Spurs (A) - Post-Match Thread

[Kippax77]

I bet we look brilliant in training, pitter patter beach style football without any real tackles being made.
Then we go into a real game and just look so soft compared to our opponents.
I know they have now made football virtually a non contact sport, but we lose possession so many times in duels all over the pitch.
I gave up counting how many times Mahrez lost the ball when he got fronted, and even Sterling when he came on had 5 attempts of running with the ball but got dispossessed 4 times.
We really do miss a backbone to our team, like we had with Vinny, Fernandinho and yaya.

 

[Chippy_boy]

I missed the game yesterday and just watched the recording on Sky.

Sad to say I fast forwarded for the last 15 minutes as it was obviously we would not score if we had an another hour and a half.

The one thing I would say is can we just write to the FA and ask that they do not bother with VAR for us. It would make the game flow much smoother if they just disallowed our goals and allowed the ones against us. Save a lot of buggering about.

 

[madden150]

Confidence is shot in the final third. We dont look like scoring, we dont look dangerous. It makes it easier for teams to defend against us when are forward play is so predictable. Part of the reason why I think we get found out on the break so much. I'd love a new striker like Haaland brought in to this side to get us firing. Despite what others are stating, I dont think we are a million miles off tbh. Possession wise we are the best in the league but that obviously doesnt win you games.

 

[Chippy_boy]

We actually need to get rid of Mahrez imo.
He's friggin hopeless.

Ederson is more of a goal threat.

 

[citymad]

We couldn't break Spurs down, in my opinion it was a bad team selection by Pep we should have played Foden and Sterling instead of Mahrez and Silva who are both completely out of form.
We actually need to get rid of Mahrez imo.
He's friggin hopeless.
Make those changes and we win.
Why did he drop Foden FFS ?

The Spurs game was far more important than olympiakos which is the only reason I can think of that Foden was rested. I agree Mahrez needs to go and not become an option. He completely slows any speedy attack we might have ....and they’re becoming very rare these days. In defence of Sterling first of all he probably wasn’t fit enough for a full 90 and I just couldn’t imagine him making a difference. That Spurs 6 was rock solid.

 

[hgblue]

But perhaps you and he might see there’s plenty of ground between those two extremes?

Our beautiful football is metamorphosing all too often into fruitless possession. Neither effective nor particularly aesthetic.

Every single PL manager - Noddy and all - seems to know how to beat us. Luckily, a number of them still don‘t possess the resources to convert that knowledge into points.

I honestly get the feeling watching City these days that the players are happy to dominate possession. Someone needs to remind them that possession stats mean fuck all. Teams are letting us pass it around, sitting in games and waiting for the opportunity to hit us on the break. We can all see this tactic, it’s not rocket science. Our intensity has dropped, our work rate has dropped, and our performances have become predictable and dare I say it a bit boring to watch. It feels to me like something isn’t right in the dressing room, I can’t put my finger on it, but where’s the passion and desire? The drop off in performance levels are too great to be a coincidence. The players certainly didn’t seem to be lifted by Pep’s contract extension did they? Worrying times.

 

[the-ecstacy-of-eight]

We couldn't break Spurs down, in my opinion it was a bad team selection by Pep we should have played Foden and Sterling instead of Mahrez and Silva who are both completely out of form.
We actually need to get rid of Mahrez imo.
He's friggin hopeless.
Make those changes and we win.
Why did he drop Foden FFS ?

Not really dropped though; Foden hasn't started a league match since the Arsenal game. I just don't get it.

 

[purplenose]

Until we get a decent finisher or Aguero fit and on form this is what is going to keep happening.

First half the only real difference between the two sides was our goalkeeper one of his costly moments. For all the good stuff he does he does seem to choose the worst moments to drop a bollock,

This together with the bewildering decision to leave Foden out, who does look to have goals in him unlike just about every other player on the pitch yesterday and that includes Kev. Bringing him on so late was a waste of time, likewise with Sterling, but then bringing Sterling on at all against decent opposition is a waste of time currently. likewise sadly Mahrez. I would ship the pair of them out and bring someone in who can offer something different.

2nd half was just plain poor, despite the stats making it look like we were unlucky, the truth is different. They wanted it, defended well and took their chances and as a result were the better side and deserved to win.

Yes of course there were the usual VAR issues on top of that thundercunt of a referee, but to blame either would be hiding from the truth.

 

[Eoiyflem]

At this point in time I can't see us finishing top 4, all the euphoria of beating UEFA undone by our own ineptitude. The team at the minute is so demoralising to watch.

I love Pep but his decisions recently are absolutely fucking baffling. Foden not playing, Bernardo and Mahrez playing, leaving aguero on the bench. Just sooooooooo frustrating and tbh if you think it's getting better any time soon, you're deluded.

 

[Tokyo32]

honestly get the feeling watching City these days that the players are happy to dominate possession. Someone needs to remind them that possession stats mean fuck all. Teams are letting us pass it around, sitting in games and waiting for the opportunity to hit us on the break. We can all see this tactic, it’s not rocket science. Our intensity has dropped, our work rate has dropped, and our performances have become predictable and dare I say it a bit boring to watch. It feels to me like something isn’t right in the dressing room, I can’t put my finger on it, but where’s the passion and desire? The drop off in performance levels are too great to be a coincidence. The players certainly didn’t seem to be lifted by Pep’s contract extension did they? Worrying times.

I think you are expecting too much from the players. They are trying to find the spaces but teams are so well drilled and organized that there is little to no space to exploit. They are doing what they are told to do so maybe it is the manager. The main problem yesterday was that we kept trying to break spurs down but we could not find space to exploit, perhaps we should have stopped and made them come at us but it is the manager who tells them to have patience and keep trying.