Southampton (H) | PL | Post-Match Thread

[Kippax Street 1880]

It really is all about the 3 points at this stage of the season. Injuries, constant international breaks. Multiple competitions to juggle. Just keep grinding it out until January when we can strengthen.

 

[Rory Bluelow]

Walker, Kevin, Stones, Ake, Rodri... The equivelent of Salah, vvd, taa all being out at the same time. Difference is we dont get that coverage so it isnt talked about as much, even by City fans. We have an injury crisis so grinding out these results is to be expected.

Spot on. I was dipping in and out of the Match Day thread yesterday (I know) and some of the comments were fucking awful. The players worked their bollocks off yesterday - this is just a temporary phase and we’re actually doing great.

 

[Godzilla]

Personally it’s more exciting when it’s close than a thrashing!

I don’t think Pep plays our best 11 every week, he’s bedding newer players in like Nunes, Savinho, Doku & Kobacic

Rotating players results in not overly relying on players when they get injured, but some players like Rodri & De Bruyne are just irreplaceable!

We are not the same team without them, but it makes for some nail biting games!

 

[The perfect fumble]

In an otherwise dull game....

 

[pride in battle]

The most exciting part of the game was when Southampton brought on that man-mountain up front. He was bloody colossal.

He actually looked a giant !!

 

[give it to gordon]

Spot on. I was dipping in and out of the Match Day thread yesterday (I know) and some of the comments were fucking awful. The players worked their bollocks off yesterday - this is just a temporary phase and we’re actually doing great.

Agree you get a clearer picture of the game at the match.
The lads worked their bollocks of yesterday.
Abit of luck and it would have 3 or 4 nil.
Southampton tactics where to try and tire City out by forcing City to close them down. Saint rode their luck and went for it in the last 10 minutes when City were dead on their feet.
Saint even brought on that bloke from 'The Green Mile' to try and bulldoze a draw.

 

[OB1]

Nothing to do with their game plan, Erling should have scored 5 on his own.

Even with Erl, we don’t take enough of our chances but teams always miss more than they score. We should be doing better on that front but absolutely battering teams score wise is not going to happen as much as it used to in the league.

Southampton went with a back 5 but they mostly use a back four. As Pep himself pointed out, they also kept the ball well (without threatening us) which reduces City’s opportunity to score.

Teams have generally become more reliant on packing their defence against us and the teams at the bottom usually get a full week to practice their plan for City, while Pep is left having a quick chat with his team while they recover from a midweek fixture.

Patience is the key, which is quite frustrating at times, mainly, from my PoV, because it makes for more stress when games are not put to bed until late of the final whistle.

 

[Gray]

In an otherwise dull game....

If he hadn't have scored would we have got the penalty that we deserved?

 

[Protein Junkie]

Walker, Kevin, Stones, Ake, Rodri... The equivelent of Salah, vvd, taa all being out at the same time. Difference is we dont get that coverage so it isnt talked about as much, even by City fans. We have an injury crisis so grinding out these results is to be expected.

That’s because we have three world class £50m players for each position Tubster !

 

[OB1]

This is getting a lot of stick but it’s not really far from the truth.. We have been poor, as we have been at this point for the last few seasons, obviously injuries playing its part this year but still we’re slow and not firing on all cylinders. But then again we’re sat top of the league for now and unbeaten so can’t complain too much regardless of what we know we can expect from this team. Personally I see it as we’re only gonna improve so take it as a positive but I can see why people get rattled cause we’re only a few different decisions and some wasted chances away from being behind the pack. One things for certain they’ll all be looking at us expecting a slip and these slim wins will be in their heads so god help them when we’re full strength and at full pace, that will crush them

32 games unbeaten in the league (one game lost so far in the calendar) and people are complaining that we have been poor. It’s a huge lack of perspective and I have banged on about it many times over the last three seasons. City not being at their very best is not the same ab being poor or shite and the number of times I’ve seen people call performances that whilst City go on to win the league (and more) is utterly ridiculous.

After hitting the pinnacle of the game, City are into a bit of a transitional stage, that could last a couple more years (ignoring the impact of a possible change of manager) and a bit of patience will be required but also some faith that Pep can keep getting his players to deliver trophies.