive football. I think Patrick Vieira could be a really interesting choice as he is fresh and hungry and has been watching the young players develop over the past couple of years.

 

[Goater=Legend]

Sick of hearing from the players before champions league games telling us how they're up for it and they expect a good performance.

Then we see the same shit performance and a shocking lack of effort from them.

No excuses, we can't keep blaming UEFA when something happens, this is all on them.

 

[Marvin]

Sick of hearing from the players before champions league games telling us how they're up for it and they expect a good performance.

Then we see the same shit performance and a shocking lack of effort from them.

No excuses, we can't keep blaming UEFA when something happens, this is all on them.

Totally agree. They have let themselves down and us down.

And yet they are Champions. They'll never have the respect of anyone in football until they compete in Europe

 

[Feed the Elk]

I think that we're missing the attacking verve from the fullbacks.

Seen nothing from Zabaleta this season from an attacking sense
Kolarov has been ok
Clichy has been dire, as has Sagna

Et voilà.

 

[bluesoup]

.

 

[theres only one carlito]

Severe case of second season syndrome again! Nothing to prove from a personal point of view. No one taking responsibility. No one willing to come up with a solution and applying it. Its not the tactics or system. Its the players sheer unmotivated attitudes because they believe they are better than they actually are. This team went to Munich and only just got beat. Really unlucky to lose. The same players beat united a few days ago. Drew with Chelsea. Won the double ffs. Same players same manager same system. Scored record number of goals. Broke all sorts of records last year with the same personnel. The players have form for this. They have done this very same thing before. Attitude is completely wrong. Imo.

 

[bluesoup]

I see tiredness, careless balls and a lack of mobility this year, more so than ever recently and it is causing big gaps to appear in midfield making us vulnerable to sucker punch counter attacks! The slow build up telegraphs our play and we rarely chase and get the second ball.

 

[bluethai]

- Too many players on long term contracts (no more interesting reward so why work harder). I.e. Dzeko, Nasri, Koralov, Kun, Silva, ...

- Some players knew they have no future at the club (just finish the season and I will go somewhere else). I.e. Clichy, Demichelis, Yaya (silly red card last night proved that he didn't care anymore), ...

 

[AlgarveBlu]

We don't have players who go for the jugular like Robben and Ribbery and as many have stated we're too slow and the opposition have an eternity to get back into their shape in fact they could probably try out a couple of shapes by the time the ball gets near the box...