Stoke Vs City Post Match Discussion Thread

[Chippy_boy]

Everyone slagging off Garcia, Kolarov, Nastastic and Zabba might do well to remember the score. We dropped 2 points today because we didn't create anything, not because we couldn't defend.

Actually, it was not a bad result imho. Before the game I said we should keep it tight, keep possesion and try to nick a 1-0 towards the end. I still think that was the correct approach. OK, we rode our luck with some pretty iffy defending, but at the end of the day we did keep a clean sheet. Had we played a more expansive, attacking game, I am convinced we would have lost.

 

[bluemoon32]

Parking the bus at mighty Stoke, words fail me.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

It wasn't great today but I think we need to give this team time to gell. We will see the best after Christmas. They were too slow and pedestrian but Stoke are very hard to break down. How many teams have won comfortably there in the last five years. In the end it was a point from a game we could have lost. Not many good performances today but one positive was Rodwell. He could be a big player for us this season. If we stay in touch till Christmas I fancy us to win the league this year. It's a poor division where lots of teams will take points off each other.

 

[jimharri]

Everyone slagging off Garcia, Kolarov, Nastastic and Zabba might do well to remember the score. We dropped 2 points today because we didn't create anything, not because we couldn't defend.

Actually, it was not a bad result imho. Before the game I said we should keep it tight, keep possesion and try to nick a 1-0 towards the end. I still think that was the correct approach. OK, we rode our luck with some pretty iffy defending, but at the end of the day we did keep a clean sheet. Had we played a more expansive, attacking game, I am convinced we would have lost.

Agreed. We needed someone like a Frank Lampard in our team today.

 

[Pezzer2]

Pre season optimism completely evaporated!

- Lack of cohesion
- No leadership
- No stability
- Lack of creativity
- Looking vulnerable despite the 3 clean sheets

We need to get a grip soon as possible because this is a campaign where we could easily slip back outside of the top 4 (never mind winning the league)

We are in desperate need of a morale boosting week dispatching of Plzen and and United to kick us into gear.

Pellers body language in walking off at the end looked like he had aged 10 years since he took the job.

I was watching the Everton and Chelsea match and was impressed with both the tempo and passion of both teams going toe to toe with each other and couldn't help think City need a huge slice of both of these attributes!

I' am normally positive despite setbacks but I fear for us at the moment.

Come on city lift the gloom!!!!

 

[Sky Blue]

Not sure why our defending is being debated today. Our defence is patched up and chugging along right now so to keep two clean sheets in a row is good despite a lot of dodgy and heart-stopping moments.

For me the more pressing problems are the other side of the halfway line with the same stagnant attacking we saw too much under Mancini. Predictable sideways passing, slow tempo, lack of ideas and variety. Against Newcastle, Navas was a proper winger and pumping in crosses, players were shaking it up with long diagonal passes to switch play, and there was a vigor to the team. That has just disappeared since, a really bizarre phenomenon.

'Parked buses' can be bypassed but year after year in games like this we struggle and furthermore teams seem to be improving their counter attacking against us. I've seen three Pellegrini teams and they attacked much better than today, so it's a case of either the instructions/tactics not getting across yet or the players just unable so far to do what he asks.

If our brand of tiki-taka continues to lead to dropped points this season we should fundamentally look at the style and consider whether it's right for the Premier League. We're the richest club in the world so should be able to play in a way which dominates the Premier League except when we come up against equals like Chelsea.

I didn't see much tiki-taka today we could hardly keep the ball. Stoke hardly parked the bus either!...

 

[Berkovic_blue]

I was about 25 rows back, right behind the goals and I didn't hear it.

I heard one bloke sing it before being told to shut up.

So Roberto's still coming to watch ?

I watched the game online and could hear it, not very loud but it did happen. On around 60 mins

 

[flb]

Not sure why our defending is being debated today. Our defence is patched up and chugging along right now so to keep two clean sheets in a row is good despite a lot of dodgy and heart-stopping moments.

For me the more pressing problems are the other side of the halfway line with the same stagnant attacking we saw too much under Mancini. Predictable sideways passing, slow tempo, lack of ideas and variety. Against Newcastle, Navas was a proper winger and pumping in crosses, players were shaking it up with long diagonal passes to switch play, and there was a vigor to the team. That has just disappeared since, a really bizarre phenomenon.

'Parked buses' can be bypassed but year after year in games like this we struggle and furthermore teams seem to be improving their counter attacking against us. I've seen three Pellegrini teams and they attacked much better than today, so it's a case of either the instructions/tactics not getting across yet or the players just unable so far to do what he asks.

If our brand of tiki-taka continues to lead to dropped points this season we should fundamentally look at the style and consider whether it's right for the Premier League. We're the richest club in the world so should be able to play in a way which dominates the Premier League except when we come up against equals like Chelsea.

The whole point mate was he picked the wrong eleven- and cocking up with players who play over the half way line.

He cocked up cos he's shit his pants about cocking up in Europe and is keeping his underpants dry for Tuesday

 

[Berkovic_blue]

Think our owners have droped a bollock appointing this Pellers bloke as manager

So far I'd agree, he's consistently picking the wrong starting eleven each game.

He's clueless about the PL, despite him boasting he can manage anywhere, anybody who picks Garcia is pissing in the wrong pot I'm afraid.

Cheech and Chong the Spaniards better prey they haven't fucked up with the red eyed lizard seemingly fucking things up each week.

You know, Mancini don't seem that bad after all.

Given the injuries there was nothing wrong with the side he picked today. Lescott CANNOT play on the right side of the defence, he was appalling against Hull and the most one-footed player in the squad.

As for your name-calling, fucking grow up

 

[kanovic]

Everyone slagging off Garcia, Kolarov, Nastastic and Zabba might do well to remember the score. We dropped 2 points today because we didn't create anything, not because we couldn't defend.

Actually, it was not a bad result imho. Before the game I said we should keep it tight, keep possesion and try to nick a 1-0 towards the end. I still think that was the correct approach. OK, we rode our luck with some pretty iffy defending, but at the end of the day we did keep a clean sheet. Had we played a more expansive, attacking game, I am convinced we would have lost.

Agreed. We needed someone like a Frank Lampard in our team today.

Yep. Because he saved Chelski today