Stoke City V Man City - pre match thread

[cleavers]

yes we played poorly saturday but hull's back 10 was difficult to get through, that has been a familar pattern this season

teams that have had a go we have beaten e.g. spurs and liverpool

Its been the same for more than just this season, and under 2 different managers, too many of our players are too slow, when we play against packed defences our build up is far too slow.

 

[Ireland_for_pm]

Will people fuck off saying start lampard!

 

[r.soleofsalford]

Will people fuck off saying start lampard!

absolutely this

 

[seanthedrum]

So teams pack the defence v us..I think it's us who need to park the bus don't you..
Why can't City defend like that for a change, we actually might win a game with a goal on the break..as those teams do, they counter attack at pace..we just play at one pace, one way..all the time, we never change..no alternative when we can't find a way thru and are playing as we are right now, like a bunch of strangers ..no confidence, no spark, no pace..looking like mid table fodder..!
Sometimes when things aren't working, you have to grind out a win, win ugly..
Chelsea are doing it, now, that's why they are 7 points clear...3 wins effectively, we lose tonight they'll have to lose 4 and we have to win every game..
I blame the man in charge, he's grasping at straws, doesn't know his best 11 and when he does play his best team..they don't want to play for him..think he's lost them, they aren't playing for him they look like they couldn't care less..he's gone soon definitely at season end but possibly before, we have to win tonight, no ifs or buts..another insipid showing is not acceptable..how come Pellegrini doesn't get any stick, Mancini got loads when we were below par..
we've been toothless, disjointed unbalanced all year so far, no shape, no width.. just let Navas run to the edge of the box and pass it sideways then backwards..why is it acceptable now..the rot has to stop, the buck stops with Pellegrini..he needs to use the whole pitch get something going down the left, why not Kolarov, he gets down to the line and can actually cross the ball, is good at set pieces dead balls, corners..we have no imagination..wake up Pellegrini before it's too late..!!

 

[GaudinoMotors]

So teams pack the defence v us..I think it's us who need to park the bus don't you..
Why can't City defend like that for a change, we actually might win a game with a goal on the break..as those teams do, they counter attack at pace..we just play at one pace, one way..all the time, we never change..no alternative when we can't find a way thru and are playing as we are right now, like a bunch of strangers ..no confidence, no spark, no pace..looking like mid table fodder..!
Sometimes when things aren't working, you have to grind out a win, win ugly..
Chelsea are doing it, now, that's why they are 7 points clear...3 wins effectively, we lose tonight they'll have to lose 4 and we have to win every game..
I blame the man in charge, he's grasping at straws, doesn't know his best 11 and when he does play his best team..they don't want to play for him..think he's lost them, they aren't playing for him they look like they couldn't care less..he's gone soon definitely at season end but possibly before, we have to win tonight, no ifs or buts..another insipid showing is not acceptable..how come Pellegrini doesn't get any stick, Mancini got loads when we were below par..
we've been toothless, disjointed unbalanced all year so far, no shape, no width.. just let Navas run to the edge of the box and pass it sideways then backwards..why is it acceptable now..the rot has to stop, the buck stops with Pellegrini..he needs to use the whole pitch get something going down the left, why not Kolarov, he gets down to the line and can actually cross the ball, is good at set pieces dead balls, corners..we have no imagination..wake up Pellegrini before it's too late..!!

Good post - slight contradiction about emphasising defending and then picking Kolarov though.

 

[seanthedrum]

I never thought Kolarov a defender, more a wing half..and he's a naturally left sided player, what we need in front of Clichy..
oh and Sagna should never get the nod over Zabaleta unless it's to rest him, as he's better defending and gives us more going forward on the right than Navas all day long..
we need width, that's how we will penetrate those packed defences..we have the players..it's Pellegrini's tactics that are wrong. and highly negative plus we've been chronically boring and predictable...use our old fashioned wide players..!!

 

[jollylescott]

yes we played poorly saturday but hull's back 10 was difficult to get through, that has been a familar pattern this season

teams that have had a go we have beaten e.g. spurs and liverpool

Its been the same for more than just this season, and under 2 different managers, too many of our players are too slow, when we play against packed defences our build up is far too slow.

It was interesting watching the quality of play by Tottenham in the last couple of games. One of the most noticeable aspects that Pochettino has improved is the tempo of their game and the one touch football.

You don't need Olympic sprinters to increase the tempo of our passing and general movement. I am sure we can do this, we just need the right commitment from the players. I think that if we can increase the tempo we can rip this Stoke team apart. They have quite a few injuries so there is no excuse.

I think this will be the game where Kun hits top gear. If so look out Stoke.

 

[seanthedrum]

drop Navas altogether, he's hopeless, put Milner or Silva in front of Zab on the right and the other central and vice versa, mix it up a bit..we are one paced, one dimensional, narrow and toothless..predictable
and you know something..it's Pellegrini's fault..not the ref, not the anti City media..or Gary Neville..:)

 

[ONTHERUNWITHTHAKSIN]

Back to basics first and pass the ball to a blue shirt really pissed me off the amount of passes which are either too short or too long especially Fernando.

 

[m32blue]

Big game tonight at a ground where we have a poor record
, 3 points vital to stay with a sniff of title and keep a gap between Utd.
If we lose I can see a scenario where Manuel gets the chop and Viera takes over for the rest of the season.
.Hopefully it wont come to this and Im going for a 2-2 draw.